[fol. 177r] May it plese your L to understand that on sonday in the after noone, arryved att this Cowrtt, the Cownt of Rocheferrallt, whose comyng rejoyssed monsieur wonderfullye, & his offer to bryng ij C gentillmen well horsed to [ deleted: gather] his service, with their Trayne, & a certayn nomber of footemen./
On monday mornyng abowtt x of the clock, advertisements cam, that Coronell Temple, accompanyed with Thyant & La Gard, had gotten the towne of [ Marginalia (by Herle): Allost] Allost by scalad, & by intelligens had with some of the Town./ The garison of Albaneses were abrode with a convoye, in whose absens, this was executed, which is to be ascribed to chance rather, than conductyon: for the son was an hower highe, beffore they cam to the walles, & they had overshott their tyme assigned, more than .3. howres, so as the deffence of 25. men, had reppullsed theme, beyng a Town ympregnable, asswell for the new fortifficatyons as the scyte of the place./
The Govenor Muckeron & his new spowse were taken, & above 500. preests, that were retyred thither for saffetye, & with theme ij fatt abbotts. ytt was a prise of singuler ymportance for the state of the whole contry, & of as grett a losse to the enmye, By which menes Bruxelles, Dermond, macklyng, Villfford, & Gawnt (of on syde) ar all assured./
ytt is dowttfull, whatt the enmye will do, ether persiste to beseege Owdenar [d] (who hath no small beneffite by these 3. dayes rayne that is fallen) or remove to som other place./ monsieur, who dyd even Langwisshe for Owdenard & Gawntt, is now revyved well, & the passayge is free from [hens] to Bruxelles, & the whole Land of [maes,] & Allost assured, which conteyn in theme above 300. good villaygs./
Provysyon of vyttaylles & munityon (with marvaylows spede, lest the enmye sholld prevent theme) was made from hens to Allost, by the Ryver schelld to Dermownd, & from thens by the Tender into Allost, which provysyons ar saffelye [ deleted: arryved] entred as yesterdaye./
The frenche, Englyssh, & scotts that were att Ecklowe, do marche this day towards Gawnt, to yncamp bettwen the Town & the enmye, that they may take advantayge of the occasyons presented, & kepe Gawnt yn order./
Temple hath a nother enterprise in hand, which is thowght to be ether, Lovayn or Bollduck, yn which latter place, there be above 3000. preests, retrayted together./
Master norrys is departed towards his charge, & most bryng the same to serve yn these parts, yett the matter is reffered to the Land Rade, or Contreye Cowncell of Gellders & the provyncs abowtt, whither they will retayne him longer there, who ar thowght will nott be scrupolows in dischargyng him, so small affectyon do they bere to sowdyors. Butt by this mene som frencheman, or rather the Cownt of Hollock (that shalbe the princs son in Lawe) [fol. 177v] is to be placed there. For our grettnes & strengthe in this contry wilbe dayle deminisshed./ The enmye hath beffore Owdenarde abowtt 15m footmen olld sowdyers, among which be Polwillers, fronsberg, & fowckers, regyments that have byn these xij yeres in paye. Therbe 3m horsemen by the powll, with grett store of artyllerye, havyng made a brydge over the water of schelld & do holld their sentinell as far as Eke & Landhutt, which ar within a small leage & a hallf of Gawnt, They do nott as yett batter the towne butt they had gathered the peysants to mouwnt their canon./
herewith in is a paper of the governors of the provynces & Townes that do holld att this present ether of the spaynissh or frenche syde which I thowght nott unffitt for your L.
Du Bee is departed from hens towards her majestie yesternight, wherwith I very humblye fynisshe. Andwerpe the 25. of Aprill. in haste. 1582. your L. most humblye assured. W Herllli.
