lettertext
fol.190r
Later Addition: [Belgia] 1591 31 July To my L. Treasurer
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: July.
May it please your good L. Although her Majesty have vouchesafed by a second lettre from your L. to require my uttermost endevour for the placing of Master Chamberlain as provost marshal of Berghen for mine owne particular I beseech you to conceave, & to certify of me, that I was as forward in the matter, upon sighte of your first, as was possible for mee & as I will be in any thing, upon the smallest intimation of her Majesties pleasure, Howbeit as yt seemeth by the postscript of your lettre, it hath bin suggested by some of his friendes, that I do hinder his preferment by commending of Crooke to the Councel of State. which I protest unto your L. is theyr owne imagination, & proceedeth from such parsons, as litell heed others credit, to obtene theyr owne desires, for in my life that I remember, I had never seen Crooke, but onely then when the Councel admitted him Provost, & at no time since. Nor I can not call to minde, that for any other cause, either his name or any action of his hath bin mentioned since in Councel, wherby I mighte have cause to praise or dispraise him, much lesse to recommend him when I se that her Highnes was otherwise affected. As for Master Chamberlain I did so offer my self at first, & so continew at this present to do him any pleasure, as I know not how he can require any more at my handes. I have wished him to devise with all his friendes, & to set mee downe some course, by which they think I may prevaile in parswading this Councel & they shall all of them see that I wilbee as earnest in their sutes, as they can any waie desire. But in truthe of my self as I have often debated both with him & with his friendes I cannot find any meanes to bring it presently to passe. To propose yt to this Councel I am alwaies redy, whensoever hee will have mee, & to do it in his presence, that hee may witnes of my forwardnes. But yet in my opinon, as I have flatly told him, unles I had some cause to alleaye against Crooke, they will so much dislike the nature of his sute, as the very motioning of it will make them more opposit, against him in espetiall. For as in my former I advertised your L. they do alwaies maintayne, that both Master Chamberlain /entred into that office/ & sondry other of our nation into other like offices in these countryes, by manifest intrusyon, beyng placed disorderly by those that had no such authority. For such elections appartaine to the Councel of state, as is well enough knowen to Master Chamberlain himself, by the practise of the Country. fol.190vEndorsed: To my L. Tresurer July 31. 91.
Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: July:
moreover, yt is mervailed at by some, that a gentleman of good house should sollicit so earnestly for the roome of a Provost Mareschall in a garrison Towne, which the meanest gentleman in these countryes will not onely not exercise, but will disdaine to keep company with whosoever should have yt. How the Gouvernor of Berg[en] hath answered the letter, which your L. sent unto him I do not yet understand: but of this I am certaine that unles his dealing do tend to parswading of Crooke, to resigne his interest hee can do nothing in that matter by vertue of his goverment I have compelled both him & Master Chamberlain to use some honest menacing of Crooke, in regard that her Majesty is so bent as hee knoweth, & withall to make an offer of some parte of recompense, which I have no assurance that he will accept or that they will offer unto him, but if by that meanes or any other, he may bee drawen to leave his place, then I hope that Master Chamberlain shall come easily by it in his sute to the Councel. & thus recommending my dealing to your L. consyderation I take my humble leave.