Reference: LPL, MS 650 f.169r-170v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0761/008
Date: March 1594
Note:
Copy of: 0676
lettertext
fol.169r
May it please your good L. So longe absence of the Deputies of Guel- derland and Overissell is greatly wondred at heere, and till all the Depu- ties be mette they can take no resolution upon my proposition. It is feared very much that some alteration of thinges at home hath stayed there commyng or at the least there present passinge by reason of the great inundations in sundrie places of those Provincesas the like was never seene of the rivers and land waters, in the memory of any, for all the Bettue, and Bommels wert are overflowen and a great parte of the Country round about Utrecht and Amersfort, in so much that the very gate of the Towne of Amersfort the suurbes of vianen, and many dorpes and villages, are caried cleane away and multitudes of people to the number it is thought, of 3000 soules are drowned. And the like is re- ported of the land above Collen where the waters ar risen higher by sixe foote then hath bene hitherto knowne by any recorde, which is supposed to proceed of the great abondance of raine and snowe that hath fallen in these and in the upper Cuntryes and of the long continuance of these boystrous winds at west which hath forced the ryvers to swel[l] out of measure. I find by confferring with some of the scottish nation that they are informed out of Scotland that Colonell Stuart is enjoyned by some secret instruction to sollicite the states for 1000 foote and 500 horse for sixe monethes or rather for the loane of so much mony, as may serve for the levies of so many men requesting 3 monethes paye to be delivered out of hand which is imparted unto me by such persons of credit, as I in my conceipt have reason to believe it neverthelesse the Coronell him self will not notefie so much as onely to me but as farre as I perceive to none of the statesproposing all as yet in generall tearmes and reserving for themselves, to yeald what succor they thinke best which is thought to be done, upon a hope that he hath, that they, of them selves will offer more, then he hath in h[and] to presse them unto. For mine owne parte the more tht I consider of his imployment hither and of the qualitie of his message, the more methinks it doth tend to some dessigne to be disliked. For in proceeding with the Provinces, the Kinge hath gone by such degrees to winne upon that [.] as I feare some what els, then this purpose pretended of joyninge in al[li-] ance, and of craving there assistance. If your L. call to minde in February last was two yeares, the States were moved by Stuart fol.169v
being sent by the King to intertaine from time to time a reciprocall intelligence in all affaires, that should concerne the religion and weale of his and their countries, which was presently obtained. They were after sought unto to renue the ancient league, that had bene in former times betwene Scotland and them. wherunto they yeelded by there deputies at the time of the Baptisme of the yonge Prince, Now th[irdly] they ar intreated to assist him with men or mony wherof the summe is so small not amounting to 8000li sterling, for 3 monethes as he might very well presume that they wold not refuse him, and when this shalbe ac- corded, whether it be not to be thought, that he hath yet an intention, to give some further footing in their love and affection, and to serve some other turnes with their aide and support, as his occasions shall require and as it will be verie easie when the people of these Cuntries ar once engaged in his actions I leave it as a motion to your L. wisdome.
The Coronell pretendeth, that the state of the Kinge must be presently relieved, and if /yt/ should be neglected, by his frendes, by his frendes, and allies, it wold engender, ere be long some unreparable inconvenience, both to him and to them. And this he doth inculcat in everie company where he commeth with a fearfull declaration of the wantes of the K. and of the strength of his enemies in so much as the states by that as I can gather wold willingly doe for him if my answere unto them whereof your L. had notice in one from me of the 22 of the laste not stoppe there proceeding. For so the Coronel, hath told me, that he thought the states resolution wold depend very much upon her Highnes allowance or onely upon me that if I wold signifie, that her Highnes wold be pleased with their aiding of the King there wold be no stoppe, and he saw no just cause for me to be scrupulous, sith every man might see the extreamitie of the King, and that part of the benefitt wold redound unto her Majestie and all the burden of the aide, upon the people of these Provinces. I will not troble your L. with long rehersall of my answeres and other speeches betweene us, but in effecte they were to pray him to pardon my refusall unles my warrant were better forsaid I to speake of matters roundly, and familiarly between us, I may very well presume upon the reasons you alleage, that her Majestie wold be willing to advance the K. desire, but yet it may be perhaps, that she will soe much mislike of his terme of proceeding as fol.170r
wold have the states made acquainted with her manifold endevors to free the K. of his trobles. Let it be as you give out that as his state is reduced to pointes of extremity, wherof I knowe very litle either one way or other) though there be that will avouch that both his perill is not such and that it mought have bene lesse if he him selfe had listed how can yow reporte it here but they will presently aske the question why the K. having so largely and so long tasted of her Majesties Bountie and the daunger being nearer, to England then to them, he shold not rather in this case have recourse, unto her Highnes or at the lest [.] Prince, and request her advise before he sente to move the States. In your answere hereunto I know not how yow will acquite your selfe but yow must wthout offense give me leave to suspecte that yow will speake very litle in her Majesties behalfe but rather secretly com- plaine in the maneging of your businesse that she hath not or will not doe the part of a neighbor which may be so amplified in places wher you come as I doubte it may also tende to the worke some alienation in the hartes of this people from there devotion to her Highnes and these are suche suspicions or causes of suspicions as they force me to forbeare and not to meddle of or on unles I had commission. [.] onely as before I wish the states in these proposals to hold a sound correspondence by advising with her Highhnes.
As a man touched neere and guiltie as it semed of some sinister dealing (wherof I heare but to much he made a frivolous reply, full of speeches at randon: which not being worthy of your L. reading I leave unrehersed, very humbly beseching that if you thinke it expe- dient I may knowe by your direccion what course I must ob- serve when I speake in these affaires to give her Majestie good con- tent. I find by a lettre written by the French K. to Monsieur Bu- zanval that he hath sent her Majestie certaine lettres intercepted which were written in Cypher by Father Gordon and an other Scott to their correspondents in Spaine which the K. had caused to be decyphred. Gordon is one that is often named in Cryttons latin lettre which I sent your L. last I shold conjecture, that the notice of such amatter as he hath written into Spaine, may easely leade to decipher the lettres of Critton in Latin which if it be not done already, if your L. thinke it fitte to sende me the copie of Gordons lettre and the others, I will do my best endevor to discover that of Critton which I do very much presume upon certaine conjecture containe important matters as the conferring of some princely fol.170v
Endorsed: Copie de la lettre de Master Bodley a Mr le grand Tresorer, mars 1594
princely state or dignitie, or contrey, upon some speciall person upon whom the chief hope of those fugitives dependeth wherin it also seemeth that certaine great personages ar nominated astors. And thus &c.href="http://www.livesandletters.ac.uk/cell/Bodley/transcript.php?fname=xml//1594//DCB_0761.xml"