Catalogue description ANSWERS to MR. ORTELL'S DEMANDS on behalf of the STATES GENERAL.

This record is held by Lincolnshire Archives

Details of 8ANC6/56
Reference: 8ANC6/56
Title: ANSWERS to MR. ORTELL'S DEMANDS on behalf of the STATES GENERAL.
Description:

As regards the keeping of the bands of her Majesty's forces in the Low Countries complete, her Majesty has never had any other meaning, and believes, from the reports of her Commissaries of musters, that her orders in this matter have been " better observed than seemeth to be doubted of by the States."

 

2. Upon complaint of " the surcharge of the cautionary towns of more companies and burden of services than ought to be," the governors of these towns inform her that the increase in the revenue of the imposts and excise, consequent on the presence of greater number of men, "doth fully countervaile" any extraordinary charges. Also her Majesty thinketh it only reasonable that when there is no service in the field, some part of her forces should be allowed to sojourn in these towns.

 

3. "Where the States seem to mislike that her Majesty's garrisons are in the two towns of Berghen and Ostend," it seems very strange to her-considering the great and extraordinary charges she has been at for the conservation of these towns, and remembering the late defence of Bergen by her forces against the mighty army brought thither by the Duke of Parma in person-that the States have not offered her great thanks, rather than in this sort to object to the continuance of those garrisons, without which both towns would now have been in the enemy's hands. Wherefore her Majesty takes this motion unkindly and wishes to understand how the towns would be maintained against the enemy if her forces were out of them.

 

4. For the request to her Majesty by her means to reduce Gertrudenbergh to the obedience of the States, answer has been already made to Ortellius that her Majesty was very well disposed thereto, and had given order to her General, Lord Willoughby, and to her Counsellor Bodley, to treat in circumspect manner for the same, "for that by former treaties betwixt the Governor and them of the town it was found very dangerous to press them by violence, because thereby they might be easily occasioned to revolt to the enemy, and therefore, in July last year it is notorious how her General, in company with the Count Maurice and other deputed by the States, reduced that town to very reasonable conditions, which were also accepted and allowed by the States General." But now her Majesty finds it very strange that, even while request is being made to her, and her offer yielded to, for the quiet reducing of that town, she is given to understand that without knowledge of her General or any other that serveth her on that side the seas, or of the Council of State, an army, led by Count Maurice, has planted itself before the town, with more earnestness to take it by violence than they have ever shown against the enemy. How inconvenient this attempt may prove, her Majesty is right sorry to think. As soon as she heard of it, she wrote to her counsellor Bodley to impart her mind to the States General, to whom also she herself wrote, to declare " her mislike of this undigested and dangerous manner of proceeding," with offer that Mr. Bodley should use his credit with them of the town to conform to reasonable conditions, as in July last, but she knows not what may ensue thereof, in respect of the desperation whereunto this furious proceeding may force them.

 

5. For their demands for satisfaction of the expense of the magazines in Bergen and Ostend, and other charges to the States by her Majesty's soldiers, she has always meant to have these, and also her own demands for the great sums of money delivered to the use of the States, indifferently examined ; and her Treasurers have often attended the States to show what great sums of her treasure have been issued for the companies serving the States, and maintenance of their armies in the field, when, without this treasure, there could have been neither army maintained or service performed ; therefore, in this, her Majesty has more cause to complain of want of satisfaction than they have ; but to make clear the matter, she has given order that the accounts and demands on both sides shall be duly examined, and will commit the charge of the matter to Lord Browgh [Burgh], Counsellor Bodley, and her servant Gilpin, if the States will appoint indifferent persons to hear the cause and will offer proofs of what is due on her Majesty's part.

 

Lastly, as divers motions have been made by the said Ortell for some alteration of the contract and for some other form of succours to be given to the States, as also that sundry things have raised doubts upon the sense of the words of the contract, her Majesty, continuing her purpose of help against the common enemy, is well pleased that some further consideration may be had of the contract, and to that end thinks the States should send over two or three well qualified persons with ample commission to treat with such as her Majesty shall appoint.

 

"Although at the coming of the Commissioners for the States it may be considered how the manner of the traffic on the seas may be hereafter established, to the benefit of all parties, . . . yet at this present it is good to be known how great cause there is that the States of Holland and Zeeland should forbid all manner of traffic by sea into Spayne or Portingall, as well in regard of the shipping which might be there arrested for the service of the enemy, as was proved the last year, as for regard of munition and victuall, two special things wherewith the enemy hath been relieved notoriously heretofore, and especially at this time it is found most necessary to have this general stay made, until the end be seen of the journey made by Sir John Norris and Sir Francis Drake ; the like stay whereof her Majesty meaneth this present summer to make of all ships that shall come from the East with purpose to go into Spain. And yet, nevertheless, it is not meant by such a general stay to withstand or to let the passage of any ships out of those Low Countries that shall go merely with merchandize into France or to Rochelle or Brouage for salt, so as it be well considered that, under the colour and pretext thereof, no ammunition or victual be carried into the furthest borders of France or to St. John de Loew [Luz], and such like ports, thereby to relieve the Spaniards forces preparing in Biscay."

 

The States are required to give straight charge that these orders be observed this summer, in which case it is to be hoped that the navy of Spain, now making ready, shall not be furnished in such ample sort as they were last year, when, it is well known, a great number of ships of the Low Countries were used in the service of Spain, as was seen and known in the fight against their navy ; as it is likewise known that without the help of great store of victual, powder and munition, that came as well out of the Low Countries as out of the Eastlands, "they had never been able to put to the seas half the number of the men which they did." Draft, corrected by Lord Burghley

Date: 1588 [-9], March 20.--1
Held by: Lincolnshire Archives, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Physical description: 7¼ pages.

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