Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D IX f.349r-351v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1196/008
Date: 25 October 1592
Note: On fol.349r there is the signature 'Yy'.
Copy of: 1195
lettertext
fol.349r
Later Addition: 25 October To my L. Treasurer
May it please your good L. With your lettres of the 7 and 8 of this moneth which were delivered unto me the 18, I receaved one from her Majestie to the general States, which I presented unto them at their next assemblie, and solicited her demaunde, for the sending of their shipping to the coast of Britaine. Their answear therunto I have sent heereinclosed, tending all to this effect, that they have taken those affaires as much to hearte as was possible: that all the last sommer, they expected very carefully her Highnes resolucion, upon their offers in that behalf, which they had signified unto me, and I reported to your L. in my lettres of the 21 of Aprill and 16 of July: that as then they had the meanes to parfourme as muche as they had offered: but understanding nothing from her Majestie have imploied those meanes in other exploites, and shall possiblely be able, to obtene of the Provinces any further contribucion, till the spring of the yeare. And besides they must be forced, for want of victuals and others provisions, to revoke those other shippes, which they have at this present on the coast of Britaine. This day Master Buzenval receaved lettres from the King, to make a motion to the States like to that of her Majestie. I have acquainted him at large with their answear unto me, to prepare him therby to meete with their ob- jections in proposing his maters. He is willed by the King to declare unto them, that there hath passed a Contract betweene him and certaine inhabitants of Gasconie and Guien and the towne of Rochel, who have lately undertaken upon certaine couvenants, to maintaine 20 shippes very thorowly furnished for defense of those coastes, to which the States are required to joine some further strength. I will certify your L. what answear shall be made, though I see no likelihood of a better, then is given to her Majestie. As touching the often staies of the companies of foote, which I doubte are yet detened by a contrary winde, I hope your L. is certified from the Gouvernour of Flushing and Sir Francis Vere: who remaine in the place, where the companies are, and, as I am informed, have receaved in charge some other addresses, then have bin by any imparted to me. For I protest unto your L. of her Highnes resolucion, to have the souldiers to be shipped for Jersey; and not for Caen, I have onely heard fol.349va litle by a privat frinds lettre, and that very barely and imparfectly: that I know not in particular, what hath bin written about it, nor what order there is taken for the accomplishing thereof. Which I signify so unto you, to the ende your L. may consider, that by reason of my being so farre from Flushing, and my want of intelligence of suche alterations, I cane neither give advise in the assisting of others, nor advertise your L. of those affaires of the footebandes. It hath also enforced me to delay the dispatche of the company of horse, a greate deale longer then I would. For having signified by a lettre of the 21 of September for what occasions of the contrey I did not urge Sir Nicholas Parker, to embarke himself presently, and having had therunto no answear untill now, nor no direction for changing the place of the Rendevous, it caused me to doubt that the horsebande should be staied, and therfore knewe not how to deale, without some warrant in other sort: which though your L. hath sent, yet the place of the Rendevous is not mentioned unto me. That at first I gave eare to Count Maurices intercession, in suffering the horseband to continue heere in service, your L. will vouchsafe to make the best of that proceeding in your dealing with her Highnes. For it was at the instance of the Count and all the contrey, for a very short time, and for a special exploite. There were also such impediments, as your L. did approve: for which the company of necessitie should be forced for a time to remaine in the contrey. Withall I understood then presently after, and now I doe finde it to be true by exparience, that howsoever I had resolved; the Count and the States which were in the army, were determined fully to stay the Company in the campe. I hope that your L. hath allway[s] parceaved, that I was never in my actions a pleaser of thi[s] people, but where I thought it might redounde to the ser[vice] of her Majestie. For the furtherance wherof it can not be o[therwise] chosen, but according to the occasions, I must vary very [much] from the strigthnes of my charge: which yet I never did hit[herto] but it turned in the end to the advantage of her purpose. And where her Highnes is displeased for the numbers of strang[ers] intertened in the horsbandes, if it should be understood, to [come] fol.350r
by my default, I would humbly beseeche you to call to re- membrance, what I pleaded for my self in my lettre to your L. the 10 of January last: upon an other like complaint of the weakenes of the companies sent into Normandie. For the causes then alleaged I hope I shall not neede to be presently troublesome. I was never yet willed, since I came to this place, to take any kinde of charge of looking to the Musters. I was never made acquain ted by the way of any lettre or copie of any lettre, with the orders sette downe by my LL. of the Councel: and yet they have bin renued at sundry times, and at every time sent to every Englishe Gouvernor. If I had bin commanded to deale in those affaires upon receate of som instruction, I would not have failed to have done my duty thorowly. Howbeit I doe not understande but that the Commissaries certificats are continually sent home, and the state of every bande made knowe unto them, that are appointed expressly to examine those maters, and have allwaies there the meanes, both to shewe them to your L. and to seeke redresse for all abuses. And namely for the bande of Sir Nicholas Parker, although it hath passed the rest, in number, strength, and furniture, yet notice hath bin give to Sir Thomas Wilkes by Master Allen the Commissary, as well by his musterrolles and bookes of warrants, as otherwise, that is troupe was full of strangers. And being told by the Commissarie that by her Majesties orders he could be allowed but onely six, he answeared for himself, that he had licence for more from my LL. of the Councell. His company is now in garrison at Duisbourgh: but I have earne- stly moved both the general States and the Councell, to give their pasport and licence for his coming to Berghen, where Sir John Poley is in garrison, and where according to the order prescribed by her Majestie he may supplie his deficients out of the troupe of Sir John Poley, and make is others commutacions both of horses and horsmen, and also presently embarke his soldiers for Britaine. I made my motion first to the Councel of Estate, as to whom it belonged by vertue of the Contract, to give direction in suche affaires. But because it concerned the removing of a company out of this contrey, they refused to take order, without the [leave] fol.351r
