Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D VII f.276r-277v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0969/008
Date: 21 September 1590
Note: On fol.276r there is the signature CCC.
Copy of: 0259
lettertext
fol.276r
Later Addition: Belgia: 1590: September
Later Addition: Belgia 1590 21 September to my L Treasurer
May yt please your good L. to advertise her Highnes that according to the motion of her lettres of the 10th of this moneth, which I have delivered to the general states, the sending of forces into the ennemyes countrey hath bin put in consultation aswell in theyr assembly as in the Councel of state. And for the reasons alleaged in her Highnes letters, which I accompanied as I was willed with other consyderations yt is fully resolved that the chiefest of theyr forces shall go presently for Brabant if Co. Maurice & other principall parsons which are now at the siege of Hemart & Heel shall thinke yt expedient. To this effect they have written to Co. Maurice & I have also sent him her Majestyes lettres. It was in deliberacion among them to send theyr forces into Flandres but they finde yt full of danger & difficulty for many [respectes], especially for want of a commodious descent for theyr forces, a safe retrait, & a convenient meanes to transport theyr horse & great artillerie. which will also be subject to excessive charges & may ill be spared at this present: for I can say upon knowledge that they have bin forced to disbourse extraordinarely above 100000 florins in theyr late exploit before Nieumeghen, upon retourne of Aunswere from Co. Maurice I think the states themselves will certify her Highnes how they purpose to employ theyr force against the ennemy. 2 daies past I Rxd your L. letter of the 7 of this moneth by old Master Allen. Upon the questions there proposed about the enterprise of Donkerk I have confered with the party that made the ouverture unto mee, whose particular answears together with the questions I have written a parte & sent your L. heerinclosed. Moreover unto that which her Majesty doth demand, whether this practise upon Donkerk may bee well effected by such other new forces as her Majestye may send into some parte of Flandres: it is aunswered by the party that yf yt bee ment by Oostend; the site of that place is not the best for that purpose, because yt is too long a march from thense, to Donkerk by land being 9 leagues, and by water they cannot come forth but by spetiall windes: withall yt is to bee feared that the sending of new forces into those quarters without a very great likeliehood in the ennemyes opinion that they are to bee employed in some other spetiall action will move the neibour townes to a great suspition, & make them so carefull in providing for the woorst fol.276vLater Addition: Belgia: 1590 September.
as they will hardly bee intrapped. In which regard hee thought that the embarking of men at Dover would bee nothing so subject to such inconvenience as on this syd the seas. Raynold Peeterson of Horne is now in Horne. From whence I will either send for him hether or procure his aunswere to the questions that are moved by your L. howbeyt I found him very rawly instructed, & as far as I remember hee told mee expressly that hee himself never sawe Pedro van Arragon. Sir Edward norris hath bin lately at the Haghe, & as her Majesty requested by her lettres for to the states & my LL. at home directed mee heer to deal with the Councell he was admitted to the Goverment of Oostend, with a generall good liking aswell of the states /as/ of the Councel. & for his entertaynment they have assigned him monethly 40 li sterling to be raised upon the contribution of Flandres, which I stand in great doubt will hardly amount to paie that allowaunce. Because I was requered by my L of the Councel to furder this election of Sir Edward Norris: I beseech your L. yf they know yt not already, to signify unto them what is don in his cause. I have no awnswer as yet from the general states to our last propositions, nor I see no hast that is made. still they do pretend that they know not as yet the pleasure of theyr principals. but yf yt bee so as I am informed, when theyr pleasure is knowen, yt will hardly deserve the lingering attendance. For I am told by my friendes that there is an awnswere made by thes men heer by waie of a project, & sent unto the provinces to be made Authenticall, which yf yt bee trew ys an unusall proceeding, & wholy heer disliked of indyfferent parsons who cannot bee parswaded that they will not frame any aunswere to her Highnes content.To signify unto your L. what hath passed heer of late in the exploites of these Countreys about the end of August last Sir Francis Vere was appointed by the Councell of state with 600 footmen, & 6 cornetes of horse to disassiege the house of Luttekehorne & strong fort situat between Werden and Essen in the territory of Rekelinchusen in the diocesse of Collen, which was lately surprised by a scottishe captaine of these Contreys, & presently upon yt besieged by the Ennemy. the 3d of this moneth Sir Francis came before yt, wher he found that the Enemy had fortified before the entry of the House. upon his arrivall 300 of the Ennemyes assigned for the gard of theyr trenches retired to the fort & refusing to yeeld, being fol.277r
Later Addition: Belgia 1590: September.
