[fol. 71r] Since your departure hence, my R. honorable good L. I have yndevord to loke into the state of these cawses, as far as my capacitie, & the small menes that I have withall, wolld give me leve, & asmuche as the shortnes of the time, might likewise permytt. Butt your L. knowes how rawlie I am lefte here, & what my habilitye is besyde, therfore I refferre the consideracion to your sellf./
I have bin with the Prince of Orenge twise, intertayneng the best offices I cowd betwen yow bothe, which he toke in verey good parte, & promiseth to write unto your L. as occasions shall serve, which for their importunate busynes here, gives small leve as yet, but with the first opportunitye ytt shalbe don./
I am entred into the familiaritie & nere frindship of vj or vij of the principall state men of this contrey, wherby I am hable to informe my sellf of sondrie secretts, & of the knowledge of their state, from time to time the more, to the good service of our contrey, & the satisfaction of her majestie & of yow, having a lre to your L. here inclosed from on of that foresayd nomber, who from time to time wilbe redie to do yow anie service he can./ marie I perceve that he dothe write withall to master Secretarie Wallsingham, & that there is som grett jarre betwen him and Villiers the precher. for which cawses & others I do finde him a verie discontented man, & the like is Villers in som degree, but speciallie monsieur cannot brooke the sayd Villiers./
I had sent your L. with this present, the copie of the contract passed betwen monsieur & the states, but that my sayd frind hathe informed me, that he inclosed on of the same within his lre directed to your L. on sonday last, wherfore I considred that ytt was needeles to pester yow with ytt agayne./
The entrie of monsieur into this contrey: & his receving & awguration here, wilbe sett furth in printe att large, & is by monsieurs appointment, dedicated speciallie to your L. with all the shewes, pagents, Arches, tryumphants, & their significations to be expressed fullie therin, which by the middell of the next weeke I shalbe hable to send unto ^your^ L./
These poore gentellmens sutes comended to me, that I sholld sollicite with the Prince of Orenge, for the satisfaction of theme in parte or in the whole, having somuche dewe unto theme will prove to be a colld sute, in respecte of the difficullties that is to addresse a new armye here, for the withstanding of the enmye, muche more to paye olld detts. Butt bothe master Cobham, Morgan, & Williams shall well perceve, that I have acquited my sellf frindlie towards theme, how chargeable soever ytt be to me, withowt proffytt./
Towching the state of these contreyes presentlie, the deputes of all the provinces ar arrived, & this morning cam those of holland vz Pawll Buis wermond, Van Skage & the Erlle of Hollock in their companye./
[fol. 71v] wheruppon they ar to procede to give Monsieur his othe that he is to make to the states in generall, & they againe to Receve him as their soveraigne by mutuall othe, & to give him the dutie that appertaynes. But he hathe bin incombred shrowdlie since your L. departure abowt the exercise of his masse, wherunto grett nombers resorted, & conseqwentlie ytt was urged to have certayne churches permytted to the Catholickes in Brabant & flanders, Monsieur alledging ij principall resons to induce the same, fyrst the waye that was opened therby to bring yn the mallcontents of their side, seyng that by the same the Religiowes frede, sholld be maintayned, & their hatred towardes the prince of Parma & the Spayniards incresed, & secondlie ytt was to procure the kings ayde in frawnce, the more promptlie & warmelie towardes him & theme, & the more frindes in those parts to assiste the generall cawse here, withowt which he was hable to do littell of him sellf, alledging that his brother was infformed from verey good place, that the d. of Gwise & som of the Catholickes of fraunce, had written to the Pope, & to the Princes of Italie & to the K. of Spayne, that monsieur by joyneng him sellf in mariage with the Quene of England, & then usurping the K. of Spaynes dominions in the lowe contreyes, ment to overthrowe directlie the state of the Catholick churche in this unyon: & to do manifest wrong to the K. of Spaynes titell. wherfore to resiste ether, they might provide sownd remedies in the begynneng, to represse him in the on, & to exclude him from the succession that might be to his own patrimonie hereafter, wherof the frenche K. had advertised him