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May it please your good L. The remises and disputes upon the pointes of my ouverture have bin so many and so long, and so intricat unto me, and all by reason of the number and diversitie of Deputies of dyvers Provinces and humors, as it would weerie your L. over much, to heare the whole discourse: [For] it hath chanced very often that when the mater /hath/ pro- ceeded as well as I could wishe, and gone [cur] rantly forward to the point of knitting up, it hath bin cast further backward with one litle scruple, then could after be recovered in many consultations: which continual expectation of their final resolution, hath bin a stoppe unto my course of writing to your L. But yet yesterday they came to a kinde of conclusion, and sent presently unto me, to lette me knowe to what effect, and how withall they had resolved to present their offer to her Majestie by delegates of pur- pose, and with petition to her Highnes to receave /it/ with good liking, as the greatest satisfaction the contrey could affourd. So muche was accorded as my Ouverture conteyned. A full release to her Highnes of her Au- xiliarie charges. Twentie thowsand poundes sterling for annual payment till the end of the warres, [and then] immediatly after for 4 yeres together, the same of fower hundred thowsand powndes, to be payed by equal portions: as also for the rest of the pointes of that Project they have varied very litle in any Article of substance. But where I was of opinion, that their grant should have passed, for the foresaid summes of money, to be payed to her Majestie, without wordes of restriction, as in the Treatie 85, wherein I understand that in the name of her Majestie are included her successors, their intention is onely, and therein they concurre with very great ear- nestnesse, as if they would not be removed (and that for infinit occasions, which they say they have de- bated, and finde very weightie) to condescend to no other, but a personal payment to her Majestie onely. and that for as long as her Highnes will require it, so there may be wordes allowed to exclude the clame of fol.27v
others. And this they urge in suche [a maner, as if] it were not to be doubted, but that her [Highnes will accept] it, sith all their Treating was with her [, and they can] challenge of no other the performance [of that where-] unto she was bounde: wherby they [argue that an other] can take no benefit of those debtes [But yet their] owne common lawe, as farre as I can lear[n by others] doth make against them altogether: and [I have pres-] sed them besydes with other special argum[ents, to which] they answear by alleaging howe great a [benefit of the] leese by releasing her Majestie of her Trea[tie with the] Contrey. This hath held us together in [a long dis-] putation, in so muche as not agreeing [on a point] of suche consequence, I have signified [unto them] having thought it expedient, for discharg[e of my] duetie, and for their satisfaction, that I wou[ld write] about it into England, with all expedition, to so[me about] her Majestie, and that according to their answear [I would] deale with them further. For which I am to beseec[h yow] most humblie and earnestly to lett me knowe [by this] bearer (whome I send of sette purpose to w[inne the] more tyme) howe her Highnes is affected: and [that so] fully, if yow please, as I may not be inforced [to reply] thereunto, and so attend some further lettre, n[or they to] picke a quarel to start from their offers, nor to [deny me] or delay me, by taking newe occasions to re[pair unto] their Provinces. And to shewe your L. what [I think,] they have framed in theyr fancies so many [dangerous] inconveniences, that may falle upon theyr Sta[te by] binding themselves to her Majesties heyres, as th[ey will] give no way to any motion, that may tend t[o such] a purpose. They enquyre very often [of me] whether her Highnes be privie to anie part of m[y Ouverture,] but I endevor what I can to keepe it from the[ir know-] ledge. And I am told by Master Barnevelt, a[nd do other-] wise perceave it by dyvers conjectures, that it is [not yet] imagined in the meetings of the States, though it [may be] at some fewe may somewhat surmise it. F[or I have] ever so caried the course of my dealing, as a[ll that I] fol.28r
have done, or sayed in these affaires, hath seemed [st]ill unto the multitude to proceed as of my self and in my privat advise, and care of their prosperitie. For so I did conceave it would stand best of all with her Highnes contention, not to seeme to understand that they doe her any pleasure, in making such an offer, but that they should repute it, for a singular grace of their offer to be accepted. And in this negotiation to yeld Master Barnevelt his due commendation he hath maneged all his maters, so advisedly and soundly and with suche special regard to her Majesties good lyking, dignitie, and state, for as farre as laye in [hym] as I can not choose but signifie, that although for my-] self I had never no doubt of his carefull proceeding, yet nowe by proofe I founde it more, then I had rea- son to expect. He hath protested, notwithstanding and I have cause to beleeve hym, because I have bin very inward to his painefull course of dealing, and therein sundrie great hasardes of his credit with the Con- trey, that were it integrum