Letter ID: 1168
Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D IX f.263r-v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1168/000
Date: 25 July 1592
Note:
Copy of: 0406

lettertext

fol.263r

Later Addition: July [[To]] my L. Treasurer

May it please your good L. Upon my letters unto you of the 15 16 and 19 of this present I do onely now attend, what her Majesty will commaund, for dispatche of the companies. It is advertised hether that the enemy on the suddaine hath passed the Rhine, betweene Berck & Wesel with a 1000 foote and 300 horse. Their purpose is yet unknowen: but it seemeth by conjecture that they are called by Verdugo to the castell of Grolle, who being there in parson hath a meaning as it is thought, to do somwhat by surprise in the quarters of Zutphen, which are very ill provided of men & munition, or to seeke to distresse the camp before Coeveorden. The Councel at Swoll are somwhat troubled with this occurrence, & have written earnestly unto mee, that the Englishe ensignes might be suffred to repaire to the campe, or at least to come from Hattem, Hardewick, Elbourg, and those other places remote, where they lie now in garrison, and be placed at Disbourghe for the assistance of the towne & of the contrey joyning to [it] the self same motion hath bin made by the states that are heere with urgent speeches of parswasion to draw mee to allowe theyr coming to the campe. But both mine answere unto them & to the Councel of state hath bin to this effect, that my commission was presise to put the companies in a readines with all expedition, & to send them presently from hence when her Highnes should require yt, This could not be parfourmed nor I excused in my dealing, if her Maajesty having notice of theyr being in garrison, & wee expecting every howre for theyr calling from hence, they should be sent abroad againe to do some service at the campe. Howbeit for that fol.263v
other point of theyr demaund, to have them placed in Disbourghe, because I was assured that the good estate of the contrey was highly tendred by her Majesty, & that to send the troupes no further could empeach but very litell theyr continuance in a redines, I would write about it to Sir Francis Vere (who remaineth at Utrecht, & his opinion therin concurring with mine, wherof I douted not at all, theyr turne in that respect should be presently served. I knowe not how the Councel will accept of this answere, but the States are not pleased, that theyr power should be restrained in commanding the companies. We have meanes at this present that Count Maurice, having left Count William at the siege of Coevoerden, was gone him self with some troupes, & certaine peses of battery before the sconce of Detmaersen which belongeth to the ennemy in the southerly partes of Twent. There were not within above 100 souldiers, which after the discharge of 2 or 3 vollies surrendred the place upon promise to departe with theyr weapons, & bagage: but taking an othe as those of Steenwick not to serve the King [of] Spaine for the space of six monethes on this side the Rhine The forte it is thought doth cost us over deere, hav[ing] lost before yt by the shott of a musket Monsieur de Fa[uma] the Governor of Huesden & generall of the artille[ry] a gentleman of good quallities, of great experience [in the] warres, & for advise in all attemptes the most su[fficient]of this contrey. &c.