[fol. 214r] In sendyng mi man R. honorable good L. over to sollicyte mi poore cawses there, I cowd nott addresse him to ani that ether for hablenes or favor, wolld [vow] chesave me more good than your L. therfore I have charged him to attend uppon [yow] of whom your L. shall understand mi occasyons att large, which in an humble conffydens I comend to your honorable goodnes./
I have sent att this present ij platts of Owdenard to her majestie the on att large & the other yn a lesse Rowne, describeng perffectlye the present State of the Towne & the Camp, wherewith I wolld have sente yow copyes of bothe, butt that my paynter hath differed me, & yett I offred hym 20. nobles for expedicyon. your L. yn the mene tyme may have the vyew of these other platts, till your own may com./
Towching the sayd Owdenard. The Enmye hath beten down the Curteyne of Ravellyng, & parte of the gate on that north syde, called the Gawnt porte & hath with the spade (which on daye will eqwall the Canon yn estymatyon) clothed the dyche of the Ravellyng, & therby entred the same, & is becom master of ytt butt nott of the gate. Butt from the gate Estwards, they have fylled up the dyche a long space, so as their assallte may com to the Breache, as uppon drye Land. / They were xv. dayes abowtt that worck, by reson that the stream of the Ryver there (yncreased by Inundacion) ran so swyffte, as ytt caryed awaye the faggotts faster, than they cowd be cast yn. which Lastlye remedyed, by makyng bagges of their Tents, & castyng of [ ... ] erthe ynto the swyftest of the Streme, wherby they raysed an Argyne to breke the cowrse of the water, & then was the rest easelye fylled up with faggots & Rubbyssh, even to the mowth of the Breche, & all along the curteyne of the gate./ These faggotts were browght from the wood [ deleted: of the est syde of the Towne] , that lyeth under the hyll, where they made their fyrst Battrye./ They within, have cowntertrenched the Breache, & have made a large hallf moone with ij grett flanckers right over agaynst the Gawnt port, bryngeng yn the water from the Estsyde att the poynt of the Towne, by a grete new dyche that passeth throwgh on Curtyn to another, ynto the [ deleted: dyche] Town dyche of ether syde wherby they have cutt of that qwarter of the Town clene, from the Breche & the gate, & yett do they kepe bothe nottwithstandyng, havyng layd plancks over to passe to the sayd gate, & to the cownter Trenche, where the Breache ys.
The Enmye hath reysed a mownt uppon the Ravellyng that he hath won to bete throw the myddell of the Town, & thence from the deffence of the gate wherfore they within have devised to make ij mownts behynde [ deleted: ether] ^this^ Bullwarck of their new hallf moone, from whens they both may offend & deffend, & beate down the gate of the ynsyde, yf the enmye were made master of ytt./
yesterdaye mornyng cam to the Duke, messengers in haste from Gawnt, who caryed butt sorowfull cowntenance, & were with me in mi chamber a long space affyrmeng that they of Owdenard had on frydaye fownd a myne of the Enmye under the gate, whose worckmen they kylled, & destroyed the myne allso. Butt they fere [ deleted: of] som secrett myne, that the sayd Enmye may have to answer with [fol. 214v] the Town, & to salye owtt therof when the opportunitye is offred: which consydryng the separatyon that is bettwen the Town & the Enmye, by the new conducte of water, semes unlykelye, unles that the same new worck be rather athyng designed, than absolutlye don. They have ij Engyners, by whose advise they have broken down all their Brydges that ar within the Town, Layeng planckes to passe to & from, by which they may retyre as ynto new saffegards, yf the enmye sholld enter the forepart of the Town by myne or by assallte, Butt those Retraytts withall, may take awaye their corayge, yn deffendyng the first part, with that resolutyon they owght to do./ ytt
