Reference: TNA, SP 84/33/67 f.67r-70v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0195/008
Date: 16 June 1589
Note: The original draft text was written with widely spaced lines to allow for annotation. The annotation is less neat than the original text and may be a second hand, probably that of Walsingham. There is a cross in the margin next to the second deleted line.
Copies: 0567 Copy of: 0839
addressleaf
fol.70vLater Addition: 16 June 89
Endorsed: 16 Junij 1589 Memorial of a letter to Master Bodley. /drawn/ and delivered to the L. Treasorer to be parused.
lettertext
fol.67r
After our hartie Commendacions. Her Majestie findinge by audience geven to the Commissioners latelie sent over from the States and by our conference with the said Commissioners /States Generall/ that the purpose theie came for aunswered not /dyd in no sorte awntswer/ her expectacion as conteininge matter of small momente nothinge tendinge to /the same tending only to requyre redresse of certeyn pretended depredatyons, and the decayed/ thestablishment of a good state necessarie for the affaires of /bandes as well horsemen as footemen serving in thes cuntreis in her Majesties paye, and had they had no pertyculer /charge/ to deall in sooche other [matters]/ [In margin: as allso for the /explaining and/ reformatyon of the defects of the contract]
those Countries in this time, /of wayght towching concerning the dysorders of the sayd contries as and howe the same myght be reformed/ hath thought meete to moove [In margin: yt]
the said States to a further consideracion of such matters as /shoold be moved to take soome coorse foor/ her Highnes thinketh requisite and her pleasure shall be /the performaunse thereof and for that/ treated of and concluded. To which purpose she /her Hs/ hath caused [In margin: us to set downe]
such generall pointes /heades (which we now send you)/ to be set downe as are thought fitt /to be consulted as/ for the advancement of her service and for the good and benefitt of those United Provinces , Which beinge by yow /her majesties plesure is you shall acquaynt/ offred to them and by them [.] accordinglie she /the sayd States withall and shall move them/ requireth that thereuppon they directe forth newe and /to send /geve/ more/ ample Comission either /to ther deputyis here or ells yf/ to such other commissioners as theie shall thinke good to make choice of, or to those /they shall /so/ thinke good to send some others [.] to [.] joyne with them in commyssyon/ that fol.67v
are on this side to treate and conclude of the said /sooche necessarye matters as are in generalytye comprehended in the heades or any other matter/ matters, that to be done with all Convenient expedition /that may any way concerne the good of bothe contryes/ aswell for the satisfaccion of her Majestie as for the furtherance of the generall good of those Cuntries. In which behalfe her Majesties pleasure is yow should deale veie effectuallie /that they shall conceyve to be/ with them. And further for that /to this end /the sayd/ may receyve somme last [whorthe] pertyculer poyntes/ there are other point no lesse requisite, or rather none, then those generall, to be treated /[.] & be consydered on/ on and concluded, which notwithstandinge might either distaste them or cause them to use some longer delaye in dispatching this newe Commission, in case theie should be openlie, and in her Majesties name, propounded to them, [In margin: And to the end the sayd commyssyo- ners at the tyme of ther repeyre hether may not pretend to have [.] no commyssyon to descend into any pertycularytyes more than is comprehended in the generall heades. [.] Yt hathe ben thowght verry exppedyent that certeyn per- tyculer poyntes shoold be set downe by us which we also send you herewith which and]
her Hs pleasure therefore is that the same be, /shall be/ as of yowr selfe, and in private to some such as yow knowe to stand best affected, to the [thorugh] advauncement of this service, /good of thes contryes/ and are /also/ of grate credit amongest them, communicated and propounded, in such sorte as when the Commission and instruccions shalbe drawen fol.68r
theie maie reach farr enough to conclude whatsoever is conteined /have there awthorytye so far foorthe inlarged/ /as the treatye may not be drawen into any/ in theise, as anie other matter dependinge thereuppon. /unnecessarye lengthe uppon pretence of lacke of awthorytye/
Moreover wheras sondrie of the Captaines of those Countries /that cuntrye/ /are lately repeyred hether into this realme what complayne of a verry/ [In margin: by [the]]
now resident here on this side by [reson] of that hard Course that (as they suggest) undeservedlie hath bene held against them by the States, and for whome and in whose behalfe her Majestie hath heeretofore /by (but all to no effect)/ made sondrie me- diations to them, but all to no effecte, have at this meeting /a thing well known unto your selve for that your servyce hathe ben used therein/ of theire Comissioners /and have hether at the tyme of there repeyre of ther deputyes/ presented there greifes, humblie craving /so far foorthe as bothe ther credytt may bee repayred and as also [verye] good and charges as [.] be/ by her Majesties meanes to be releived by restitution to the good /[.] from [.] /as also/ [.] in regarde of there/ opinion that the States might be held of them, for ther good services formerlie done to their Countrie, /they may bee/ and by [.] into /restored to/ such place of Credit and service as their severall former defectes doe merite. /And for the more effectuall proceading therof/ Her Hs pleasure is yow should let them understand, that she taketh it not well at ther hands, /that her said former mediations [.] shoold be so sleightly regarded/ beinge of persuasion /perswaded/ that in respect of her manifold honorable favors shewed them, in case she fol.68v
had required a farr greater matter of them, her motion should not have bene so slenderlie regarded /esteemed/, and /therfor dothe looke/ that at this time without farther gaynesayeng or delaie her mediation for them maie /shall/ take such place, as thereby she maie be occasioned to continewe them in that good opinion which theie desire, and shalbe most behoveable for them. And so much the rather for that this hard Course wherin theie hold on against the gentlemen /sayd Captens/, is not onlie verie hardelie thought of by all such as value the desertes of honest and valiant servitors, with such due regard of honor and recompense, as to martiall men apperteineth; /(as her majestie is informed in the most parte of)/ but also breedeth an alienation in all other [In margin: thos]
that are /nowe imployed in thys/ be[.] to service, foreseing by the example of theise gentlemen, uppon how slight growndes, and pretensions of small moment, ther good services maie be blemished, and that honorable recompense loste, which is, and falleth out most due, for the hazard of their lives and persons. fol.69r
A taste wherof theie have latelie seene on the newe levies theie would have made, which were impeached and made frustrate by an unwillingenes and indisposition generallie theie found in men to be imployed under them. And there fore the case of theise gentlemen captens ought with greate circumspeccion to be well considered of.
Latelie for that the Lo. Generall /Wyllowby her Majesties General/ doth justlie finde him selfe greived with that charge that hath bene /in sondrye poyntes most fawlsely and/ dishonorablie layed uppon him in there late placard published con- cerning the geving up of Gertrudenberghe, and requiring of the Commissioners heere, the grounds which the states founded themselves uppon, in publishing of those slaunderous charges, nothing as yet can or wilbe delivered, that maie in the least sorte, justifie that their accion, And for that yow had heretofore from us direccion to presse the States to deliver in writing the perticular proofes of those generall accusations which as fol.68v
by yowr lettre of the xxviijth of the last monethe of Maye yow could not then effecte by reson by of yowr then absence at Berghen op Zome, We have therefore thought good at this presente to renewe that Charge unto yow, and to require yow accordinglie to yowr former direccion, to procure from them in writing such perticular proofes as theie have, or can anie waie pretend to have, of those there saide accusations: which by retourne of yowr nexte we expecte from yow. And so doe bid yow hartelie farewell. &c.
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