Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D VII f.345r-v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0987/008
Date: 24 December 1590
Note: On fol.345r there is the signature RRR.
lettertext
fol.345r
Later Addition: Belgia: 1590: December
Later Addition: Belgia 1590 24 December To Master Bodly
Sir. It is soe longe since I wroate unto yowe for that havinge soe manie thinges to doe that I kepe noe Copies of my letters unto yowe as I dowbt yowe will thine I have not received anie letters of late, And therefore thowgh their be not manie I have received from yowe: yet I will geve yowe knowledge by this what theie be.The first as I thinke unawnsweared is of the xijth of November, whereby appeareth that yowe received from the generall States Copies of the whole Negotiacion with the Scottishe Ambassador for Collonell Steward, which I have received and perused, and in mine opinion the awnsweares made by the States beinge indifferentlie reported to the K. owght to move him to revoke the leter of Mark grawnted for the said Collonell: And as I see the Contentes of the same awnsweares are advisedly [compiled] and with good Reverence towardes the Kinge, delivered. The Ambassador was heare before the date of your lettre, and made me in sum part ac- quainted with his opinion against the Colonels proceedinge.
That which was promised yowe by the Greffier for the awnsweare to hir Majestie I see was performed by your last letters.
Wheare yowe require to have a Cipher, I doe at this present send yowe one, not verie curiouslie made for avoidinge of trowble to us both but yet sufficeint to serve our purpose, and maie be augmented as yowe see Cawse./
Your next letter is of the xixth of November, By which yowe doe certifie the Retorne of the Pentioner of whome yowe advertised mee the 28 of October, and the third of November: This matter is such as I cannot treate with yowe at this present untill yowe have received your Cipher lookinge also to heare more particularities thereof when yowe have received my Cipher for soe your self dothe make mention./
Your last letter is of the vijth of this monethe, whearewith yowe have sent unto mee the awnsweare of the States to the thinges proposed by yowe and Master Wilkes: The which I have partlie perused, but not sene thorowghlie for lacke of leisure as I meane to doe: Theie have taken good time both to make theire awnsweares, and to deliver them: for where your propositions weare the xxth of Julye, theare awnsweares are dated the xvth of October: And for the deliverie theie have taken time from the xvth of October, to the vjth of December./ And nowe abowt the xxijth theare be Commissioners cum, whereof two seme to cum from Holland, and the other two from Zeland: And be heare devideth in theire lodginges a sonder, but yet I thinke theie will joine in theyr Negotiation: theie pretend owtwardlie to cum to procure Relaxation of fol.345v
Later Addition: Belgia: 1590: December:
their Shippes, and restiucion of their goodes: The first being done absolutelie longer, before theire comminge: The other as farreforthe done as theie could be fownd extant: But yet uppon Bond that if the goodes weare proved Spanishe, the vallue should be awnsweared, whereof Sir John Hawkins being newlie retorned from the Seas offreth to make good proof of a great part of the same./ Monsieur de Charon by authoritie owt of Zeland did deale in thes Courses as Ortel was wont to doe, but I perceive by him that he is not like to be authorised anie further, whearein thowgh he be well Contented, yet the States are not well [advised] to omitt him, for that he is wise and acceptable heare unto us. Thes which be comm from Holland have required to be hard nowe after the Hollidaies. For sooner theie have not, whearebie I gesse theie will in the meane season for howesoever theie be Clamorous against their Arrestes, theire aiding and succoring of the K. of Spaine our Common Ennemie to the strengthe- ninge of him wth all warlike preparations /ar such as that/ wee weare better to bee at warre with divers of the townes of thos Lowe Cuntries, than under Collor of protecion to suffer them to helpe our Ennemie to make that warre against us, withowt the which he should not be hable almost to cum to the Seas./ Thus have I awnsweared all the lettres of yours that are cum to my hand. And nowe yowe shall understand that uppon Advertisementes of the State of Ostend uppon sum Accidentes of Notable service latelie done by the Gouvernor theare to the great hurt and dishonnor of the Ennemie, It is greatlie doubted that the Ennemie will seeke sum mightie Revendge, and as wee heare, Bridges and the Cuntrie theare abowtes being greatlie dammaged by the Garrison of Ostend make great offers of Contribucion either to besiege Ostend, or to fortefie abowt yt: uppon this Consideracion hir Majestie hath written good rownd letters to the States, the Copie wheareof yow shall see and in like manner an other letter to yowe, wheareof I neede make noe Recitall, not dowbting but yowe will use expedicion abowt the execucion thereof, as her Majestie hath geven yowe in Charge, and as yowe shall proceade soe I praie yowe advertise respectivelie the Gouvernors of Flusshinge and of Ostend./ If thes Commissioners that are come shall not voluntarelie present the awnsweare of the States after theire first Awdience, theie shall be charged thearewith, soe as wee maie lett them understand howe farreforthe wee have Cowrse to mislike not so much for the delaie which hath been great, as for the unreasonable nes, and absurdnes of theire awnsweares./I se the Count Moryce followeth his flatteryng fortune, to tak uppon hym gouvmentes of [.] than I feare he can be hable to mannaug, beyng subject to the Controllmentes of the states. I pray yow send me a list, of the Counsellors of ths state with their quallities. 24 October 1590 Yours very assuredly W. Burghley
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