Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D IV f.295r-296v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0839/008
Date: 19 June 1589
Note: The address leaf bears heavy creases where it was folded, and the remains of a red wax seal.
Copies: 0195
addressleaf
fol.296vAddressed: To our verie loving freind Mr Thomas Bodley esquier, assistante for her majestie to the Counsell of State, in the united provinces of the Low Cuntries./
Endorsed: from the Lordes of the Counsell dated the 19th of June 1589
lettertext
fol.295r
Later Addition: Belgia 1589 19 June to Master Bodly
After our hartie Commendacions. Her Majestyfineding by the Commissioners lately sent over from the States Generall, that the purpose theie came for, did in no sort answere her expectation, the same tending only to require redresse of cer- taine pretended depredacions, & the decaied bandes aswell as horsemen as foot- men serving in those Countries in her Majesties paie; and that theie had no parti- culer charge to deale in any other matters of weight, either concerning the disorders of the said Countries, & how the same might bee reformed, or the ex- planing the doubtes & reforming the defects of the Contract, hath thought meet that the said States should bee moved to take some Course for the parfour- mance therof and for that purpose her Highnes hath caused us to sett downe such generall heads (which wee now send you) as are thought fitt to bee con- sulted on for the advancement of her service, & for the good & benefitt of those u- nited Provinces: which her Majesties pleasure is you shall acquaint the said Stat[es] withall, & shall move them to give more ample Commission to their said depu- ties heere, or else if theie shall so think good to send some other to joine with them in Commission, to treate & conclude of such necessary matters, as are in a generallitie Comprehended in the said heades, or that shall proparly de- pend upon the same, or any other matter, that may any waie Concerne the good of both Countries.And to the end the said Commissioners, at the time of theire repaire hether, maie not pretend to want sufficient Commission to descend, or to treate & conclude upon any particularities more then theie shall conceive to bee manifestly expressed or comprehended in the Generall heades: It hath beene thought very expedient, that many particuler pointes fitt to bee considered on, should bee sett downe by us, (which wee allso send you heerwith) and her Highnes pleasure is, that the same shalbee, as of your self & in private, to some such as you know to stand best affected to the good of those Countries, & are allso of Creditt amongst them communicated & propounded in such sorte as when the Commission & Instruc- tions shalbee drawen, theie may have their autoritie so farre further enlar- ged, as the Treatie may not bee drawen into any unnecessary length upon pretence of lack of autoritie.
Moreover whereas sondry of the Captaines of that Countrie birth who have served in sondry sorts the Country there of long time to their great charges are lately repaired into this realme, who complaine of a very hard course, which (as theie suggest) undeservedly hath beene held against them by the States, & for whome, & in whose behalf her Majestie hath heertofore (butt all to none or small effect) made sondry mediacions to them (a thing well know[en] unto your self, for that your service hath beene used therein) and to the furthe- rance of their reasonable sutes wee have therfore now upon Communication fol.295v
with their deputies presented to them their greife in writing, and have required them to consider of their causes so as the rather by her Majesties mediacion theie maie bee relieved, so farre further as both theire credits maie bee repaired, and allso in regard of theire good services formerly done to their Countrie theie maie th[eie] [maie] bee restored to such place of Creditt & service, as their severall former deserts doe merit; for the more effectuall proceeding therein, her Highnes pleasure is, you should lett them understand, that shee taketh it not well at theire handes, that her said mediacions have beene hetherto so slenderly regarded, being parsuaded that in re- spect of her manifold honorable favors shewed them, in case shee had required a farre greater matter of them, her motion should /not/ have been so slightly esteemed, & therfore doth look that at this time without farther gainesaieng or delaie, her mediacion for them shall take such place as therby shee maie bee occasioned to continnew them in that good opinion which theie desire, & shalbee moste beehoofull for them. And so much the rather for that this hard Course wherein theie holde on against the said Captaines is not only very hardly thought of by all such as vallew the deserts of honest & valiant servitors with such due regard of honor & recompence as to martiall men appartai- neth; butt allso breedeth an alienacion (as her Majestie is infourmed) in the most parte of all those, that are now emploied in this service, foreseeing by the example of these gentlemen, upon how slight groundes and pretensions of small moment, theire good services maie bee ble- mished, & that honourable recompence lost, which is and falleth out moste due for the hazard of theire lives & parsons. A taste wherof theie have lately seene in the new levies theie would have made, which weare impeached & made frustrate by an unwillingnes & indispo- sicion generally theie fownd in men to bee emploied under them. And therfore the case of these Captaines ought with greater Circumspection to bee considered of.
Lastly for that the L. Willoughby her Majesties generall doth justly finde him self aggreaved with that charge that hath beene in sondry points moste falsely (as hee avoweth) and dishonorably laid upon him in their late Placard published concerning the giving up of Gertru- denbergh; and requiring of the Commissioners heere the groundes, wher- upon the States fownded them selves in publishing of those slan- derouse charges, nothing as yet can or wilbee delivered, that maie in fol.296r
the least sorte justifie that their action: And for that you had heertofore from us direction to presse the States to deliver in writing the parti- culer proofes of those generall accusations; which (as by your lettres of the xxviijth of the last moneth of May it appeereth) you coulde not then effect, by reason of your then absence at Berghen op Zom: We have therfore thought good at this present to renew that charge unto you, and to require you according to your former direction withall dili- gence & reasonable importunitie to procure from them in writing, such particuler proofes as theie have, or can any waie pretend to have, of those their said accusations, which by returne of your next wee expect from you. And so wee bidd you hartily Farewell. from the Court at Whitehall the xixth of June 1589: Your verie Loving Frindes Christopher Hatton: Chancellor William Burghley Charles Howard Hunsdon Cobham Thomas Buckehurst Francis Knollys James Croft Thomas Henage Francis Walsingham
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