Elizabeth: November 1585, 11-15 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Foreign: Elizabeth, Volume 20, September 1585-May 1586. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1921.

Citation:

'Elizabeth: November 1585, 11-15', in Calendar of State Papers Foreign: Elizabeth, Volume 20, September 1585-May 1586, ed. Sophie Crawford Lomas( London, 1921), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/foreign/vol20/pp154-166 [accessed 6 October 2024].

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November 1585, 11–15



Nov. 11.	Davison to —.
	“I would acknowledge you had reason to challenge me of my promise if the multitude of my business, which you may partly guess by the time and nature of my service, did not somewhat excuse me in your behalf. You have long since heard what issue my travails have taken here in her Majesty's assurances, wherein she hath what she desired and might yet have more if this content her not. Howsoever we value the places at home, they are esteemed by such as know them best no little increase to her Majesty's honour, surety and greatness, if she be as careful to keep them as happy in getting them; whereof our cold beginning doth already make me jealous.
	“I mused at the message you sent me by my man. I know no cause her Majesty hath to shrink at her charge hitherto. The treasure she hath yet disbursed here is not I dare assure you above five thousand or six thousand pounds, besides that I have been compelled to take up for the saving of her honour and necessity of her service, in danger otherwise of some notable disgrace. I will not for shame say how I have been left here to myself. The fault I cannot impute to any but the treasurer, whose absence and neglect of the service here had bred a great deal of confusion, if others mens' care had not prevented it. We do yet hear nothing of the governors appointed to these places, whose garrisons, weak in number and order, would be otherwise looked unto. The burden I am in the meantime driven to sustain by her Majesty's commandment doth utterly weary me. If Sir Philip Sydney were here and that my Lord of Leicester follow not all the sooner, I will, God willing, use the liberty her Majesty gave me at my departure from her for my return home.
	“St. Aldegonde remaineth still our neighbour at his house between this and Middelburg yet unmolested. He findeth many favourers, and I fear doth no good offices. He desireth to be reserved till the coming of my lord of Leicester, before whom he pretends a desired trial. The General continueth before Nimwegen; his numbers, horse and foot, are not above two thousand. He hath fortified upon the river over against it, and from thence beateth into the town; the bruit is they are in parley with him; I pray God it be not after the manner of Zutphen. The enemy is marched thitherwards with eight or nine thousand men resolved to seek them, but not able to pass, (as is thought), for the waters.
	The Count Maurice is confirmed in his government of Holland and Zeeland, before provisional; he is to be this week at Middelburg, to attend my Lord of Leicester, whose journey some fear to be grown cold. The necessity of his presence is very great, to help redress the confusions of this anarchy, in greatest want of authority and order. It doth comfort me much that her Majesty doth graciously interpret my poor travails; the good offices you therein vouchsafed me do bind me to you; what you understand by her meaning to call me near herself I conceive not. If her Majesty think me in her gracious and princely judgment worthy the reputation of a poor, honest and loyal servant, I have that contents me. For the rest, I will say with the poet
	“Crede mihi, bene qui latuit bene vixit, Et intra fortunam debet quisque manere suam.”
	For my own particular, I wish
	“Vivere sine invidia, mollesque inglorius annos, Exigere, amicitias et mihi jungere pares.”
	Flushing, 11 November, 1585.
	Draft. Endd. “To the General,” in error. 1 p. [Holland V. 30.] Quoted by Motley, United Netherlands i, 325.
Nov. 11.	Davison to Burghley.
	I send your lordship the copy of my answer to a letter from Mr. Secretary, chiefly touching my consenting to the last act of ampliation, presented to me here by the States, that you may plainly see what necessity drew me to give my consent; not doubting but that I shall obtain your favourable judgment therein for her Majesty's satisfying; who (I hope) being informed truly of the circumstances, “will excuse anything is done at the least in my behalf.” For other things touched in Mr. Secretary's said letter, you may see what my poor opinion is, especially as to her Majesty's dealings hitherto in this action, “which I would be sorry should continue any longer in these terms for her honour and service sake, both greatly endangered if it be not the sooner remedied.
