[Superscription:]
To the R. honorable mi very good L. the L. highe Thresoror of England &c.
gyve
[the]
se with spede./
[Endorsement by unknown hand:]
21. octob. 1586. Master Herle to my L.
[fol. 41r]
R. honorable good L. may it plese yow to be advertised, thatt wheras the Erlle of
Lecester dispatched me hither to her majestie som good while sithens, for sondry
cawses of ymportance, which beyng faythfully delyverd & sollicyted of mi parte, I am
now determyned of mi sellf, to retorne to the Erlle, with the repporte of my indevors,
& the rather for that his Lordship hath expresslye wylled me of Late, to reppayre unto
him, which I wolld have don with the Last Convoye, butt that I have attended to speke
with your L. & to cary over from yow (yf ye so vowchesaved) the Repporte of the
Scottish Q. actyons, which wilbe most gratefull to the Erlle, yf he may be advertised
of theme from your L. & I shall thinck mi tyme well employed, to have expected this
opportunitye, & to have the mene contynuallye, to increse the noble Amitye that is
bettwen your .2. persons, beyng bolld to assure yow from the Erlle, that he doth
syncerely & most Lovynglye embrace your L. & yowres, &
[
deleted: as his perfect fryndes]
& doth
Relye in your wisdom & fryndship entyerlye, havyng charged me, in ani matter that
conserned him, or mi sellf (comyng from him) to addresse mi sellf to your L. freely, &
that I sholld be assured of your honorable favor & advancement./ which I am bolld to
crave att this present. your L. knowes, that I was employed by her majesties warrant, &
by a direct charge from the Cowncell allso, to the Erlle of Lecester, that he sholld use
me in the affyares of Estfrizeland, wherin I so behaved mi sellf (as may appere) that
her majestie was well served on that behallf, & our merchants preserved from undoyng
att Embden, in which actyon I had as grett difficultye, travayll & danger, as ani man
might passe, & was fayne to gyve mi pryvate Bond to the Admirall of Holland, for his
discharge, in case the Relesyng of the Embden shippes, were layd to his charge by the
States, which whatt honor it dyd purchasse to
[her]
majestie in those partes, whatt
assurance to our Traffyck & merchants & how grett obligacion in Erlle Edzard, for the
favor Receved, by her majesties procurement, is fitter for your L. to judge, than for me
[to]
[fol. 41v] expresse. I only desire your L. to be a mene, that mi expences & dyett be
answerd, which appertaynes allso to the Cowncell, that they sholld have regarde
therof, beyng advanced by their avowe & commissyon, & the service her majesties
alone, wherin I have spent vij moneths, beyng a poore man, & never Receved of her
majestie to the valew of viij C li to this daye in recompense of
^all mi^
poore services
(my pencyon excepted)
[
Marginalia
(by Herle): which I am hable to justeffye att the Cowncell boorde wherfore
a small possibility in me]
that I shall be hable to yndure so grett a charge, & yett mi
last service beffore this into Est frizeland stood me in 300 li of myne own purse,
promised fayne to be recompensed by office & otherwise, butt hitherto have borne the
burden alone./ ytt plesed your L. to saye unto me att wyndsor, of late, that when master
secretory sholld be com to the Cowrt, ye wolld hellp mi cawse, wherof now I humbly
deppend./
And yf her majestie vowchesave to comande me ani thing partyclarly att this present,
[
Marginalia
(by Herle): into the Lowe Contryes]
I wolld most humbly be redy to do the same, & to cary the packett allso, with that
spede & security that may be required for I have provyded mi passage, wherwith I
dutifullye take mi leve. the Strond the 21. of october.
1586. your L. very humblye W
Herlleli.
[Postscript:]
my L. of Lecester assured me that uppon mi first arryvall hither, addressyng
mi sellf in so gratefull a service to your L. that I shold be furthwith well satisfyed,
wherof I beseke yow to have a favorable care, to the end I be nott utterlye overthrowne.
seyng that servants ar nott to bere the charge of their Soveraignes service/