Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D V f.211r-v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0887/008
Date: 18 December 1589
Copy of: 0880
addressleaf
Endorsed: To Master Secretary December 18. 89
lettertext
Later Addition: Belgia 1589 18 December To Master Secretary
Yt may please your H. the prisonner Vasseur is at length delivered but with very much trouble & sute as the bearer hereof Sir William Russels servaunt, who hath folowed yt long with exceeding great paines can certify your H. who hath also the copie of the sentence whereby they bannishe him out of these Provinces for the space of 3 yeares. By a servaunt of Master Vicechamberlayne I Rxd two from your H. 3 daies past, one was of the 26 & the other of the 28 of November & a third from my LL. of the counsell of the 17 of the same moneth: wherin I am required to declare unto the generall states, what order hir Majestie hath taken for the repairing the breaches at Ostend, which I minde to do at their next assembly, & will signifie theyr answere. I have also made knowne to the counsell of State hir Majesties liecnce graunted to my L. Burgh, for his retourne for a time, & for Captain Price to Governe in his absence wherunto they used no speech but onely set yt downe for a note in theyr register. It is advertized hether out of Gelderland, that the waters are risen so high in those quarters, that the Ennemies fortes about Berck & Rees are in danger to be caried awaie, about fornight since the count Harmon van Berghen finding a fitt opportunity by meanes of the frost made a roade into Friseland & burned a certaine Dorpe not farr from Leewarden. But retourning back as hee passed by a watch house him self was hurt, with a muscket shott & Villiers the Governor of Steinwick & some few besides of his company slayne. It freeseth at this present very hard in these countreys, & yf yt so continew the English troupes that ar in Holland must againe towardes Gorchum. Also this frost doth let the conveyance of lettres betweene mee & Joest van Cleve of Embden about the matter of Groeninghen, whereof I do expect by his next letter, that I shal be able to conjecture what good effect will ensew. For he hath partlye already broken the ice, having writen about yt to some principal parsons that ar in Groenighen, who have also returned a frindly answer, & procured him a pasport of the towne to repaire thither unto them, or otherwise they offer to send some fytt parson to Embden to confer with them ther. & yt was his purpose within six daies after the dispatch of his last unto mee. which was written 6 weekes past to send my lre wherof long sins I sent Your H. the copie, into the towne. so as by his next I hope to have somewhat of more worth to advertize your H. If those within to whom hee hath written do not seek to entrappe him (which hee is circumspect enough & wanting no advise to forsee) there ys sufficient cause to hope for a happy sequel, or at least of some distourbance in the Ennemies courses, My writing in this matter to the gentlemen of Frise upon Persivals speeches was to great expense of time without any frute. For I attended a great while for theyr directions, which proved in the end to bee the same, that I had put in practise before with Joest van cleve. It is a good counsel unto meethat your H. doth intimate of her Majesties intention at my L. of Buckhursts coming hether, to make a parfect triall, howe this people doth stand united unto her. I doo finde yt otherwise for mine owne parte a most wearisome place of service not knowing where hir Majesty could send mee, where I would not goe with more willingnes & farr better hope to give hir Highnes satisfaction with some frute of my travels I had never no hope in this place as your H. understood mee of a parfect correspondence. For I knowe yt is unpossible as long as some have the swaye. But I am forced heer to holde yt for a parte of good correspondence, if her Majesties subjects & ministers may bee entreated in such competent good sort, as they may not bee driven by meanes of theyr badd usage, to refuse to do them service. For by your H. letters heertofore & by hir Majesties courses I have alwaies found yt a matter of infinite daunger fol.211vif her Highnes should withdrawe her forces from hence & yet unles her Majesty make showe of some actuall parceeding yn that respect I see no other waye but that her Highnes must parforce continew hir wonted patience [&] serve hir owne tourne for the time, & withstand the common ennemy with such a froward correspondence as ys heer at this present.
I have had no conference yet with Paul Bus, to whom Master Gilpin hath Dl your lettre, hee hath many times made promis to come unto mee, but is abode is at Leyden & one thing or other doth put him still from his purpose.Upon the receyt of your H. lettre he hath appointed without faile to bee with mee very shortly, But what hee will impart I cannot conjecture. Hee ys much discontented with the state as well as others, and can better brooke of any man then of Barnevelt, who suceeded advocat after him.
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