Letter ID: 1117
Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D IX f.122r-123v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1117/000
Date: 01 April 1592
Note: This document is badly fire damaged.
Copy of: 0383 lettertext
fol.122r
Later Addition: Treasurer
May it please your good L: I was certified from you the 24 of February, which was your L. laste that is come to my handes, that her Majesty liked of my motion for the surplus of the forces that are in these countreys, when theyr garrisons are assured to be sent into France. If her Highnes bee resolved to have it put in execution, it wilbee nededfull to commence to sollicit out of hand. With all as I have written in my laste to your L. yt will availe very much, that Master Buzenval be required to bend his best cogitations to parsuade them heere unto yt. For though I take no delighte to advertise or censure the actions of others, yet urged therunto for her Majesties better service I cannot chuse but signify that I looke for litel help by meanes of his endevours. He was forward at first to furder the motion, but after a while I found him fainte, & now of late I have learned that hee opposeth very hard & practiseth against yt, For wheras both of us agreed, to feele a far of the affections of some parsons, by waie of discours, & not as of a thing that we meant to put in sute, hee hath secretly acquainted Co. Maurice & others, that I have bin the mover of this matter to her Majesty: wheruppon I am enformed that the Count ys somwhat troubled, not knowing how in reason to gainsay the demand, & yet unwilling altogether to have the Country yeeld unto yt. Whether yt come of some spetiall designe, or onely of desire to gratefy the Count, that he forgat himself so much I cannot signify directly, but I see that his dealing hath bin full of cullusion, & withall I am afraid, that to smoothe the humor of Co. Maurice he hath used some prevention in parsuading of the Kinge to refrain from that request for offending this people, which I also think the rather, for that within these 3 daies he hath delt underhand with Sir Francis Vere, not onely not to second mee but to induce mee to surcease from parsuing the matter furder. Al his reasons are so weake, as I am not to trouble you with rehersall of any, that wheruppon he insisteth moste ys a feare that he conceaveth, if the Kinge be thus releeved with the ayde of this Country, then her Majesty wilbee slacke in the sending of the succour, which otherwise, fol.122v
he thinkes, she would willingly affoorde, But I have [told] him very plainely, that his feare in that behalf, ha[ving] nothing but conjecture, should not move him so much, [as] the greatnes of the benefit, which was assured to the [King] by the use of those forces, And if her Highnes purse [were] spared for 5 or 6 moneths, it could not any waie [redound] to the damage of the King, but rather yt were a meanes [to] drawe her treasure more at length for the serving of [his] turne, wheras otherwise he might think, that in time [it] would be wasted, with the excessive sommes of mony [that] are daily consumed in the warres of these countrys, in [her] services by sea, in the charges of those 2 regimentes [that] are in Normandy & Brittain, & in other great disbours[ements] for support of the Kinges estate. I have also made [him] privy what I heare heere in conference with ma[ny persons] of quality, that setting aparte all private respectes which may happely move some particuler province or s[ome] principall martiall men, to keepe theyr forces heer a[t home] the chiefest parte of the people will finde yt beste, [for] them selves aswell as for the Kinge, to follow the ex[ample] of the Pope, & the Spaniard & those of the ligue, to a[ssault] the enemy joyntly, & to convert all theyr power to [wage] an offensive warre in France, so as nothing is requi[red] for effecting of the matter, but to use some dexterity [of] remonstrance & entreaty to purchase theyr good liking [whose] backwardnes wee doubt. I have also set him [down] a very plaine demonstration how the King may [be] strengthend with 6000 men from hence, accounting th[ose in] nomber that were lately sent thether, & that without [any] prejudice to the saffety of any province, & that of [nine hundred thousand] Florins, which is thought wilbe gathered of theyr [public] contribution, for the service of this sommer, they ma[y spare] if they list a very round summe of mony for the [entertainment] of his ruiters, this I thought to be suffic[ient to] make him earnest in a matter partayning to his duty [and to] the service of his majesty, but in truthe he hath [followed] a very strange course, wherof I could not but [give notice] though I can be well content yf your L. [be so pleased] fol.123r
not to have yt made knowen, that I have written this unto you: upon advertisement heer that the Spaniardes in Brittain encrease in nomber & in strength there hath bin a meeting of the general states, to consult about some meanes with the help of her Majesty that the course of theyr traffique be not hindred by yt, but they cannot yet determin what meanes they should devise, they made theyr answere this day, & gave it in writing to the Emperors Ambassador, which contayned litel other, then the substance of that letter, which I projected long agoe, with intention to send yt, if her Majesty had assented to the Ambassadors at Bruxeles I think they of them selves will certify her Majesty what answere they have given, & send a transcript of the same, I will otherwise procure it & send it with the first. And so I take &c. Hage 1 April 1592.