particularlie, that he sholld have good regarde howe he proceded to prejudice the Catholick churche./ But this demonstration notwithstanding, the comune cowncell of the towne, the Coronelles & the ministers of the churches, that had the debatyng severallie of the matter among theme sellves, have founde ytt dangerowes for their state, & inconvenyent for theme in particuler, so as they have answerd that till there be an armye in the fillde of their side hable to berd the enmye, that they cannot grawnt to this ynovatyon, yet Monsieur by the instigation of others, dothe persiste still to have a churche in Andwarp, but his frinds do advise him to refferre the matter to the debatyng of the estates generall, that these things may be handled with greater awthoritye, & plucke from him the envie that he otherwise may incurre, by pressyng & intertayning of so tycklyshe a cawse./
In the mene time: the cowncell of the towne, have forbidden all men save Monsieurs own trayne, to hawnt his masse, under the fine of a C crownes to be levied for everie offence made on that behallf./
They had before imposed a C markes fine to the sayer of a masse, but nothing to the herer./ In holland & Zelland ytt is deathe & confiscatyon of goodes, to suche as shall go to masse./ & ytt apperes that those of holland & Zelland will present suche restrictyons[fol. 72r] To Monsieur in the next proposition generall that shalbe had (which is to be on monday) as his soveraintye shall take small holld of theme but in that parte that onlie belonges to the contribution that they shalbe rated att, which the Prince of Orenge is acqwainted with. The said P. for pollicye sake, dothe allowe apparentlie of Monsieurs motion for the erecting of churches throwghout Brabant & flanders, to the end that the Religiows frede sholld be maintayned, but the Coronelles & prechers ar incorayged to denye the same, & have verie modest & necessarie resons to alledge, whie they should not graunt therunto, unles there were sufficient forces in the filld, & that the mallcontents wolld Rawnge theme sellves of their syde, to embrace the sayd Religiows frede that was demanded on their behallf./ There is presentlie in secrett negociation menes used to drawe som of the mallcontents from the Prince of Parma, & sondrie offers ar made, abowt the which Mettkerck & others ar employed to do som action therin, wherof the issew is not yet sene, but for asmuche as sondrie trowpes of Spaynishe & Italien footemen do com dailie into the land of Luxenburgh: alla fila, & shall have their Rendevows: att Marche within that province, & that sondrie bandes of horsemen ar repayreng to the said Rendevows owt of Italye, & monsieur de Chevres a valyant Baron of Burgondye hathe the charge to levye xx ^tie^ enseygnes of wallons for the service of the K. of Spayne, & certayn Burgonion horsemen & Allmaynes./
The sayd mallcontents yt is thowght wilbe the easelier drawen to this syde: to provide for their own reputacion & saffetye. beyng allredie devided among theme sellves, the marqwes of Risseburgh dellalayng, Montignye, & that faction seperating theme sellves from the Bysshops, from Swevingam, Ressingam & that be spaynishe./ The armie of the mallcontents dothe consiste of 3000. horse and upwardes, & of an viijm footemen, which do lye abowt Rowsler in flanders, having grett penurye of forraige & other necessaries to mayntayne theme selves. But he that shalbe furst master of the filld with his campe throwlie furnished is lyke to have the advantaige all the yere after of the other partie: yet if the frenche K. in favor of his brother wolld att this begyneng stoppe the passayges of Calyce & Maxiers, all Artoys, Luxenburgh namures, henawd & west flanders would be in suche sorte strayttned in their traficque & in their vittayll, as nether they sholld be hable to nooryshe an armye, nor theme sellves with their familye, but be forced to praye Monsieur & the States to Receve theme to their protection, being otherwise barred from the beneffyte of the sea & land, & from the vent & exchange of their comodityes, which intertaynes an inffynite nomber of mechanicall sorte of people in those foresayd Contreyes./
