Transcript

[fol.127r] 1581 Belgia 25 Aprilis

I do accompte my self much behowlden unto you for the great love and frendeship which I perceave you beare me, and which I have no meanes to requite againe but only by loving [ deleted: you againe] , wherin I purpose not to faile bothe in what and when I maie. The exportacon of the [evente] of or Commissioners drowdnethe all other newes, and what that wilbe mens opinions are divers some thinke the matter so longe in suspence wilbe, some contrarie, so that it is harde to geve any certein resolucon of the matter and whether for that bothe the favorors and dislikars of it are (as conjecture maie be geven by their utter sh [ ... ] in good hope. Some thinke the conclusion of the marriage is only a [ ... ] , and that theire intente is to treate of [an] union betwene fraunce and us for the restitucon of Don Antonio and for invading the lowgher Cuntrees, but mihi non fit verisimile that wee for the advauncemente of fraunce showlde enter into warre wth the k. of Spaine, withoute consideracon of comodities to our selfes and therfore I thinke I maie bidde the rest of worlds illis comentum placet. This daie they had their first audience and to morrow they are feasted by her Majestie and after by my Lo. Thresoror, my Lo. Chamberlaine and my Lo. of Leycester, and my Lo. of Arundell in steede of feastes intertaineth them at Silk and [Surrey] . The frenche K. healthe is not suche as it is reported but good and ^of^ k. of navarre sence the conclusion of the peace wee have hearde nothing but that he leveth in quiett. Master Randall is returned frome Scotland. with smale satisfaction, for there was a [Caliver] discharged at his corridore where he used to write, althowghe by his good hap he was gonne to the fire A [Dobigni] governethe all and hathe possessed the popularitie of Scotland by diminishing of the imposicons and taxes levyed uppon them by moreton so that my [augurmaster] is that by his acons he gapethe for the Crowne. Master Randall sayethe that Moretons deathe is resolved uppon but not h [ ...] or fires are all revoked frome the boarders, so that it semethe[fol.127v] that wee are ether satisfied, or oute of suspicon or oute of feare. Irland still remainethe in his oulde state the rebellions nothing diminished. nor the rebells terrified by the slawghter of the Spanish. and Italians at the forte. but rather increased so that some beginne to be of opinion that a peace by pardoning theme wilbe better then so unprofitable a warre. The reporte of the Jesuitts is deade and althowghe they were greate bugges at the beginninge yett nowe excepte it be in pulpitts and in some bookes of or devines newly sett oute I heare nothing of them. Master Drake hathe made a very profitable jorney bothe for him self and the rest of the adventurars, hathe discovered some thing which is kept [tanquam] misterium wherin he thinkethe his service is greater then all the treasure he brought thowghe he it was better the 600000li he is a right magnifico hathe geven her majestie many greate presents of ritche juells and also to others of the Corte feasted her Majestie at deptford whearas for his good service she made him a knight. Italie is all quiett, nether yelde it any newes. The Spanish. K hathe senne the last overthrowe yet remaines at in Portingall shewing greate curtesies to the nobilitie and people therby to [comine] them and cheefly to the duke and dutchesse of Braganza whome he dandelethe so finely that he hath brought them on a perswasion of a marriage betwene their daughter and the Prince of Spaine his sonne. Some thing he intendethe and hathe made staie of certein of our shipes to serve him but whith or for suspicon of Don Antonio only It is unknowne for as you know his affaires are used wth greate secrecie Don Antonio uppon the overthrowe at Porto and the yelding of Viana fledd into fraunce where he remaynethe wth some hope to be restored to his kingdome by them but in mine opinion seing that the king of navare for all the assistance that ether he or his ancesters coulde have frome fraunce coulde never recover his lost k. wherunto they were borne and with [ ... ] uppon fraunce and that Cuntreeman. [ deleted: the poore] the poore man being to the a stranger in bludd a bastarde hath bu [t] small [ ... ] hope to recover by theare meanes that which is scituated farre from [him] [fol. 128r] But what showlde I exemplifie the k of navarre [ ... ] seing he never attemp [ted] the recoverie of Naples and Milane shall wee think he will do that for a stranger that he will no do for him self. In the lowgher Cuntrees the matters passe as the did. The Prince of Orange hath lately sett oute a book against the k. wherin he answerethe to the proscriptio [ns] against him and towchethe the k. very notable So that bothe armies and lres [ deleted: are] offensive passe. The oulde bands that [retried] uppon the Composicon at Nasture are returned wth the good liking of the malcontents and not long sence have geven an overthrowe to the states about Bruges wherin were slaine 500 or thereaboute thowghe th'other side give 1900 Master norris hathe behaved him self very galantly this last winter in friseland, hathe impeached all th'attemptes of the Malcontents, in that Cuntree to theire losse, and in the ende inforced them to return to the rest of their Companie to Cambrey. which they nowe besege. Master Morgan returned thither wth [ ... ] supplie lately sence his going wee have hearde nothing of him Rogiers Williams is muche comended for his valoure in divers coflicts. Daniel Rogiers is wth the P of Parma or eltz sent into Spaine, so that he is lik to bee the glorie of his ambassage with an harde imprisonment. And so wisshing you a good sale of you feefarme. that you maie returne bene mimatus I take my leave frome the Cort the xxv ^th^ of Aprill 1581 Yours most assuredly, George Bohuy