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BL MS Lansdowne 34 f. 10r - 13v. William Herle to the Earl of Leicester. This may be a copy of the letter sent to Lord Burghley. The deleted names in the subscription of this letter are reinscribed with the names denoted in superscript. 
Address Leaf:
[Endorsement by Herle:] Copie of mi discowrse, towching the accydent that hapned to the P. of Orenge the 18. of marche in Andwerpe 1581.
[Endorsement by unknown hand:] 18. martij. 1581
Letter Text:

[fol. 10r] Uppon sondaye the xviij ^th^ of this monethe, the prince of Orenge having harde Asswell the minister of Turney preche in the castell churche appendent to the princs howsse, he toke home to dynner among others, Monsieur Dellavall, & Pruneawx, where passyng the time with sondrie discowrses, & with intentyon to have supped att the generrall bancket, that monsieur had prepared att St Michelles, to the States generall, & to the magistrates & Coronelles of Andwarpe in comemoratyon of the same his byrthe daye./

The dynner ended, the prince passing owt of the grett chamber, with the Cownt of Hollock, & the sayd Dellavall, & followed by the trowpe, he toke occasyon uppon Lavalles speeche who comended the tapistrye of the chamber) to saye sondrye things abowtt the same, & in behollding the tapistrye as he went, was redye to have entred the second chamber, havyng his eyes still fixed upwardes, when sodainlye a person of small stature, & les representacyon (of the ayge of 3. or 24. yeres, yll clad, & of face pale, drawyng to a blacke melancholyck color, shaven saving the upper lippe, whens a thyn blacke here began to yssew) presented him sellf as thowgh he had som reqweste to exhibyte, & ones being putt backe by a halbarder, still persisted & sodainlye discharged a pistoll (that he helld unsene) att the prince, which by reson of overchargyng reculed in his hand, & made the peece & pellett to mownt upwardes from his Levell, takyng the prince betwen the eare, & the end of the jawe of the right syde, passyng clene throw the lifte cheeke, withowt offence to the arterye, the jawe, tong or toothe (as yet hitherunto is sayd) savyng that a lyttell yt grated upon on toothe (a provyden [s] of god most admirable) wheratt the prince nether stagring, nor astonyed, behelld the fellowe, till he amased with his owne facte, & bownd as ytt were to the place by a devine power, lett his dag fall to have made awaye, wheratt one Bonnyvett stabbed him into the brest, & then was he presentlye slayne in grett furye by the companye; muche against the princes will, who cryed still to save hym butt in vayn. for he had in les than a moment 33. mortall wowndes gyven hym. The perturbatyon that followed within the princs howsse, was so grett & dolorows, as scarce can be expressed, the poore princesse overcom with vehement passyon dyd swownd contynually: The chilldern confownded with teres & cryes, trobled all the place, & the rest of the frinds & familye presente were utterlye perplexed, as thowgh they had not onlye sene the prince allredye ded, but theme sellves exposed to the sworde of the enmye./

[fol. 10v] Butt in the mene tyme, the prince was had to his bed, & dressed by a singuler surgyon of this towne called Skon Thomas, who doutting that the bullet had bin poysoned (as ytt was not) did temper his medecyne to resiste the same./

Next they sent in poste to Herentalles for the onlye surgyon of this contrey, called Hans of Herentalles brother to that Dyryck that served somtymes Sir Thomas Gressham & next her majestie./

And herewith Monsieur was advertised by the yonger erle of Egmont (as faste as he colld come from the princs lodgyng) of the strange & ferefull accydent that was hapned, which dyd wonderfullye appall & terreffye Monsieur, for the sondry events that depended therof, & for the compassyon that he had both of him sellf, & the prince, in this sodayne actyon, & lastlie overcom with affectyon, resollved into teres, not hable to be appeysed in half an howre, sobbyng & uttring that he had lost his father, his cheeffe hope, & assurans, & the worthiest personaige for wisdom & perfectyon that ever was, inveyghing therwith against the tyrannye & vilenes of the K. of Spayne./

During this while, the towne was in an uprore & confusyon, promiseng no better than a miserable & bloddye end therof, the alarme was sounded everie where, & sodainlye the gates shutt, the walles & bullwarckes occupied with armed men, the markett placs taken. The Cor de gardes sett in everie streete, & all others comanded to kepe theyr howses. The people cryeng owt for their prince, their father & onlye succor & right hand, whom they named to be murtherd by the frenche, & that he was allredye ded. wissheng that england had never conducted suche gestes, who had not bin Receved here, but in the assurance that they conseved of the Q. of englandes good mynde, confyrmed by the cowntenance of suche honorable personayges as accompanyed Monsieur & the rest hither./

