Transcript

[fol. 23r] Wheras it plesed your L. yesternight to demande mi oppynion, whither the preparacion of donkerck might be addressed, with their cownterfeytt ensygnes of flusshing. Truly, they may kepe us in suspence with many enterprises att ones, consydering that they have somany sowdyers of their own to be employed, besyde the intelligence they have with vesselles of Calyce, deepe & other placs of frawnce, which may execute som dangerows soddeyn action, where it is nott loked for./ Among which, seyng that Lansack of Late, had a practis within flusshing & so wolld have attempted to surprise it, beyng furnisshed with 2. comissyons, the on for shew from his master for frenche service; & the other from Spayne, to execute whatt occasyon wolld present: I humbly thinck it convenyent, that flusshing be first substancially provyded for, as the place most desyred by th'enmye, & of grettest ymportance to us, to conserve by it, the rest./ Next, the forte [ deleted: of] uppon the Hownd, belonging to Bergen up zume, allso Terunse, Axell, Ostend, Sluse, Lullo, WilliamStat, Zuricksea, & those within the Ryver of the Mase, owght to be spedilye advertised of the Enmies cawtell; And so those within the Zudersea, albeit there is no danger ympendyng, that ani place on that coste can Receve, butt Campen only. uppon the mowth of the Ryver Isell wherfor the sent & the moment therof, is most worthy to be looked to, having a long large kaye or wharff, to land iijm men uppon att an instant, wherby the Towne under fallse Ensignes, might easely be possessed./ Of owr coste, the mayne chance is Grenewiche, yf her majesties person might be seased therin, butt that caryes many difficultyes with it, & well ny an ympossibility./ The next, Sheppye & our navye att Gyllingham, to deprive us of ether, which hath byn a long laye of the frenche & the spaynissh, for the subjectyon./ And yf this donkerck fleete do make up westward, bothe Portessmowth & the Ile of Wighte may be Aymed att, which I dowtt nott butt your wisdom hath forsene, & therwith speedyly cawse all the parts of England to be warned, whatt danger ether the sea coste or their navigacion may Receve, as lykewise that ye will furnisshe shippes of her majesties owtt to garde the passaygs, & to observe the cowrse of the enmye./ Truly I am of oppynion, that this their enterprize (whattsoever it be) was first hatched here, & clossely brought over to the Enmye by Sarmentas the Spaniard, who hath most lewdly deserved of her majestie your L. & of the whole Reallme which be the frutes of trust repposed in papisticall strangers. Butt God the preserver of his Churche in this kyngdom hath made him fall into the L. of navernes hands, the acte & mene notwithstanding, suspected to be owrs, butt before his delyvery good matter might be wrong owtt of him, for the generall service & cawse, & for the deciphreng of dangerows secrett platts & platt leyers here & abrode. There is on Christopher Cole, dwelling by the Iron gate a sufficyent honest [ deleted: man & towards the] seaman & an owner, who offres me a drawght of his in writeng, wherby he in good reason will assure her majestie that with 3. shippes, he wilbe master of the mowth [fol. 23v] of donkerck haven contynually agaynst all their forces, whatt wynde or storme soever blowe, repressyng the incursyons & grett spoylles, that they now thevisshly & scanderously exercise, whom yf it plese your L. to here, I will bryng him to yow. Withall I must humbly informe yow, that towching the Reprisalles & seasures, that the K. of Denmarck makes of englisshe menes goodes, it were verey necessary in my lowly & poore skyll, before matters grew to further inconvenyencye [ Marginalia (by Herle): & asperity] , to waye the dignitye & necessity of the cawse, & by good messaige speedily, to stay the cowrse, & the dangerows contempt that followes. for I do understand from place of credite, that he doth stomack us & will bothe persever & procede, unles he be well & substanciallye satisfyed from her majestie being otherwise well affected of him sellf to her person & Crown./ In which negotiation, yf your L. so vouchesaved, & thought it convenyent, I cowd do good offices & under this dissolve ani other difficultye & dyfferens unlyqwided, with that advantaige to her majestie that might be reqwired I presume, for besyde the knowlege I have of his Cowrtt & Contry, & of that which hath byn hitherto handled, I am allso nott menely estemed & respected by the K. in his judgement: the charge & expencs of which negociation, might lykewise be borne by our merchants, seing they & the whole Traffick, ar herin so grettly interessed. The frenche Ambassador stormes wonderfully att the staye of his packett & of som of his, & threttens absolutely to cawse all Englysshmen (the Rebelles excepted) to be arrested in frawnce, Butt ther is a mene to decipher him further, & to intercept those of our people, that repayre in the night to his howse desgysed, Butt the mistery of this Aige killes the mynde & hability of honest men, & hinders the publyck service./ The lycens that Barnard Lewis the portingall Renyed, hath to carye leade & (which is municyon) to Lusbone, is grettly wondred att, in respect of him sellf & his unckell, that be helld Cowntermyners of the Religyon & the State under pretence of better offices. This towching the premisses, I thought humbly mi duty to signeffye to your L. & att mi retorne from London to waytt uppon yow mi sellf. Grenewiche the x ^th^ of January. 1586. Your L. most humbly bownden. W. Herlleli.