Reference: BL, MS Cotton Galba D XII f.10r-12v
Citation: DCB/001/HTML/1283/008
Date: 20 January 1596
Note: On fol. 10r there is the signature 'C'.
lettertext
fol.10r
Take not, My very Honorable Lord Emba- sador, any unkindnes, of my doeing, for I assuer you, that not withstanding the (never lyke before felt) Greef, which I receyved by the reading of your letter: encreased by the vila nous surmise of these men: yet was it thre dayes, before I Cowld resolve what Course to take in it, I assuer your Lo: that I was never alone in all that tyme debating with my self what to doe, but that the very anguish of spiritt, burst out of /my/ eyes, so [.] though no man knew the matter, every bod[y] might see the affliction of my sowle sowl[e] Emongst the rest, I forgatt not that point, [.] your Lo: would be lothe to have your Hand use[d] in the matter: But when I Considered that Beeing her Majesty Embassador, you Cowld not heare soche a thing wthout advertising her Majesty of soche a matter it, that /it/ did towche her highnes in honor, and all our Nati[on] fol.10v
and that at least wise you [.] her Majesty and my Lordes kn[.] you had wrytten unto me of [.] the matter beeing so generally sp[.] some other body might advertise [.] having Considered these thing, and [.] how unhappy I showld be if her M[ajesty] showld come to understand it by so[me] reporter, where shold rather say tha[.] states had prevented it, then not [.] it, and that I knowing it was Co[.] to Conceall it, rather then seeke to [.] my self, oh Lord, my Lord Emba[ssador] how was I then vexed, Then for [.] the want of soche a freend having [.] to whome I might utter my Greef [.] Cownsell, at last I resolved as [.] know: and well might the Cow[ncell] of state find in my letters a grea[t .] rence of style, for in those, I had [no] secretary but my owne harte which w[.] fol.11r
as /what/ I felt, it is true, I was full of Greef an[d] passion, but I thank God, so, that the one did not make me forgett my dignytye, nor the other, my reason, and as I wrote unto your Lo in my Last, that patience having past a certeyne lymytt, it is no more vertu, but Basenes: so doe I now see that even in this my seeking to mayntayne my honest reputation, the is a Lymytt allso, which not observed, it might rather /be/ enterpreted vain Glory, as desire of revenge, then a full an[d] vertuous desire to justefye my self, again all Calumniation, wherby your Lo may be a[ssuered] that I will not seeke any unreasonable sat[isfac-] tion, neyther that I will willingly [Geale the] States Cawse of Mislyke, hoping that they will have a worthy Consideration of me, and soche that I may not heareafter be ashamed to shew my face before honest men, but that the regard of this Goverment showld make me forbeare to doe any thing that the Clearing fol.11v
of my honest fame shall req[uire] I am so fare from it, that I ag[.] I doe not howld my lyke so e[.] that for the safegard of it, I w[.] one never so littell toutche, to[.] tation: besides, I assuer your Lo: I thought I showld lyve soche an yeare heare as the Last, I would lye in prison in England, then be h[ere.]
My letters into England are Gone, in any sorte, wherby her Majesty showld [.] moved to wryte to the states, or conceyv[e.] thinge of them for this matter, yet [.] Majesty of a care of me might ,[.] parhaps be advised to wryte, I wil[l .] your Cownsell, and wryte by the firs[t] I hope the states will so consider [.] Cawse, that her will be no occasion Her Majesty showld think farther of [.] helpe me with your stayd wisdome, a[.] fol.12r
And Most freendly Endevors to sett /me/ out of this uncomfortable and wicked Laberinth Me thinkes I doe now feele my eares Glow at the divers discourses that are made in England of me, I am become a tale in the worlde, and must Contayne my handes fro[m] Revenge, It greaves me to heare the oppinion of all men, what they would doe in soche a Case, I feare me, too moche respe[ct] will make me Contemned, will it be though[t] that I have less Corage or les spleene the[n] others, I hope the better sorte will rathe[r] Interprett it, that I have more Governm[ent] of Corage, yet My Lord Embassador I pre[.] you deall so with the states, that it may appeare that I as I doe thus respect them, in taking no revenge my self, so they doe allso respect me that I shall [not] have Cawse to doe it: To Conclude this fol.12v
Werysome and unpleasing le[tter] I have receyved many your Lo [.] Master Kennell which makees me E[.] behowlding unto you Tow, of th[.] but very different, though bot[h] Love and Good Cownsell, So tha[.] parceyve your Lo: is not alltogeath[er] of my humor in his Cawse, Thou[gh] farther Consideration doe draw [.] dispence with more, then my wronge [.] decayd honer, can permytt me to d[.]
My eys wearyed with watching t[.] and enflamed with very vexatiou[s] force me to end wishing you al[.] and a better reward of your vi[.] from ostend this xxij January 15[95] your Lo ever assured and lov[ing] Edward Norreys
Postscript: I had forgotten to wryte to your Lo that the Majestrate have ben with me and offred me to use ther service in this matter, in any sorte that I would, and besides the Burger have made me know, that they doe so muche abhorre this maner of [Cowrse] that them selves with ther [.] would willingly [set] justice uppon him,
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