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fol.185vAddressed: To my loving frend Master Thomas Bodeley Esquier./
Endorsed: from my L. Tresurer the 25 of July 1591.
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fol.184r
Later Addition: Belgia 1591 25 July To Master Bodly
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: July.
Sir. I have imparted unto hir Majestie sondrie of your lettres lately written whereof the last is the xvijth of this moneth: wheareuppon hir Majestie hath presentlie written a letter to the Counte Maurice both to showe hir gladnes for the victorie, and politicquelie to move a staie of the puttinge the great Prisoners to libertie untill the sommer be past as by the Copie of the letter hearewith sent, yowe shall better understand which when yowe have perused yowe maie deliver to the Counte with hir Majesties most hartie Commendacions: and with other Complementes to expresse hir Majesties great joie that she hath for the publicque victorie, and of hir perticuler gladnes for the Countes perticuler prosperitie in thes his Actions, greatlie to his honnor, and to the love of the Cuntrie. And thowgh at this time the Contentes of hir Majesties letters be generallie to staie the deliverie of prisoners that be of vallewe for serrvice: yet she is vearie desirous, that theare be one fitt man obtained, whose vallewe might redeme Master Winter that is in the Castell of Anwerpe wheare he hath been of longe time vearye cru- ellie used by Mondragon, and yet I cannot wholie defend him bicawse he sowght to escape: and yet since that time theie have pretended to kepe him streighte, thearebie to provoke the Q. to deliver Don Pedro de Valdes, wheareunto hir Majestie will in noe wise assent: And therefore I see noe readie waie for Winter to be delivered but by exchange of sum prisoners wheareof if one such cowld be choosen [.] as weare of vallewe for wealthe, and not for martiall Action yowe showld doe the Gentleman great pleisure: and to this ende the Bearer heareof being a serrvant of Master Winters cometh unto you to sollicite this suite for his Master, to whome I praie yowe showe all the favor yowe can./ Hir Majestie hath receved letters from the Counsell of State, vearie bitterlie written against Sir Edward Norris, and as yt semeth your self doth concerne the cawse of theire writinge against him to be trewe: But for mine owne part havinge receved from him soe often times a Justificacion of himself in all thos thinges whearewith he is charged, and lastlie perceiving that he hath sent a Commissarie of the towne to the States with his letters in awnsweare of theire Complaintes: I have great Cawse to hope that he will be fownd noethinge soe fawltie as he hath been made to appeare fol.184vLater Addition: Belgia: 1591: July.
to yowe and the States: And this I knowe for a trewthe that neither theie of Holland & spetiallie of Zeland doe like to have that towne of Ostend, or anie thinge in Flanders to prosper, but howe proffitable yt is for yt to be mainteined for the annoyance of the Ennemie is easelie to be judged, and in trewthe if the States would have as good a minde to recover the townes of Flanders as theie have to increase theire bowndes in Gelderland, and the Confines of Holland, the Ennemie showld receive more losse by the [ruining] of one towne in Flanders [and] the States, than by anie three in Gelderland./Theare is a letter which I nowe send yowe which hath laine long by mee half forgotten directed to yowe for this matter of Sir Edward Norris, whearebie yowe are to offer to the States that hir Majestie will well allowe to have Sir Edward Norris Action duelie examined, by sending sum Commissarye of theire owne & to joine Master Guilpin with him, which if he cannot be staied I thinke sum Capteine might be named from Flusshinge or Berghen that weare not knowen ill affected to Sir Edward Norris to joine with the States Commissary: And if yowe doe find the States not satisfied with the sending of the Commissary from Ostend and his awnsweare, then I praie you further that Course as yt is conteined in the letter./
I wishe to have had sum plat or discription of the grownd of the late fight betwixt Arnham & Newmegen, and soe I praie yowe heareafter uppon anie occasion of fightes in places to joine with your letter sum discripcions of the places, and formes of the fightes, for the better understanding of the same, for manie times reportes are made as this sommer hath been of many sconces neare Groninghen, but in the plattes of the Cuntries such places are not expresed or mentioned./ I would also at such like times [wee] would advertise us, whoe be the leaders & Capteines of the States Armies, and what officers they usuallye have in the Conductinge of theire Armies./ And wheare of late yt appeareth theare hath been sum motion made to have the Almaigne Armie to cum into that Cuntrie, Althowgh I know fol.185r
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591. July.
it would be to great purpose for thos partes theare, yet I thinke the Frenche K. will not allowe thereof, consideringe the delaie of their comminge into France maie prove dangerous to him, by reason of the comminge into France owt of Italie of the Popes forces, under the Conduct of the Popes nephewe, and of other great forces to be Conducted by the D. of Savoye, whoe is cum owt of Spaigne with plentie of monie, to paie as manie soldiers as he can levie./ From Grenwych. the 25 of Julij 1591Postscript: I pray yow let Sir Francis vere, know that I have receaved his late lettres makyng particular metion of the victory ageynst the Itallion Cavallery. for which I thanck hym most hartely wishyng that he wold not wryte so hastely with a running hand, for though I can decipher the same, yet I wold offre the same to be redd by the Q. Majesty, who [new] only my readyng or report, the difficulte resteth only in iij or iiij lettres, as his dooble v and his [.] such lyke. I hope he will accept this my frendly playnes with hym./ Your assured loving frend William Burghley