Butt the report of the princs dethe still incresyng by messengers that were ill infformed, the people were converted into plaine furye & precipitacyon thretnyng then monsieur, the frenche, & the papistes (who had the same daye bin at their fyrst masse) that not on of theme sholld be lefte a lyve, Ronyng hereupon by violent troupes, to the palayce & to the castell, to do som executyon, whom followed upon the spurre, the cornett of horsse, that is of the towne burgers, & trulye, yf this desperate attempt had bin differred till night, the same had bin easelye executed att the banckett, & Monsieur with his trayne noted for yt, & conseqwentlye the Rayge & conceytt sholld have directed those handes that had byn ones embrewed in blood./

The frenche for fere retyred to the saffest partes of their lodgyngs, & Monsieur sent for the generall norris, butt the messengers cowd not passe the stretes, Monsieur wyssheng manye tymes with grett affyans that (La Nobles [se] Anglouse) were by hym./

[fol. 11r] The Coronelles of the towne upon the fyrst brute of the princes dethe, repayred to the castell with exceding diligens, gyveng order to the captaynes to chayne the stretes & to drawe their forcs to their knowen qwarters, & that all the Gylldes & fraternityes sholld be armed & in redynes to be employed./

Att the castell they were assured by Monsieur St Alldegond, that the prince was a lyve, & that there was hope of recovery, & that the person pretending this fowll murther, was a spanyarde, & no frenche man, shewyng theme writengs & charmes fownd abowt him in the spanyshe tong, & therfore that the captaynes & people sholld be advertysed hereof, to staye dissorders, & especiallye to have a care for the garding of Monsieurs person, & deffending that no insolencye sholld be used to the frenche, nor to anye, which charge with verey good order & gravitye was observed, & the people that were in furye & marching, retorned to kepe warde in theyr own stretes, placing certayne of their principall bandes abowt St Michelles, to assiste anye necessitye that Monsieur might have, wherupon to wyn benevolens, Monsieur reffusing the garde of his Swyttzers, desyred that som of the gilldes might be sent, to whom he wolld comytt hym sellf, and the pallayce, which was estemed a conffydens, & pleased the Coronelles well. Butt to saye trulye the apprehensyon is great that is of ether syde & manye diffydences have byn disscoverd by this./

The Coronelles then & other principall personaiges, were admytted into the princes chamber, to whom he made a verey lovyng & pythye oratyon, shewyng that this subornatyon against his lyffe, proceded not from Monsieur, nor from anye frenche devyse, but directlye from his Capitall enmye the K. of Spayne, comending Monsieur for the excellencye of his nature, for the affectyon he bare unto the state of these contreyes, & for his habilitye & wisdom to be the onlie prince that coud & wolld conserve theme, exhorting theme reciprocklye to love, embrace & serve hym in all dutye & loyalltye, as they tenderd their securitye, well fare & estimatyon. To whom he sayd appertayned the government of these Contreyes, as to their naturall soverayne by theyr own electyon, & to whom he wolld assure agayne theyr faythe & allegyance, as a thing most sincere & perfect, & incase that I (sayth he) do dye of this hurte (as men be mortall that be most sownde, muche more I that am this inffyrme) I charge yow in the zele that I have ever borne yow, to be observers of my advise for your own good. comending to your love and protectyon, & [fol. 11v] To the states generall of this land, my wiffe & chillderne as swete pledged of my harte, & servyces ever don & still deyrowes to be done unto yow. /

Which speeche of his was Receved with tendernes towardes his person, & inclynatyon in shewe to obey hym throwlye, yet the states generall will not procede to deliberate of any matter towchyng Monsieur & the proposityons made by him, till the sayd prince of Orenge be restored to som better disposityon & integritye, the jorneye allso intended to Gawnt by the sayd Monsieur beyng differred till then./

Ymedyatelie after the hurte of the prince they dispatched messengers to Bruxelles to warne theme of this accydent, & to stande upon their garde, for that the towne is grett & mixed with manye factyons, & not perfected in fortificatyon by a grett dele to that which may be reqwired ether for deffence, or was projected for strengthe./

The lyke advertisment they have sent sythens to all their townes & garrisons elles where, aswell in flanders & Brabant, as in the remoter parts. kepyng all the passayges by water & land garded, & the gates of this towne contynuallye shutt, even from admytteng of daylie provisyons theryn, to the end that the enmye may nether have intelligens from hens by practys within doores, nor prevaill of any advantaige abrode, by surprise or lacke of order./

Now to retorne to this fellow agayne that was slayne upon his wicked enterprise, ytt was fownde that by overchargyng of his sayd pistoll the stocke was broken in his hand, & had rent the brawne of the same from the thomb downewarde, with a grett & terrible gashe. In his pockett was a naked dagger, which he had never the assurance to use after. abowte him were had ij dryed todes, & som powder of muske, which was judged in the beginnyng to have byn poyson, A bull of the popes promiseng pardon for all fawts bothe don & to be don whatsoever. A charme wherbye he was perswaded to have byn invisible after the facte, A shyrte of superstycyon sett with crosses and characters hallowed att our Ladye of Charters to kepe hym from dethe, wownde & ymprisonment. A wryteng expressyng his enterprise to be don agaynste certayne sedycyows [ deleted: flemyngs] flemyshe heretyckes. Fyrst for the glorie of god, next to revenge his kyng, thyrdlie to delyver certayne godlye men owt of prison. fowrthlye for the honor of his natyon, lastlye for his own ymortalitye (yt was not trew that he had any lre [fol. 12r] Abowt hym of the Spa: Ambassadors resydeng att Parys, butt he had ij Bylles of exchaunge, the one of ijm [crowns] & the other of 860. addressed to on Gasper Aniastro a merchant of this towne./

