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fol.344r

Later Addition: Belgia 1592 October 25

This day Master Buzenval receaved lres from the King, to make a motion to the states, like that of her Majestie. I have acquainted him at lar[ge] with their answear unto me, to prepare him thereby to meete with their objections in proposing his maters. He is willed by the King, to declare unto them, that there hath passed a Contract between him and cer taine inhabitants of Gasconie and Guien, and the towne of Rochel, who have lately undertaken fol.344v
upon certaine couvenants, to maintene 20 shippes very thorowly fournished, for defense of these coastes, to which the states are required to joine some further strength. I will certifie your L. what answear shall be made, though I see no likelihood of a better, then is given to her Majestie. Astouching the often staies of the Companies of foote, which I doubte are yet detened by a contrary winde, I hope your L. is certified from the Gouvernor of Flushing, and Sir Francis Vere: who remaine in the place, where the companies are, and, as I am informed, have receaved in charge some other addresses, then have bin by any imparted to me. For I protest unto your L. of her Highnes resolution, to have the souldi- ers to be shipped for Jersey, and not for Caen, I have onely heard a litle by a privat frindes letter, and that very barely and imperfectly: that I knowe not in particular, what hath bin written about it, not what order there is taken for the ac- complishing therof. Whiche I signifie so unto yow, to the end your L. may consider, that by rea- son of my being so farre from Flushing, and my want of intelligence of suche alterations, I can nether give advise in the assisting of others, no[r] advertise your L. of those affaires of the footeba[nds.] It hath also enforced me, to delay the dispat[che] of the company of horse, a great deale longer [then] I would. For having signified by a letter [of the] 21 of September for what occasions of the Contrey [could] not urge Sir Nicholas Parker, to embarke himse[lf] presently, and having had therunto no answear [ther]un[to] fol.345r
untill nowe, nor no direction for changing the place of the Rendevous, it cause me to doubt that the horsband should be staied, and therfor knewe not howe to deale, without some warrant in other sort: which though your L. hath sent, yet the place of the Rendevous is not mentioned unto me. That at first I gave eare to Count Maurices in- tercession, in suffering the horsband to continue heere in service, your L. will vouchesafe to make the best of that proceeding, in your dealing with her Highnes. For it was at the instance of the Count and all the contrey, for a very short time, and for a speciall exploit. There were also suche im- pediments, as your L. did approve: for which the company of necessitie should be forced for a time to remaine in the contrey. Withall I understood then presently after, and nowe I doe finde it to be true by experience, that howsoever I had resolved, the Count and the states, which were in the army, were determined fully to stay the company in the Campe. I hope that your L. hath alwaies perceaved, that I was never in my actions a pleaser of this people, but where I thought it might redound to the service of her Majestie. For the furtherance wherof it can not otherwise be chosen, but according to the occasions, I must vary very often from the Articles of my charge: which yet I never did hitherto, but it turned in the end to the advantage of her purpose. And where her Highnes fol.345v
is displeased for the numbers of horsbandes /strangers/ inter- tened in the horsbandes, if it should be under- tood, to come by my default, I would humbly be- seeche yow to calle to remembrance, what I plea- ded for my self in my letter to your L. the 10 of January last: upon an other like complaint of the weake- nes of the companies sent into Normandie. For the causes then alleaged, I hope I shall not need to be presently troblesome. I was never yet wil- led, sins I came to this place, to take any kind of charge of looking to the Musters. I was never made acquainted by the way of any letter, or co- pie of any letter, with the orders sette downe by my LL. of the Councel: and yet they have bin renued at sundrie times, and every time sent to every Englishe Gouvernor. If I had bin com- maunded to deale in those affaires, upon receat of some instruction, I would not have failed, to have done my duty thorowly. Howbeit I doe not understand, but that the Commissaries certifi- cats are continually sent home, and the state of every bande made knowen unto them, that are appointed expressely to examine those maters and have alwaies there the meanes, both to shew them to your L. and to to seeke redresse for a[ny] abuses. And namely for the band of Sir [Nicholas] Parker, although it hath passed the rest, in n[om-] ber, strength, and fourniture, yet notice h[ath] bin given to Sir Thomas Wilkes by Master Alle[n the] Commissary, aswell by his muster rolles, and [.] of warrants, as otherwise, that his troupe w[.] fol.346r
of strangers. And being told by the Commissarie, that by her Majesties orders, he could be allowed but one- ly six, he answeared for himself, that he had li- cense for more from my LL. of the Councell.

