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Endorsed: December 1594 Instructions for Master Bodeley

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Reasons moving the Queenes Majestie to demaund payment of the great sommes of monie imployed theis many yeres, for the defence of The States and people of the Unyted Provinces of the Lowe Contries against their Enemies./

First her majestie, hath had just cause theise manie yeres to have looked and expected a gratefull offer from The States of some yearelie porcions of the great Sommes by her Mayjestie expended, towardes the discharge of the department, or at leastwise to the diminutionn therof. But Considering their forgetfulnes therof, as an argument of thanckfulnes, and the great burthan by so many yeres Excessive Exspences to her Majestie, and to her Crowne, and Realme, Wherof no Example can be remembred of such a burthen, or of a tenth part therof to the Realme of England or to any other Realme in Chrisendome in lyke Circumstances, for the yearelie quantitie of the monie, for so many yeres Continuance, and want of any Recompence: and for the wasting of so manie valiant people, out of their Naturall Contrie, by death slaughter, maighemes, and sicknes: her Mayjestie can no longer endure the Continuance of such an Intollerable burthen, to the impayring of the Honor and dignitie of her Crowne, to the publycke offence, and grievance of her Subjectes, but doth nowe informe the States of this her majesties Just griefe, and doth require them without delay to enter into Consideracion of so weightie a Cause and to devise some speedie satisfaccion to her Majestie, that the World may see their due regard of theis so larg and Expressive benefittes bestowed uppon them so many yeares to their most Noteable proffitt and safetie, in the preservacion of their Contrie and people in their Lyves, possessions, and goodes from most manefest subjection, ruine, and Captivitie./

Besides theise Reasons, Which cannot be denied, her Majestie would have The Statesto consider the proves of this Action, howe the same beganne fol.277v
and howe princelie her majesties Intencion appeared to be only to help The States and people Without any profitt to her self; For when the States being desperate of anie reliefe by their owne power did offer unto her mayjestie the Soveraintie, and divers dominion of their Contrye offring to become her subjectes, Shee not respecting any increase of her Territories (thoughe their might have ben good prooffes made for a Just title to sondrie their dominions by successes of Blood in her Progenitor Kinges of England) did not accept of that offer of Dominion, and Soveraigntie: but uppon Commiseracion of their desparate Estate, and the present great manie Forces provided and ready at hand to besiege and take their principall Towne of Anwarpe her mayjestie yelded to graunt them the ayd of 4000 Footemen, and 400 horse, which being ready to be imployed for safetie of that Towne, the said Towne was sodenly recovered by the Enemy, partly by rendycion by the Inhabitantes partly by Force, Which so succeeding did induce so great a sodaine universall feare to the Wholl Contrie, and apparance to recover from them the rest of their Townes one after an other, as The States then newly moved her mayjestie to have a further Commyseracion of them, Wheruppon at their most ernest newe request shee increased her first ayd from 4000 Footemen to 5000, and from 400 horse to 2000, Which Nomber were speedilie levyed, and transported over the Seas altogeither at her majesties Charges, and to the great burthen of her people:/ And for the Conduct and goverment of those Nomber her mayjestie did make choise of the Earle of Lecester a Principall Nobleman of the Realme, and of her privie Counsell accompanied with the fol. 277r
flower of Noble, and Valiant men of the Realme: which Accion beganne in the Yeare of our lorde. 1585 being nowe about xen yeares since, and hath so Continued, with losse of manie of her Noble and Valliant subjectes, and excessive Expences, both of her owne treasure, and of her subjectes, by continuall refreshing, and newe arming of the former nomber as they did decay and weare wasted./

And besides theise excessive, and inestimable Charges, It is manefest to the Worlde, how this her majesties ayd to theise Contries, provoked the K: of Spaine to make open warre against her mayjestie, and her dominions both by Land, and Sea; a good occasion for the Queenes mayjestie to have revoked her Forces Which were imployed in those Lowe Contries in maintenance of the people therof whom he declared to be his Rebelles: But yet Nevertheles her majestie continuing her Commiseracion of those Contries, very lyke to be ruined by the K: of Spaine, as intending to make a Conquest of them, and to bring them into Captivitie, did still not only percest in her former ayd in those Lowe Contries from yeare to yeare, but did also maintaine great Armies both by Sea, and Land to withstand the Armies of the King of Spaine, yea, with which shee did overthrowe his most memorable prowd Navie in the yere 1588. not yelding by any his prowde Attemptes to withdrawe her Succor from the Lowe Contries/.

