Transcript
Editorial comments:
BL MS Cotton Caligula C III f. 70v - 71v. William Herle to Lord Burghley
Letter Text:
[fol. 70v]
29 April 1571 From William Herle to the L: Burghley
The Bp my Lo: after some great pause hath answered my lre which is enclosed
herewith, he is entred into jealousy of my doinges as plainly may appeare, therefore
the remedy must be accordingly provided & yet his jealousy is not so much as the
mistrust of his owne practises to be discovered by Charles which hath driven him to such
rages at home, as neither would he eate nor sleepe in 3 dayes welnye, neither yet permitt any knowne man were he English or straunger
within his gates, Mary my man & Barthelet had secret accesse unto him yet with
some difficulty or they could come to him, Whereuppon to salve the matter I writt a
lre of some grief to Barthelet complayning much that he had brought me to the
Bp & nowe beeing plunged into the depthe of all wretchednes, I was hatefull to
my Prince & mistrusted by my frends, desiring no
more[fol. 71r] more but true construction, & to
be advertised whereuppon to stand, and I would swallowe upp myne owne sorrowes
with such constancy in the rest as might geve a good proofe of me to all sortes, And to
enter the further I writ another lre to the Bp whose copy is herein, but he was so
scrupelous that he would never receave it, yet on Saterday at night about xj of the
Clock he sent Barthelet to me with a message & the like by my owne man who was
yesterday with him, that he never hurt any English man, unles they hurt them selves,
neither was any one of all partes brought to mishap which dealt with him, & this was
the advise & comfort he would geve me adding that Charles had beene racked on Friday
& so brought before the Counsell & on saterday racked agayne, which was not so
rufull as unjust, & theire fault was greate which procured it, That also the Counsell
had told him there were secrett practisers & factious fellowes repayred to him to be
his instrumentes whereby he would remove the repayer of any unto him for he was
here only to sollicite the Q his Mistresses delivery and had none other imaginations in
his hed whereof when he were resolved by the Q: Majesty & her Councell of a playne
answere either yea or no which he must have, his Comission were at an end, & his
departure as present But yf Masterr Herle (saith he) will assure me that he hath not
delivered my 3 tickets written to Charles to be copied by the Lord of Burghley, I wil do
asmuch for him as for mine owne brother which shall appeare in very fewe dayes but
in the meane season I wil neither receave nor write lre to him comending all to his
tryall notwithstanding this night at midnight was Barthelet to comfort me agayne
having beene with the Bishop a great parte of the after noone,/ to whome I said
lamentably that my keeper had told me howe Charles had accused me of the whole matter,
& howe it was my invention to devise his alphabet & to write his ciphred lres
exhorting me to patience for that he looked for a warrant to remove me to the Tower,
Whereunto I added that he had uppon faith assured me of one comfort, that neither
Charles was racked, nor likely to be racked which speech of mine was uttered in such
piteous forme, mine Irons gingling up & downe by meete occasions, as the fellowe
Wept & sobbed having indeed confirmed the Bishop: by the hearing of mine irons the
first time in a more assured opinion of my trust, But your L: must in any wise send for
me to[fol. 71v]
to be examined, for that is aswell observed within doore as without which
requires speed, if your graver buisenes so permitt it, having more to say unto your Lo:
by mouth, But this is the state I stand with the Bishop, who is not so wholy lost as
ferefull for his man lest he by an extremity be induced to a confession, having sifted
me many wayes, and enquired of me abroad But the generall opinion is that I am a
discontented man and factious, which joyned with my troubles doth so perplexe his
other suspitions, as he is certen in none of them, driving him to the uttermost corner of
his witt, But surely I speake it God is
^my^
judge with the humblest & truest zeale that
may proceed from a subject, that yf I had wherewith I would knowe what he did in his
bed chamber & Wynne any credit with him / I would Marry if their honours of the
Counsell have descended so particulerly to describe by markes my coming to him
there is a great hole made which had been better stopped I alleadge it dutifully, And so
I knowe your Lo: will take it, whome God preserve, this Munday morning 1571 Your
L most humbly w h