[Superscription:]
To the right honourable the L. Treasouror.
[Endorsement by Burghley?:]
1585 lres to William Herle from my L. burghley L. Tresoror of Irland England, found
amongst his wrytyngs & brought to the Erle of Lecester at the deth of Herle
[Endorsement by unknown hand:]
xiiij
^o^
Augusti 1585 from my L. Tresurer
[Note:]
18 July 1585, 24 D
^o^
(ditto mark), 29 D
^o^
(ditto mark), 6 Aug (ditto mark), 14 Aug (ditto mark), & this
[fol. 162r]
By your lre of the xj
^th^
, I perceave that yow heare the vile false and develishe
exclamacons against me by such as I know not, and therfore I can less judge what to
think of them in their degrees of their malice, and the Cawses therof. But as it semeth
to me, I may saie trewly
Acuerunt linguas sicut serpentes: venena aspidum sub labijs
eorum, And as it followeth in the same psalme,
Cognovi quia facit Dominus iudicium
inopis. Surely yf my Conscience did not acertaine me of Godes favor, and protection,
against these satanicall or fanaticall spirites, I should think my self in a most
wretched state: But I know, and have proved Goddes goodnes so manie yeres to
defend my innocencie, that I may boldly saie with david,
factus est mihi Dominus in
refugium, et Deus meus in adiuctorium spei meae: Et reddet illis iniquitatem ipsorum,
et in malitia eorum disperdet eos. I am therfore determined to adhere to God my only
patron, and shalbe redie to answer all spirites whersoever I may fynde them blasting,
and doubt not but yf they would to my self breath anie of these speeches, in presence
of anie honest companie, I would, with apparent trewth confound their blasphemies,
And therfore as yow show your self freindlie in reporting these villanies to mee, so
yow might shew me freindship in effect to my good, Yf yow would advise them to
charge me herewith, and yf they do think me guiltie hereof, they neede not feare to
accuse me, for I am not worthie to continew in this place, but I will yeild my self
^worthie^
not only to be removed, but to be punished for an example to others that they
should not abuse hir Majestie, and the office I hold/ Yf
[fol. 162v] Yf they cannot prove all these
lyes they utter, Lett them make anie one pointe wherwith to prove me guiltie of
falshood, of injustice, of briberie, of dissimulacon, of double dealing in advise in
Counsell, either with hir Majestie, or with the Counsellors, Lett them charge me in
anie pointe, that I have not dealt as ernestly, for the Quenes majestie to ayde the
affliction in the low Contrie, to withstand the increasing power of the K: of Spa: the
assurance of the K: of Scottes to be tyed to hir Majestie, with rewarde, yea with the
greatest pension, that anie other hath, yf in anie of these I may be proved to have bin
behinde or slower than anie, in a discreete manner as becometh a servant and a
Counsellor, I wishe my self worthie of a perpetuall reproche, as though I were guiltie
of all that they use to bluster against me.
They that saie in a rashe and malicious mockerie, that England is becom regnum
Cecilianum, may please their owne canckred humor with such a devise, But yf my
actions be considered, yf there be anie cawse given by me of such a nickname, there
maie be found out in manie others juster cawses to attribute other names than myne.
Yf my buildinges mislyke them, I confess my follie in the expences, bicawse som of
my howses ar to com yf God so please, to them that shall not have land to mainteine
them. I meane by my howse at Theobaldes, which was begon by me with a meane
measure, but increased by occasions of hir majesties often coming, whom to please I
would never omitt to straine my self to more charges, than building is, And yet not [fol. 163r]
not without som speciall direction of hir Majestie, uppon falte founde with the small
measure of hir chamber, which was in good measure for me, I was forced to enlarge a
roome for a larger chamber, which neede not be envyed for anie riches in it, more
than the show of olde okes and such trees, with painted leaves and fuites can give
cawse.
I thank God I owe nothing to these backbiters, though in deede much to manie honest
persones, whom I mynde to paie without briberie or villanie. for my howse in
Westminster, I think it so olde as it should not stirr envye, manie having of later tyme
buylt larger both in Citie and Contrie, And yet the building therof cost me the sale of
landes worth a Cli by the yere in Stafforde shire, thath I had of good K: Edward my
howse of Burghley is of my mothers inheritance who liveth, and is the owner of it,
and I but a fermer, And for the building thereon I have sett my walles but uppon the
olde fundacons, in deede I have made the rawgh stone walles to be of square, and yet
one syde remayneth, as my father left it me, I trust my son shalbe hable to mainteine
it, considering there ar in that shire, a dozen larger, of men under my degree.
