Transcript

[fol. 89r] The B. my Lord affter som grett pawse hath answerd mi lre, which is enclosed herewith, he is entred into gelowsi of mi doings, as playnly may appere, therfore the remedy most be accordingly provided, & yett his gelowsi is nott somuche, as the mistrust of his owne practises, to be discoverd by Charles which hath driven hym to suche raiges att home, as nether wold he eate nor slepe iij ij dayes wellny, nether yett permitt ani knowen man were he englishe or stranger within his gates, mary mi man & Barthlett had secrett accesse unto ym, yett with som difficultye or they cowd com to hym. wheruppon to salve the matter, I writt a lre of som greeff to Barthlett, complayneng muche that he had brought me first to the B. & now being plonged into the depthe of all wretchednes, I was hatefull to mi Prince & mistrusted by mi frind, desireng nomore butt true constructyon, & to be advertised wheruppon to stand, & I wold swallow up myne owne sorowes, with suche constancye in the rest, as might give a good prooff of me to all sorts, And to enter the further I wrytt another lre to the B. whose copie is herin, butt he was so scrupulows that he wold never receve it, yett on satterday att night abowtt xj of the Clock, he sent Barthlett to me with a messaige & the like by myne own man who was yesterday with hym, that he never hurt ani english man unles they hurt them selves, nether was ani ^on^ of all partyes brought to mishap which delt wth hym, & this was the advise [ deleted: that] & comfort he wold give me, adding that Charles had bin racked on friday & so brought before the Cowncell, & on satterdaye racked agayn, which was nott so rufull as unjuste, & their fawtt was grett ^which procured it^ . Thatt allso the Cowncell had told hym, there were secrett practisers & factiows fellowes reppayred to hym to be his instruments, wherby he wold remove the repaire of ani unto hym, for he was here only to sollicite the Q. his mistress delyvery & had non other Imaginatyons in his hed, wherof when he were resolved by the Q. Majestie & her Cowncell of a playne answer ether ye or no, which he most have, his Comission were att an end, & his departure as present, But if master Herlle (saith he) will assure me, that he hath nott delyverd mi iij tycketts written to Charles to be copyed by the Lord of Burghley, I will do asmuche for hym, as for myne owne brother, which shall appere in verey few dayes, butt in the mene season, I will nether receve nor wryte lre to hym, comending all to his tryall, nottwithstanding this night att midnight was Barthlett to comfort me agayne, having [ deleted: byn] byn with the B. a grett parte of the affter noone, to whom I sayd lamentably that mi keper had [fol. 89v] told me how Charles had accused me of the whole matter, & how it was mi inventyon to devise his allphabett & to wryte his ciphred lres, exhortyng me to pacyens for that he loked for a warrant to remove me to the Towre, wherunto I added that he had uppon fayth assured me of on comfort, that nether Charles was racked, nor likely to be racked, which speche of myne was uttred in suche pyteows forme, myne Irons gingling up & downe by mete occasions, as the fellow wept & sobbed, having indede confirmed the B. by the hering of myne [ deleted: enmyes] irons the first tyme, in a more assured oppinion of mi trust/ Butt your L. most in ani wise send for me to be examined, for that is aswell observed within dore as without, which reqwires spede, if your graver busines so permitt it, having more to say unto your L. by mowth, butt this is the state I stand with the B. who is not so wholly lost, as ferefull for his men, lest he by ani extremity be induced to a confession, having ciffted me mani wayes, & enquired of me abrode, butt the generall oppinion is that I am a discontented man & factyows, which joyned with mi trobles doth perplexe his other suspicyons, as he is certayn in non of them, driveng him to the uttermost corner of his witt. Butt surely (I speke it God is mi judge with the humblest & truest zele that may procede from a subject) that if I had wherewith, I wold know whatt he did in his bed Chamber & wyn ani credite with hym, I wold mary iff there honors of the Cowncell have descended so partyclerly to describe by markes mi comyng to hym, there is a grett hole made, which had bin better stopped. I alledge it dutifully, & so I know your L. will take it whom God preserve./ this monday mornyng 1571. Your L. most humbly w.h. 29 Aprilis 1571 William Herle of the Bishop ^of Ross^ gelousie for charles