Transcript
Editorial comments:
SP 53/6/45 f. 77r - v. William Herle to Lord Burghely. This letter is partially eroded at the top right hand side of the page.
Address Leaf:
[Superscription:]
To the Right honorable mi good Lord, the Lord of Burghley, her Majesties
principall Secretory give these in all hast./ hast hast./
Letter Text:
[fol. 77r]
Att mi retorne from your L. yesternight, I fownd william Barthlett to speke with me,
from the B. attending som answer from Charlles, with suche assurance given me
of the B. syde, as ether for the trust he conseves, or the trust he menes to comitt
unto me, I am in that degre with hym, as I may worke grett & secrett thyngs, nott only
for the present, but for the tyme to com,
[
deleted: iff with hym]
iff now the matter be handled clene,
wherin he presseth me for an answer from Charlles, therfore it may plese your L. to
consider therof, for his likeng of me (which surely is muche) may serve yow to
exceding purpose mani wayes, & if I may have Charlles lres which I delyvered your L.
yesternight, to give Barthlett this mornyng, they being so made up, as no suspicyon
growe
[
deleted: that they]
of
[
deleted: have bin broken of]
their openyng, I may do from hence furth whatt
I will , Butt if
[they be]
differred till the affter noone, the tyme will brede mistrust.
withall if they contynew to
[wryte in]
cipher, whither it be your L. plesure I shall still
send them to your L. or elles deliver them streight where they be addressed. And
finally whither I may repayre to the B. with suche messaige, as I receve from
Charlles by mowth, which may brede the gretter trust in travaileng in that maner, &
may discover the more matter by entring into nerer familiartye with hym, changing
writeng haply into messaige, & bringing them by menes to wryte bothe unto me,
wherby I enter into a hope, that I may lerne Charlles Cipher, pretending therby to
wryte the more secrettly. I have talked with Charlles abowtt mydnight who hath
delyverd me another lre for the B. in cipher, which I send herewith & conteynes
as I suppose his examinatyon before your L. & the L. Chamberlain, wherin he sayth
that he hath bin hard handled by yow in groping hym verey nere, & that he was
demanded whatt liveng he had in the Lowe contreyes, for that he alledged
[
deleted: whatt]
his
going over to be to visite his frinds & to recover somwhatt there, his answer that was
a C [crowns] by the yere, then was repplyed why he shold serve a B. being so
well hable to lyve of hym self, which he excused uppon the Duke of alva detayneng
the same. further he was charged that Melchyor cam to hym, which he sayd was of
fryndship, being bothe of on contrey. allso with mackinson,
[
deleted: But]
Barthlett & other,
enqwireng whatt messaige they brought hym from the B. butt he denyed that they
brought ani, desireng me ernestly to tell mackinson therof, for that he
[
deleted: sho]
& melchior
shold be brought before the Cowncell to day. Now if it be your L. plesure that I go
unto the B. it might also plese yow to give me som matter to minister unto hym,
to wyn the more grace & to hale hym on the more, understanding even now that the
B. menes to be att the Cowrt to day & therfore wold have Charlles instructyons
beffore hand, & this requires your L. present resolutyon & answer, whom God
preserve to his holy will, in haste from the marshallsea this sonday mornyng 1571.
Your L. verey humbly. W. Herllely.