Transcript

[fol. 216r] Being lothe to troble your L. with muche writeng, and as lothe by scylens, to shew mi sellf slack in dutye, I presume humblye to putt you in remembrance that the tyme approcheth, which Du Vraye enjoyned me, for writeng over to hym having receved the cipher, which he first left with me, & assigned me a place certayn in paris whither to dyrect mi lres, which is mencyoned in his schedule that your L. Receved in those scribled papers that I sent you. I wolld knowe of your L. with whatt matter I sholld yntertayn hym, & whither sir Henry Cobham will faythfully gyve receipite to suche lres as shall passe bettwen the sayd Du Vraye & me. [ Marginalia (by Herle): yf ani com to his hands] This occasyon mi L. is not [ deleted: contempned] to be contempned for trulye I take hym to be an honest man, & very humblye & syncere & affected towards your L. being disposed to advertis me of matter of moment, which he wolld have you understand of me. He moved me whither I thowght it nott a saffe waye, to enclose his packett that he wolld addresse unto me under a cover that caryed directyon to your L. wherof & of ani other thing that itt may plese you to comand, I wolld gladlye knowe your will, for on thursdaye God willeng I mene to satissfye by writeng, the covenante that is establysshed bettwen us so your L. do lyke therof.

For myne owne cawses here, that has hapned, which I all wayes fered, for Hollmes departs this weke beyond the seas, & so is mi estate browght to despaire. The Terme allso comes on, & therewith more executyons uppon mi neck. mi comissyoners have differed mi this money well nye, withowt ones sytteng for me, som of theme disputyng how formalitye shalbe observed. forgettyng clene the materyall poynts that is comitted to ther charge, wheryn unles they had som conyng, joyned with a secrett yntent to detayne me still here, I know nott whye this strange & uncharitable proceding [fol. 216v] sholld be used with me. for I mi sellf, having trusted only in mi sellf, cowd have ended all mi cawses, beffore this tyme, which is now far from mi power & hath deppended of the favor whollye, that [men] loked to have proceded from your L. & the Lord Thresuror. Trewlye master fanshawe & master Norton, have borne a good mynde to tender & dispatche me, butt the third person (thrust yn I know nott by whom) hath utterlye discorayged me, & is more nyce [ deleted: than] & [ ... ] , than ceremonye it sellf, for as he procedes, ytt gives shew that yf the creditors wolld forgive me the whole dett, he wolld nott allowe of it, for that his comissyon dyrects hym to a cowrse certayne he sayth. Butt I hope, that I shall nott troble theme long, for the highe God, who is the gracious decyder of all difficultyes, will breke the stryfe havyng visited me here in prison with the spyce of a Hectick fever, as he dyd Sir John Throckmorton, mi slepe & appetite havyng forsaken me & the other accydents encresyng therewith, that a myndful of Any wishe & melancholye [ Marginalia (by Herle): Bowre] may be charged with. Yf your L. sawe mi Bowre & the conyng to it, you wolld saye that it were the very seatt of melancholye, & even the Imayge of that darcke waye which ledes to dethe or despayre, beyng well assured that your [noble] nature wolld pittye me with your harte. Master Smithe the Customer was with me on Satterday, to conffort me (as he hath byn sondry tymes) whose harte bled he sayd to beholld me & the place. / I am sorye that mi creditors (for whom I carye a conscyens) & 4. poore ynffants that be (without me) orphans shall lese the hope that I had conseved to have satisfied ether of their hopes. I delivered to sir John Hubord a paper, which he faythfullye promised [fol. 217r]to have given to your L. that theryn you might have sene the state of the Raglership, & of that thing which I humblye crave by your honorable mediatyon & mi L. Thresurors, of her majestie yn fe farme the copye wherof I have ynclosed heryn, to the end that it may plese your L. to shew it the L. Thresuror, who therby may perceve, that yf it were worthe 50li a yere in K. Richard the seconds tyme, ytt is nott now worthe us by the yere, being disturbed as it is. Therfore yf itt may plese you bothe, in respect of mi former servyces to her majestie & to you bothe, & for the charitye that is to be extended towards mi creditors & sondrye others, that deppend of mi good, respectyng somwhatt the person of a distressed man in me, to move her majestie for the fee farme of it, ytt will never be denyed & so shall I dye & lyve the more contented. for mi Leasse of the Ragler, there is non will give me 50li for itt, I have payd vijcc nobles for Rent therof, & spent mli abowtt it. To obtayne it att xxli nobles Rent in fee farme is booteles, for ytt will yelld me no comoditye, which consydred I humblye refferre it to your goodnes, whom I have trulye loved & followed, havyng ever had that oppynion of you, that your sellf willed me to have of suche a on as was borne noble & had a noble disposityon towards me, observyng another precept of yowres, that I sholld be yowres wholly undevyded, & so God is mi judge I have byn, which her majestie Remembred me of, sayeng that it conserned you in honor to holld me in good accompte, [ Marginalia (by Herle): There is non in the worlld, that ayded me with on peny since I cam into prison, now xv wekes & ij dayes] & to do for me, seyng that for your sake, I had sondry grett adversaryes who have crossed mi [ ... ] & prefferment, butt I rejoyse in God that he hath dyrected mi hart to love & serve you, & wolld spend mi harte blood to conffirme the same still towards your L. Whom God preserve the Cownter. 24.Maye 1580. your L. humble W. Herlleli.