Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D IV f.132r-133v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0812/008
Date: 07 April 1589
Copy of: 0814
lettertext
Later Addition: Belgia 1589 primo Aprillis To my L Tresurer A
It may please your Lord: to advertise hir Majestie that I receaved not hir Hignes Letters to the States and to my self, withan other from your Lordshippe all bearing date the 16 of Marche, till The 3 of Aprill Stylo vetero: and they weare brought unto me by a magistrat of Dordrecht, withwhome they weare left by an unknowne person, To be convaied unto me, without making any mention from whome they were sent. unles it hath proceeded of some speciall practise, which I do very muche suspect, I knowe not whence to put the fault of suche notable Slacknes. for the wynde hath served very often, Since the date of the letters. What effect wold have folowed, if they had come hither in tyme, I can not saye for any certaintye, But as I am parswaded the exclamation of the common people and the instance of the counsell of estate, and of others, would have forced them, To accept of Tollerable condicions: whereas otherwise the chief autors of the enterprice, weare so violently caryed with desire of revenge, as they nether wold conceave, That there was Stoare of all thinges in the towne, to continewe the resistance, nor thincke upon the ennemyes approchinge, whom They might not attend. As by the event it fell out. as I Signified in my last, which I Sent To be conveyd, by The lieutenant governour of Flushinge. For the sight of the ennemy, raised the siege, and there followed a present conference uppon it, betweene the ennemy and the towne. Howebeit heere is not any certaintye of any thorowe con- clusion, But in generall it is reported, that the agree- ment is 10 monethes pay out of hand, and 5 more In the monthe of maye next: and That suche as list of the towne, shall have passeport to depart, and of those that will re- maine, Some part to continewe in Steenbergen. It is also given out but as I doe conjecture, by the States, to qualifie The people, (who are highely discontented) That the townes of Dordrecht, Gorchum, Worchum, Bommel, and others places adjoining have out bid the ennemye, and are in good hoope of some composition: which no man almost doth creditt: for that the ennemy hath allredy taken the house of Sevenberghen, & hath Summoned the fort, which is unlike To hould out. And it is feared That Williams stadtand that Iland will folowe, whereby the passage be- twene Holland & Seeland will be stopped. I have used Some diligence to understand howe Sir John Wingfeld is intreated: but I can not learne by any meanes. As touching hir Majesties letter unto the States, althoughe the tyme weare past, for Geertrudenberge, yet I found it very requisite, To extend The benefit of it, To other good purposes. And therefore when I delivered it, I declared by woord of mouthe, and with all gave it in writtinge, as the custome is heere, that which I send heere inclosed: To the ende it might be notefyed, In the particular Townes of these provinces, howe undutifully her Majestie hath bin delt withall, never other wyse inten- d ding, but that the towne should be reduced to the obedy- ence of the States. Of Suche declarations, the maner is heere fol.132vThat every Deputie taketh a copy and doth send it to some of the States of his province, The States to the Burghmasters of the Townes, and the Burghmasters To the commons. I might have made a more exact and ampler declaration, for divers other poinctes, but that I could not doe it for want of Tyme, bycause it was To be done, with the deliverye of The letter. One poinct of hir Majesties letter I have purposely omitted, concerninge The breache of the contract between them and the garrison, for that I found, it wold prove a matter of dis- pute, considering they stand upon it, that they have perfor- med all that they promised, and were provoked to this violence, by the dissolut proceedinges, and contempt that was used, againste them by The garrison. Howe I shall be answered, I can not conjecture, for at the reading of the letter, they were all very silent, & desired time, to consider uppon it. The principall autors are very muche troubled and abashed, as also many other throwgh their indiscretion, for that the discontentment of the people increaseth, as they see more & more the extremety of danger where into they are brought. for besides The losse of Geetrudenberge and the imminent perill to the neighbour townes Thereabout, the towne of utrecht hath sent hither in post, craving aid & counsell against the ennemy, whose [.] forces they fynde To growe so Strong in those quarters, as they stand in great feare of Some soddaine siege: and their