Letter ID: 1309
Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D III f.268r-271v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1309/008
Date: 23 November 1588
Note: Instructions. The address leaf is mutilated and mostly missing.Though they are not currently bound next to each other, the inked imprint of Bodley's cipher can be seen on the final verso, suggesting that they were stored together at some point. Towards the end of paragraph 5 (after the word 'dyscreete') there is a lacuna of 1 word. There is a florilegium in the margin of fol.270v.
Copies: 0091 0101 

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Endorsed: Memoriall from my LL.

Later Addition: Belgia. 1588 23 Novemb[er]


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Later Addition: 23 November 1588. At Somerset howse.

Memoriall for Thomas Bodley Esquier, being sent into the Lowe Contryes to resyde there as Counsailor of State.

1. Whereas there were presented unto her Majestie in Februarie Last certaine Requestes on the Behalfe of the States generall of the unyted Provinces by master Ortell theire Agent, whereunto by her Majesties especiall direction there was particuler answer made by us unto theire severall requestes wherewith the States doe not rest satysfied: It ys thought meete for that Sir John Norris was directed by her Majesties Instructions given unto him, to let the States understand that they should receave further answer touchinge the said requestes by yow that yow should goe thorowlie instructed howe to answer the same, in soche sorte as they ought in reason to rest satysfied withall

2 First the matter of service monie, as for turfe, candles, and other allowaunce which hathe by them ben furnished unto the extraordinarie Bands garrysioned in the two Cautyonarie Townes, for which they desier that paiment maie be made unto them and soche order to be taken as they maie be eased hereafter of these chardges for that they fall out (By reason of these extraordinarie nombers) to be more chardgable unto them as they alleadge, then the whole paie was wonte to ryse unto when they kept the said townes in theire owne handes; with a further request also that they maie be allowed soche sommes of money as they have dysboursed bothe to the said Garrysons and other her Majesties subjectes servinge in those Countries. For the firste touchinge the service monnie, yow shall let them understand that for as moche as those extraordynarie bands so placed in the Cawtionary townes beinge parcell of the Assystaunce which her majestie by vertue of her contracte hathe ben pleased to yeeld them for theire relefe, Yf they had not ben placed in the said cautyonarie townes, yet muste they of necessetie have ben placed in some other townes where they should have receaved lyke allowaunces in every respect. And fol.269v
And therefore as yt hathe ben heretofore answered, it maie be with reason maintayned that those other townes which by this meane have ben freed, and where they should have otherwyse ben placed should be contributaries unto the Cawtyonarie townes for the same, And yf they replie, as yt ys lykelie they will, that yf those Bandes had ben placed in other frontrie Townes where the Countrie might have reaped benefitt by theire service they would have ben contented to have borne theire chardge; It maye be answered that considering the Duke of Parma hathe now well neere a yeere and a halfe ben continewallie in Flanders with intente as yt was thought to have attempted somewhat upon the Islandes or upon Ostende or Berghen as now yt falleth out in parte true, they could not have ben more aptlie placed in any other Towne where they mght so readily ben drawen out to serve uppon any occasion duringe his continewaunce there then in Flussinge; with which answere yf they shall not rest satysfied, yow may then let them understand that an other cheefe cause whie those extraordinarie bands were first placed ther[e] grewe upon the Count Hollockes drawinge downe of certaine forces into the Isle of Walkeren with intent as the our Governor of Flushinge was enformed to have surprysed certaine Townes in the Islande, and not without greate and apparaunt suspicion of somewhat to have ben attempted upon the Towne of Flushinge yf he had prevailed in the first plott: which her majestie had the rather cause to doubt in respect of the strange carryage of him selfe towardes the Earle of Leicester then Gover nor of those Countries at the time of his laste beinge in the said Contryes But now these Jelosies and doubtes beinge removed and taken awaie, and that her majestie ys sufficientlie parswaded of theire constancie, good will and devotyon towardes her; there shall shortlie order be given that the Garrysons of those Townes shalbe reduced to theire former nombers agreed upon by the contracte, so as they shall have no juste cause to complaine further in that behalfe. And for soche other monye for imprestes or victuaelles which they have furnished or hathe any waie ben yssued out of theire Magazyns to the said Garrysons or other her majesties Subjectes in her paie, the same shalbe defalked out of theire entertainementes and paies to be answered and repaied unto them after an accompt shalbe passed betweene her majestie and them: But for soche sommes of money and other chardges as have ben by them dysbursed to certaine extraordy- nary bands which were in theire owne paie beinge no parcell of the nomber contained in the contract, her majestie seeth no reason consideringe the many folde fol.270r
manyfolde chardges she hathe ben otherwyse at for theire defence that they should seeke to be rembursed thereof at her Highnes handes.

