Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D XI f.120r-121v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1256/008
Date: 22 July 1595
Note: There is an initial signature and ink hatchings on the bottom of f.120r.
Copy of: 0479
lettertext
fol.120r
By the Queene
Sign Manual: Elizabeth
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 Grenewhich the xxijth of July in the xxxvijth yeare of our Raigne.
Wee have given yow formerlie so sufficient Instruccions, at yowr late goeing over, howe to deale with Th'estates for somme Rembursement, as there is small cause for us, in the selfe same matter to use any newe argumentes and therfore yow shall hereby only understande, That as heretofore wee made your presse them, first in Regarde of honor, and gratefulnes, (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 expectacion, 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 unexpected accidentes, to provyde for diverse burthens of Expences; So nowe wee doe send yow over only to followe againe, Yowr former Proposicion with your best industrie, and discretion.
And to tht intent, that they maie finde howe well yow are warranted in this behalfe, wee have written our Expresse lettres to that effect, wherby 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 yow, to returne with any such messag: which clause wee have the rather inserted to kepe them from any [.] /miss/ Conceiptes of your ernestnes hereafter, and to take from them any hope to wynne yow to yeald /another tyme/ with lyke importunities; concluding directly with this Protestacion, That wee will call away our Forces if they doe not forthwith yeld us better fol.102v
satisfaccion agreable to our present occasions, and expectacion of y[ow [.]] Negotiacion, on which Course as wee are fullie resolved, so doe [[.]] that the Judgement of all indifferent understandinges, will exp[[.]] unlesse wee shall seeme to care for others, and to neglect our [[.]] estate, and People by God committed to our charg.
Yow shall therfore withall convenient speed, present our Lettres to [[.]] and declare unto them, according to yowr knowledg and former [[.]] our occasions daylie falling out, which move us, more, and more [[.]] some satisfaccion; and our Resolution, if by delay or deny[[.]] wee shall holde all one), wee shall not in good sorte, and [[.]] receave Contentment: Wherin although we will have yow [[.]] precisely uppon the first demaunde, Yett are wee conten[[.]] selves that farre unto yow, That if yow find them willing [[.]] best, and that by true inspection, into the Condition of their [[.]] estates, Your owne Judgement be resolved, that they cannot [[.]] extremitie graunt our full demaunde of one hundred thousan[[.]] That then after yow have well tryed it to be so, (by your ernest [[.]] in our behalfe, yow give some /secrett/ hope that if they shall with spee[[.]] us satisfaccion of somme convenient somme, though /yow/ have no warran[[t .]] accept a lesse proportion, Yet when they shall present us the [[.]] offers, yow will Recommend it with the best reasons yow mai[[.]] this above all thinges wee charge yow to assure them, that wee [[.]] accept for satisfaccion, any offer of any sommes of mony, if[[.]] conditioning: or capitulating to keep our Forces, more or lesse, [[.]] fol.121r
shall wee make shewe, as thoughe wee were bound to it in a perpetuitie after so many yeres charge, and wasting of our subjectes, but that wee will symplie expect (whatsoever somme shalbe offred) directly to have it in a portion of mony, without any other mixture, and that being accomplished, yow may then assure them, that we will so conforme our Actions, as they shall /not/ need to doupt, but in any thing wee may without extreme prejudice, wee will deale [with] them still as a Prince who never wilbe wearie of any good offices towardes them, but will in all dearnesse esteeme, and protect them, if it once appeare, wee are so gratefullie dealt with, that our Common Enemies may have no longer cause to please themselves to see so colde proceedinges by those for whom wee have pulled on us, the malice and practise of our greatest adversaries who are not ignorant that wee still remayne under the burthen of charge, and Consumption of our People, While others raise themselves and multiply their estate, in wealth and greatnesse.
And further, because it is not unlykelie, but when they are pressed to Resolution, they will take Exceptione to wordes of the Contract, and alleage difficulties in Accountes, with other lyke scruples, therby hoping to spend some long tyme in argument, and to keep the matter in suspence: Our pleasure is that yow doe aunswere those exceptions according as yowr owne Judgement, and our Instructions formerly have ledd yow replyeng playnely to them, that it were /to/ dishonorable to that to be once spoken or offred us, who by no cullour of any Contract have ever sought to make the least particuler advantag, but freely to help and assist them in their extremities, with provisions only of securitie for our owne, of which their are fewe Examples, And yet yow shall further offer them this, that as it were preposterous to deferre the beginning to satisfie in part (because there may be varieties, and differences in Recconing for the whole) which must be audyted by Mynisters of each syde, So being agreed of some good portion for our use, wee shalbe ready to prepare somme selected personnes to joyne with any whom they shall depute hether, and to enter exactly in to the clearing and perfecting of all Recconninges betwene us with all friendly and just Consideracion expecting also the lyke disposicion in those, whom they shall send over sufficiently aucthorised, and fol.121v
well instructed, to [shunne] all needlesse Contentions, wher[[.]] also remember[.] them, that wee have longe propownded [[.]] to come to Recconing, but never could find them willing to[[.]] into the same.
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