lettertext
fol.269r
Later Addition: Belgia: 1590: August:
Later Addition: Belgia 1590 27 August To my L. Treasurer
May it please your good L. heer is now in Delft one Doctor Josepho an Italian phisitian not unknowen to your L. as I do presume, because hee hath bin physitian to the Pr. of Orenge, and hath made some abode, about the court in England. Lieng sick in his bedd, he was visited by an old friend of his one Reynold Peeterson a shipper of Hoorn, who came out of Spaine but this present daie, by whome hee was advertized of a secret practize against her Majesties parson, whereuppon hee sent the partie to the Hage, a man as hee saith & should seem by his cariage, well parsuaded in religion & of a good discretion whom I & Master Gilpin examined alone, & this hee declared. that the 6 of May last hee went from Lisbone in a ship of Embden & after his arrivall hee came to Madril the 8 of June where he sojourned till the 19th of July, making meanes, to the King for the release of certaine shippes. the King being then in a certaine cloister, 7 miles distant from Madril, during his staie in that place hee had often conference with a very spetiall friend & his cousen, one Nicolas Messe a shipper of Embden, whom hee mett withall there sewing to be satisfied for the losse of a great ship that perished in the Armado. By reason of his long sute & continewance in the Court, the said Nicolas Messe had gotten some acquaintance & accesse unto parsons of principall quality, amonge whom hee had learned which hee imparted in secret to this Reynold Peeterson that one Pedro Aster of Arragon, a Spaniard borne and a notorious malefactor for divers murders & other villanies was gon of purpose into England to execute some mischief upon her Majesties parson, which hee determined at two severall times to have attempted, but hee wanted likely meanes, which yet hee attended, to scape upon yt. This Pedro of Arragon to procure himself credyt, will minister all occasions to enveigh against the King, & to make yt seem to her Majesty that hee would enterprise any thing to doe him some annoyance fol.269vLater Addition: Belgia: 1590: August:
The names of those parsons, by whom the foresaid party had Received this intelligence were unknowen unto him for that hee enquired not curiously after all that I demaunded, But hee hath promised that as soone as his Cousen shall retourne out of Spaine, which hee thinkes willbee within this moneth, whatsoever hee hath heard hee shall descover unto mee & for more assurance of his speedy coming, yf her Majesty shall require yt hee will call him home presenty, & send him into England, Howbeyt hee thinkes that if Pedr[[o]] be declaimed & put to torture, theie shall need no other proofe of his wicked intention. Moreover this Reinold Peeterson signifyeth that one Henry van de Boes a shipper of Middlebourgh told him in secret Communicatio[[n]] that a chief servant of Don Antonio which was then in Spaine & at the Court was the greatest instrument for the carriage of letters & messages, between this Pedro of Arragon & his coorespondentes in Spaine For any matters besides hee declareth onely this that he sawe at the Groine to the nomber of 100 shippes of all sortes & theie had hard yt spoken that there was at hand in those quarters 4000 souldiers, & 4000 more in Biscay likewise 12 other ships of 1200 & 1400 tonnes lowe built, of which 6 were at Bilbo, and 6 at St Anderes, & all in a readines in all places to set presently forward hee thought not withstanding because the time was much delayed, that they exspected the issue of so[[me]] spetiall practise. And this I thought withall dili[[gence]] to certify your L. & too bessech you that all tho this bearer were otherwise minded to goe into England, because at my entreaty hee departeth soddainely, & hath promised to bee with you with all possible speed, hee may bee some what considered for his paines & charges, & thus I take my humble leave. August 27 Anno 1590.