and assent of the general States: to whom they sent for advise. The states, for that her Majestie had not written unto them about it, re- quired me to exhibit an Act of my hand, and to notify thereby that it was her Highnes pleasure: which I parfourmed immediatly. I should but trouble your L. with a needeles rehearsal of all the meetings and debates and sendings to and fro, that were used in this mater. But the States in conclusion did not onely make deniall of graunting their Pasport for removal of the Company, but enjoined the Councel and Count Maurice (who hath commonly usurped, to give his patents in such cases) not to deale in the mater. I urged earnestly to know the reason of that proceeding, considering my demaund was but onely for a company, and they had suffered already 16 others to passe, and likewise those the last yeare that were sent for Normandy, without such open opposition. I doubted the issue would be this, that her Majestie would be moved to revoke all the rest. Notwithstanding all my urging I could gette no other reason, but that they could not parmitte it. But when I mentioned the revoking of the rest of the horsmen, Count Maurice repleied, That he could rather wishe it were presently done, then to tary till the spring, and then to have them on the soddaine to be called away, when the contrey should relie upon the benefit of their service. Wherto I an- sweared againe, that there had never no suche course bin taken by her Majestie. They had allways had warning sufficient before, and if then after they would in hand with some enterpris a freshe, the faulte was in themselves, if they were not assisted. And as for the horsbande of Sir Nicholas Parker, if they would not parmitte him to passe by good order, I would endevour what I could to effect it otherwise: and if any inconvenience ensued upon it, it rested in them to satisfy the contrey. Moreover I intreated the Councel both then and before at several times, to prohibit their captaines by some publick edict, to receave any Englishe soldiours, that should goe fro[m] those captaines, which were going for Britaine. Where [unto] they made answear, That they could not constraine any souldiour of this contrey, to follow his captaine in a forr[aine] fol.351r
contrey: and as for those of the Englishe nation, that should runne from their Captaines and put themselves in service heere in the pay of the contrey, they used a kind of cunning, in conterfaiting of Dutche names, and could be hardly discovered by their Commissaries in the musters. And besides by placcarts already published it was forbidden to any Dutche captaine to inter- tene any stranger of what nation soever. Upon these kind of answears, I can not yet resolve, in what sort I should proceede, to draw away the horsband. I doubt very muche it will not prevaile, to stoppe their weekely lendinges. Of force they must have meanes for themselves and their horses. And if they live upon the towne, where they lie now in garrison, no doubt their horses will be stayed till restitucion shall be made. Againe if the state will seeme to uphold the Dutche souldier in refusing to goe for Britaine, I can not parceave by any enquirie, that both the companies together of Sir Nicholas Parker and Sir John Poley, are able to furnishe a full company of Englishe horsmen. And although Sir Nicholas Parkers be the strongest of the fower companies, and was very complete the beginning of this sommer: yet now I heare that his numbers are very muche diminished: and for the other three, they are said to be farre weaker then Sir Nicholas Parkers: so as some of them, I doubt, have scarcely half their number. The very best way, that I can thinke upon presently, to procure the company a passage, is to cause the Officer of the Tresurer, to sende those shippes, that shall be hired by him for transportacion of them, to come up to the Waert by Utrecht, and to cause Sir Nicholas Parker to come thither with his horses. Which yet is a mater full of difficultie and danger, by reason of the officers and boores of the contrey, which are wont for the most to stoppe the passage of any company, that cometh without a passeport: and also oftentimes, for a very small misdemeanour of any common soldier, to putte themselves in armes, and to invade the whole troupe. The report going heere, that divers boates of this contrey and some messengers with lettres directed for England have lately miscaried, because I am uncertaine fol.351v
whether any of those lettres that I have written to your L. have bin lost by such accidents, I have sent the copie heere of one above the rest, which I writte the 10 of this moneth, and to my understanding is most material. I am lastely to become an humble suitour to your L. that it would stand with your honorable favour to put her Majestie in remembrance of my long being heere, for fower years together: and that in respect of her Highnes busines, I could never be better spared, nor had never greater cause, in respect of mine owne: which is wholy confused, and groweth worse every day, by meanes of mine absence. Of divers hopes that I have had, through the answears of your L. to my former peti- tions, the last was differred to the ende of this sommer: which the sooner you shall be pleased to effect with her Highnes the more I shall be bound to acknowledge your goodnes, being otherwise most bound for many singular occasions. And so I take my humble leave. From the Hage. October 1592.
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