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fol.17r
May it please your good L. Since I made my last dispatche, the 25 of this moneth, I have pre- vailed so farre, by some privat endevors, with certaine of the States, as by meanes of their per- suasion, the rest of their collegues, of the general states, deputed Master Barnevelt, and Master Brinnen, to repaire unto me yesterday to knowe the mea- ning of those speeches /that I had uttered unto them/ in /at/ my last proposition by way of advise, as I advertised your L. the 4 of this present. They beganne with thankes from the states, and other complements of wordes, for the special care that I had taken, to devise some ready meanes, to compose the present difference between her Majestie and them: and to project in their behalf suche a course of proceeding, as would ether, by conjecture, be accepted of her Highnes or give her cause to thinke better of their affections unto her. What might folowe suche a preface, your L. will conceave, together with that answear, which I might make unto it. Wherein when I came to the pointes of the Ouverture, I founde it very requisit, with [the] advise of Master Barnevelt, to make a change /in som sort/ of the forme of my proposal, and of the number of the articles, and of the annual summes of paiment, with some other alterations, to dasell them a litle: but alwaies so, as it might serve, for a very fitte in- ducement, to drawe them to doe that, which the project did intend, and Master Barnevelt would prosecut. fol.17v
For if I had concurred with the very [.] that he had formerly proposed, at his be[.] sea, because it might have hapned, that [.] the states, had bin secretly told it, by so[.] that conference, it would have wrought a [.] cion of intelligence between us, and the[.] some other jalousies, then were to be neg[.] In which respect I thought it meete, to varie [.] from him: and because it was but done, to [.] present turne, I hold it as impertinent [.] ted to your L. But of the progresse, and the of that which I negotiat, I will not omitte any rehersal circumstance: having brought it already to a v[.] passe, in that the assembly of the states is [.] the mater, at their owne requesition. For [.] would your L. beleeve of their humors, that be so niece and delicat to deale with: in[.] as if at first, I had poured out at once [.] pointes of my ouverture, howsoever I had [.] my speeches unto them, with apparances of [.] to the state of their contrey, it would un[.] have astonnied and not persuaded the[.] as, I doubt, the very motion would have d[.] self, at the very first entrance: For en[.] [In margin: and then after their good liking, to listen unto it, would have [caused] /growen/ irrecouverable.]
unto them, where the mater is of weight, [.] suspected: and I doe plainely percea[ve .] have ever some distrust of the Englishe, [.] dinges, howe cleerely soever we shall /may/ deale [.] which doth puts me /often/ to my shiftes, howe to sp[.] treat, with any one of them all. But y[.] fol.18r
negotiation I have spedde beyonde my hope of favorable issue, for as farre as I have brought it and for so short a poursuite. I may ima- gine very safely, upon this their deputation, and by divers tokens otherwise, that it is not yet surmised, that there passeth in secret any special correspon- dence between me and Master Barnevelt. Which is a very great helpe both to him and to me, for the maneging of our buisnesse, with more securitie in many thinges: and in this most of all, that he was thus appointed, to come and conferre, and after to report my spee- ches to the states: which he may doe to my advan- tage, and for the furtherance of the project, in the maner of his deliverie: wherein I am /well/ assured he will be diligent, and carefull. Howe the project is accepted in the college of the states, and what is discoursed or objected upon it, I shall not knowe so very soone. For they will canvas it often, according to their custome. and /But/ for the better assurance of that good conclusion /we desire/ will Master Barnevelt will traine it on according to the promise, which was mutually made, at the session in Zyricksea, there shall be Deputies appointed out of Holland and Zeland, to conferre about it with the states: wherein he hath waded so farre /already effected so muche/ with /the residue of/ his felowes, as the Councel of Holland hath written already their lettres of citation to the townes of their Province, to appeere at the Hage the 18 day of February after their style, with this clause in their lettres, Pour avancer fol.18v
les affaires d'Angleterre, which doth [.] should come hither sufficiently autorised, [.] /as I should ghesse/ at, I hope, I hope to a /very/ short peece of worke. [We have] intelligence heere that the Cardinall of Austriche [.] for a while to keepe his court at Namur: bu[t] nothing heere besydes of special considerat[ion] most part of the horsemen of this Contrey [with cer-] taine troupes of foote, are gone thitherward[s] to give his traine an alarme, and to doe so[] if it may be: wherof and of the State of all th[inges] Sir Francis Vere who is come hither, and will depa[rt within] these two dayes, will informe yow very fully [And so] I take my humble leave From the Hage Jan[uary.]