Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D XI f.198r-199v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1266/008
Date: 04 November 1595
Note: Fire damage. There are brackets in the margins around sections of text on f.199r.
Copy of: 0491
addressleaf
fol.199vEndorsed: To Master Bodeley
lettertext
fol.198r
By the Queene./.
Sign Manual: Elizabeth R
Trusty and welbeloved Wee greete you well. Wee have seen of late dyverse lettres of yours directed to our Threasurer, whereby wee have perceyved, howe you have proceaded in the matter committed to your charge, which, though yt hath not aunswered our expectation in the successe: yet findinge, that yow both followed & maineteyned wisely and ernestly the true groundes whereon our demaundes consisted, wee cannot but acknowledge unto you for your comeforte, that wee do accompt, tht you have well acquited yourself in the same. for howsoever nowe by their protraction of the Resolution, the condicion of their Estate may be altered, by such accidentes as lately have happened, and that theie may be nowe some cause to incline to allowe of their requests (though not to allowe of their proceadinge hitherto): yet yt doth well content us, that you in no sorte have given way to their arguments, but have so well and tho- roughly aunswered the same. You shall now therefore understand, that accordinge to our last advertisement, their Agent here, hath presented unto us a lettre from the Estates, and an other to our Counsell, both which agree in sub- stance, though they vary in forme./ For in the lettre to our self, they first expresse their sorrowe to fynd that their former aunswere, at your last commyng over, did not content us, with ernest desire nowe to be excused, for that they have not more speedely retourned their resolution, for which you so much pressed them. And lastely they conclude with a petition, that they may be onely foreborne for some convenient tyme, to thend they may then give us better satisfaction. But in the lettre to our Counsell, they write in an other stile, insistinge still uppon dyverse argumentes, that they should not be pressed, fortfienge the same with many particulers of their disability and misfortunes, of the practizes of the K. of Spaine to se- perate the people from them, with an insinuation of pacification uppon easy condicions. And therefore although for aunswere to their owen lettre to us, conteynynge a request to be forborne, with plaine confession that they have to longe protracted their sendinge to us, with out eny other [.] /Fygure/ of Justification, why they should eny longer deferre us: wee have made such aunswere, as by the inclosed you may perceive, yet have wee commaunded our Counsell in aunswere of the lettre to them, to let them knowe by their Agent, that yf they had not in their writinge fallen from dyverse of their arguments, and resorted onely /rather/ to requests, they must fol.198vmust have founde, that wee would not have given that way to d[[.]] which wee were now induced to do, to intreaty for that wee [[.]] our selves by their manner of writinge, that they did me[.] expresse both their purpose to satisfy us after some small ty[[me .]] did aperte acknowledge, that they ought to have done yt longe [[.]] this tyme. Wherein you may do well, to let them knowe, th[[.]] doubt not, but their owen Agent doth advertise them, howe [[.]] matter our Counsell founde yt, to aunswere the reasons of [[.]] yf wee had ment to have had them further contested with [[.]] for where they recited so many difficulties and extremities now [[.]] their Estates, (the tyme of our sendinge beenge onely comp[[.]] appeareth evidently) that yf these were just reasons for u[[.]] Estate to allowe them nowe, yet all these accidentes have hap[[.]] your negociatinge the matter. For when wee sent you [[.]] yt to them, yt was uppon overture made, that yf the ma[[.]] Gronnynge succeeded, they should be able to afford us good cont[[entment]] wherupoon wee both yelded to their importunities for furthe[[.]] And after that successe, began our motion in the instant of the [[.]] rity against the Enemy, and in the increasinge of their fortune [[.]] without shadowe of eny declination, or without eny appre[[.]] eny such new devises, as nowe they suspect to tend to the [[.]] of the whole policy of their governement. And therefore y[[.]] laye before them, that yf their reasons to deferre, have [[.]] dacion, at this tyme, yf wee were as partiall to our selves, [[.]] are, wee could never more demonstratively make the rea[[.]] importunynge them to speedy rembursement, than nowe, [[.]] wee ar incombred with suppressinge our Rebelles in Ireland, [[.]] wee ar advertised from all partes, of a Mayne Invasion in [[.]] against our owen Kingdome. All which though wee contemp[[.]] regard of the justnes of our cause, whom God hath hereto[[fore]] blessed with victory uppon their prowdest attemptes: Yet yf [[.]] persones, and Comon welthes be justifiable, when they so tend [[.]] their owen particuler considerations, so much, before all [[.]] occasions, by the same lawe of Nature and reason, wee beeing Soveraigne Prince, (who have of our selves subsisted without [[.]] from fol.199r
from any other, and have relieved all other our Confederates in their necessities) ought chiefly to respect at this tyme our owen safety; & the good of our Kingdome. And yet notwithstandinge all these considerations (whereby wee have cause to thinck our self unkyndly delt withall), yet such ys our owen affection to that people, and so jalous ar wee, to do eny thinge, which may have coullour of their prejudice, as although wee knowe that all men of eny judgement wyll decide those enchauntementes wherewith those people ar sought to be betrayed; yet rather than eny course of ours should serve for any pretext for any corrupted mem- bers there, or elswhere, to worke on against them, as either to perswade them, that wee would take advantage of their necessitites, or that wee should dryve them to any dispayer: Wee are now content, after you have declared all this unto them, That you shall then delyver this our lettre inclosed, wherein wee do promise to command you to forbeare your former proposition, till further direction, and now to urge the accomplishment of this memoriall. Which beenge done, you shall let them knowe, that seenge wee are content to restrayne you from further pressinge of our former demaund, as a matter so greate that their state ys both unable and unpropre for yt at this tyme, wee have now enjoyned you seriously to presse them, besides the furnishinge of the provesions of shippinge, to be content, for such tyme as they shall have cause to retayne our Auxiliaries, to delyver over such porcions of moneys, as the charge of their pay shall amount unto, untill their other course of satisfaction may be perfitted, to th'intent that yt may not serve for a fable to the world to talke of, that wee that have so infinite occasions to importune them, and had so vehemently protested to chaunge our course with them (yf wee found not our selves further satisfied) are nowe content, after so longe tyme spent, and such expectacion, onely with this bare matter of provisions, to which yf their contract did not in a manner oblige them, yet their owen judgementes and discretion ought to incite them to yt with out motion, for that they know, accordinge to former experience, yf wee should not be able to stand betweene them and their Enemyes by sea, yt wilbe very late for them to hope by their small defences to resiste so mighty preparacions And therefore yf though this Demaund may have uncertainty, whi- ther wee shall have cause to use, what now wee do desire: yet are they certaine that whensoever they do yt, they are but provided to help them selves. Of this wee do commaund you therefore to procure present satisfaction, and do the rather assure our selves of your effectinge yt, when wee call to mynd that you had so good reason by Barnevels overture, to promise that and 20000li besides, to which you may also make this addicion, that wee will hope in requitall of this our beenge contented, onely to presse a matter at their handes, which ys more in forme than of eny such substance to be stuck at, to fynd them zelously to indevour also, such satisfaction in their resolution hereafter, as our unspeakable benefites multiplied beyong their owen expectacion have deserrved. In which yf they fol.199v
yf they shalbe backward hereafter, Wee shalbe sory to be [[.]] take those courses, to which wee are (of ower owen mynd[[.]] disposed, yf both the world abroade, and our people at [[.]] would not fynd cause to taxe us of Improvidence, for [[.]] still all others good, above our owen well doenge/ Give[[n under]] our Signet. At our Mannor of Richemond, the fourth daye [[of]] November, in the xxxvijth yere of our Raigne.
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