gett ayde sufficient of the french kyng, it is not lykley that France will gyve them ayde but with conditions to have an interest in the contreis, which though at the first per case shall not be but an outward show of a protection of them as at the first they did, of late yeres, with the imperiall town of Metz, yet in short tyme they shall be so as at commandement of the crown of France as, with the commodities of those contreys, and of ther havres and shipps, they shall command both England and Scotland, and all the narrow seas, as they may ther own vassals, a peryll inevitable to the crown of England.

The thyrd waye for the province and estates of Holland is to be ayded by England, which is to be doone by one of these two wayes: either by secret releving them with mony, wherby they may both contynew in their defence ageynst Spayne, and also not to be constrayned soddenly to submitt themselves to any subjection to France.

Or els uppon ther acquyting of themselves from their obedience to the king of Spayne, to reccave them into Hir Maj. protection, wherin also ar two wayes to be considered: the one, to receave them into Hir Maj. protection to preserve them from the conquest of the Spaniards, which must be doone with mony, untill by mediation of Hir Maj. the kyng of Spayne may be content to yeld to them the use of ther ancient libertyes, and receave them into his grace for more favor, to be governed as by ther ancient priviledges they ought.

The other is to receave them uppon ther own offers, as subjects to Hir Maj. and to the crown of England, and to be governed by Hir Maj., as the dukes of Burgundy have hertofor doone.

Considerations uppon those for more difficulties what
war mete to be doone.

The first of all it war mete for Hir Maj. to be truly informed,

both for hir conscience, to know what shall be just, and also for the circumstances, of the trew estate of the place and the people of Holland and Zelland, wherby it may be forseenc what ayde now mete and necessary, and what effectz may lykly follow uppon aydyng of them, and therfor these thyngs followyng wold be knowen as neare as may be.

First uppon what poynts the treaty at Breda brak of, and what thyngs war demanded and refused on ether syde, therby to consider whyther the defalt be in the kyng's part, as refusyng to grant them resonably thyngs, or in the subjects, being not content with reasonable thyngs.

Item, what be the articles of ther priviledges, and that ar so granted to them by the dukes of Burgundy or erles of Holland, aud confirmed by the kyng, as in not observyng the same it is lafull for the people to withdraw ther obedience, and to become subjects to any other prince, and whether ther ar any examples of the lyke in the estats of Holland and Zelland.

Item, to understand how many noblemen of those contreys ar adhearyng to the prince for defence of ther libertyes, and how many do separat themselves and adheare to the kyng; the lyke is to be understand of the townes that be walled towns, aud that have authorite of government within themselves.

Item, to understand what nombre of soldiors the prince. maynteneth presently; how many he hath had of late tyme; wher they ar bestowed; what ar the monthly charges; how the same are levyed, and how the same may be contynued.

Item, to know how many more soldiors war necessary to be increased for defence of ther estate, and wher they shuld be bestowed and with what charges they may be mayntened.

Item, to understand the nombre of the shippes and vessels being at the prince's commandment, of what tonadge and force they ar of; how they be manned with marryners and soldiors; how they be victualled and what services ar metest for them to do for the defence of the islands.

Item, as it is nedefull to understand the services on the part of the place, so also war it necessary to understand the power of the other party, both by land and by sea, which may be for a gret part knowen to the prince and his ministers, and may, by other meanes, be knowen in the king's Low Contreys by Englishmen.

Item, it is good to understand what towns and places the Spaniards do hold in Holland and the isles, and what nombers they kepe ther, and what daunger or annoyance doth grow therby to the prince.

Finally it is to be understand if Hir Maj. shall accord to releve them, untill medication may be made, to restore them to theyr liberty under the kyng of Spayn, what may be the lest somme of mony that will be demanded, and when the same somme be payd at once or at severall tymes, and in what places, and what suertys she may have to be repayd, or if Hir Maj. shall take the contrye to hir owne defence; than how much mony the same will yerly require, aud what may be hoped to be the dew revenew of the contrye for the prince that shall aide the contry.

II.

Notice sur les archives d'Aurich et d'Emden et les documents relatifs au soulèvement des Pays-Bas (jusqu'à la mort de Guillaume le Taciturne) qu'elles peuvent contenir.

(Par M. le docteur ONNO KLOPP.)

Comme je me propose de donner quelques indications sur les archives de l'Ost-Frise, je me permets de rappeler mon histoire de l'Ost-Frise,.de 1570 à 1751. Les deux premiers chapitres (pp. 1-59) et les notes qui s'y rapportent (pp. 608-612) concernent l'époque du soulèvement des Pays-Bas.

Mes recherches dans les archives de l'Ost-Frise on le comprend aisément - avaient pour but essentiel l'histoire de ce pays. Bien que l'histoire des Pays-Bas m'ait toujours inspiré un vif intérêt, la direction donnée à mes travaux et le temps que je pouvais y consacrer ne me permettaient de m'en occuper qu'accessoirement.

Les archives de la ville d'Emden ne remontent qu'à 1555, et contiennent peu de documents des premières années qui suivent. Après, elles deviennent plus riches. J'ai pris copie de plusieurs obligations de Louis de Nassau, datées du camp de Jemgum (Gemminghen), en juillet 1568. Depuis

1580, les papiers abondent. Je citerai entre autres les plan de Gaspar de Schönberg. Malheureusement, je n'ai pas la copie complète de ses lettres, mais uniquement mes extraits. Je joins à ce rapport la copie d'une lettre du prince d'Orange écrite au magistrat d'Emden, en 1585, en faveur d'Henri de Navarre (1). Dans ce temps, Emden était une ville prospère et importante. C'est de là qu'une foule de prédicants calvinistes et même anabaptistes se dirigeaient sur les Pays-Bas. Bien des années après, l'église d'Emden portait encore le nom de moederkerk (l'église mère), et les archives du consistoire (coetus) contiennent plus d'une lettre venue des Pays-Bas qui l'apprécie de la même manière. Meiners, dans sa Kerkelyke Geschiedenis van Ostvriesland, a fait imprimer une série de documents. qui se rapportent à ce sujet. Il y a une autre catégorie de pièces qui reconnaissent également l'importance d'Emden sous ce rapport. J'ai trouvé là-dessus plusieurs lettres de Jeanne d'Albret, mère d'Henri IV. A dater de 1580, les archives contiennent de nombreuses correspondances. Je n'ai pas eu le temps d'ouvrir toutes ces liasses volumineuses; mais une inspection superficielle m'a fait connaître qu'on y rencontrerait des lettres curieuses d'un grand nombre de personnages.

Outre les lettres adressées au conseil de la ville, les archives d'Emden renferment aussi une série d'actes qui devraient appartenir aux archives du gouvernement à Aurich. Il faut savoir qu'en 1609, par ordre du magistrat d'Emden, qui voulait acquérir la certitude sur les rapports

(1) La lettre jointe au rapport de M. Klopp est du mois de novembre 1585 c'est une lettre de recommandation pour le sieur de Pardellas, envoyé du roi de Navarre auprès des princes d'Allemagne.