	“Your lordship might see by my former what shifts I have [been] driven to here for the relieving of these garrisons, lost a l'abandon, without which mean they had not only not entered this town yet, but both themselves and the rest from the camp had fallen ere this into shameful disorder, to her Majesty's great dishonour and overthrow of her service; as your Lordship may better understand by the report of others. And yet can we hear nothing either of the Treasurer or of any order from him in remedy of these things growing of new to the like terms of extremity; the men being on all sides in great want, not one captain able to relieve them with any imprest and myself once again compelled (unless I would see the poor men famish, and her Majesty dishonoured) to lay my poor credit for their relief, which, with some other difficulties I meet withal here, doth so much weary me as I must humbly beseech your Lordship to employ your authority with her Majesty for the speedy remedy of these things, both for her service and my discharge, considering the hazard whereunto the stay of the Governors and Treasurer do put these places (and the rest of her forces) and the necessity there is of their presence here, to take other order for their government and assurance than is yet, if her [Majesty] intend to keep that she hath gotten any while, wherein if both Sir Thomas Cecil and Sir Philip Sydney do not make choice of more discreet, staid and expert commanders than have been thrust into these places by Mr. Norreys, with less care and consideration than I look for, they shall in my poor opinion do themselves a great deal of wrong and her Majesty's service a great deal of hurt, for some reasons I will hereafter more openly impart with your Lordship.
	“For the Rammekins, having, by the advice of the Count Hohenloe, retained the whole five companies sent down hither for the surety of this place, which had far more need to have their numbers increased than weakened, I sent down by the said Count's like advice to Captain Williams, commanding at Bergues, for one of the companies under his charge; who sent me Captain Hunteley, the most sufficient and honest man he had, to take the charge of that place till the coming of the governor; which [was] stomached by Mr. Edward Norreys, who not content with the commandment he hath of the companies here, affected the same likewise, as if all were too little for him, and thought to have put in one Whyte, his lieutenant of a company, a man of no reckoning and one that [hath] been of the consort of Alost, to take charge thereof under him, which because I refused, putting in rather Captain Hunteley, a man I knew trusted and favoured of your Lordship and other of my Lords of her Majesty's Council, he hath procured the General his brother to send his warrant to the said Captain Hunteley, accompanied with a very hard and imperious letter to his brother, to command him to dislodge upon the sight thereof upon pain of contempt, charging me in the said warrant to have exceeded my commission and broken my promise to him, in both which he doth me wrong, being I am sure better able to answer her Majesty and your Lordships for anything I have done in this behalf than he shall be to charge me, and with more reason, being equally heard. The copy of the warrant I have thought good to send your Lordship, that you may see how these things are handled and what is to be looked for hereafter if there be not some other government than is yet; whereof I will forbear to speak what I hear, because I know your Lordship may better understand it from others. Whom in the meantime I beseech to support me with your equal favour and authority, that neither I be disgraced in her Majesty's service, wherein I presume to have deserved so well, nor the poor gentleman injured for obeying the commandment of Captain Williams, who had power over him, or yielding to my request, a matter importing so much her Majesty's service; whereto I am in duty to have more regard than to feed the humour of a young man well enough known to your Lordship, and too well known now to some others here, which I write not to complain of him or his brother, but to let your Lordship see what is to be looked for with [sic, if] the time of this Government (not well digested of any man if he be not a brother, a kinsman or a servant) be continued long; referring it to your Lordship's grave judgment and consideration, who I know will use it without my prejudice, the rather because there be others as much grieved with these things as myself, who will not spare at one time or other to let your Lordship freely understand what they find and think in this behalf. Of the General his proceeding where he is, I know nothing from himself; he continueth still in the Betuve, fortifying upon the river over against Nimwegen, which place he finds not so flexible as he presumed. The enemy hath drawn thitherwards six regiments of footmen, Italians, Spaniards, Walloons and Dutches, with eight or nine cornets of horse, followed since by the two thousand five hundred Spaniards newly arrived, and esteemed all together to [be] nine thousand footmen besides the horse, resolved (as I am advertised from Antwerp) to fight with him, whose force not exceeding three thousand men, horse and foot, I hope he will be better advised than to hazard in such a time as this. If they can defeat him, they think to work wonders in Holland, Frise and Guelders, and chiefly the towns of Utrecht and Amersford, where they presume much of their intelligence and have practised certain Walloons who, as mine advice importeth, should be already rendered unto him, to set fire on his lodgings or ammunitions when they see the enemy approach. The complaints he hath (as it seems) made of the States to her Majesty hath, for anything as I hear, been without cause, and I think, when your Lordship shall examine it well, you will find it is no little sum they have already disbursed unto him for their parts, as well for his transport as his pay. Wherein nevertheless if they had been slacker, they were somewhat the more excusable, considering how ill a people at her Majesty's entertainment are suffered hitherto, a thing that doth much 'prejudge' her Majesty's reputation and hurt her service.
