Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D X f.169r-170v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0047/008
Date: 22 July 1594
Note: Fire damage obscures some of the text. The sign manual is not autograph.
lettertext
fol.169r
Later Addition: [[.]]4. [[.]]y. 22
Sign Manual: Elizabeth R
Endorsed: Instructions for our Servant Thomas Bodley esquier whom we have appointed to repaire to the States generall of the United Provinces of the Lowe Contries for our spetiall service: geoven at our Mannor of Grenwhich the xxijth of July in the xxxvijth yeare of our Raigne
Wee have given you formerlie so sufficient Instructions, at your late goeing over, howe to deale with Th'estats for some Rembursement, as there is small cause for us, in the self same matter to use any newe arguments: and therefore you shall hereby only understande That as hertofore wee made you presse them, first in regarde of honor, and gratefullnes, (seing their owne Estate is so mightely increased by our only meanes under God) Next in respect of our great charge, (so long continued beyond their owne expectation, when first wee were wonne to enter into their defence) and lastly in consideracion of our present great occasions importuning us through other great and expected accidentes, to provyde for diverse burthens of Expences, So nowe we doe send you over, only to followe againe, your former Proposition with your best industrie, and discretion.
And to the intent, that they may finde howe well you are waranted in this behalfe, wee have written our Expresse lettres to that effect, whereby wee have both taken Notice of their colde and unreasonable aunswere; which no way wee could accept, and wee have also signified unto them, that wee could not but mislyke it in you, to returne with anie such message: which cause wee have the rather inserted to keepe them from any missconcepts of your Ernestnes hereafter, and to take from them any hope to wynne you another time with lyke importunities; con- cluding directly with this Protestation, That wee will call away our forces, yf they doe not forthwith yeld us better satisfaction fol.169v
agreable to or present occasions, and Expectacion of your presen[[.]] tiacion, on which course as wee are fullie resolved, so doe wee [[.]] yor Judgement of all indiferent understandings, will expect it, [[.]] wee shall seeme to care for others, and to neglect our owne Es[[tate]] and People by God committed to our charge.
You shall therfore with all convenient speede present our lettres to Th'e[[state]] and declare unto them, according to your knowledge and former Inst[[ructions .]] our occasions daylie falling out, which move us more, and more to call for [[.]] satisfaction, and our Resolution, if by delay or denyall (which wee [[.]] hold all one) wee shall not in good sorte with expedicio receave co[[nten-]] tement: wherin although wee will have you insist precisely up[[pon]] the first demaunde yet are wee content to open our selves thus [[.]] unto you, That yf you find them willing to doe their best, and [[.]] by true inspection, into the condicion of their present Estate, Your o[[wne]] Judgement be resolved, that that they cannot without extremi[[ty]] graunt our full demande of one hundred thousand powndes, That [[.]] after you have well tryed it to be so (by your ernest expostulating [[.]] behalf) you give some secret hope that yf they shall with speed y[[.]] satisfaction of some convenient somme, though you have no warran[[t to]] accept a lesse proportion, yet when they shall present us the[[.]] fres, you will Recommend it with the best reasons you may. [[But]] this above all things wee charge you to assure them, that wee w[[ill]] never accept for satisfaction, any offer of anie sommes of mony, [[.]] be with conditioning or capitulating to keepe our Forces, in [[.]] lesse, (for therby shall wee make shewe, as though wee [[.]] bound to it in a perpetuitie (after so many yeeres charges [[and]] wasting of our subjects) but that wee will simplie expect (wh[[.]] somme shalbe offred) directly to have it in a portion of mony [[.]] anie other mixture, and that being accomplished, you may [[.]] assure them, that wee will so conforme our actions as they sha[[ll not]] need to doubt. but in any thing wee may without extreme p[[.]] wee will deale with them still as a Prince who never wilbe [[.]] of anie good offices towards them, but will in all dearnesse [[.]] and protect them, if it once appeare, wee are so gratefullie de[[.]] that our common Ennemies may have no longer cause to please them [[selves]] to see so colde proceeding by those for h whom wee have pulled[[.]] us, the malice and pra/c/tise of our greatest adversairies: who are [[ig]] norant that wee will still remaine under the burthen of cha[[rges]] and consumption of our people, while others raise themsellves and multiplie their Estates in wealth and greatnesse. multiply and fol.170r
And further, because it is not unlykelie, but when they are pressed to Resolution, they will take Ecceptions to words of the contract, and alleage difficulties in Accompt, with other lyke [scuples], therby hoping to spend some long time in argument and to keepe the matter in suspence: Our pleasure is that you doe aunsuere those Exceptions according as your owne Jud- gement, and our Instructions formerly have ledd your repleying plainely to them, that it weare to dishonnorable to be once spoken or offred us who by no cullour of anie contract have ever sought to make the least particuler advantage byt freely to help and assist them in their Extremities, with provisions only of securitie for our owne, of which there are fewe Examples, and yet you shall further offer them this, that as it were preposte- rous to deferre the begining to satistie in part (because there may be varieties, and difference in Recconing for the whole) which must be andyted by Minsters of each syde, so being agreed of some good portion for our use, wee shalbe ready to prepare some selected personnes to joyne with anie whom they shall depute hether, and to enter exactely in to the clearing and, perfec- ting of all all Recconings betwyne us with all frindly and just consideracion expecting also the lyke disposition in those, whom they shall send over sufficiently authorised and well instructed, to shunne all needlesse contencions: wherein you shall also remember them, that wee have long propownded to them to cum to Recconingg, but never could find them willing to enter into the same
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