Reference: LPL, MS 651 f.115r-118v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/0772/008
Date: 23 April 1595
Note:
Copies: 1250 0710
addressleaf
fol.118vEndorsed: De Master Bodley a Master le grand Tresorier le [[23]] d'avril 1595.
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fol.115r
May it please your Good L. A contrarie winde hath Kept me from your lettre of the 22 of Marche, till the 24 of this moneth: I also then receaved an other from her Majestie to the generall states, by the addresse of Sir Robert Cecill, & in favour of the debt, which is owing Sr Horatio Palavicine, which I exhibited out of hand, & also pleaded his cause as well as I could. Their awnswere therunto & to my generall proposition about the matter of remboursement, is delivered unto me but nothing sayed to that effect as when I write yow my last the 23 of this present, I well hoped to have heard in regard of a farther offer of some actual satisfaction to be made unto her Majestie for although they were in talke, how somewhat might be don, yet doubting in part how the contrey would perfourme it, & partly also how her Majestie would accept of a litle, they grew to no conclusion. And their aunsweare in a maner, soone certaine pointes accepted is the same that I signified the 22 of February when I reported in like maner what was replied againe by me & I know not what more can be added nowe unto yt. Again I am perswaded that nothing will prevaill, whatsoever I say besides, because the matter is so fitt for replies and rejoinders that there would be no end of disputing upon it. That which they have alleaged of their detriments receaved by meanes of fluddes & watter breaches, I suppose to be no lesse then they seeme to insinuat. For there have bin some commited, to take particular information of all the harme that hath bene don in every part of these provinces, & their losses doe amount to very great summe: which is a fol.115v
principall cause of their sicknesse in assenting to to this yeres contributions. For the Provinces doe comonly passe their consents by the last day of January or immediately upon it, and now it so falleth out, that only 3 provinces Holland Utrecht & Guelderland have accorded their portions. Where in the knitting of their aunsweare they require that I would signifie, what they had said by woord of mouth, & is omitted in their writing, I take no great pleasur in telling their tale but yet to discharge my diutie therin, this is all that I remember that resteth unsiginfied. They say they had often times debated this matter of the message & were exceedingly perplexed in devising how to deale that both her Majestie might be pleased & their owne stat preserved: but although they had bin busied as never so muche in any other Matter yet they founde it impossible to doe that which was required & they thought very muche to be pressed unto it. We do all say they confesse that we are bound to her Majestie next to god for this shewe of assurance wherto our country is reduced: for which it doth not become us to contest with her in wordes about the equitie of our cause, but yet to say as the truth is & every man knowes we are far from that tranquilitie whereupon we concluded our treatie with her Majestie Highnes it is also to be showed that since the very first yere we could never enjoy those forces & nombers for which we are contracted & pauned our townes. And that which payneth us most, is to see that her Highnes doth continually disbourse very great sommes of mony for the payment of her people & yet matters are so carried that neyther she nor the contrey doth fol.116r
that use of their service as in reason were behoo- full. For many more might be spared from the cautionarie townes, & from that of Ostend then we could ever yet obtayne by any instant intreatie, & of those that have bin sent us we were evere more uncertaine what account to make of them through their often revocations & cassing & countermaundes & other doubtfull messages which put us clean out of course of an orderly proceeding, both for casting our plotts & atchieving our attemptes. Againe her Highnes may remember that in the year 85 before the treatie was concluded, we did flattly then refuse, as the preface therunto doth expresse very plainly to contract for a lesser ayde then 5000 foote & 1000 horse. For we know a lesse number would but drawe our warres at lenght, & cause the people to dispaire when they sawe that their troubles would never have an end: whereof we looked for no other, but a soddain composition & agreement with the ennemy. All this notwithstanding, we can not at this present nor could not thes two yeares bring 2000 men of her Majesties Compagnies to the service of the fielde. These & other like speeches were delivered unto me by word of mouthe, but in very humble termes, & dutifull sorte. To make your Lordship partaker of my answare againe were to troble yow indiscretly with a tedious recital. But after I had spoken what was meete for her Majestie I lette them understand that wordes & writtings were good cheape & that needes they must determine to make some other payment for thought their stat was not so good as was commonly supposed they were not yet to seeke of a competent meanes to satifie her Majestie if they shold nott by somewhat shewe their thankfulnesse unto her, I doubted of the sequell fol.116v
