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Addressed: To the R. worshipfull my veary loving frend Master Thomas Bodeleye Esquier, Counsellor for hir Majestie, in the Counsell of Estate in the Lowe Cuntries &c.

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Sir. After my hartie Commendacions. By your letters of the xxvijth of Marche I understood that the Emperors Ambassador had his Awdience of the States, and that his demaund was to have a pasport for his Fellowe Commissioners to cumm to the Haghe, And for awnsweare yowe expresse it not, but that theare was nothinge delivered him in writinge, or anie thinge required, but at that time yowe supposed theie woulde not onelie send theire awnsweare to the Emperor, but to divers other Princes: Byt the same letter yowe gave sum tast, that yowe thowght the states might be induced to yeld sum newe succors for the Frenche K. But yet having delt with Buzenval thowgh yowe fownd him to like thereof at the first, yet afterwardes yowe fownd him to shrinke thearein: and thearefore withowt anie note of your informacion he shall be moved other wise to further the same, both by letters from the Frenche K. and from the Ambassador heare./ Yowe make mention of your dealing with the States, to amend the Placart for the Co[cedea] with Spayne, wheareof thowgh yowe had then noe awnsweare, yet yowe hope shortlie to receieve./

Your advertisement geven yowe of the D. of Parmas being at St Omers which was but an abuse, and so nowe it proveth, for at this present he and his whole forces are nearer Roan; then St Omers: thus much to your former letter of Marche, and nowe to your other letter of the first of Aprill./

It seemeth that if hir Majestie be resolved to have sum /more/ forces of thos lowe Cuntries to be sent into France, yowe thinke yt neadefull to solicite yt owt of hand, but I find by hir Majestie, notwithstanding her great desire to have it performed, yet she would have yowe first feele the disposicions of the States by secrett Conferences howe the same might be assented unto if hir Majestie showld by hir lettres require the same, for loathe she woulde be openlie to move the same by hir owne letters, except she had sum good likelood to have yt grawnted, and therefore the sooner yowe make an attempt and doe advertise the better it shall be, and in the meane time the Frenche Ambassador hence hath written his lettres to the K. to procure his lettres to that purpose./.

Your reasons used to Buzenval to further this matter, are soe good and forceable as I am ashamed that he showld in a matter soe apparant drawe back, withowt anie good reason or Argument. fol.135v
By the latter [ende] of your letter yt appeareth that the [.] which is geven to the Ambassador of the Emperor shall be s[.] Majestie, or otherwise yowe will procure it, which shall vearie [well] content hir Majestie to see./.

Theare is published in Brabant and Anwerpe a Placard in [.] of a Generall permission of all the people of Holland a[nd] Zeland, and other Cuntries holding against the Kinge, to have [.] free trafficque in the Kinges obedient Cuntries, for all mann[er of] merchandize saving sum fewe as the Cloathes of England [.] for the same above the Ancient Custome certaine severall va[.] This placart is printed, and I dowbt not commen to your kn[.] and howe inconvenient yt shall be to be recevid by the people of thos united provinces, it is reason for manie reason to [wishe] of [.] in one worde, it bringeth a peace in thos Cuntries, [and] leave [.] the Quenes Majestie, and hir Cuntries still in an open warre: an[.] yt showld be generallie accepted of thos Cuntries, it weare bo[th] for hir Majestie to withdrawe hir forces from thence, and to spare hir [.] Before this placart was punished published, wee had to m[.] proofes of this Collusion, for it is most manifest that for the [K. of] Spaines necessitie, and the privat gaine of the Marchants of [the] Lowe Cuntries theare was nothinge wheareof he had neade[. to] supplie his warre, but the merchantes of thos Cuntries did [.] fullie furnishe him: and for sum late proof, this vearie d[ay] I was informed that theare came shippinge from Middlebou[rgh] to Lisborne fullie freighted with great Cables and Mastes / [You] shall therefore doe well to breake with such if the Counsell [there] as be not partiall in thes matters for theire gaine, and unders[tand] theire purpose howe their meane to imbrace this Placart, [.] then plainelie understand that hir Majestie maie not suffer [this] corse to be held, for if she showld doe the like on hir part [.] she maie easelie doe, to have full traffique in Spaine [.] Commodities of hir Realme, and [themebrense] hir Real[.] the Burden of the warre, she maie thinke the States them[] not allowe thereof: Of this matter being of weight [she] fol.136r
would have yowe speedelie to feele theire mindes, for althowgh it be spetiallie covenanted that theie shall not treate of peace withowt hir Majesties allowance, yet if this open traffic- quinge shall be permitted, it will be a spetiall fruite of peace, thowgh otherwaies sum hostillitie be used./

This matter is such as moveth hir Majestie to forbeare the licensing of yowe to retorne, bicawse the handling hereof cannot be convenientlie performed by anie in your absence: but if this maie be well ended to hir Majesties contentacion, I dowbt not but yowe maie shortlie have leave to retorne according to your desire./ And so I wish to here shortly from yow. at westminster the x of April; 1592 Your very assured loving frend William Burghley