Nowe it is to be seen what benefitt hath growen by theise her majesties Actions to the United Provinces, and what losse to her mayjestie her Crowne and Subjectes, and by Comparing therof together, It followeth fol.278v
necessarelie for her majestie to be eased of this Continuall burthen aswell by reinbursing her majesties Charges with reasonable portions yearly, Untill the whole may be acquitted as by the moderacion of charges to followe./

Th'estate of the United Provinces, and the People therof is manefestlie nowe knowen to flowreshe in more Wealth then ever was before their Troubles, so as their greatest Contries of trade for Merchandizes, as [.] Hollandes Zealande, and Utreght are free from any noyse of Warre from the Enemye. the lyke may be also sayd almost for Friezland, Zutphen, and the open trade into Spaine, and free Commerce with Anwarpe. So as comparing their present state with the former, when her mayjestie beganne to help them. It may be properly sayd, that they do nowe rather injoye Peace, /and tranquillity/ then that they are in any warr, and for proofe heerof it is seen openly that they have had great prosperitie against their Enemies the Spaniardes, and other the stronge Forces of the K: of Spaine, and the K: forces to be become so weake by losse of great Townes and Contries that they doe of late sytt downe before no Towne, but they carry it nor are besieged in any Place, which they doe not releve: Nor the Enemy attempt any thing of which they faile not, so as by this their great good fortune it is sayd that Th'archduke Erneste Governor for the K: of Spaine pretendeth to have ample fol.279r
aucthoritie to offer to all the United Provinces anie Condicions of peace that they can reasonablie aske, and to that end he hath sent Ministers with Commission to treat with them theruppon: And besides the Spanish Counsellors with the Emperor, doe sollicite the Emperor and some other of the Princes Electors, to send some great princes towardes the /those/ Contries, with offers of removinge of all forraigne forces out of the Lowe Contries. And thoughe The States in their wiesdome are dowtefull /not ignorant/ with what deceavable mynde, their large offers are made by the Counsell of Spaine, and with what infinite danger, (nay rather assured Confusion to followe) theese projectes maie be accepted, and therefore wee knowe are farre from thought to inclyne to adventure the same); Yet hereby it is most manefest, that their state is free from their former dangers and that they have not such neade to maintaine the lyke great nomber of men of Warre, nether of their owne, or of auxiliary as in former yeares they were forced to doe. And to this may be added also an other most manefest Argument of their prosperitie and securitie in that they heretofore accommodated the French King with 3000 men in Normandie under the Conduct of the Count Phillip, and nowe also of late sent to the French King as farre as Metz the nomber of 3000 Foote, and [.] horse besides the conduccion of them throughe the hart of the Enemies Contries with 2400 horse and [.] Foote wherof some weare her majesties Forces wherby it may be well Concluded that seing they have ben Content to straine them selves to help others, It fol.279v
cannot be denied to be an argument of great Neglect to her Mayjestie if for her they doe not provyde satesfaccion without whose onelie favour, and continued princely support they had never ben able to have subsisted./

Theese forrainge Actions out of their Contries, are manefest prooves of their prosperitie, and securitie from the Enemy. But on the other syde if a recytall should be made, howe by the helping of them to this prosperitie, the Queenes Majesties state, her Realme, her Treasure, and her People have ben damnified, the same might percase please the Common Enemy, and happelie in the sight of the wiesmen of the world, her mayjestie and her Counsell might be censured to have wanted due provydence./

Therfore without particuler Recytall for avoyding of suche Censure, only the States, that are Compownded of Wiesemen can consider, how inestimable the charges are that have ben bestowed in this her majesties defence, which hath continued theise xen yeres, longer then any warre hath continued in mans memorye hath continued betwixt anie Kinges chrestian in France, Spaine, Italie, Germanye or else where in Christendome: Besides theise Charges a great nomber of her serviceable People have ben wasted, greate masses of her owne princely treasure, which shee had providently preserrved for defence of her Realme, the Armor, Weapon, and Munycion of her Kingdome spent and wasted her Subjectes besides their subsedies, in sondrie Contries sore Charged with leavieng arming Cloathing, and conducting of all the Souldiers both horsemen, and Footemen, that have passed into those Lowe Contries, besides the ordinarie Wages of her mayjestie for the same souldiers./

One other remarkable Inconvenience and publicke detryment hath for many yeares past, accompanied this Charge, Which is that for the yearlie payment of her Armie there in those Contries the Coyne of this Realme both of sylver and golde wherwith the Realme did abound hath ben their spent without hope of any returne./