3 And for that they desier that order maie be taken that the Bandes in her majesties paie maie be kept full and compleate, you shall let them understande that for the footebandes (as her Majestie ys enformed by the Commyssaries of Musters) theye have noe cause to complaine of theire defectes: And for the horsbandes for that her Highnes cannot convenientlie spare soche nombers of horse out of this Realme as are requisite to make up the full nomber agreed uppon by the Contracte; she caused an offer to be made unto them to supplie certaine bandes of horse whiche double so many Footemen, whiche as her Majestie conceaveth cannot but be more beneficiall for theire service consideringe they stande uppon a defensive warre, But herein her Majestie hathe not hetherto receaved any direct answer from them in this behalfe not withstandinge they have ben sollicited bothe by the Lorde Willoughbie and Master Killygrewe and also Ortell made acquainted therewithe so as the lot thereof groweth by theire defaulte.

4 And where they complaine that they are not made privie nether to the Musters taken of the saide Bandes neither yet at the paimentes made by the Threasorer as by the contracte therein ought to be so as they beinge ignorant of theire owne estate and what forces they are hable to make cannot provide soche supplies as were requisite for theire defence, you aye tell them that they have ben sondrie times required aswell by master Thomas Digges the late Muster Master, as also by his Brother James Digges now principall Commyssarie of the Musters to send theire Commyssaryes to joyne with them in musteringe the saide Bandes, but as the saide Digges dothe affirme the States have failed to sende any at the times appointed to joyne with ours: But yf they shall lyke henceforthe to appoint fol.270v
appointe somme Commyssaries of theires to joyne wth her Majesties Mynisters, there shalbe order given unto them to give notyce to theire Commyssaries of the time when the saide Musters shalbe taken. And to the ende yt maye be

formed, yow shall put the Lorde Generall in mynde to direct her Majesties Commyssaries so to doe.

5 Touchinge theire other requestes that the Governors of the Cautyonary Townes mighte be inhibited to entermeddle henceforthe in matters of Civill government concerninge the admynistration of Justice and the ordynarie pollycie in the saide Townes, as also to forbeare to deale in any matters concerninge theire Admyralls Jurysdiction, yow shall at your arryvall at Flusshing and so lykewyse at the Bryll as yow passe up to the Hague signifie unto the saide Governors that her Majesties pleasure ys that they forbeare henceforthe to deale any further in any of those Civill cawses, or causes partayninge to Admyrall Jurysdiccion otherwyse then as ys agreed uppon in the contract passed betweene her Majestie and the said Countries, unlesse yt shalbe in soche causes of controversie as may happen to fall out betweene somme Souldiers of the Garryson and somme of the Burgesses of the saide Townes, at the decydinge whereof to the ende the matters maye be carryed wth the more indyfferencie betweene them, It ys thought convenient that the Governor of the Towne where any controversie shall fall out, or the Sergeant Major or somme other dyscreete to be appointed by the saide Governor, should be present at the hearinge and decydinge of any soche Controversie.

6 And where they desier that the Captaines and Souldiers in her Majesties paie maye duly paie the excyses and other imposicions aswell as the Souldiers which serve in theire paie. Yow shall let them understande that yt ys thought some what harde that they fol.271r
they shoulde insyste in soe presyse a sorte in exactinge soche imposicions of those whoe daily hazard theire lives in theire defence as to make no dyfference between them and the naturall borne subjectes of that Countrie; whoe either have theire livinges there, or are otherwyse releived, havinge sondrie other helpes many other wayes, Whereas her Majesties subjectes beinge meere strangers cann have no other releefe or helpe then what they have for theire ready monye and the same at verie highe prices by reason of the Lycences graunted by them to carry victuaelles to the Ennemy. And therefore yt ys thought reasonable that they shoulde yeilde unto somme favorable tolleracion in that behalfe.

William Burghley Francis Walsyngham William Waad.


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