BL MS Lansdowne 31 f. 30r - v, and (verso) f. 33r - v William Herle to Lord Burghley.
This letter encloses a separate letter from Vincent Mourphy to Burghley, which
has been bound into the manuscript volume before the verso from Herle's letter, (fol. 33v) which is placed after the two documents.
At the top of fol. 30v is a mark in the margin which resembles a manicule.
[Superscription:]
To the R. honorable mi very good L. the Lord highe Thresuror of England &c.
give these./
[Endorsement by Herle:]
ytt may plese your L. to rede these as spedyly as you may./
[Endorsement by unknown hand:]
26. sept. 1580 William Herle to my L. Towching the Charter of the Abbay of Wigmore. Practises
discovered by vincent mourphie.
[fol. 30r]
- May it plese your L. to remember, that I deliverd yow of late att Thiballds, a calender
of certayn things, which conserned the office ye
[writt]
of, wherwith your L. was
desirous to se the particuler bookes that were mencioned in the sayd calender, which
the partye is redy to bryng, when it shalbe your honorable plesure to comand hym to
waytt uppon yow. And will further show unto your L. suche other probable matter of
importance & secresye, as will satisfie yow grettly, & is most necessarye to be loked
ynto with spede./ This partye whom I mene, is nott Percivall hym sellf, butt a frynd of
his, a very sufficyent man yn that behalf & a secrett, who shall bryng with hym a lre
of myne, when he is to repaire to your L. wherby ye shall the better know hym. /
-
[
Marginalia
(by Herle): 2]
I do send your L. herewith, a drawght of the charter of the Abbeye of wigmor bothe
in Latten & Englissh. which yf your L. lyke to have a copye of for your sellf, mi man
who writes fayre, shall drawe owtt on./ By the which Charter her majestie may inhibite suche
gentillmen, as do holld Lands of the sayd Abbeye, to kepe
[Leetts]
& Cowrts as they
do, taking therby fellows goods & the proffitte of wayffs & strayffs of blood shed,
Ryotts, &c. to theme sellves, which is onlye the Qweenes & nott theirs, & wilbe of
good comodity unto her./ for the Erlles of Marche (as appear by the sayd Charters),
gave no suche Royalltyes to the Abbotts in their fowndacion, as the gentill men do
now usurpe: the understanding whereof, beyng of some service to her majestie I
thowght it mi parte to delyver the same unto your L. wisshing humbly that I might
acknowlege her majesties grett gracyowsnes towards me in gretter maner, which I will
contynnuallye yndevor to do./
-
[
Marginalia
(by Herle): 3]
A third thing I have to move your L. of, which ymports most (this dangerows tyme
consydered) Thatt is, the discoverye of certayne yll practises that ar in hand, & of men
of som note that ar shrewdly affected to her majesties person, & be delers agaynst the
State: The particularityes wherof ar onlye & propperly to be Reveled to your L. by the
partye hym sellfe, that hath discoverd theme; who humbly desiers by this [fol. 30v] his lre
ynclosed, that you will vowchesave to send for hym to your L. (for that he is deteyned
att this present by actions of men vexacious in the Counter in the powlltrye, &
otherwise without your L. warrant, he canott repayre to your L.) butt att his comyng,
he will discharge his dutye, in matters of very perillows
[yntendment]
& conseqwens,
that he is made privy unto, & therfor prayes your L. withall, that even for her majesties
saffetye, that he mighte be favourably & with good cowntenance hard by your own
sellf, asson as is possible. / And for that I have byn intreated (which is allso mi highe
duty) & have theruppon promised to sollicyte this muche your L. for hym, ytt may
plese yow to give me that cowntenance, that may appear unto hym that I have don it
carefullye (as a poore
[ser]
vant of her majesties) & that you esteme of me, the
medyator./
I am provyding of a lyttel mony to carye me downe into Wale
[s]
abowtt mi busynes,
which as it is hard to com by: so I hope in God to spede shortlye therof./ Wherof I very
humbly fynish, craving your L. honorable & spedy answer herunto. London the 26. of
September.
1580. Your L. most humbly with mi har
[te]
W Herlleli.
[Postscript:]
I have mi right honorable good
L. som particular matter to present for mi sellf, to do her majestie service in, that may
carye som effect in it to be don even within Lusbone yf your L. lyke asswell of the
matter as of mi zele.,/