[fol. 72v] Monsieur hathe projected the proportion of an Armye, to be browght hither, having written above v C lres & dispatches into frawnce & elles where by Newffville & others of his trayne./ his proportyon is Xm frenche footemen, ijm V C lances, iijm Swyttzers, & iijm of Rutters, beside the computacion that is made to fill upp the bandes of the englysshe & scotts that be in the contrey & to bring the contrey sowdiors that may be spared owtt of the garrisons into the fillde. To accomplishe this, there is demaunded v Cm [crowns] which shall paye the sowdiors afforesayd before hand, for 3. monethes, & deffraye the charges of the artillery munition & pioners, which is allwaies estemed a third parte of the expences of the whole. But to recover this money uppon the sodayne, there is difficultie, for they dare not in this begyneng procede to assye the generall aydes, in suche sorte as they have sett downe in secrett, that their torne might be abowndantlie served ^there^ with and for the particler, there are non to disburse before hande anye grett some, nor the menes in particler ar suche, as maye supplye what is needefull on that behallf, besyde that they ar verey yll husbandes, for they have dissipated so necgligentlye & vainlye the churche goodes & the revenues of the monasteries that they syppressed, as yt is all com to nowght, which otherwise (reserving still the propertye to theme sellves, as a perpetuall rent) might have served to have deffrayed a grett pece of the chargs of the warres, & eased the contrey verey muche, to the terror of the enmye, further they have somanye officers of Receytts, somanye Awditors, clerckes, comissyoners, Baylyves, & suche like, as above all excesse they excede the nomber of xvjm ye this towne hathe more than xvj C of these superfluowes officers, which do surcharge the state of the contrey & the townes above a frenche crowne a daye a man, which risethe after that rate to xvjm [crowns] dailie, a matter thowgh scarce credible yet trew, for I am well informed therof by suche personaigs, as have the cheeffe handling of these accomptes, being more than time therfore, that they sholld com to a refformation, for whye the whole armye wolld be intertayned with a muche les proportion Another thing they have which is as hurtfull to their estate as may be, & is clerelie to overthrow their reputacion therin, yf ytt be not qwickelie repayred, which is that they have no regarde, to theyr worde, nor to their writeng, observing nether the on nor the other, borowing & promiseng largelie, where they may coyn credite with a playn intencion before hande, never to performe their assurances, which in particler dothe muche blemyshe the oppinion had of this Cittie, & hinder their cawse ingenerall./ yf ytt pleased her majestie by your L. mediation to give me comission, whiles the generall estates of the Contrey be here assembled, to sollicite a dyrect answere how her majestie sholld be answeard the dett, that is dew unto her by the [fol. 73r] sayd states, & by this Towne of Andwarp, I dowt not according to the Instructions that I sholld receve on that behallf, but to do good & effectuall service with expedycion, for I knowe which waye to spurre theme forwards, having penetrated into their secretts, & into the things that they ar most affrayed of, wheryn yf ytt be thowght necessarye that I be employed, then her majestie beside the comission & instructyons that she is plesed to sende me, may be enclined allso to wryte particulerlye to the Prince of Orenge, to the States generall, & to those of this towne: of the charge that I have to negocyate the sayd matter./ Her majestie by this cowrse, may staye theme from ymportunyng her with the reqwest of new lones, towardes the supplye of these new necessityes, or elles by extending her favor further towards theme, oblyge theme the more deepelie unto her. fynallie this Cowntermyne may serve to manye purposes. as yt may best appere unto your wisdom, when yow shall have considred of ths circumstancs accordinglye, The charge where of will not be grett, seyng I am here allredye, & their hope is fixed to be hollpen agayne owt of England./
But to retorne unto Monsieurs armye. there can be nothing resollved therin, beffore the frenche K. decare his intentyon, fyrst how he is enclined to embrace the cawses of these lowe contreyes, & to favor his brothers grettnes in this new awguration of his, being helld here for an infallible maxime that yf his sayd brother do not openlie declare him sellf against the K. of Spayne by way of Acte, in supporting Monsieur & these low contryes, & the choyce that they have made of him, that then the willes & intentions of bothe bretherne ar vayne & withowt effecte, & conclusivelye dangerowes & deceiptfull, beyng likewise as infallible, that yf your L. had not arrived here, with the impression that the people & states had of her majesties favor and ayde, & of your sinceritye (being so honorable a personaige to second him in his cawses) he never had bin receved as frind muche les invested as their lorde, wherof: your departure (which I was glad of, bicawse the people should not reppute theme sellves abused, under the coverte of [ deleted: their] your presence, & her majesties cowntenance) did give sufficient testimonye, after that they sawe yow ones imbarcked withowt further intermedling in their cawse, being amased that they were entred so far into the actyon upponn so small assurance./