On Tewsdaye vyllyers marshall of our Camp with iiij C englyssh pykes & viij C shott, & iiij C horse made Allto, within hallf a leage of Owdenarde, sendyng Roger Williams with 80. englyssh Lawncs & xij Argolettyers to discover, who comyng uppon the Cors de gard of the Enmye, consysteng of .3. cornetts of albaneses, charged & chassed theme valyantlye, ynto the marqwesse of Ryssburgs qwarter, beyng within [ deleted: pystell] pystoll shott of the Tents, frowryng along their Trenche & toke 4. prisoners brave fellowes away with hym, wherof ij were sentynelles./ Butt Vyllyers gave him leve to go & com unseconded contrarye to his promys. which hath offended the P. of Orenge muche. The allarme & conffusyon was grett yn the Camp, supposyng that our whole forcs had byn com to have charged theme Owr Camp shall remove after it is mustred, to [Gaver,] nerer the Enmye which wilbe a 3. dayes hence./ To which purpose monsieur hath procured with muche a do, 60m gylldernes from this Town, & a C m att Gawnt of the 4. members of flanders, to gyve a generall moneths paye among the sowdyors, The Rutters be allredy payed in Champaygne./
On fryday the tyme expired, that monsieur had preffixed, for the Relevyng of Owdenard, by dyvertment, or by chargyng of the Enmye. The sayd Enmye hath sent ix dayes ago 22. cornetts of horsemen ynto Arthoys to observe the Rutters./
We had an exploytt uppon Armentyers & uppon Cortryck this other weeke, whither Rochepott & captayn Yorcke were addressed with iiij C horse, & a m. footemen/ butt myssed of bothe placs./ Att Cortryck they made .3. several scalades, & wer reppullsed with the losse of 150. men, Among which were ij frenche Captaynes brave fellowes./
Thus, our dyvertments ar becom lyke as att Areschott allso, for ether the provydens of the Enmye is grett (who sent foote & horse Bands to assiste those placs) or our purposes, by highnes, discoverd beffore we begyn./
They have another enterprise att Bollduck by Intelligens had within, which hath byn long a handlyng. And now they have sent Strall the Amant & a Cowncell of this Town, to obteyne somwhatt. who ar nott yett returned./
On Thursday arryved the Cownt of mansffellt conductor of our Rutters here landyng att donkerk from Quilleyn, & was grettlye ynterteyned by the d. & the P./ [ Marginalia (by Burghley): 300 fr.lances 200 Argolys 2000 french sh.] his Trowpes be presentlye in Arthoys, accompanyed with iijC frenche lawncs ij C Argolettyers & iij m frenche shott. Of the Rutters there be 5. cornetts that make xv C horse, well fylled with gentyll men./iiij C Lewde [fol. 215r] horse mene be allredy in Cambreses, that ar joyned with the Rutters./
The footemen lye att marqwyon, a strong grownd by reson of the marisshes & the horse att Arlews & Le'schise, makyng dayle [prodes] & incursyons to the gates of Arras, spoylleng & Branscuttyng the whole contry, attemptyng to [ Marginalia (by Herle): vis] surprise vyz, within ij leages of Arras & a hallf, though it be nott pregnable withowt the Canon. which therffore is to Amuse & dyvert the Enmye./
The Rutters do saye for the comyng of Forvackes, who is att hand, with his Band of ordynans, & v C horse mene, allso certayne foote bands of [ Marginalia (by Herle): La ferte] normandye, yn whose companye is La ferte./ Lavall is well onward his waye towards Cambraye, with the Trowpes that he brings./
The Swyttzers that monsieur sholld have, be stayed by their Cantons uppon discoverye of the enterprise agaynst Gyneva./
The new forcs that be yn Arthois in their marche hitherwards, sholld take their [ deleted: jorney by Bren] waye by [Benwement] , over the lyttell Ryver Scarp, to Rybbecowrtt, & to mownt en pewle, levyng dewaye on the right hand & Lenz on the lefte, procedyng to Pont a Bovyn to Mewffuille & Hallwyn & so to menyng uppon the Lys, a place of our own/ A fayre redy waye withowt ympechement of Ryvers, or strong placs, yett levyng Lyle ij leages on the left hand. from menyng to Owdenard vij leages, & to Gawnt iv. But the sure passayge hither, is Iper, [dyxende] , & newport, And then along the sea syde to Brugs &c./
