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Later Addition: Belgia 1591 20 November To Master Bodly

Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: November

By your letter of the third of November I perceive howe you had delt with the States in the Case of certeine poore Creditors of the towne of Flusshinge, to whome the Capteines Wingefield and Randolphe weare indebted, whearein I perceive yowe have prevailed little to the paiment of the whole, but if hir Majestie will paie the one half theie will paie the other, whearein I dowbt howe to prevaile with hir Majestie and yet I will doe my best./ By the same letter yowe sent unto mee the transcript of the awnsweares made by the States to the Emperors Ambassadors with the Copies of two other letters by the Generall States, both to the Am- bassadors, and to Monsieur Bilant: of all which I have made hir Majestie privye in which matter, it semeth by your later advertisementes theare will bee sum other Course held./.

Your next letter was of the sixt, By which yowe did certefie the interceptinge of certeine letters written from the College of the Cardinalls uppon the deathe of the Pope unto the D. of Parma and divers others: whearein yt semeth the said Cardinals have smoothed the matter of the Popes deathe, to the Contentacion of the Common Cawse taken in hand by the Popish faction and the league: But nowe at this time at the writinge hereof will unders- tand that theare is a newe Pope chosen, whoe was the Cardinal St Quat[ro] a person greatlie desired by the Spanish faction, and yet most perticulerly addicted to the Duke of Parma, having been first made Cardinall by the howse of Farnese./.

Your next letter and last, is of the xjth of this moneth, whearein yowe doe discover sum dowbt howe the matter shall be carried that is in hand betwixt the Emperors Ambassadors and thos States, abowt the offred Treatie of a Peace, and with that your letter yowe have sent a Copie of a writing devised by your self in forme of a letter to be sent by yowe from thence to the said Ambassadors, wheareof, and of your lettre conteining both matter of great weight I made hir Majestie well ac- quainted, and she communicating the same seriouslie with hir Counsell commaunded mee to lett yowe knowe, that she liked verie well of fol.277v
the Care yowe tooke of this matter, and of the substance of the reasons conteined in your purposed letter: but yet after she had well weighed the Circumstances and caringe thereof she resolved that yt showld not be sent by yowe, not for mislikinge of the reasons thearein but for that yt cowld not be thowght convenient that yowe being hir servant, so neare at hand unto hir, showld write such a lettre of soe great moment in your owne name withowt hir avowing thereof, which whearein she might not convenientlie deale, except she weare made a partie theareto, either from the Emperor, or from his Ambassadors: Nevertheles she requireth yowe to use all the good meanes yowe can both privatlie and publicquelie according to your discretion that the States Generall, or the Counsell of States, maie alledge sum just reasons to differe this Treatie thowgh yt be not to refuse or reject yt: for which purpose hir Majestie thinketh ther two reasons heareafter followinge accompa- nied with sum others, maie justlie suffice, to putt of the Treatie./

The first is, which alreadie hath been remembred, and maie be justlie re- newed, that the States cannot in reason nor in polecie contrarie to their Contract with hir Majestie, treate with anie Prince, withowt hir consent by whome theie have been hitherto favorablie protected in the maintenance of their libertie, and with whome and the States of hir Cuntrie, theie and their Forefathers have by spetiall Treaties and Bondes, been bownd for mutuall defence: and therefore withowt rejecting to treate of Peace, theie maie require that hir Majestie maie be sollicited & moved to Consent theareto, wheareunto theie maie affirme hir Majestie did showe hir self willing in the yeare of 1588 when she was greatlie abused offering a Treatie of Peace, with one hand, and the invasion of the Realme with an other./.

A second reason maie be justlie alleged that wheare they are offred in wordes from the Ambassadors to have the libertie of Relligion grawnted them, contrarie to all former proceadinges of the K. of Spaigne, theie can noe waies hope to have that offer performed and confirmed to them considering yt is manifestlie seen that the K. of Spaigne onelie for pretence of matter of Relligion invadeth at this present the Frenche K. soe as whilest he shall continue that Corse towardes a Soveraine K. over whome he can challenge noe auctoritie, as to make warre for collor of Relligion, theare is noe hope to be had, that he will yeld libertie fol.278r
to others over whome he pretendeth a Soveraine rule at the least he will never continewe the same: and therefore untill yt maie appeare that he shall alter his disposicion in that behalf towardes the Frenche K. and his Cuntrie, noe man can conceave hope that he will performe that which owtwardlie is offred unto thos from whome he maie easelie withdrawe his grawnt when he shall have by collor of peace, disha- bled them to mainteine themselves for enjoieng of such thinges as shall be grawnted unto them. And in this sort hir Majestie would have you to impresse thes and such like reasons to putt of this Treatie at this time, withowt gevinge Cawse to the Ambassadors to conceave that theie doe refuse to herken to peace, a thinge much desyred of them, and onelie wantinge for lack of good assurance./

One other your privatt letter of the same date of the xjth of November was also read by hir Majestie hir self, conteininge your privat request to mee to move hir Majestie to grawnt yowe license to returne, uppon such reasons as are conteined in your letter, which hir Majestie said she cowld not denie but weare reasonable, but yet she cowld not sodenlie determine, spetiallie before this next springe to revoke you havinge not determined wheare to find one fitt to succeade yowe. And so hir Majestie willed mee to advertise you, and require yowe to take sum patience for the time./ And if in the meane time I can anie waies devise howe to find owt a man sufficieint to succeade yowe, I will not forgett to sollicite the same unto hir Majestie./ And soe having by this one letter heaped up an awnsweare to divers of yours, I praie yowe to excuse mee for anie larger writing at this time being neither at good leisure, nor in good healthe, as I dowbt not but such as can from hence unto yowe, can make report. From the Cort at Whitehall this xxth of November. 1591. Your vearie Lovinge frend./ William Burghley.