unto hym, a very great offer should not drawe hym now agayne to engage hym self further then the rest of his fellowes. It should seeme by your L. last that his delayes in this poursuite have discontented her Majestie, but if I may have credit to be beleeved, it was not possible for hym to effect it any sooner, which I can manifest in his behalf, with so cleere a demonstration, as her Highnes I am certayne will conceyve it very redilie. For the weight of the mater with every circumstance considered aswell in respect of the persons and humors, as of their doubtes and other obstacles, it is thought in this place very great expedition, to beginne it and ende it in 8 or 9 weekes, in so muche as all men heere affirme that they never knewe the lyke so soone brought about, were the nature of the suite some other kinde, thoughe it were to put the Contrey, to a mater of further charge, they would passe it peradventure, at the instance of her Majestie without any contradition As in that which I required about their sending to her Highnes certaine shippes of assistance, for the voyage nowe in hand it was no sooner by me proposed unto them, but they gran- ted it willinglie, albeyt they are not tyed to doe it by fol.28v
the Treatie, but in cases when the Enemie s[hall . a] Fleete, in the Chanels between England a[nd . or] England and these contreys: wheras it [is an expense,] as they have made by the [.] computation [of .] thousand poundes sterling which with theyr often [of .] twentie thousand poundes, and the charge [which they] must beare in entertaining other newe c[ompanies in] lieu of the English auxiliaries, will amount [for this year,] above a hundred thousand poundes. But [this opinion] among others hath gone currant in their Co[llege, and] is still the assertion of the most, that the forsaid de[boursement] is not so hurtfull to theyr State, although the[y make] it very bourdensome, as is the very bruite of the bre[ach of] the Contract, although it should be but maintey[ned in] warde and in shewe, and they should not be re[lieved] by any meanes of her Majestie. So muche they thin[ke it] doth impart to use her countenance and name, a[nd that this] people and the Enemie should not alter their [conceat of] her continuance of her succors. And in that resp[ect they] have thought it good, not to breake the mater plain[ly to the] people of the Provinces, but to proceede with the privitie [and] lyking of the chief, and so by vertue of theyr Instru[ctions] which are commonly sufficient, and ample for the [purpose] to take /a/ resolution. Againe to note by one exam[ple how] hard a passage I have founde to arryve to my [design.] It is 15 dayes agoe that they had set downe in Ar[ticles the] headdes of their offer, and were purposely assem[bled to] finish all in one daye, before they would depart [when] one or 2 of the Deputies not acquainted with the M[ater for] that they were but as then very newly arryved s[tood stiffly] upon it against them all, that they ought not to de[termine] a cause of that moment, without some special c[ommunication] with every several Province: wherin they took occasion [to] be muche more vehement upon e message de[livered] by Sir Francis Vere. For to pay unto her Majestie an [annual summe] of money, to forgoe two thousand two hundred [soldiers] considering what troupes they have presently in Fra[nce and] with all to charge themselves with suche a number [of shippes,] as they have promised to arme, they held it very st[outly, for] too great a resolution, to be taken among themselves [without] the generallitie And these were onely two Deputies [of one] fol.29r
of the lesser Provinces, whose contradiction and refusall hath impeached theyr proceeding for so many dayes, and caused almost /the rest of/ theyr Collegues to come to termes of protestation. For they doe not in these cases proceede by pluralitie, but must have every single suffrage. This I thought somewhat fitte to be signified unto you, to give your L. some notice of the stoppes and the thwartes that have bin offered in this action: And as for my endevors the respect that I carie of my duetifull obedience and to her Majesties commaundements shall ever have the force to make me thinke there is nothing too hard or too heavie, where any my poore labors may be pleasing to her Highnes, but otherwise in trueth to speake of my self and my owne contentation (wherin good is my [.] I speake unfaynedly unto you) if it were in my [opinion] to endure a yeres imprisonment or two such other more [in this] toyle with that conceat that I had of her Highnes offence, if I had not prevailed (albeyt it could not depend [after] me) my mynde would account it farre better bar- gaine, to yeeres to leese a yeeres libertie, with some further dis- commoditie. I would say somewhat more, upon the offer of this subject, but that all is nowe concluded and I write unto your L. who of your honorable [custome] equitie and favor, will both perfitly consider of the qualitie of my service, and will also recommend it as occasion shalbe offered. Wherunto I have occasion to intreat you the more, for that in this place I can take no fitte witnes of my industrie and care, and at home there is no other, that hath so throughly and directly understood my service as your L. For other maters of occurrence, I have not knowen heeretofore, that we were &c.