[fol. 52r] My R. honorable good L. ytt maye plese your L to pardon me, yf that [I] have nott the leysure att this present for the sodayn departure of the poste, to wryte unto you att large as I wolld, butt I have desired master Secretory to ympart with your L. suche matter as I have sent him, which consernes very ample advertisment of the state of the Imperyall dyett & of the affayres of these contreys. Lyke wise I have sent to Master Beall Clerck of the Cowncell sondrye papers in the highe duche tong [ ... we comunicated] with yow in & with all a booke in englyssh exametrum verse of part of virgyll, don by on Stanihurst an Iryssh man remayneng at Lyden in Holland which for the Rarenes of the thing I thowght mete to be perused by your L. howbeit in mi symple censure it is a towgh pece of worck & harshe joyned with obscuritye ytt may plese your L. to take mi humble menyng in good parte./
Uppon fryday last The Townessmen of Lyre were sworen to be trew subjects to the K. of Spayn, & to be enmyes to the french K. to the D. of Allenson, the P. of Orenge & to all adherentse favorers, & succorers which is materyall for her majestie to understand with whom most humbly I beseke your L. to yntertayne a remembrance [of] me poore sowll. There was a drome of this Town present att the Acte of the othe, which was don publycklye in the markett place, [ deleted: herewith I may make] synce which tyme, I have byn [conffirmed] by others that were present att ytt./
Herewith I most nott over passe that which is wrytten in grett lres uppon the gate of Lyre viz. Di stat van Antwerpen is tho hueren thryen Balmes. The Towne of Andwarp is to be lett or hired towards mychellmas mart. hereby they make a warehowse of ytt, & prepare ytt for new marchants./
The K. of Sp: hath by the advertisments owtt of Germany given these Lowe Contreyes in dowrye with his elldest dowghter to the Emperor, butt yf the Emperor be ympotent (as is affirmed) in procreatyon then is the same a playn abuse, to seme more plawsible to England & frawnce./
The sayd K. hath written sondry lres to the Baylye of flushing, ynducy [ng] him with large promises, to betraye the sayd Town, which lres he hath faythful [ly] comunicated with the P. of Orenge from tyme to tyme, yett it is thowght meet for more surety to remove him owtt of the Iland to som other charge, to avoyd often temptacions.
The report that the Q. majestie is conspyred agaynst to be murtherd, encreseth, which is gravelye to be loked unto, & by mi next I will procure som partycularytyes of it. And so I humblye take mi leve for this tyme. Andwerpe the xij ^th^ of Awgust. 1582./ Your L. most faythfullye ever. W. Herlleli.
