Reference: TNA, SP 84/49/79 f.79r-80v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0458/008
Date: 03 August 1594
Note:
Copy of: 0459
addressleaf
fol.80vEndorsed: 3 August 1594 Copy of my L. lettre to Master Bodely.
Later Addition: August 3 1594 Holland
lettertext
fol.79r
Sir, upon the first daie of this moneth at one instance I received three lettres from yow, 2 of the xxjth of the last moneth, & the iijth of the xxviijth; by both the former it appeareth, that upon the receit of my lettres of the vijth of July declaring hir Majesties purpose to reskue Brest, & request to have their assistaunce by Sea, yow had Conference with the States about the same; in whom yow found good disposition to assist hir Majestie in that Enterprise with nyne, or tenne shippes: But yet bycause yow were not able to declare unto them the particularities of hir Majesties resolucionn for the time, & the Rendez vous, neither with the number of hir Majesties shippes, Soldiers, municion, & powder they could not make present determinacion with yow, & yet nevertheles it appeareth by your second lettre, that Master Caron had advertised the States perticularly of hir Majesties purpose, as the same was determined in my howse the xvth of the last moneth: and Conferring with yow thereupon yow alledged that yow had not understood the particular pointes thereof, & so it seemeth by your writing, that for lack of your informacion the matter was at a staie, although it might appeare well unto yow by their owne report, that hir Majesties demaund was to have nyne, or tenne shippes for tenne monethes, wherein they fownd no difficultie to yeld unto the Q. nor to the provision of 20000 weight of powder; and yet they Could not well Conceave, what was ment by a request of two moneths victualles for 2000 men: they also seemed to find lack in that there was no mencion made of municion nor of greate quantitie of powder for the recoverie of the Fort of Brest; And by your lettre of the xxviijth it seemeth that upon a lettre written by Monsieur de Caron unto them the verie xvth daie of July, that he was Countermaunded the same daie; By all which uncertaintie it hath fallen out verie unluckely, that these preparacions of the States have hong in suspence, & cannot be executed so soone, as the time requireth. But for cleering of all these former scruples, yow shall under- tand that the verie xvth of July, Monsieur Caron was directed not onelie, what to demaund of the States, but at what time the same was required, & what were the forces then determined by hir Majestie. And though it was trew, that the same fol.79v
the same daie he was written to by my sonne , upon theQ. Commaundement, that he should staie the sending awaie of his lettres for the present untyll he might be newlie spoken withall; which was ment to be the next daie, & having receaved that Counter- maund, he made answere presentlie that he had alreadie sent away his lettres to the States agreable to the motions made to him the said xvth; wherewith hir Majestie being made acquainted, she was verie well satisfyed, & allowed of his diligence; & so untyll the verie time of the receit of these your latter lettres we were in opinion, & expectation to have [had] of these assistances of the States shippes, & other their provisions to have bin at Portesmouth before the fifth of this present moneth. And now to explaine the demaundes as they were made, It is true there were demaunded xij shippes at the least, & victualles for 2000 men, that might serve by land for two monethes, & as I think but 20000 weight of powder without any wordes of municion; But now to reduce our demaundes to more Certaintie hir Majestie can be Contented with tenne shippes, if otherwise, the States should not yeld to xij and for the victualles considering that which is alledged by yow of the dearth of victualles there, & the cheapnes here, that demaund may be forborne, although at this present by the unseasonablenes of the yeare, I think the dearth of victualles is more here then there, Considering the provision of Corne, that readelie is to be had out of the East Countryes into those./ As for the small quantitie of powder demaunded, I thinke the same was mistaken in writing, for indeed 20000 weight of powder is litle more, then 8 lastes, so as it is now rather required to have 60000 weight, which is not xxxty lastes; and yet if xxxtie lastes may be had, it shall well Content hir Majesty, and so I hope they will yeld thereunto, & if it shalbe more, it shalbe the more thankfull./ At this time wee have had speech with Monsieur Caron declaring to him the uncertainties gathered by your letter, whereunto for our better satisfaccion he sheweth us lettres written to him from the Hagh the 29 of July, whereby in expresse wordes they write that they are readie to send awaie their assistaunce, making no mencion of any dowbt, or delaie therein; and yet nevertheles he is directed to write back againe thither with all speed to hasten the same, by whom I do send these my lettres to yow at this time. From the Court this iijth of August 1594. Your verie loving frend W. B.
Postscript: We are certainly advertised, that Laon is rendred to the K, & the DD de Mayne, & D'Aumale, are chased out of Amyens./
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