Letter ID: 1070
Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D VIII f.207r-208v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1070/008
Date: 23 August 1591
Note:
Copy of: 0333

lettertext

fol.207r

Later Addition: [Belgia] 1591 23 August to my L. Treasurer

Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: September

May it please your good L. I have answered your lettre of the 25 of July by an other from hence the 19 of this moneth which was also an answer to my LL. of the Councel, by whom I was required to the same effect as by your L, to sollicit the states for deputing some parson, with whom Master Gilpin might be joyned, to examine theyr complaintes against the Governor of Ostend. I made no answere to their LL, becaus that matters are so cleer, as your L. may parceave by my former unto you which I could not well report, without a touche in some degree to the Governors credit. And in that respect I thought it fittest, to addresse my answere to your L. to be imparted so far to the LL. of the Councell as you in your wisdome should suppose it to be nedefull. For as I signified in my last the self same commissary that is mentioned by theyr LL. & trusted by the Govnernor to satisfy the states, doth not onely heer avowe whatsoever hath bin certifyed from hence to her Majestye but alleageth other matter of spetiall consequence against him. for which, his proofes, for the most parte are so directly delivered, & all upon his oathe, as I se litell hope, that they can be refuted nevertheles I have had some conference about it with the Councell of State, & have moved them the best I could to a better construction of the Governors proceedinges, which, me thinkes, as I have told them, they have rather reason to extenuate, then to amplify against him, consydering that he hath not bin acquainted with their formes of government, & that he offreth for heerafter to observe any course that they should enjoyne him. For that is some parcell of the commissaryes errand in the Governors behalf. I have also don them to wete, that her Majesties pleasure ys, that he shall so frame his doinges as no occasyon may be given of discontent to the state. Unles that Cortekens confession wherof I certified in my last, shall exasperate theyr humors, I trust to finde a redy meanes for according all the rest. But I do make full acchount that they will binde him very strictly to the orders of the Countrey, & I feare me very much, will demand resolution, of that which he receaved & hath not yet delivered of the contributions of the place. For I am told by this Commissary that for these 8 monethes the states officers have not Rxd foure hundred poundes sterling, wheras he thinkes it will be proved, that the Governor hath rsd foure & twenty hundred. so that if he should refuse to pay the arrerages, I dout they will skore it upon her Majesties account. Becaus I saw the matter of Corteken to be caried underhand by the general states, & not to be imparted to the Councel of state, to whom the hearing of such causes doth properly belong, I uttered in place certaine speeches of purpose to declare a dislike of theyr couvert proceeding. which coming to theyr eares hath caused them right now, to send one unto me of theyr publick assembly to shew me the effect of Cortekens confession & to insinuat besides, that they would enter into conference with the Councel of state both of that, & of all other matters concerning Ostend. That which Corteken confesseth is the same in a manner as I related in my former. They came to no issue in anye thing, Corteken affirming that they could not conveniently, for fol.207v

Later Addition: Belgia: 1591: September

want of warrant out of England. The states are resolved because they know that Corteken was no parson to deal in such an action, that the Duke of Parma in this treatye, had no other dessigne, but to sowe some matter of dissension betweene her Highnes & the states, which he careth not how, nor by what kinde of instrument. I thought it not fit to urge them overhastely to give me a transscript of Cortekens confession, because I se they are disposed to imparte it of them selves. Only this I returned for mine answere to the partie, that howsoever her Majestye might seeme desirous, sometimes upon offred occasyons to marke the driftes of the ennemye, & his cunning dealing in his offers of peace, it was but in a sort, & by the waie of a litell triall, & for the good of the countrey for that her Highnes of her self, as they might easely understand was far from that intention, & if nede so required I had meanes to make it plaine, by such instructions as of late I rsd in that matter. Howbeit it could not yet appeare that there had any thing yet bin handled with her Majesties consent, with the forsaid Corteken. Moreover for those abuses wherewith the Governor ys charged in the administration of his office, I said the same unto him as before unto the Councel, & withall I wished that some one or two of the states [[generall]], & one deputed by the States, with an other of Zeland should be assigned to heare & determine those causes: wherin I did not dout, but I should finde the Governor very tractable. the rather I thought, if they would thinke upon some meanes to encrease his entertayment in some likely proportion to other English Governors, to serve the Countrey, therby with a litell more dignity. The party with whom I had this conference was vanderwerck, one of those Deputies that were last in England who seemed to me to content him self with my advise, & promised to advance, not douting but the states would be brought to do the like, As if they do, I trust I shall easely procure Master Gilpin to be joyned in commission. The bearer hereof Master Chamberlain, not content with such answere as I had told him for the best, which I had signified also to your L. hath bin earnest with mee to propose his h matter to the Councell which I have don accordingly to satisfy his minde & they have given him that answere, which I told him of before, that my L. Willughby could give no commission unto him, without theyr assent; that hee that enjoyeth that office now, was placed by their commission, & had taken his othe unto the countrey in theyr assembly, & that it was not for theyr credit in justice to displace a man that was admitted so orderly. Nevertheles in regard of her Majesties good liking, they were contented if any thing could be alleaged, for which the other might deserve to be removed, or that he could be parswaded to resigne of himself, that his place being vacant howsoever it were they would have a consyderation of her Majesties request. And therfore Master Chamberlain, by entreaty or othrwise must winne him to forgo his office or els he travaileth heer in vaine. And this I declared at the first unto him, advising him rather [not] to have waded so far with this Councell, for that I was certaine they would reject his request. And happely now upon every [light] complaint that the other shall make, they will easely conceave [that] fol.208r
matters are sought to deprive him of his place, for which they may be more inclined to protect him then before. & thus for this present I take &c. Hage August 23 1591


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