Catalogue description Journal by JEHAN HOUFFLIN.

--Daily register of Lord Willoughby's affairs, concerning the principal matters of State, &c., in his charge, prepared under the direction of Jehan Houfflin by order of his Lordship.

Jan. 1, Sunday.--Owing to the solemnity of the day there was no meeting either of the States General or the Council of State, and the said Houfflin could do nothing further.

Jan. 2.--The General, being at Dordrecht, received letters from the Council of State concerning Blunt's and Sherley's troops [of same date*]. Other letters received from the States General concerning the resolution taken with Sir John Norreys, &c. [of Dec. 30].

Jan. 3.--Mr. Bodle[y], counsellor of State for her Majesty, left Dordrecht for the Hague, having discharged his business. Counsellor Gilpin arrived at Dordrecht by his Lordship's orders.

Jan. 4.--Mr. Jehan Houfflin returned to Dordrecht, not being able to accomplish anything further with the Estates. The General replied to the letters of the Council of State and States General. He also sent a paper to the Council of State concerning the succour of Arnhem and Utrecht, since Wachtendonck is lost, and the intentions of the enemy. [Dated Dec. 24. O.S.].

Jan. 5.--Letters written to Don John de Mendoza, prisoner at Flissinghes. Having seen the letters of permission from the Council of State and Count Maurice, the General granted the like letters to those of Loon opt Sant and Spranghe, to take turfs to Bois-le-Duc, until next June. [Dated Jan. 6. N.S.]

Jan. 6.--At the request of the magistracy of Dordrecht, my Lord wrote to the Lord Treasurer of England to intercede with her Majesty that they may be permitted to export from England, by Cornellis Roerom, 200 lasts of wheat and other grain for the supply of their town. Letters to Duc Casimir and to Mr. Hans Steenach concerning Hans Christopher Steenach, one of his Lordship's "suite." [Jan. 6 and 7.]

Jan. 7.--After very honourable salutations from the magistrates of Dordrecht, the General left the said town with his wife ("Madame sa compaigne") in order to escort her towards England. They arrived at Middelburg on Monday evening, the 9th, where the news had arrived some days previously of the death of the Duc de Guise in France, with some other lords, having, it is said, plotted the death of the King of France.

Jan. 10.--Several gentlemen, captains and other Englishmen of quality came to salute my Lord, and the evening passed in innocent recreations, it being New Year's Eve, according to English style.

Jan. 11.--In consequence of the solemnity of the festival of the New Year, the day passed in very solemn prayers. In the afternoon, the General visited the Princess of Orange. In the evening, Captains Hal and Bouck arrived from Bergen-op-Zoom.

Jan. 12.--My Lord (in conformity to letters received from the Council of State) wrote to Capt. Jaques, lieutenant of Capt. Sidney's troop at Doesburch, to reimburse Godart Van Rhey for oxen taken by the said troop.

This morning my lord had a private conference with M. de Villers, minister of God's word, concerning Gertruydenberghe, Counseller Houfflin being present, at the close of which the said minister promised to write to Count Maurice and his Council on the matters which had been discussed.

In the afternoon, application was made to the States of Zeeland for a man of war to serve as a convoy to England, to which they replied that Madame should be obliged as soon as ever any ship returned to their ports.

Jan. 13.--At two o'clock in the afternoon, Madame left Middelbourch for Flissinghes, whence, at ten o'clock at night, she set sail for England, being accompanied by Messieurs Wilfort and Weyts, and several other of my Lord's servants of lesser quality.

Jan. 14.--My Lord, having escorted his wife to Flissinghes, returned this afternoon to Middelbourch, after dining with the Governour of Flissinghe.

Jan. 15, Sunday.--This day was spent, as usual, in prayers. After dinner, my Lord went to take leave of the Princess of Orange.

Jan. 16, 17.--My Lord left Middelbourch for Dordrecht, where he arrived on Tuesday [the 17th] a little before evening. There was some noise among the people there of the marriage of the Demoiselles de Merode with Colonels Morgan and Cnollis, it being said that they had been carried off to Bergen for this purpose.

Jan. 18.--The General left Dordrecht for the Hague after receiving letters from the Council of State, brought by Counsellor Arnsma. [Here follow the letters printed on p. 242 above.]

Jan. 19.--Mre. Jehan Houfflin, counsellor of my Lord's affairs, was sent to Gertrudenberghe for the furniture of Mademoiselle d'Orange, and certain contributions proposed upon the quarter of Breda on which orders were given before the return of the said Houfflin.

Jan. 20.--The General exhibited in writing certain memorials to the States General, concerning men to be taken from Bergen and Ostende for service in Spain. [See p. 244 above.]

Jan. 21.--The States General replied to the above memorials, and annexed to their reply two papers, containing the agreement made with Sir John Noritz. Counsellor Houfflin returned from Gheertrudenberghe, and made report of his proceedings there, firstly to Mademoiselle d'Orange (as being the person interested), and secondly to the General.

Jan. 22, Sunday.--This day was passed at prayers, as usual. In the afternoon, Messrs. Killigrew and Bodle[y] had conference with the General.

Jan. 23.--A letter written to Jacques Boreel, master of the money to the States of Zeeland, asking him to retain my Lord's plate two months longer, during which time efforts would be made to give him satisfaction. The deputies of Zeeland wrote to the same effect. Counsellor Killigrew took leave, on starting for England. Memoirs were exhibited to the States General concerning Ostende, the number of soldiers there and at Bergen and the muster to be taken of them; a copy being sent to England.