feare is The more, by reason of The factions, and disorders that are among the Burghers, & can not be appeased. If uppon the consideration of this troblesome state your Lord Should happely expect, what I would advertise to be requisit, I must needes confesse, I should be greatly To seeke. For I have allwayes seene this counsell of State, To proceede advisedly, and very willing to interteyne good correspondence with hir Majestie and likewise the most part of the deputies of the states generall, and other prin- cipall persons. But as I have often Signified, Barnevelt & some few besides, carie suche a hand over those of Holland, by whome the rest of the provinces are over ruled as nothinge maye goe forward, but by his conduction. This allmost all of them see and shewe their dislike very often with many bitter speeches, and yet they take noe course To redresse it: which I can not but take for a token of godes punishment towardes, when men shall be bereved of their common Judgement, and discresyon, in matters of Suche momente. There goethe a speeche, as if hir Majestie were resolved to withdrawe hir forces from hens, & to leave the contrie to them selves, with the yearly loane of a somme of mony which course under humble correction, I doe feare very muche, if it shold be proposed, nowe that this contrye, is brought to this exigent, it wold be a great occasion, to hasten their ruine. for the very name of hir Majesties protection is thought to steed them as much fol.133r
as the assistaunce it self. And if the common people shold take a conceate, that hir Highnes draweth backward, I am fully parswaded, they wold quickely despere, and so accord with the ennemy To her Maajesties prejudice. On the other side, if that assistaunce that is heer, shalbe still continewed, it is both to slender To Supplie the necessitie of this contrey, and they are growen so farre out of order in their military discipline, as almost a third part of the causes, that are pro- posed in this counsell are complaintes against our nation. For these respectes, albeit I can not sett downe readely, what remedye is best, for the preservatyon of these provinces from the ennemies possesion, yet In discharge of my Dutye to deliver my oppinion, without trobling your L with a tedious discourse, If it might stande with hir Highnes gracious likeng, to pro= myse by letter, according to the treatye, to give speedy order for the keeping of hir companies complete, for Sending hither payement in convenient season, for reducing the capteines & souldiers to discipline, and will procede upon it actually To the effecting of that which is promised, doutles the credit of Barnevelt and other offensive parsons wold falle upon it, the ennemie should finde a Stoppe for gettinge any more grownde, and hir Highnes might dispose of this peoples affection To any purpose at hir pleasure. But Then it weere behoofull, as hir Majestie shall promyse in hir owne behalf that they should likewise for them selves That the lieu- tenant generall of her forces, as also the counsell of State, shall exercise that autoritie, which is yelded by the contract. which point I have urged earnestly in the inclosed decaration, as the only occasion of this late lamentable accident. and To amplefye further in this matter, in writting to your L it is all together needles. I am at this present advertised from Utrecht, that the count Newenar their governor is removed to Amsterdame, with all his house- hould & cariage: which is thought to be done, uppon Some feare that he hath conceaved, of the outrage of the people, uppon the ennemyes approche. The mareshall Villiers is deceased, and 5 other captaines of account, slaine, or dead since. it is further certefyed that 4 companyes of spaniardes are entered into geertrudenberge and that Sir John Wingfeld hath his pasport to depart for Bergen Up Some: which notwithstanding is not affirmed for certaine. The house of Sevenberghen, whereof a brother of Barnevelt was captaine, was taken by the ennemyes without resistance. And the speeche is also abroade, that the fort is lost. I have Signefyed your L comfortable greting to Master Gilpin, whose dilligence, & counsell & knowledge in the affaires of this State, is so necessarye, to hir Majestie, as for myne owne part I Thincke that any mans service in this contry wold be but maimed without him. And thus nether hoping having, nor hoping, as yet to have any other then unpleasant newes To impart unto your Lor: I humbly take my leave, from the Hage the 7th of Aprill 1589 fol.133r
Postscript: I am solicited by a Speciall person of the counsell of State Suborned as it seemed, by the generall States, etc.
href="http://www.livesandletters.ac.uk/cell/Bodley/transcript.php?fname=xml//1589//DCB_0812.xml"