Now shortly for my sonnes adhering to Northumberland, I mervaile why he should
not beare favor to him, that was his brother in law, as long as he knew no falte, my
sonn maryed his wyfe when no bodie sawe lykelihood, that Sir Henry Percie should be an
Erle. for his purchases, I know he hath ventred uppon no buyenges, than I allowed,
but I wishe he had not [fol. 163v] not solde his wyves landes of ancyent title in westmorland
in Cornewall, in Northhampton shire and worcester shire, of more valew, than that he
hath bought. They that envy him herein yf they be thriveng would not comitt such a
follie to buy new racked land for ancient, and at this daie I know he doth repent him
self. But I will end with my paper wishing yow could procure som person to utter
these thinges to our selves, and not cowardly to backbyte
^rs^
Auguste the xiiij
^th^
1585.
Your loving freind W:B:
[Postscript:]
Postscriptum. After I had ended, though my leasure doth not
well serve me yet I could not omitt to answer one notable absurde
^manifest^
lye, which is
that Counsellors ar forced to seeke at my handes meanes for their sutes.
Yf it were considered, how and uppon whom for these late yeres all manner of offices
good and badd, spirituall and temporall have bin bestowed, to whom the persones
benefitted do belong, and whom they do follow, it will easilye be judged, how rarely I
do or have dealt therin. Yf great numbers be bestowed, and not one uppon anie
kinsman, servant or follower of myne, than how probable is it than, that I had habilitie
to do that, wherwith I am thus slaundered? In verie trewth, I know my creditt in such
cases so meane, and others I fynde so ernest and hable to obteine anie thing, that I do
uterly forbeare to move for anie, Wheruppon manie my good freindes do justly
challendge me as unwise, that I [fol. 164r] I seeke to place neither man nor woman, in the
Chamber, nor without to
[
deleted: place]
serve hir Majestie, wherby I might do my frendes good, and
therfore in deede I have few
[parciall]
freindes, and so I fynde the want therof, and yet I
cannot remedie it knowing my power not answerable therto.
Trew it is that hir majestie throwes upon me a burden to deale in all ungratefull
actions, to give answers unplesant to sutors that miss. Where others ar used to signefye
pleasing answers affirmatively. My burden is also this, that in all sutes for landes,
leases, or such thinges, hir majestie comandeth me to certefie the state therof from hir
under officers, and so I do as it becometh, trewly, And yf the partie obteine I am not
thanked, yf not, the falte though falsly imputed to me. Yf these reasons maie not
cleare this slaunder, I would this only reason were weighed, that is trew, for my self, I
have not made nor obteyned anie sute of hir majestie these then yeres, In my whole
tyme, I have not for these xxvj yeres bin benefitted from hir majestie so much as I was
within foure yeres of King Edward
I have sold asmuche land in valew, as ever I had of gifte of hir majestie. I am at
charges by attendance in Courte, and by keeping of my howshold especially in terme
tymes by resorte of sutors, at more than anie Counsellor in England. My fee for the
treasurorshipp is no more than hath bin these three
[C]
yeres, wheras the Chancellors
and others hath bin double augmented within these few yeres, And this I do affirme
that my fee of the Treasurorshipp doth [fol. 164v] doth not answer to my charges of my stable, I
meane not my table. And in my howsholde I do seldom feede less than a C persones,
and for that purpose I buy in London my breade, my drink, my acates, my fewell. And
in the Contrie I buy my graine, my beofe, my mutton and all acates, and for my stable
I buy my hay for the greatest parte my ottes, my straw totally. for my servantes I
keepe none to whom I paye not wages, and give liveries, which I know manie do not.
These thinges considered I ought not thus to be slandered or envyed. What my paines
in service ar, and how small leasure or pleasure I take, is to manifest, and in deede I
condemne my self therin, But I cannot remedie it, otherwise than I might leave my
offices, which in the presence of God I could be content to do, so as therby I might
not be towched with note of dishonestie, or displeasure of hir majestie.
Yow see how I am caryed by these provocations, to write more than I entended, And
yet I write nothing but I will affirme in the presence of anie Companie good or bad.