And though there be manie other argumentes to fortefie this her majesties demaund both in regard of her owne Indempnitie by helping them, and the great and infinite addicion to them of honor, wealth, and safetie, (derived originallie) from her, even when they were lyke to be precipitated into the Pitt of destruccion) yet such is her unwillingnes to use Commemoracion to men so grave and wise, as for the most part shee knowth them to be, (more then to preoccupate some adverse Conceipt of Spirites who happelie may be lesse sensible of the truth of her Procedings with them), as shee will not longer sticke uppon this subject then by putting them in mynde of one late great good which shee hath procured them, and for which the rather shee expected some satisfaccion because it was tacitis verbis intimated unto her, that if such suche successe might befall them, they should then be in abled to performe suche partes of gratuitie, as the reasone of her Majesties urgent occasions might necessarilie challenge at their handes; wherin they are to be remembred, that when the Towne of Groninghen fol.280v
was unrecovered they made a most ernest sute for 1500 men to be levyed in England only for that service, and then to be returned, to which Request, being reiterated often tymes to her mayjestie shee was unwilling to have yelded in respect of the former wasting of her people in those Contries, But that in the end to tempt her therunto It was declared that without that help from her mayjestie the besieging of Groning could not be attempted with anie certaine hope and that the recoverie therof would make an end of the warre in those Provinces beyonde the Rhine, and recover to the states obedience so large Contries of great wealth and able to contribute suche yerely Revenewe to the States, as their abilitie would be more increased then by any other meanes whatsoever; the rather for that it was affirmed by the wynninge of Groning the Enemy should be expelled out of all Frizeland. Uppon which Intercession of theirs her majestie g out of good will to them, forgetting any her presente occasions, was Content to Crowne the rest of her worke nowe in the end, with assenting to theire desire, and for that purpose gave authoritie to Sir Francis Vere whom the States had appointed for that purpose to levye here in her Realme the sayd nomber of 1500 souldiers which were by him transported, and conducted to Groning, to which Place also, for the furtherance of that intended service, her mayjestie was contented that her Governor of Flushing and Briell should send out of those two Townes certaine Bandes of the ordinarie appointed for the preservacion therof fol.281r
wherwith her majestie hath ben the better contented Considering the service of her people hath effected the wynning of that Towne, to the honor of the Assaylantes, and the noteable Reproache of Th'Enemie being very strong in Armes to have fought with Thestates whole Armye, and to have saved the Towne and Contrie, where nowe by the Recovering of this Place, the whole Contrie of Friesland is reduced to the use of Th'estates and abandoned by the Enemy. And nowe this Comparison well wayed betwixt the present prosperitie of the United Provinces, and the detryment to the state of England by the excessive expences for those Contries, It cannot be denyed but that her mayjestie hath most manefest cause to requier present Remboursement of some Convenient porcion towardes the satisfaccion of her majestye, and her subjectes, and so shee requireth the States to enter into the Consideracion of theese former Reasons and to way them both with wiesdome, and humanitie, and theruppon to determyne howe and when, and with what porcion (respecting the immeasurable sommes by her expended) her mayjestie shall have satisfaccion./

And because the sommes expended are so great, and so various from the beginning her majestie thinketh it very reasonable and most necessary that there may be a Conferrence had betwixt her majesties officers and mynesters, and theirs of the United Provynces to understand the particuler Estate of every yeres expence by it selfe: And for that purpose her majestie requireth that some of Th'estates Counsellors, and some of her majesties may meet in London to Conferre fol.281v
hereuppon, so as the truth of the Expences, and the particuler Account and depte of Thestates may appeare, and yet in the meane seasone some present portion to be presently answered of which her mayjestie thincketh there need in doupte be made howsoever for the direct accomptes to be more exquisetely cast up here, uppon further Conferrence, theie may be further computacion Further, It may be concluded, that as her mayjestie is most gladd of all their good and happie Fortunes meerely for their good (whom shee hath ever so tenderly Conserved as her auncient Confederates) so if shee shall nowe find her selfe requitted as honor and Civilitie would requier (without persisting uppon [.] Cavilles of worrds, or note /nice/ Construccions (when with all freedome, and hastie dealing her majestie hath proceded with them): Sureley her mayjestie is fully purpossed never to be wanting to them herafter in any thing that can reasonably required at her handes but lyke a Prince of Constancie and vertue will never bestowe /alwaies be as ready/ to help [to] /and/ protect them against what Force, or Tyranny soever of any that shall seeke to oppresse them./

Yow shall also remember to the States, a matter for the delay wherof wee thincke of all other no good Reason can be yelded, That where as their Ernest sute wee were Content to become bound to Sir Horatio Pallavinc[[io]] for great somes which they ought him, uppon delivering of dyverse Comodities, and taking in dyverse bandes due by them they have suffr[[ed]] fol.282r
even the particuler dept so carelesly to ruine on as wee have payd both Interest for [.] yeres, and more to a great value and yet remaine bound to him for the principall, of which some amongst the rest wee desire with the first also to be exonerated the rather for that by him daylie wee are importuned for the same