sommoned, were assualted so valiantly, that after half an howres fight at hard blowes our souldiers entred the fort, & put all to the sworde, whereupon the house was relieved & besydes some other small fortes thereaboutes yeelded presently of them selves. There were onely slaine in the conflict of Sir Francis troupes 25 & some 40 hurt. 13 daies after retourning towardes Disbourgh, he assaulted the fort of Graef by wesel, a place of importance in the ennemyes possession: where they yeelded unto him after two assaultes & departed with bagg and baggage. To report a trueth unto your L. Sir Francis Vere by his speciall industry & Vertue doth force this people to love & commend him, whereas othrwise theyr ingratitude ys so straunge, that they shew very seeldome, at the best endevours of any of our nation, any loving contentment while Sir Francis ys busied in those quarters, yt was resolved heer at home, that the houses of Hemmart & Heel should bee beaten with the cannon & assaulted at one instant both together, for which cause they have revoked Sir Francis & assigned him, & as many companies more as may amount to the nomber of 4000 to meet with Co. Maurice at Gorchem or Bommel, where they are at this present in hand with theyr enterprise, & have battered the fort of Hemmart for 2 daies together, but I cannot yet understand that Sir Francis is come thether. The Germain Embassadors of whom I have written in a former letter ar newly departed towardes Frankford. where they meet in a diet, with the deputies of other princes to mak a publick relation of theyr aunswere from hence, whereof the effect is no other, but that they are contented heer to deliver up the fortes of Luttekehove and Budick over against Graef aforenamed, which were al such places as were of late taken from the Enemy But for Zgravenwiert. Schinkes fort, because the states of Gueldres pretend a right & propriety to the place, they require that there may bee a meeting of Deputyes on both sydes, to confer upon the reasons that wilbe alleaged by those of Gueldres. Their awnswere was reputed by the Embassadors to bee but frivolous and dilatory. Nevertheles such as yt was they could not obtayn yt, untell they shewed openly theyr great dislike to be trayned on so long, & prepared thereupon to retourne without an awnswere, threatening them theretwithall with the publick proscription & band of the Empire. Heer ys present newes from the Count that the house of Hemmart having endured above 1200 cannon shot, is come to composition, & the souldiers in it have fol.227vEndorsed: To my L. Treasuror 21 September 90.
quitted the place, so that now theyr whole strength is employed against Heel. There is also fresh advertisement from Sir Francis Vere, who remayneth as yet in the land of Cleave, that with some furder succor from hence, hee ys in hope to recover Berck, the fort of Rees, the Beek, & other places confining. By letters out of Brabant yt is certefyed, that Co. Mansfield doth assemble all the forces that his garrisons can spare. These advertisementes have /put/ both the states heer & the concel of state in such a parplexity, as they cannot determine whether yt will steed the Contrey more to pursue the victory with Sir Francis Vere, or rather upon this benefyt of having Hemart, to attempt somewhat upon Bolduck, the fort of Terheid by Breda, & the Ennemeyes hold in those quarters, or els to go forward with theyr former desseyn for making incursyons into Brabant: which they are parswaded will prove unprofitable, yf Co. Mansfelt be bent to encounter theyr forces; What is like to be resolved I cannot conjecture, but I will certify your L. assone as any thing ys offred. & so I take my humble leave. Hage 21 September 1590.href="http://www.livesandletters.ac.uk/cell/Bodley/transcript.php?fname=xml//1590//DCB_0969.xml"