Letter ID: 1187
Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D IX f.323r-324v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1187/000
Date: 14 September 1592
Note:
Copy of: 0418 addressleaf
fol.324v
Endorsed: To my L. Tresurer September 24 1592 by Master Kennet messenger
lettertext
fol.323r
Later Addition: 14 September To my L. Tresurer from Master Bodly
May it please your good L. The General states upon the soddaine have dissolved their assemblie, and are gone the greater part by /with con/assent of the rest, to consult with the Councel, which continueth at Swol, about the imploiment of their army the rest of this sommer. I have alwaies suspected as I have formerly written, that they would be very /but/ slowe in geving order for Berghen, that there might be /for/ other troupes /to com thither/ in the places of those that are named for France. And nowe they are departed, and have left no resolution: upon hope, as I conjecture, that rather then the Gouvernor will leave the towne un- /with/ fournished /or a garrison/, and so in danger of the Enemie, he will not suffer the companies to be drawen from thens. Howbeit to prevent them in this dealing, I have signi- fied by letter to the states of Zeland, who are next adjoining unto Berghen, that if nether from the States heere, nor out of their repartition, the forsaid supplie be presently sent, there is charge already given to her Majesties officer, to stay the weekely paies of as many companies in Berghen, as are by order of her Majestie to be transported into France. This, I am as- sured, will so quicken those of Zeland, that they will make but smalle delay in sending a supplement/lie/: for /that/ the souldiers till then must live upon the contrey. To that effect I have also written to Sir Thomas Shirleis officer at Middelbourgh, to refraine from sending any further pay unto Berghen /till the companies be demissed/ And I have like- wise acquainted Sir Thomas Morgan with my course, with special advise to use his care and discretion in pro- ceeding with the privitie of the Captaines of the Garrison that no daungerous inconvenience may falle unto the towne: which I knowe he may perfourme without any trouble or disorder. And thus I thought it fol.323v
expedient to meete with the states in their backward dealing with her Majestie. Wheras I have bin required both by your L. and by my L. Admirals letters, to become an earnest suitor for the enlargement of certaine Englishe sea men, which were prisoners in Enchusen and Amsterdam, I made petition therupon /it/ to the General states, and likewise to the college of the states of Holland, whome the matter most concerned /in the name of all my LL./ The effect of that which I had said /delivered,/ I exhibited after, be ing thereto required, in writing, /unto them/ wherof heereinclosed I have sent yow the transcript. From those publicke assemblies I had never no other answear, then they are wont to give commonly to a motion of importance, That they would take some time to con sult upon it. But by certaine in particular, whom I earnestly solicited, I was alwaies put in hope, That wheras the prisoners wer all condemned to die, and to be presently executed, they had staied their proceeding upon this intercession, and as they were persuaded, would onely execut their sentence upon the principal offendors, and graunt a pardon to the multitude. I did also request Master Caro[[ns]] assistance, who dealt in the suite very carefully and frindly, and was alwaies intertened with the like kinde of hope. Howbeit contrary to both our expectations, they have onely spared suche you[[ng men]] as were under the age of 18 yeres, and two [[or three]] more, upon importunat request, and have pu[[t to]] execution about the number of 40. What [[rea-]] sons I alleaged, to cause them to extend a f[[urther]] favor to the rest, because they are sette downe [[in]] writing heerewith, I knowe a double rehersall would be tedious to yor L. Many of this [[contrey]] doe mervail at their rigor, lamenting both th[[e losse]] fol.324r
of so great a number, and of so many proper persons, as in a maner they were all, and of mariners at lest a dousen, sufficiently skilled to take any charge. Whether it were not somwhat needefull, that ether by her Majestie, or by my LL. of the Councel, they should by some letter be touched to the quicke, for their rigorous pro- ceeding, and their slender regard, aswell unto the reason as to the instance of their suite, I leave it so proposed to your L. to consider: humbly beseeching yow to acquaint my L. Admiral with as muche as hath bin done: who recommended the saving of two above the rest, of which the one named Webbe hath obtened his pardon, and /but/ the other was deceased in prison before. The wether heere hath bin so strang, and the winde so contrary to the comming downe of the companies, that they were not yesternight arri- ved at Dort. Otherwise from the time that they were shipped, they might have bin at Flushing. But your L. may account, that the very next wind, if it hold any time, will carie them into Normandy. Once for my self it is [.] not possible for me to doe more then I did to hasten them a way.