	“By the same party from whom I had this advice touching the marching of the enemy towards Mr. Norreys, I received, with other things of importance, a caveat, to take great heed to St. Aldegonde, (fn. 1) come hither not without the special intelligence of the Prince of Parma, with whom, as he hath confessed to myself, he was in long discourse the day before his departure thence. His Apology I sent your Lordship by the last, which I forgot to accompany with some other articles conceived against him, sent herewith. (fn. 2) He continueth still in his house, where many have free access unto him. Two of his are said to be revolted lately to the enemy. His son-in-law, Mr. de Praet remaining yet in Holland, is already reconciled, as your Lordship may see by the copy here inclosed of a letter from Richardot; which things compared amongst many other with the end of his Apology, where he doth so vehemently protest against such as will not yield to a peace avec telle quelle liberte de conscience, and his confession to myself that he thinks the Prince of Parma might be drawn to accord the exercise of religion to some few towns in Holland and Zeeland, doth bewray some matter to increase the suspicion conceived of his coming.
	“But of all other things advertised me from that side the most important is of an enterprise against her Majesty's person, which I have first from a merchant of Antwerp, to whom a Spanish merchant, acquainted therewith by the Prince of Parma his auditor major, did discover it; the other from Rowland Yorke, who hath by his own letters advertised Mr. Secretary (and which I had order from him to open) that one born in Burgundy or Lorraine, nourished in France and now in service with the Prince of Condé feigning himself to be of the religion, a man, as he termeth it, of negotiation, of mean stature and a brown rose, as he calleth it, should have undertaken to kill her Majesty, whom the Lord preserve, and that he practiseth to be sent over from the Prince of Condé or King of Navarre to have the better mean of access. And that there should be another either English or Irish, which he can certainly affirm practised by Allen and Persons and already departed for England with the like intent, who should land in the north either about Hull or Newcastle. These things have been, as he saith, confessed to him by a Spanish friar; as also that there be another Walloon, a seafaring man, that hath some like enterprise against my Lord of Leicester; which things I have thought it my duty to impart with your Lordship to the end there may be the greater care taken by your Lordship's grave advice for her Majesty's surety and safety against the bloody attempts of such as thirst after her life. Whom I beseech the Lord in mercy to defend and preserve many happy years to the comfort of his poor church and confusion of those that seek the wreck thereof.”—Flushing, 11 November, 1585.
	Postscript.—To give some contentment to the Count Maurice for Flushing and to acquit themselves in some sort of the obligation they had towards the Prince his father, the States of Holland, have established him in the government of Holland, whereof he took his oath above seven or eight days since, and is to do the like here for Zeeland at his coming hither, which though in some question at my being in Holland, I did not think they would have proceeded in till the coming of my Lord of Leicester. The matter may be misliked at home, but being done I could wish her Majesty show no discontentment therein till she hear their reasons.”
	Minute. Endd. 3 pp. [Holland V. 31.]
	Enclosing:
	General Norreys to Captain Huntley.