Monsieur duvraye, is expected here with the frenche K. resolution, who gave the sayd duvraye & Pynarte awdyens on thursday was streighte as was advertised hither, but in the mene time fervarckes hathe wrytten hither to Lavall, that he findes the K. & his cowncell in frawnce verey colld in Monsieurs actions, & that those that deppend of Monsieur ar as slack, so as he sees not the [fol. 73v] mene how an armye may be levyed there withowt the presence of Monsieur him sellf, & yf his sayd armye sholld be composed of voluntarye men, agayne: the Insolencie of that nation is suche, & the lacke of discipline, as the whole enterprise wolld resollve into smoke, which is allso feared of others here of good judgement, for the aydes which ar grownded uppon the connivencye onlie of soveraigne princs, did never produce any substanciall effect, nor sownd Intelligence./
Another incomberance Monsieur hathe had, for where on monday nexte the cowncell of the state sholld be establisshed by the states generall & him, there hathe bin exception made to the Prince of Pynoys & to the lordes of fremont & d'Hevre (bothe allyed to the sayd P. of Pynoys & all .3. papistes) lest that somany suffrayges or voyces might impeche or discover the things don there, besyde that the P. of Pynoys, hathe bin privatelie admonisshed, that he sholld not accept that place, thowgh that were offred unto him, in respect of the gelowsye that is conseved, for the drawing of the garrisons owt of Turney, & that presentlie theruppon to be beseged, & consequentlie rendred, withowt anye indevor of his side, for the releving therof, his wife the princesse, sister to the Cownt dellalayng & to Mowntigny being within that towne at the presente, & nowe notwithstanding this private admonition, the P. of Pynoys seekes ernestlie to be of the sayd cowncell, & to introduce other with him, which renders him more suspecte. The issew wherof we shall knowe at this generall proposition, next helld on monday by Monsieur, who hathe awthoritye to create ij cowncellors of his own to be assistants, thowgh they be not naturalles of the contrey./ After the establishement of the sayd Cowncell of estate, they will procede to the election of the privey cowncell, & that of the finances withall, & then to order the direction of the warres, & the meanes how to supplye the same with money. I have inclosed herein the names of those that ar as yet of the former cowncell of the finances, that ye may beholld uppon this allteration, what diversity of persones ar intromytted./
Likewise in an other paper inclosed be the names of the magistrates & principall officers of this Cittie of Andwarpe, & of the Coronelles & Gillds, with the nomber of armed men & enseynes, that ar now trayned & appointed in Redines, within the Cittie./
I have sent your L. herewith in like maner, the generall occurents that com from Rome, which for many respects ar worthie the note, & consernes our cowrtt to observe theme, wherof I will furnishe yow every weke with the like, as things that do com from persons of judgement. and [fol. 74r] Calling, I would have sent your good L. a new Gwiciardyn, butt that I understood since, that your Secretorye had provyded yow of on here att his goyng awaye. But in place therof (according to the poore myte of my habilitye) you shall Receve ij peecs of Monsieurs new coyne, the on of x styvers price, & the others of v. stivers & a pece of his golld coyne of 54. stivers of which sorts if your L. wilbe furnisshed of any more I will humblye do ytt./
Your L. shall have by the next messenger after this, the articles of the joyows entrye putt in frenche, which Monsieur sware unto in your presence withowt the Towne, with som other singularityes conserning these placs that shall content you./
