Manuscript document concerning the unpaid wages of Willem Does (and Willem Maertens?) by the goverment of the Dutch Republic for their work on certain fortifications and related buildings. At two-thirds of the text, the total sum owed to Does (and Maertens) is underlined: "t'samen bedragende sestienhondert negen en dertich guldens ses stuijvers" (1639 guilders and 6 stuivers). Willem Does repeatedly mentions that they are owed the money and that he had applied for payment a few times before without success. The fact that they had not received the money for their work meant that he still owed money to others which he could not yet pay but was costing him extra due to interest that was charged and that that he had to return to The Hague specifically for the collection of the money which took great effort since he was now in the employ of the Swedish crown.
Notably, the additional note in the left margin makes clear that the payment of that sum was authorised by the secretary of the Council of State, signed M Huygens on 13 Febuary 1637. Maurits Huygens (1596-1642), the brother of the famous Dutch Golden Age poet and composer Constantijn Huygens.
A complete transcription is available upon request.
With a slightly later addition in the left margin by the secretary of the Raad van State. The edges of the leaves are very slightly dust soiled, otherwise in very good condition.