ytt is thowght that the P. of Parmas horsemen joyned [ ... ] Arthoys, will fyght with the Rutters or coste theme to take som advantayge /
The frenche K. his promis for the shuttyng up of the passaygs, of maziers & Calyce, is nott as yett parfformed, which revokes yn dowtt the reste of his assurancs, cawseng our affayres here to Langwissh./ ytt is excused that the K. dyfferes things for the best, till he have furnisshed the frontyers of Burgondye with forcs, to answer the spaniards on that syde, yf they attempt ynvasyon in their marche./ The d. of Loreyn hath byn demanded passayge throwgh his contry for the spanyards & Italyens./
Att Colleyn, there is huge preparatyon made of munycion & Armes for the P. of Parma, And the nomber of protestants do yncrease there daylye, who do urge the magistrate to grawnt them publyck placs for exercyse of the Re [li] gion, which nott grawnted, may be the mother of comocyon./
By the departure of master norrys owtt of Gellderland, the whole contry is in danger to be lost asswell by the forcs of the enmyes that do increse, as by the sclender devotyon of the nobylytye there, who ar muche alltred./ And this the [ ... ] [ Marginalia (by Herle): The Cowncell of Estate by an agrement betwen the D. & the Estats general ar changeable every vj moneths./] to parfforme our contributyons here, do grettlye demynishe, nott beyng yn the Towns alone, to bere the whole burden of the chargs, withowt the ayde of the [Champion] And som begyn to compleyn of the yll choyse of officers, that this Cowncell of Es [tate] have putt ynto the adminsistratyon of the fynances./ Other pyks & gelowsyes ther ar, wherof your L. shall here now shortlye. And yf Owdenard be nott releved, [ deleted: bothe] & preserved, monsieur & the P. will Taste of som allteracion./
They have yesterdaye establysshed a new pryvey Cowncell, whose names ye [fol. 215v] have by the next./ ytt is hoped that monsieur by Backevylles sollicyteng in England shall have mony, wherof we be born yn hand, & that the mariayge is nott withowt hope./
Du Plessis, had his dispache on wensdaye for the Imperyall dyett, butt is nott yett departed: for his jorny shalbe throw france to speke first with the K. \ The D. of Bullyon is cheef in comissyon for monsieur, & for the Stats of the Lowe Contryes, to negociate their cawses att the sayd dyett, which cheefflye is their justyffication, & next to procure the Dukes Investyture, assuryng the Pryncs of the Empire, of his faythe all wayes to the Empire, wherof these Lowe Contreys (devyded ynto ij Cyrcles) make a mightye member, nott to be despysed/ [ Marginalia (by Herle): & is rejected] The d. hath prepared som frynds there allredy, butt the certyen tyme of the sayd dyett is nott preffixed./
Coronell Steward, after he hath byn att Battemburgh takes his jorny ynto Scottland, & hath comissyon to bryng vij or viij C men thens, butt he hath other ynstructyons more secrett from hens to the K. wherof it is necessary to have good regarde./
I am [ deleted: gald] glad that our men shall have som treyneng here allso, whatt event soever happen, And ytt shall behove your L. to cherysshe & cowntenance this nurserye with a speciall care & favor./ Among whom there be as [ deleted: [murserye] brave] Brave men as ar in christendom./
Don Anthonios declaratyon in printe agaynst the K. of Sp: Tends here to [s] ell lycencs, to assure their Traffick ynto Spayn, that will lye those of the sayd don Anthonios [factons] , which doth discredit the actyon, & breedes a presaige of pyracye or ymposture that will follow. His Armye is sayd to be made agaynst the Indyes fleett/ wherwith I very humblye finissh. this sondaye [ Marginalia (by Burghley): on sonday] in haste the firste of julye. Andwerpe. 1582./ your L. most humblye. W Herlleli.
Master Herle to my Lord with the Plat of Audenarden & alost.