When his bodye & these things had bin well perused they erected him in the same apparell in the cheeffe markett place upon a skaffolld to be vyewed & deciphred, where he was incontynently knowen of a nomber to be a Biscayn, servant & booke keper to Gasper Aniastro a Biscayn inhabyteng here, Wherby in serchyng presentlye of Aniastros howsse, they fownde hym removed the wensday beffore owt of the towne, & his goods made awaye, which gave occasion to sease the persons of suche as were lefte behynde, among whom the Cassyer beyng princypall, declared who made the pistoll, & tolld of a preest that had conffessed hym the fridaye beffore, & that the same daye had seyd masse in their howsse & who were presente theratt./

The smythe that made the pistoll discharged him sellf indifferentlye, shewyng that he had tawght hym to shoote theryn, as a person unsuspected pretending a vyage into England, & had cawsed him to exercise the sayd pistoll 3. severall tymes, But at the third tyme the stocke of the pistoll brake abowtt the breeche which was naylled up agayne by the sayd smythe, & then charged a freshe by hym the sonday mornyng butt to what use he knew not, yet assuryng that there was no poyson theryn./

Towching the preest, he att last was dryven to open that he had byn conffessor to this lewd person, & had absollved hym for the facte that he sholld do, & therupon sayd masse unto hym upon the sondaye./

The Cassyer desyres to be permytted to dye an ordynarye deth, & not by torture & qwarteryng, & then wyll he discover the truthe & grownd in particularityes, whens this fowll practise is derived & who be Actors theryn./

[fol. 12v] Aniastro cam to Bruges on thursday mornyng, & from thens ryd to Donkyrck, som affyrmeng that he is in england, which is to be loked to, & som others, that he is stayed att Calyce by his Credytors./

After that the dead corse had byn shewed the Sondaye on the markett, he was the day following behedded as a traytor, hys privey parts cut of, embowelled & qwarterd./ On sondaye abowt 5. of the clocke, Monsieur went to visyte the Prynce, betwene whom was a verey swete yntertaynment, muche to the comfort & assurans of Monsieur to se the corayge & resolutyon of the sayd prince, & the principles that he instructed hym yn, by whose advise he dispatched that night one messenger to her majestie, & another to his brother, to signeffye unto theme the truthe of the accydents hapned./

Tomorow shalbe a generall faste & prayers for the health of the sayd Prince./

Towching the state of the princes person, this is to be considred, both of the person & the hurte. fyrst that he is of yeres gyven to surffetts, & had att that dynner comytted som extraordynarye excesse. Further that he is on, whose hed & spirytes do labor contynuallye and was never hurte beffore./

The hurte is in suche a parte, as wilbe harde to kylle the fyre, and therfore to dyvert infflamatyons, they have lett him blood twyce since the hurte. They have dressed hym allso twice yesterdaye, & do finde that the swelling decreaseth, at lest wise they saye so & that att the later dressyng som whyte matter appered. he is forbidden to speke, but he hathe wrytten since above 3. sheetes of paper with his own hand of som speciall matter. & dothe now admytt verey few to se him./

Votallys Monsieurs doctor hathe the cheeffe charge of hym for phisyck, being estemed singuler in the wowndes that do com by fyre or by bullett, wherof he hathe wrytten a treatyse, & to him is joyned Monsieurs surgyon, & on Gasper a surgyon of this towne, with the other surgyons beffore recited./

[fol. 13r] Ytt is thowght impossible but that the Arterye is towched with the bullett, or with the accydents of the fyre, which yf yt be, yt is then a cure uncurable. he can verey hardlye swallow, & till the x ^th^ daye be past nothing can be assured, for his liffe depends of the accidents that will appere in the mene tyme ether by fever or ympostumatyon ./

which humble disscowrse I do beseke your L. in all speade to ymparte with her majestie & with my [ deleted: L Thresuror] ^Sq of Ned^ , & Master [ deleted: Secretorye] ^bachelor^ , beyng throwlye infformed of that I wryte, & therfore have sent this my servant to your L of purpose, prayeng yow for the ymportance of the cawse, & the occasyons that do dailye breke furthe, to retorne me presente answeare. wherwith I humblye finishe, assuryng your L. that I will do her majestie when I have harde from yow, servyce of ymportance, as ytt imports her yndede to have a trustye, dylygent, [ deleted: & suffycyent] person here att this Instant. the 20 of marche Andwarpe 1581 your L. most humblye [ deleted: W Herlleli] ^Nichol. Hampton^


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