There be arrived this daye certaine comissioners from Bollduck to treatt with Monsieur & the Prince to be comprised within this unyon that shalbe establysshed, namelie yf the Religyows frede may be obtayned to permytt theme the exercise of their auncient Religyon, whose yellding would be of grett ymportance, to bring yn others to followe their example, & by havyng of Bollduck, the Towne of Breda cowd not holld owt long, for they should have no meanes to sallye yn nor owtt with provisions./
Itt apperes, aswell by the occurents from Rome, as by sondrye other advertisments & circumstances that be presented here, that the frenche have a grett desyre to embrace manye practises att this daye, for they be busye att Constantinople, Mallta, Naples, Rome, Barbarye, the Duchye of Myllayn, the Emperors Cowrtt, Germanye, the low contreyes Scottland & England./
Bodine affirmed openlie within these 3. dayes here, that beffore vj monethes were com we should be invaded with foreyne & civyll warres for our Religion in England./
Master Norris arrived here 4. dayes since, & with him the Cownt john of Nassowes son, leaving the seege of the castle of Bronckhurste under the charge of Captayne Gaynsford, who hopes to possesse ytt shortlie, wherbye they shall have all the River clere from the Enmye to the grett good & qwiettnes of the Contrey./ They have loste att that seege, a vij xx of the bravest men they had, beyng badlye provided of powder & shott to batter the place, by reson wherof the enmye hathe helld owtt the longer, the beseegers not beyng hable to envyron the sayd castell, nor to garde their ordynance, yf the Enmye had com to releeve the sayd place, I send your L. rude drawght therof drawen with the pen, that ye may beholld the scituacion of the place, & the importance that ytt is of, with the Skantz or lyttell fortt that master Norrys [fol. 74v] made uppon the River to retyre his men into, & his ordynance eche nyghte./
Rochepott should have bin made by Monsieur Coronell generall of all the Inffanterye, that were to serve in these contreyes, Butt ytt semes that master Norris shall reteyne his englishe Regiment to him sellf, and so eche nation theires./
Archeduke Mathias is departed from Colleyn with som difficulltye, for that he wanted money to deffraye his charges. he visyttes his frindes the Princes of Germanye in his jorney & protractes the time to mete with his brother the Emperor att the dyett to be hollden in Awgusta in maye next. He hathe 50m gilldernes pensyon gyven him by the yere of the states here, condicionallie that he shall nether practys nor assocyate him sellf with the enmyes of the sayd States./
Don Edward du Crasto Ambassador here for the K. don Anthonio departs into frawnce shortelie, smallie satisfyed, towching the negocyations that he had here for shippeng & mariners, for that the meanes he presumed to furnishe him sellf by of money, have faylled him./ They of Holland & Zelland do so abownde of mariners, as that the magistrates desyre to have theme ymployed in som mylitare servyce, beyng well enclined to Portingall, for that otherwise they ar not hable to sett their sayd mariners a worcke, nor to governe theme./
On Mondaye laste the Princs dowghter was christened, the Towne of Andwarpe was the Godfather, and the widow of the late Pallsgrave with the Cowntesse of Newnar, were Godmothers: Villiers preched att the sayd christenyng./
Here is on frawncs Puccio, a florentyne borne, that hawnted in England som while, bothe in ^the^ universitye of oxfford, & the Cittye of London, estemed to be well learned, who comyng over now when your L. accompanyed Monsieur, hathe assured me that Coranus the spanishe precher, is on of the dangerowste persons for his life & oppinions that ever lyved in State. affirmeng that the sayd Coranus, whatsoever he pretends owtwardlye of Religion & doctryne, that he holldes ynwardlie the contarye, & hathe mayntayned to the sayd Puccio, that the messias Christe was never promised, nor never yet cam, but was a thing invented by the Rabbines, & that the Jewes of Asia ar still of that oppinion, & towching the faythe delyverd by the Apostles that ytt was grownded uppon supposition & hipocrisye, and conseqwentlie a collusyon./ onlye he saythe that God hathe a providens over hys creatures, & dothe rule the successe of [fol. 75r] Things. The meane saythe Pucci to sownde Coranus, towching this his most blassephemous & pestylent secte, is to have som on, after twyse or thrise conference with him, to dowtt of the messias comyng, & of the promys that was made on his behallf, wheruppon the sayd Puccio affyrmes, that he will ^make^ no difficulltye to discover him sellf, which were well don: to the glorye of God & the good of the Reallm, & yet ytt apperes that Puccio allso hathe strange conseytts of Religion, by the maner of the discowrses and purposes, that he helld with me./