His company is nowe in garrison at Duis- bourgh: but I have earnestly moved bothe the Gene- rall states and the Councel, to give their pasport and licence for his comming to Berghen, where Sir John Poley is in garrison, and where according to the order prescribed by her Majestie he may supplie his deficients out of the troupe of Sir John Poley, and make his other commutations both of horses and horsmen, and also presently embarke his souldiers for Britaine. I made my motion first to the Councel of Estate, as to whome it be- longed by vertue of the Contract, to give di- rection in suche affaires. But because it concer- ned the removing of a company out of this contrey, they refused to take order, without the leave and assent of the General states: to whome thei sent for advise. The states, for that her Majestie had not written unto them about it, required one to exhibit an Act of my hand, and to notifie ther- by, that it was her Highnes pleasure: which I perfour- med immediatly. I should but trouble your L. with a needeles rehersal of all the meetinges, and debates, and sendinges too and fro, that were used in this mater. But the states in conclusion did not onely make denial, of graunting their Pas- port for removal of the company, but enjoined the Councel and Count Maurice (who hath commonly fol.346v
usurped, to give his patents in suche cases) not to deale in the mater. I urged earnestly to knowe, the reason of that proceeding, considering my demaund was but onely for a company, and they had suffered already 16 others to passe, and likewise those the last yere, that were sent for Normandie, without suche open opposition. I doubted the issue the would be this, that her Majestie would be moved, to re voke all the rest. Notwithstanding all my urging, I could gette no other reason, but that they could not permitte it. But when I mentioned the revoking of the rest of the horsmen, Count Maurice replied, That he could rather wishe it were presently done, then to tary till the spring, and then to have them on the soddaine to be called away, when the contrey should relie upon the benefit of their service. Wher- to I answeared againe, that there had never no suche course bin taken by her Majestie. They had alwaies had warning sufficient before, and if then after they would in hand with some enter- prise a freshe, the fault was in themselves, if they were not assisted. And as for the horsband of Sir Nicholas Parker, if they would not permitte him to passe by good order, I would endevor [what] I could to effect it otherwise: and if any [in-] convenience ensued upon it, it rested in the [.] to satisfie the contrey. Moreov[er I] intreated the Councel both then and before [at] several times, to prohibit their captaines by so[me] publike edict, to receave any Englishe sould[iers] that should goe from these Captaines, which were [.] fol.347r
for Britaine. Whereto thei made answear, That they could not constraine any souldier of this con- trey: and as for those of the Englishe nation, that should runne from their Captaines, and put them- selves in service heere in the pay of the Contrey, thei used a kinde of cunning, in counterfaiting of Dutche names, and could be hardly discovered by their Commissaries in the Musters. And besides by Placcartes already published, it was forbidden to any Dutche Captaine, to intertene any stranger, of what nation soever. Upon these kin[des] of answears, I can not yet resolve, in what sort I should proceede, to drawe away the horsband. I doubt very muche it will not prevaile, to stoppe their weekely lendinges. Of force they must have meanes, for themselves and their horses. And if they live upon the towne, where they lie nowe in garrison, no doubt their horses will be staied till restitution shall be made. Againe if the state will seeme to uphold the Dutche souldier in refusing to goe for Britaine, I can not perceave by any enquirie, that bothe the companies together of Sir Nicholas Parker and Sir John Poley, are able to fournishe a full company of Englishe horsmen. And although Sir Nicholas Parkers be the strongest of the fower companies, and was very complete the beginning of this sommer: and yet nowe I heare that his numbers are very muche diminished: and for the other three, they are said to be farre weaker then Sir Nicholas Parkers: so as some of them, I doubt, fol.347v
have scarcely half their number. The very best way, that I can thinke upon presently, to procure the company a passage, is to cause the officer of the Tresurer, to send those shippes, that shall be [hired] by him for transportation of them, to come up to the Vaert by Utrecht, and to cause Sir Nicholas Parker, to come thither with his horses. Which yet is a mater full of difficultie and danger, by reason of the officers and boores of the contrey, which are wont for the most, to stoppe the passage of any company, that comes without a passeport: and also often times, for a very smalle misdemeanor of any common souldier, to putte themeslves in armes, and to invade the whole troupe. The report going heere, that divers boates of this contrey, and some mes- sengers with letters directed for England, have late- ly miscaried, because I am uncertaine, whether any of those letters, that I have written to your L. have bin lost by suche accidents, I have sent the copie heere of one above the rest, which I writte the 10 of this moneth, and to my understanding is most material. I am lastly to becomme an humble suitor to your L. that it would stand with your honorable favor to put her Majestie in re- membrance of my long being heere, for fower ye[res] together: and that in respect of her Highnes b[usi-] nes, I could never be better spared, nor ha[ve] never greater cause, in respect of mine ow[ne estate] whiche is wholy confused, and groweth w[.] every day, by meanes of mine absence. Of d[ivers] hopes that I have had, through the answeares [from your] fol.348r
your L. to my former petitions, the last was differred to the end of this sommer: whiche the sooner yow shall be pleased to effect with her Highnes the more I shall be bound, to acknowledge your goodnes, being otherwise most bound for many singular occasions. And so I take my humble leave. From the Hage. October 25 1592 Your L. most humbly bounden Tho. Bodley

Postscript: For that I want at this present a convenient messenger, I have intreated this bearer, to cary this letter, and to make as muche hast, as the winde will permitte: wherein I trust he will not faile. Having also spoken with Master Buzenval, sins my letter was written and sins his being with the states, he hath told me, that their answear to his motion, is the same as they give to her Majesties lettre, That till the spring they can doe nothing.