Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D V f.223r-223b.v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0894/008
Date: 26 December 1589
Copy of: 0892
addressleaf
fol.223b.vEndorsed: To my LL of the Councell. December 26. 89
lettertext
fol.223r
Later Addition: Belgia 1589 26 December To the Lordes of the Councell
It may please your LL to bee advertized that according to the tenor of your lettres of the 12th of November which came to my hands the 13th of this month at the next assembly of the general states I proposed unto them what course hir Majesty had taken to repayre the sea breaches & ruines at Ostend, whereof I requird theyr publick acte of approbation according to your LL direction howbeit the copye yt self of the order whereof your LL made mention I have not Rd. That they have not satisfied hir Majesty with some answer to the last proposition which I made unto them by your comandment, they do allege for excuse that they delivered theyr advise to the counsell of State about the same time & in the same matter whereof they say they were parsuaded that I being a member of the Counsell wold have certifyed hir Majesty & concerning the present order which is taken by hir Highnes, they will intimate nothing of theyr liking or disliking of yt, but have onely declared that they will acquaint theyr principles with yt finding tht of them selves they are not sufficiently autorized to vary in any thing from theyr contract with hir Majesty, this is th'effect of that answer which they returned unto mee, whereunto I thought yt my duty to replye again for that they I see they have framed theyr answer but for forme without any token of care to yeeld hir Majesty satisfaction. for I did my last message unto them the 10 September & after for the space of a moneth was a continuall sollicitor unto them for some resolution & could not obteyn yt, onely the 8 of October upon the instance of a lettre sent from Ostend to the Consell of State which they sent to the general States they retourne a short scedull concerning theyr opinion to the said letter without any significacion of yt to mee, or insinuation of any answer that I should make upon yt to hir Majesty, the effect of their opinion was that the counsell of States should endevour by theyr lettres to parsuade the States of Zeland to defray the charges of the fortificacions of Ostend, which was no advise to bee certified for that they knew well enough & they were told yt also by the deputies of Zeland which were heer at that time that it was in vain for the counsell to make any such motion for that the States of Zeland were fully then resolved to beare but theyr owne portion with the rest of the provinces, likewise for the second point of theyr answer whereas they coulor theyr refusall of ratifieng by theyr publick acte the order now taken by hir Majesty for want of sufficient autority from theyr principals yt is the same delatory answer whichas they made unto mee the 6 of August last upon that I proposed unto them about accepting the 1200 foote for 600 horse fol.232v& likewise the same moneth the 14th daie upon the motion which I made concerning the inlarging of theyr Deputies comission then in England wherein ther was never any thing yet effetually parformed on theyr parte nor theyr principals intention notified to hir Majesty. this I have signifyd somewhat largly unto them & declared withall that for asmuch as they do often pretend the want of sufficient comission yt wold bee very requesyt that hir Highnes should bee made acquainted with that comission which they have at this present from theyr Principals whereby yt may appeare directly & distinctly unto hir as also to hir servants that ar employed in thes contreys how farr yt doth extend, & to whom they may addresse them selves according to the nature of every occurrence, whereas otherwise thinges continueng in such termes as they do at this present, there is a [.] great deal of tyme spent in proceeding impartinently & thereupon much occasyon of discontentment ministred to the spetiall prejudic[e] as well of hir Majesty as of themselves & theyr supariours. the copies of my Reply to this theyr answer, together with theyr answer & my proposition & also a transcript of the foresayd scedull sent to the Consell of State Master Secretary will vouchsafe to shew unto your LL. Moreover yt may please your LL to understand that after I ha[d] dealt in this cause of Ostend with the general states I imparted the whole to the Consell of State who seemed not to dislike of hir Majestyes order, conditionally that some of theyr owne officers might be joyntly autorized with hir Majestyes in overseeyng the woorkes & disbourseing the mony & so I fynde that the /in/ most thinges the Consell of State is enclined to proceed with good correspondance & satisfacon of hir Majesty which notwithstanding is comonly empeached by some amonge the general states, who ar ever backwardly affected to that hir Majesty would set forward & thus I take my humble leave. Hage 26 December 89
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