Jan. 24.--The General attended this morning at the Council of State, and, in the afternoon, visited his Excellency of Nassau. The States General exhibited their answer to my Lord's memorial of yesterday.

Jan. 25.--Mons. Borris, Governor of the Briele, came to visit my Lord, and they held conference during the morning. The list of men, both horse and foot, destined for the service in Spain, was translated from English into French, and then exhibited to the States General. Memoirs concerning the money spent by my Lord at Bergen during the siege, as for workmen, powder for cannon, hiring of vessels, and my Lord's own discounts, exhibited to Counsellor Bodley. After dinner, my Lord attended at the Council of State, the States General being there also.

Jan. 26.--My Lord renewed his request to the Advocate of Holland, M. Barnevelt, praying him to give his assistance in procuring information to be sent to her Majesty of what had passed yesterday at the Council of State, in presence of the States General, the charge thereof being given to Maistre Houfflin.

In the afternoon the General attended at the Council of State, in order to speak of the letters from the Council to himself of the 2nd of December [? January] last, and his own reply, concerning the marching of Blunt's and Shirley's troops, it having been stated by certain persons that the said troops were marched by order of the General only, notwithstanding that the letters and resolutions of the Council prove the contrary.

Annexed :--

Extracts from the register of the Council of State, under date Jan. 2, requiring Lord Willoughby to order the said troops to make no more excuses but to march without delay.

Jan. 27.--The General attended in the morning at the Council of State. Counsellor Bodley and Sir Edward Norits dined with him. Captain Martin Wolfwinckel, who formerly served at Medenblicq, to-day took up his commission from my Lord as serjeant-major of the town of Ostend. It was in English, but the oath was offered to him in French. In the afternoon, nothing of any importance being on hand, the General went to Scheveninghe, returning at four o'clock to the Council of State. After his return it was thought well that Capt. Wolfwinckel should take the oath between his Lordship's hands.

Jan. 28.--By reason of his indisposition, the General did not this day leave his hotel. In the afternoon he sent for Counsellor Bodley and Gilpin, with whom he conferred, but this journal can say no more on the matter.

Jan. 29, Sunday.--The day passed at prayers and nothing happened worth noting.

Jan. 30.--My Lord did not leave the hotel, but Sir Edward Noritz came to confer with him upon the business of Portugal. Letters were received from the Council of State, dated the 28th of this month, concerning Cornellis Booth's claim on Sir Robert Sidney [see p. 247 above], to which my Lord replied that he would willingly assist to obtain repayment for Mons. Booth, in case anything were really due, and if he learnt from Mons. Sidney that the money had not been paid in other ways; but that petitioner would do well to apply to the ambassador, Sir John Norits, to whom a sum of money had been delivered for the purpose of settling such matters, in order that the Portugal voyage might not be delayed. Mr. Allen returned from Bergen, where he had been, on behalf of the States and the Council of State, in relation to the marriage of the demoiselles de Merode. Captain [Anthony] Morgan arrived at the Hague this evening, and came to kiss my Lord's hands.

Jan. 31.--The resolution of the States General of the 25th inst., concerning the "quartier par mer," was sent to the General; and also certain articles proposed to the Governor and Captains of Berghen by Commissary Lancelot Parasis on the part of the Council of State. The General did not leave his hotel, because of his indisposition.

Feb. 1.--Letters sent to Gertrudenberghe desiring their assistance for the "huissier" Hector Hans of Vianen, sent to execute certain sales on confiscated and papistical goods. Also other letters to the same garrison, for the release of Peter Wouter Aertssen, of Udenhoudt in the jurisdiction of Vosterwyck.

This evening Mr. Gilpin visited my Lord, and laid before him the difficulties made by the Council of State and States General relative to the action of the Governor of Bergen in permitting the embarkation of the English troops named by the English Privy Council for the service of Portugal, of which embarkation my Lord has been advertised by the letters of the said Governor. My Lord's illness still prevents his leaving his hotel.

Feb. 2.--This day the Act given by my Lord to Sir Edward Noritz, on Jan. 16, O.S., concerning the embarkation of the troops destined for Portugal, has been translated from English into French. In the evening, the Solicitor General of the States General, Ramet, exhibited to my Lord their Resolution of the previous day. Counsellor Bodley came a little later and conferred with his Lordship upon the said Resolution.

Feb. 3.--His Excellency of Nassau came in the afternoon to salute my Lord because of his indisposition, which still confines him to his chamber.

Feb. 5, Sunday.--This day has been spent in prayers and "oraisons," but in the afternoon M. Jacques Pauli, secretary of the town of Dordrecht, came to represent the case of a burgher of that town, named Pieter Becx, who has been detained prisoner for ten weeks past, at Gertrudenberghe. Letters were accordingly written to the garrison for his release.

Feb. 6.--Maistre Jehan Houfflin this day exhibited to the States General my Lord's reply to their letters of the 1st, exhibited on the 2nd by the Solicitor, Guillaume Ramet.

Feb. 8.--Certain memorials were exhibited from the General to the Council of State, for re-imbursement of the sums laid out by him during the siege of Bergen.

Feb. 9.--Letters received from the States General, of the 7th, concerning certain prisoners sent to England, who were taken at the surprise [on Oct. 10 N.S.] at the Noortschanse before Bergen. My lord replied to the said letters, writing the minute of the letter with his own hand. His indisposition still continuing, the young Sieur Borris came this morning to visit him, and after dinner Counsellor Bodley and Secretary Gilpin conferred with him on business.

* The letters mentioned are transcribed by Houfflin, and have been calendared from his copies under their dates in the few cases where the originals or drafts are not in the collection.