Herle as correspondent

At least half of the letters sent by Herle are addressed to William Cecil, Lord Burghley, with nearly thirty to both Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and Sir Francis Walsingham. Of letters from Burghley to Herle, around thirteen survive. Other recipients include Queen Elizabeth, Sir Philip Sidney, Sir Nicholas Bacon and diverse members of the state administration, to whom Herle was writing letters of patronage and petition regarding official posts and favours he sought [See Index by Recipient.] Herle also had many contacts in England and on the continent and the letters he received from these individuals provide a vivid glimpse into his methods of intelligence-gathering. The range of languages in which these letters are written demonstrates Herle's considerable linguistic talents. Additionally, the rapid sequence of letters between Herle and Burghley in the summer of 1585 provides a detailed insight into the conditions of epistolary production - of postage, frequency and storage - an unusual and fascinating two-sided communication within the Herle corpus. [See Index by Author.]