	Understanding that the ambassador has appointed him to remain in the Rammekins, contrary to her Majesty's instructions and to the agreement made between his lordship and himself:—orders him to receive Capt. Edward Norreys and his company into the said castle, and himself with his company to repair to Flushing, “there to accomplish such direction” as the said Edward Norreys shall give him.—The Camp, 2 November, 1585, stylo Angliœ.
	Signed. Endd. 1/4 p. [Ibid. V. 32.]
Nov. 11.	Davison to Walsingham.
	[Concerning his placing Huntley and his company in the Rammekins, and Colonel Norreys' and his brother's proceedings thereupon, to the same effect as in the letter to Burghley above.]
	“And because I had orderly placed him there by provision and that he had accordingly taken his oath, and myself done nothing therein I was not able to justify, I would not suffer him to dislodge till the Governor's coming or other direction from home, seeing my order was to take possession of these places and to keep them till her Majesty sent others, and not to shift and translate any garrisons at other men's appetites, and by our folly, hazard a shifting ourselves out of all together.
	“I do fall into this discourse very unwillingly. . . . The General I do honour, love and wish well unto, and in mine own particular will do him any service I can; but in these cases, I took to be excused if I respect less (as I wish he did also) the pleasuring of his friends than her Majesty's service, which will receive little advancement by such proceedings. I will forbear to speak what I think of other things in our government here, both general and particular, which I fear will breed little profit to the cause or honour to ourselves if it continue thus; it is the end will crown the work. I beseech your honour to keep this advertisement to yourself, because I desire not to prejudge the credit of the gentlemen, whom I have always loved and wished well unto; but thus much I must be bold to tell your honour, for duty's sake, that if Sir Philip Sidney do not make other choice of his commanders and officers than is here, he shall put both his own honour and her Majesty's surety in hazard. The reasons you shall understand at more length from others.”—Flushing, 11 November, 1585.
	Postscript in his own hand.—The General continueth still in the Betuve; his number, horse and foot is not esteemed above 2,000, whereof 800 English; the rest being dispersed in garrisons. He hath finished the fort upon the river over against the town, from whence he beateth it with his artillery. The bruit is they should be in parley with him; I fear it be after the manner of Zutphen; we hear not yet that the enemy should be passed the river. The greatest fear we have is lest Verdugo should cut betwixt him and his retreat, or that they amuse him there while they attempt something else.”
	Signed. Add. Endd. 1 p. [Holland V. 33.]
	Minute of the above. Endd. 1 p. [Ibid. V. 34.]
	Draft of the same. Endd. 1 1/4 pp. [Ibid. V. 35.]
Nov. 11/21.	James Lomas to John Newton.
	I make account that some of my letters will be intercepted by the way. “In all which I writ you of the cruel dealings of Anthony de Guevarra towards us and the poor mariners; which the like hath not been seen amongst Christians, having our goods, money, debts and until our apparel imbarged, and will not give us to eat, but puts us amongst all the pycros (fn. 3) and thieves that are in this city; and if there were a worse prison, we should be assured of it.” If you tender our liberty, you must get some Spaniards for pledge and use them as cruelly, “and not to banquet them with pleasures and pastimes, as is used in England.” I think we fare the worse because of the justice who came over in the Primrose, Licenciado de Guevarra, a Biscayan and, I take it of kin to Anthonio de Guevarra. “The Spaniards themselves say they are better used there than we here, and lie in merchants' houses.”—Seville, 21 November, 1585.
	Extract. ½ p. [Spain II. 50.]
Nov. 12/22.	Guillaume De Maulde to Davison.
	As she bearer, my son is going into Zeeland, to escort my daughter-in-law, I have commanded him to offer you his respects and services, and my own also. I desired greatly to come to you myself, but not yet being well, although, thank God, much better than formerly, I have put off my journey until Mr. Sidney's arrival. I wish he were safely here. for I fear these frequent storms.
	There is nothing here worth telling you, except that the States pay this garrison very badly, who have had nothing for three months, and as they owe them for at least nine, during the two years or thereabout that they have served, come April, fear there may be some dangerous disturbance, if they defer the payment any longer. It would be still more dangerous if the enemy, at this conjuncture, were to close the harbour, as there would then be no means of dealing with them or of sending them money or provisions.
