Letter ID: 1372
Reference: BL, Harleian 287 fol. 213r-v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1372/000
Date: 10 July 1594
Note:
Copy of: 0450

lettertext

fol.213r

Later Addition: Belgia 1594 July 10.

Later Addition: Sir Thomas Bodley his letter to the Lord Burley the 10 July 1594./

Maye it please your good Lordshipe I have nothing more to signefy for myne owne Negotiation till I heare from your Lordshipe, It might have steeded me muche for manye respectes if untylle that hir Majesty had fully Resolved, I myghte ether have knowne by some lytle intymacone wheareuppon it hath Stayed, or had somwhat sayde unto me, to interteyne then heare the whill, for altho- ughe I have devised the beste that I Could, to Aunswere their demaundes yet I see they are Not satysfyed, and I am alwayes uncertene howe well my Aunsweres maye accorde with hir Majesties designes. It is signefy- ed very Nowe by letters from the Campe, that the first of this Monthe of the Ravelin, wheare our souldyeres had mynd Myned and placed store of poudere, was sette a fyre and blowne upp, with 200 men in it, of which ther weare very fewe saved, but weare ether by the myne or by our Men after slayne, and many of them drow- ned in the watere faste by, The Ravelin theareuppon was presently assayled, and taken by the Scottes, whos quartere was Neareste, which is thoughte a great stepe to the takyng of the towne, and we hope in lyke ma- nnere to heare every howere of some spessyall attempte to be gevene besydes / for our approches Ghalleryes other mynes and workes are brought so neeare unto the Ra- mpires in 5 or 6 places, as they weare Redy it is tho- ughte about 4 dayes plaste, to geve uppon the Toune in all thos places at an instante, as in the meane tyme havinge planted their Artyllery uppon 9 or 10 bedes in severall places that shoote daye and Nighthe and kylle very many./ Count Mauris in goinge a bout to visset the workes, was defended from a bullete by the meanes of his Targett, of which a splyntere brak out and hurte his page standinge by, The wether here for this Monthe hathe byne Exceedinge wette & windy which hathe byne agreate hindrance to the Advauntage of of our workes it is thought that otherwise, before this wee mighte have Caryed the Towne, this benefite wee have onlye that the Marrishes thearby are waxed very deepe, So as the Enemyes hathe No meanes to Convaye in any Souldyeres which he did oftentymes be- fore / Theare is a speeche that 400 of Verdugos souldiers are Mutenyed and have lefte him, Erne- stus wee heare dothe assemble all his forces for some spesyall purpos which is unknowne yet heare, bute onely by Conjecture having sente alredy to the Castell of Wo adjoyninge to Bergene 300 mariners it is supposed he intendes uppon the Ile of Tertoll, it is Ad- vertysed hether from the Enemyes Contrey that the Co- Countye fol.213v
Counte Charles Mansffeelde is gone to the Spawe leavinge moste of his troupes betweene Arras & Dowas Douay / The Brute goethe heare that the Prince of An- holte is Come to Counte Mauris as they saye but to see and salute him but by Resone of a secrete motyone, which hathe byne made by frendes hearetofore for a matche betweene the Prince and the Lady Emilia de Nassau Counte Mauris sistere bothe by Father and mothere, it is supposed that his Comynge is Cheefly for that, but for oughte I Cane parceave by talke with thos that seem to knowe it the Ladye hathe noe fancye to marye with any Germaine / Theare are appoynted from hence to goe in to Scotlandto the Baptysynge of the Prince Mounser Brederode the Eldere and Mounser Valke of Zeelande for that your Lordshipe maye desyre to see a plot of this seege I endevored longe agoe to sette on a worke but it was Not possyble with any safty to the workeman to doe it with any parfectnes tylle our Artyllery was thorowely planted, nowe the inclosed is sente unto me which is done somwhat sleightely and in a smalle Ro/o/me without any Trimynge for that the party dothe promis to send me alargere and exactere, howbeit he dothe assure me that the Juste distance betweene oure Campe and the towne, the Compas the entrenchemente & the Lenghte of the towne with the forme of the Angles portes and bulwarkes togeher with the foartes, wateres, wayes and suche other general thinges in that soarte as they presente them selves towardes our Campe, are set doune in juste proporsyone accordinge to the scall of Paces joyned to it, which is onely mente of orde- nary goinge paces, accountyng two foote to a pace Althoughe it be Noe draughte to Contente your lor- dshipe yet for that it is the first that I have yet seene and is done by a skylfull parsone who sente it me hether in a Ruder forme I have Caused it heare to be somewhat better drawne, and I send it hearewithe / And thus for this present I take my humble Leave, from the Hage. July 10 1594. Your Lordships [most] humbly bounden Tho. Bodley.