in regard of her displeasure. But whatsoever I could alleadge, they were wonderfull vehement in all their protestations that they were destitute of meanes to satisfie her Majestie Highnes & they could yeld unto her, not only that sume of a hundred thousand poundes, which your L. doth require to be payed every yeare but not a farre lesser summe, without incurring the perill of their utter confusion, And where they understoode that I meane to convey their aunsweare to her Majestie & not to cary it my selfe, as they had imagined, I would soone after it was delivered in writing unto me, they sent of purpose to calle me to their publike assemblie & there they intreated or rather conjured me (they spake with such affection that in a matter of that moment wheron soe much depended for her Majesties Good as well as theirs I would take the paines my self to returne with their answeare & laye before her Majestie nott only those reasons which advance her demaunde but sith I know in like maner, how it stoode with these countreis acquaint her also of my self directly, & sincerely with the full stat of their affaires & that in every particular which could not be expressed to be perfeclty conceaved but by verbal demonstration whiche would cause her, they were certaine, to carie some other course then such as might occasion the flatt subversion of the Countrey. They would willingly have sent som deputie of their owne but that it could not be done without writing to the Provinces, which would /but/ make a long worke & was not so convenient, having made my excuse for diverse causes but chiefly for want of her Majesties licence, they urged me so earnestly & promised me to write so effectually unto her, as fol.117r
I should not doubtt neede to doubtt but that would be well construed. At which their instant desire because I doe consider that heer I can doe litle, till I see how her Highnes will proceede upon their answeare, & that I may at her pleasure returne againe assoone as any messenger, I have thought it fittest for her service not to stand upon denial. But that which moveth me most unto it, is an overture made unto me in privat communciation, of a deputie of Holland: which whether it proceede from the partie alone, or with some notice of the States, I am not well assured, For he protesteth unto me with earnest assertion that he doth it altogeather without the privitie of his collegues And Although I doe beleave it, yet I can not but conjecture, that som whatt hath bin spoken in the meeting among theme whereby he hath good knowledge how the rest are affected, & doth direct himselfe there after. His drifte in this ouverture is so to proportion, her Majesties demaund wth the countreis habilitie as it may be brought to passe wth the liking of the inhabitants & both be very honorable & beneficial to her Matie. Because the matter is but rawlie imparted unto me & hath many points in it, to be duly considered it may happily hold me eere some 7 0r 8 dayes before I take my voyage. I have sent the meane while their aunsweare before with their lres to her Majestie & the LL. of the Counsell of which one doth concerne Sir Horatio Palavicines debt. wherin whatsoever hath bin farther sayd unto me then their writting hath fol.117v
declared I will signifie at my comming. Your L. being advertised of the trouble at Embden by Master Gilpin, I have sent yow herein inclosed the proposition of their deputie to the generall states contayning the reasons of their taking of armes. I should seeme by his speeches had with me, that the towne is resolved to write unto her Majestie to crave her favor in their cause or at least to intreat her not to hearken to the Count who prepareth as they say to subdue them by force.
By a very good meanes among the Scottish men heere, I am certaynly advertised that the King hath been mouved by Coronell Stewart to pray her Majestie, to enjoine me not to crosse his request howbeit it is thought that the King will not write. I know not how the Coronell meant it whether indeede as concerning that I opposeproagainst him, or whether it be but a practise to make triall how her Highnes is affected in his suite not by the way of a plaine request which perhaps he is loath to use, but indirectly & by circonstance Once to me he will not seeme thinke amisse of my proceedings as in truth he hath no case not having bin thwarted in any other sorte but that I wished the states to deale in that matter wth the privitie of her Highnes And since I /have/ made it knowen, that she can be well pleased that the King should be assisted Nevertheles I am sure that they have made him no graunt.
But of this Kind of dealing and other like matters I will signifie somewhat more at my comming to your Lor. Which I trust fol.118r
I shall not finde unpleasing to her Highnes [bode] because my aboade shall neede to be but shorte wherby her businesse is not letted & because I am assured it will benefit her service. And thus I take my humble leave from the Hage. 23 of Aprill 1595.
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