	And we are not without signs that the enemy mean shortly to do something, for they have, during the last few days, come to inspect divers places round about us, as my son will tell you more at large.
	I have also desired him to tell you the great need I have, more than ever, that her Majesty should do me the honour to take me into her service. Hopes had been held out to me that the States of Zeeland might give me some modest entertainment if I made petition to them. I did so when I was last in Middelburg, leaving it in the hands of a friend until the assembly of the States, but to-day my petition is returned to me, apostiled to the effect that as my service had been to the generality I must apply to the States General, which is all the same as if they had referred me to the States of Calicut, for I have proved too well what it is to apply to those gentlemen, from whom the nobles have nothing to expect, for recompense of their services, save to go to a hospital, as I should have done a year ago, if this my son had not maintained me. The second reason which makes me the more desirous to be employed in her Majesty's service is that if my son were cashiered or drawn out of this garrison I should be forced to leave the country and retire into Germany, there to live miserably for the rest of my life amongst clownish and barbarous Germans, abandoning our good cause and my native land, which I have helped to defend with all my power for eighteen years. Wherefore, for the sake of our ancient friendship, I pray you to consider whether there is nothing in which I may serve the Earl of Leicester, privately of otherwise; whereby you would bind me to your perpetual service.—Sluys, 22 November, 1585.
	Add. Endd. Fr. 2 pp. [Holland V. 36.]
Nov. 12/22	Jaques Rossel to Davison.
	I send you letters from the Governor of Sluys, greatly lamenting his lack of men and money, thinking it fit to put the matter before you in view of the importance of this place to her Majesty's service, being the safest entrance in all Flanders; which the enemy knowing will spare no means to invest it, as is shown by these letters, which I mean to send into Holland, if I do not take them myself. We hear that four thousand Italians have arrived in the land of Luxembourg and that another four thousand will follow shortly, to succour the Prince of Parma against the English. I am amazed what he means to do with his army, now at Turnhout, in the land of Campigne in Brabant. It may be he will winter there, for the convenience of victuals and forage for the horse. I have also learned that in intercepted letters from the said Prince, he writes to the King of Spain that he sees no means whatever of putting an end to these wars, which have continued for ten years or thereabouts, if his Majesty will not grant the two religions to the country; and that those who give his Majesty contrary advice are not faithful or loving servants to him. This language makes men believe that he is weary of the war and that if he finds himself pressed in the future (as I hope), he will seek for an accord.—Middelburg, 22 November, 1585.
	Add. Endd. Fr. 1 p. [Holland V. 37.]
Nov. 12.	Doyley to Walsingham.
	Knowing that Mr. Stephen Le Sieur has fully advertised you of our unlucky voyage to Dunkirk, as far as he durst, being in prison and fear of his letters being intercepted, I thought it my duty to supply “that which wanted in his.”
	On Nov. 8 there arrived at Dunkirk a ship of Sandwich named Richard Durham, laden with corn and salt. The day before, Burnham, an inhabitant of Dunkirk, whose brother serveth your honour, was after long imprisonment banished the town and went for Zeeland, on suspicion of having given information into England.
	On the 10th all coins were called down by proclamation to the rate of Brabant money, and some to a lower rate, as the double ducats of Spain, “and the coin of Middelburg was made bullion, as I suppose to train merchants the rather to trade with them.” The town is poor, unhabited, grass growing in the streets; the garrison only two companies Spanish and one of Muffs; the Spaniards hated for their outrage and insolency. The governor is a Spaniard, named Francisco d' Aquillar d' Alvaredo. When the Flushingers lie before it, so that the fishermen cannot go out, the town is in great necessity and like to strave, “and in high terms against the magistrate.”
	The boats that took us belong one to La Motte, the other to the magistrates of Dunkirk. There was a flyboat freighting for Biscay, “a very hot ship with eighteen cast pieces; but there is great want of mariners, who refuse to be commanded by Spaniards.