Yesterdaye and to daye, ar arrived here the Portingall fleete of this towne, who ar verey richelye laden, and have manye rare things to sell./
Lastlie to conclude this my tedyows long lre, which thowgh ytt be stuffed with sondrie matters of small moment, yet I thowght not in this begynneng, that ytt were unffytt to observe eche particularity, that your wisdom might be confferring theme togyther, the better judge of the state of thinges, & of the humors that Rayne here, having everye tyde grett companyes of frenche that do repayre hither owt of frawnce to Monsieur, but men more unffurnysshed with money (unles ytt be my sellf) I never sawe. Backevilles cowntenance is muche decayed since he cam here, for Monsieur is contynuallie in matters of Cowncell, & yntertayned wellnye the whole tyme by the P: and States, so as yf ytt be not on of his cowncell, or of his officers nere unto him, the cowntenance of the rest is no more, than eche on takes to him sellf./ Monsieurs howse, hathe but small order in ytt, yet som of our Englysshe gentellmen do repayre thither by tymes to meales. /
There is on principall boorde, which is the Stewardes, and du Pruneawx, and then there be ij more, the on for those that waytt in the chamber, & the other for those that attende att his own table, that be called for the mowthe, with whom the Secretoryes have theyr alowance./
Ytt may please your L. herewith to consider that now this Towne of Andwarpe, & the Cowrtt of these princs, is the verey Center of all the concurse of christendom, bothe for negociatyng and practiseng of highe thinges, wherunto everie mans eye & mynde ys directed to behollde theme, as a matter of moste ymportance & expectacyon [fol. 75v] And where even the whole state of the christen worlld, as in a Theater is treated of, ether dyrectlye or indyrectlie, Therfore ytt shalbe most necessarye for her Majestie to have a vigilant eye therunto, for ytt will conserne her wellnye most, wherin yf I might do her majestie anye pore servyce, being awthorised so to do, ether privatelie or openlye, & enhabled with som indyffrent allowance, to bere owt parte of the charge, I wolld not onlie supplye the rest with my yndustrye, but so deserve I hope, in service to her majestie & mi contrey, & incontentment to your L. & the graver sorte, as I wolld discharge that in everey parte, that on of more state & expence, should not so easelye acheve./ And as further the yssew of these thinges wilbe throwlie sene into beffore Ester & the maske of manye conivencyes & practises, be taken awaye & discoverde: so having don that agreable servyce here during that tyme (yf I be employed) that may Render good contentment./ So yf ytt might please your L. her majestie may be made conseqwentlye enclined, to use me in som what elles in this next dyett of the Empire (a matter speciallye to be consydred of) presumyng humblie that I have suche meanes and frindes, bothe here & there joyned with an extreme desire to do my Soverayne servyce, as ytt shall surmownt my habilitye, by effecting more than may be loked for att my handes, wherin my actyons ar to subsiste of diligence, secrecye, and judgement, butt yf there be no inclinatyon to use me a pore servant of her majesties own, before another, ytt may please your L. to signeffie the same by your fyrst lres, that I may retire my sellf hence, for having no maintenance mo others nor habilitye of my sellf, I cannot contynew the cowrse that I desyre, for ex mihilo nihil fit & your L. hathe experyence whatt the charges of this contreye is, butt I woulld sacryffyce my lyffe, & all the weallthe in the worlld (yf ytt were myne) to do anye thing that might satisfye her majestie & your L. withowt regarde of any meryte to revert, or to be Reped therby. Humblye prayeng your L. herewith to vowchesave 3 lines of thanckes to the P. of Orenge for the grett favor I do fynde att his handes, of whom I do depend beyng here, and wherby I shall receve the more cowntenance and habilitye, yf ye wilbe pleased to wryte this effectuallye & spedilye, & as the frenche man saythe with good ynck, comending me allso by a shorte lre to St Alldegonde likewyse./
[fol. 76r] Wherwith prayeng to the highe God for yow, & for the happie estate of my Soveraygne and Contrey from my verey harte, I do take my leve. Andwarpe the thyrde of marche./ 1581. Your L. with his prayer and service most humblye W. Herllely.
