[fol. 162r] Rydeng mi R. honorable good L. into Dorsett shire on sonday last, I retorned yesterdaye abowtt noone to this Town agayne, By the waye nere unto Chobbam in Surrey, I mett with a person of a good accompte, & understandyng, who caryed unto a grett Cownsellor from the Cowrtt the repport of those accydents that fell owtt bettwen your L. & the other partye on wensdaye Last./ ytt plesed this gentillman that I mett with, to carye me back with hym a myle, & to discowrse the whole circumstance of the matter with me, with som secrett judgements that ar made therof, & of the intent why her majestie went on thursday to the L. Thresuror accompanied only with the L. of Effinham & marche mownt, which discowrse is most necessarye for your L. to here att Large, & spedilye, yf ytt be your plesure that I shall attend uppon yow for that purpose./ For me (to dele in all humblenes, fayth & dutye, playnlye with your L.) I am discorayged to com often to the Cowrtt, unles ye comande me, I may staye a daye or ij to be hard in your own busynes, & yet go as I cam./
mi affectyon & synceritye is suche towards your L. as I will gyve place to non, that shall serve yow (next her majestie) with more Reverens & Love, & with som hublenes allso, even ^zelowsly^ to the spreadyng of my hart blood for your cawses, & yett I cam [kept] back & nott regarded, howsoever it comes to passe./ Butt truly I do mene to departe the Reallme therfore, to begyn the worlld agayne, that I starve nott here with poverty, & be kept under by envye & detraction. Being promised her majesties Leve to travayll & serve abrode, butt wheresoever I am your L. is mi Patron, to whom I am bownd yn the yntegritye of an honest hart & mynde./ I have mani things to saye to your L. att this present, yf it so plese yow butt for that this former parte of mi lre is cheffest, & that it consernes grett ones yndeede & grett matter withall, I must humbly yntreatt your L. to retorne this mi lre presently [fol. 162v] ynclosed by your sellf under your own lyttell seall, to the end that no servant may beholld it, otherwise knowing whatt I knowe I shalbe discomforted for ever writeng to your L. more./
Further I am humble to signeffye unto yow, that don John Rodryges de Sosa, dyd in his masters name by mi mene, move your L. to repryve a poore man adjudged to dye for piracye, which beyng slacked, master Philip Sydney procured it by master Secretorye Wallsinghams favor & master vicechamberlaynes. In the mene tyme, as I am ynfformed, your L. was made beleve that I had Receved 20li. for the repryveng of the sayd party, & then gott me owtt of Towne Levyng hym att vj & vij, which I most certeffye your L. to be an untrew tale, whosoever tolld it. for though I have verey well deserved of the sayd prisoner & of his parents, who dwell besyde Otlands, & might have avowed that Receving of a gretter som [ deleted: for beneffites] yf it had byn presented, for good tornes paste don unto theme. yett I never Receved peny to this daye of ani of theme, nor condyicioned for ani som to be had herafter, which I must humblye beseech your L. to beleeve, for I perceave that herin is conteyned a misterye to disgrace me, & conseqwentlye to discredite mi credyte in gretter cawses./ Iff it procede of ignorance or malyce, or of bothe, I wissh to the one sorte a better advisement, & to the other the frute that they deserve, for whye mi conscyens & honest delyng, (which is my riches) shall comfort me in the on & deffend me yn the other, yf I may be hard, before I be condempned. which prerogacion I am moved to write unto your L. in som bytternes of mynde./ The prisoner hym sellf is hable to clere this, & so be mani others besyde, which stands me uppon to have your L. understand that yow may know the trew diffrens of men./ wherwith very humblye I fynisshe. Lambhithe the xv. of Julye. 1581. Your L. with his harte hande & servyce faithfullye, elles God confownd me. W. Herllely.