	“The English inhabitants at Dunkirk are these:—Staynhurst, the Lord of “Tunsan's” (fn. 4) brother; Copley, surnamed Lord, whose sister Staynhurst has married; Kemp, named Don Gulielmo, and Bodnam, half English.
	“There are divers of our English merchants which owe great sums to Italians, subject to the King of Spain, and to those of Antwerp; by stay of which debts there might be some recompense made to us, who are thus ransomed to more than some of us are worth. There were released . . . myself and a servant of my Lord of Leicester. I paid 500 guilders for my ransom and charges in prison.” I humbly beg you to help me to some recompense, having lost besides 40l., all my apparel and books.
	Six of our company have not been able to take order for their ransom, Skarborow, a merchant, set at 600 guilders; Hyham, of my lord of Oxford's chamber, set at 150; Terry, his man and other three poor passengers. There are also Mr. Shelton, two Tracys and Mr. Whithed, who were there before us, and are rated at two thousand apiece, besides their charges.
	Mr. Stephens [i.e. Le Sieur] humbly begs your favour, “either by exchange from Peter `Sebeure' for him and the rest, or any other means; . . . his resolution is very good constantly to endure whatsoever he shall be charged with, and to discharge his duty to his country and his master. He could by no means come to his letters and papers to drown them, his trunk was so overwhelmed with packs. As for my letters which I had from the Estates and from my Lord of Leicester for his affairs, they [the enemy] were no sooner entered our ship but that they were out of a porthole; otherwise I had not escaped so.”—Calais, 12 November, 1585.
	Postscript.—“We went from Dunkirk to Calais because the quarters being broken between those of Nieuport and Ostend, neither passport neither drum was sure that way.”
	Add. Enddu. 2 pp. [Flanders I. 42.]
Nov. 13.	Note of receipts out of the Exchequer by privy seal &c. for the troops in or going to the Low Countries, from July 30 to Nov. 13. Total 48,250l.; whereof is disbursed 43,232l. 12s. 7d., and so remains 5,017l. 7s. 5d.
Nov. 13.	Endorsed with note of the sums by Burghley. ¾ p. [Holland V. 38.]
Nov. 14.	Capt. Ed. Huntley to Walsingham.
	Being in Bergen-op-Zoom, under Captain Williams, and the troops in Flushing not so strong as they should be, the Ambassador wrote to Captain Williams to send my company into the Rammekins. Mr. Edward Norreys, sent by the General to command in Flushing, would have placed his lieutenant in the Rammekins, but my Lord would not suffer it. Whereupon, the General not only commanded me to give him the garrison, but to retire to Flushing and obey his brother's orders. I offered to obey, but my Lord Ambassador commanded me in her Majesty's name to stay and answer the place until Sir Philip Sydney's arrival.
	The General offers me great wrong undeserved. I protest unto your honour I never loved none better than himself. “For my truth and honesty, I trust no man can burden (bourthene) me with any disgrace, the which by the help of God I mean to maintain during life.”—Flushing, 14 November, 1585.
	Holograph. Add. Endd. 1 p. [Holland V. 39.]
Nov. 14.	Dr. John Schulte to Robert Beale.
	There is one thing which I have not mentioned to you, namely that there is a young brother of mine here who has been wretchedly defrauded by certain persons, has lost most of his fortune and has burdened himself with debt, so that some months ago he was taken to prison. I have tried many ways to obtain his release from his creditors, but without success. I have even solicited the Earl of Leicester to procure an order to the judge of the prison for his release on bail and have begged his lordship to take him with him to Germany [sic] as an interpreter, but in this also I have failed. I have not, however, dared as yet to make this known to others, or to make any such demand to the Queen and Council. Now, however, as I must depart to-morrow, I cannot forbear to recommend the cause of my poor brother to your honour, so that if Adam Wachendorff, Secretary of the Steelyard, whose assistance I have hitherto made use of, should in future need your counsel or intercession with the lords of the Council, you will not be unfavourable to him. . . .
