Transcript
Editorial comments:
BL MS Lansdowne 55 f. 217r - 218v. William Herle to Lord Burghley.
Address Leaf:
[Superscription:]
To the R. honorable mi very good Lord, the L. Thresuror of Eng
[lan]
d &c. gyve
these/
[Endorsement by unknown hand:]
xix. martij. 1587. Master William Herle. Leave to depart the Realme./
Letter Text:
[fol. 217r]
I Receved by mi servant, R. h. L. the diffinityve sentence that her majestie hath gyven
to your L. towching me: for the which I canott butt bewayll my hard estate, & make of
necessity a vertew, which yett might move stupidity, nott pacyens, to be greved:
Having never offended her majestie ones in thought, why she sholld withdrawe so
hevily her gracious favor & cowntenance from me, & therwith her manifold promises:
Butt I am most humbly contented with her good plesure, whattsoever she decree,
whom I esteme the Imaige of God, & therfore whatt her majestie had sayd or
grawnted advisedly, as a Soveraigne, to so poore a servant of hers, to have byn
Regium. Wherof (yf it be a fawtt) I presumed the more, & which she hath graciously
accomplisshed to others (better frynded) & I alone excluded & contempned, after the
disbursement of myne owne, ye all & more then I had, in her service, as yett
unallowed or recompensed: wherby I have nether fee lefte to serve her, nether credite
nor hope to mayntayne mi sellf longer, nor ever had land or office, to tye me. wherfore
I do beseke your R. h. L. even in highe necessity, & for Godds mercy sake, to be a
mene that I may have her graciows Testymoniall & favor, for mi loyall behavior &
duty contynewed, to her majestie & the State, duryng mi service, & her Royall leve to
departe in convenyent speede, to gett mi lyveng abrode, wherwith I shall holld my
sellf fully satisfyed & rewarded, & so myne enmyes (ye hers) nott beholld mi fall
here, that otherwise is att hande, which
[am]
subject to their calumpinacons & malice,
for her service, & redy dayly to be arrested & undon, nott havyng brede to lyve on./
which is the som of mi humble, lawfull, peticion, & the only thing R. h. L. I crave,
percevyng mi case in this Cowrtt, to be most wretched, that yf to daye a poore knights
Rowne of wyndsor (muche more ani gretter thing) were grawnted me; tomorow som
wolld procure it for their servant, frynd, or Ligeman, & I depryved, wherfore
compelled, do beqwethe mi sellf to the worlld, in this mi late Awtompne, despayre
havyng seased bothe me & mi
[menes]
here, butt yf I lyve & prevayll abrode, [fol. 217v] your L.
shall fynde, that I will nott be undutifull for your honorable goodnes towards me
wherof I have very largely tasted, which God mercifully beholld, beyng bownd to
your L. by a bond of neere Reverens & love in nature, by the howse that I com of,
wherwith besekyng your favorable dispatche & answer, I take mi leve. Temple Barre
the 19. of marche. 1587. your L. ever most humbly bownden W. Herllli.