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[fol. 193r] Since I writt to your L. last, I am so contynually injuryed & wronged, as never pore man was more, wherby I am compelled even wholly agaynst mi will, to make mi humble complaynt to your L. & to be more importunate than becomes me; butt the cawse as it consernes mi life & credite, so may it deserve som excuse, th'occasion proceding from John Smith, who doth nott cesse to sturre up noble men & gentyllmen against me, pretending that I have dellt so tresonably against Mather, & making that service & suche like as grownd to cover his own malice withall, that I am entred into a generall hatred & speche att every table to be the dangerowst & worste man that ever lyved, & therby he is sory belike that the Q. majestie & your L. shold be preserved from ani danger, convertyng his ille mynde towards me, where he canott exercise it uppon gretter partyes. And I se further, that having suffred with to grett modesty this muche att his hands, & mi pore cowntenance & habilty waxing lesse every daye, that he wold now sowe a generall sclander & lothesomnes of me that being theruppon brought to a mislike with the whole world, som qwarrell & mischeef might be prepared for me, which taking place, the fact were deminished by the ille suggestyon allredy made, & I driven to suspecte eche manes oppinion. Which words mi Lord, I do nott utter rashly, nor with ani malice, butt moved uppon juste grownd, am more then forced (in regarding mi pore honesty) to provyde for the same, where longer scilens condempnes me utterly. Nether am I a ferd of dethe, which I se conspired against me, butt it greves me that in so gracyous a Raigne, that ani on in doing well shold be so oppressed, & made infamows for his fidelity sake, for otherwise did I never provoke John Smith ether in acte or gesture: beseching your L. that I & he may be called before yow, to th'end that he maye charge me of ani infamows acte that he can alledge, & nott in this sorte to sucke from me mi pore name & credite, & after that to triumphe uppon mi life which your L. wold be lothe to se ^harmed^ I knowe, hoping that if force maybe reppelled with force, that I may rather use preventyon, than to be thus insolently over throwen. And wheras mi Lords of the Cowncell did promys me in your presence, when as I was comitted to the Towre, that they wold be mi deffence for ani malice or infamy that I shold receve for mi service, & be also a mene to the Q. majestie for a liveng for me, it suffiseth me to comend this to your L. & them, to whom I comend mi devotyon verey humbly for ever. from mi Lodging this sonday mornyng the xvij. of maye. 1572. your L. most Bownden. W. herlle./