	[Is sending him a smoked salmon.]
	I pray you to return to me by John Roberts the writings that you know of, and to have the enclosed delivered to the Lord Treasurer with instructions to burn them when read, or to keep them carefully from the hands of other.— London, 14 November, 1585.
	Add. Endd. Latin. 2 pp. [Hamburg and Hanse Towns II. 27.]
Nov. 15.	Acknowledgment of having received, in form of prest, from Denis de Coninck, master of the ammunition at Flushing, 250 pounds of powder for cannon and 150 pounds of match, for distribution to the five English companies now keeping garrison in the said town; which powder and match the writer promises to repay “ from our ammunition “ in like quantity and quality.—Flushing, 15 November, 1585.
Nov. 15.	Unsigned. Fr. ¼ p. [Holland V. 40.]
Nov. 15/25.	Christophle Roels to Davison.
	By means of the enclosed letter from the Council to Captain Drooghe, you will be furnished with the man of war which you require.
	We yesterday received a copy of the Earl of Leicester's letters to the States General, of Oct. 23, old style, in which he desires them to suspend the licences, at any rate until his arrival.
	This has given great satisfaction, by checking the efforts of the avaricious merchants of Holland for some days. Pray inform his Excellency of this and also her Majesty, in order that the licences may remain forbidden.—Middelburg, 25 November, 1585.
	Postscript.—I send you a short discourse on the prohibition of the licences, which you will be pleased to send to his Excellency.
	Add. Endd. Fr. ¾ p. [Holland V. 41.]
Nov. 15.	Capt. Edward Norreys to Walsingham.
	I have hitherto with such care and diligence supplied my want of experience and knowledge that there has been no mislike or complaint between the burgers and soldiers. “My Lord Ambassador finds himself grieved in some things whereof I fear he will 'wrong' inform your honour against me, because about it he hath used me somewhat strangely.”
	The cause was this. My brother appointed Captain Simmes to be serjeant-major; a very sufficient man for the place. The ambassador appointed Benett, one who has often behaved himself badly, and of whom my brother wrote that in no case such a charge should be committed to him. Again, whereas my brother appointed me to put sixty of my company into the Rammekins, because for their sufficiency they were as well-chosen as any company that came over; the ambassador would not agree to it but sent for Captain Huntley's company of voluntaries and placed them there, which my brother misliking, sent orders to Captain Huntley to receive my company into the Rammekins and himself to draw his company into Flushing, but the ambassador would not agree to it.
	These things make my Lord Ambassador use me strangely, but nothing shall make me forget my duty to him or my care of her Majesty's service. I only beseech you not to believe anything against me without proof, and could wish that Sir Philip Sidney and Sir Thomas Cecil might have the hearing of these things, and advertise you of the truth.
	“Truly, Sir, it were very necessary that they were come, for many things of very great importance for the government of these towns are let slip, which will grow to great inconvenience”; besides, those who favour not her Majesty's cause spread abroad that now she has these towns, she cares for nothing more and that neither the governors or my Lord of Leicester will come over.
	I have some cause not to like of St. Aldegonde's lying so near, but must refer it to my Lord Ambassador.
	Our soldiers have been afflicted with this country's sickness, through evil feeding and cold and wet lying, but almost all recovered. I beseech you to take order for our pay. “We had this last week two shillings a man imprest, and my Lord Ambassador's promise of the rest within six days; but at the day, he sent us word openly that he would meddle no more in it, saying that we must shift for ourselves, for he had sent word to the merchants to travail no more about it. Which being openly delivered, had like to have bred a great disorder, but that the captains presently assured all their companies that they would lay their jewels, apparel and themselves to gage rather than the soldiers should lack. Now we have importuned my Lord Ambassador, and laid her Majesty's honour before him, but have even now word that we are not like to have any, although we offered him to muster our companies, which he shall find to be strong. So that if the under treasurer help us not, who hopes to borrow a thousand pound, we shall not know what to do.”—Flushing, 15 November, 1585.
	Signed. Add. Endd. 3 pp. [Holland V. 42.]