Letter ID: 1302
Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D III f.111r-112v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1302/008
Date: 13 April [1589]

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To the R. worshipfull my verie lovinge frend Master Thomas Bodeleie Esquier, Counsellor for hir majestie in the Counsell of Estate in the lowe Cuntries.

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Endorsed: 13 Ap [[.]] my L [[.]]

Endorsed: 13 Aprill. 88 from my [[Lord]]

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Later Addition: Belgia.1588 13 Aprill To Mr Bodley

Sir. Your last lettres that came to my handes were of two dat[[es]] the one of the xxxjth, of the last moneth, and a postscript added theareto of the first of this moneth. By the former you did declare at good length the manner of the siege laide unto Gertrudenberg by the Comte Maurice, of the breache made by Batterie, of the assault offred by the Comte Solmes, Comte Philip, and Mareschall Villiers: of their repulse, and theire harmes: yowe also wrote of your offer to enterpose your self to staie the danger and losse of the towne, and after that of your lettre written to Sir John Wingefield, and of the awnsweare made by the Garrison in resisting to be ordered by hir Majestie, or anie of hirs, And soe after (as yt semeth by your lettre) yowe tooke the matter desperat, as thowgh th towne weare to be delivered to the Ennemie, which if it have followed, yowe have great cawse to [lament] the state of their Cuntrie, as by your lettre yowe have done. And for that I have summ sinister occasion by Gods ordonance to be absent from the Cort, I have cawsed your lettres to be shewed unto hir Majestie, who doth allowe of your good usage of your self in this matter, and I thinke will theareuppon Conclude howe to deale with thes Cuntries to reforme the desyders of their Gouvernment, But in what sort, at this time, By reason of mine absence, I cannot advertise yowe: Nevertheles having Conference yesterdaie by hir majesties Commaundment with divers of hir Counsell, wee weare informed both that the towne was lost and possessed by the Ennemie: and contrariwise also informed that yt was not lost, But then uppon offers and mediacion made by the townes of Roterdam, Dort, and others Neighbors to the said towne of Gertrudenberg, the garrisons theare had forbourne to receive in the Ennemie, so as if that later report weare trewe, theare was sum hope left that by good meanes the towne might be saved: And because yt semed that by the meanes of Comte Maurice sending unto them the Copie of an Acte which the D. Willoughbye had hearetofore geven to the Comte for the deliverie of the towne, hath wrowght in the Garrison great misliking of hir Majestie and hir our Nation, yt was thowght good, if anie thing cowld doe good at this time, that hir Majestye should write lettres to the Garrison to assure them of hir favor and to exhort them in noe wise to deliver the towne to the Ennemie, for which purpose this Bearer doth bringe hir Majesties lettres both to yowe and to that Garrison, By which you shall understand hir Majesties minde, asfarreforthe as the time will suffer and thowgh fol.111v
I doe feare the worst that the towne is either lost or will be lost, before thes lettres cann com thither, yet yt hath been thowght verie neadefull to send thes awaie at this time, and to committ the matter to Gods will. And soe [.] with my self that if before thes lettres shall com unto you the towne shall remaine undelivered to the Ennemie, than thes lettres I hope shall doe summ good, and yowe also shall be hable with the Counsell of Estates: to cause the Generall Estates, to see this great Error committed, by the Comte Maurice and other rashe Cumpanie with him, and heareafterward to see that the like be not Committed in such rashe manner as this hath been. And so because I will not stay the messynger, tht urged prerigy hym better to come thyther, than it doth to our [great] guess, our Navy in plymmoth to go to spayn. I [do] end from my dootefull houss in westminster. the xxjth of Aprill. 1588. Your assured loving frend William Burghley. [In margin: 88. from Treasorer]

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