Transcript

[fol. 18r] Right honorable, as it is mete ye be advertized how I have proceded in mi jorney, so am I bold to describe the same. I arrived here savely on satterdaye last att night, with suche spede of passage & good successe besyde, as I take it for a happi presage towards the rest of mi vyage. Here I fynde muche towardnes of thatt purpose, which I am cheeffly addressed for, therfore the rest of mi vyage shalbe performed with the more spede, mening furthwith to departe towards the place appointed. The rumor of her Majestie to have transported Armure into Russia, ys verey brym here, with marvaylous infami for the same, & it is perswaded to all the princes of Germany, thatt the lesyng of Livonia ys through th'only furniture of municyon, which we make unto the Russes, so as the discredite being well wayed, & th'importance of the brute dulye consydered, there is nothing more necessari than the spedye difface of the same, by her highnes lres to every estate: for mi parte I wyll nott fayle to the best of mi witt to demynissh as I go, the false oppynion conceved. Yow most understand that her Grace ys smally bownd unto the Cyttye of Breame, & of th'other parts the Lantgrave, the Bisshop of Munster, & Hamburgh have shewed theme selves verey honorable & muche her frends. Butt for the fyrst Awthors of this injurye, most assuredly it procedes from the howse of Burgondye & from the hanzes, these ceasse nott to practys covertlye all mischeeff, whatt fayre cowntenance soever they bere otherwise, & on of their cheffest instruments, ys the Duke henrick of Brunswick, a man suffyciently declaring by his late doings the suspicyon of an ill wynde, & of shrowd practys ment towards her majestie. With him is thought also to have conferred on Lazarus Swendi of sondry things [fol. 18v] respectyng the damage of our comune welth, which shalbe mi parte to discover as nere as I can.

There is a lyttell booke publisshed here, of the greatt tirany & horrible crueltye that the Muscovite doth use against suche prisoners of Livonia or Lyveland as he hath taken, which booke semes nott to be ani private case, how simple so ever it may appere unto a nombre, butt rather to procede from the cheffest, to exasperate mennes mynds the more against suche as ar confetherats & ayders of a prince, that ys both a comune enmye to thempire, & so great a Tyrrant to mankynde, unto this ys added the smelle of a gretter mischeff, for under the secrett pretence of abbassing theyr coyn [e] menes be sought to robbe us of all our fyne money in England, & herin lett your honor be fully perswaded that neither the present rack nor gibbett can prohibite the same, yf ani lucre be proponed, suche is the miserable state & iniquitye of our Iron Age, butt the case [ deleted: is butt] as yett is butt in bruinge, & her highnes may com sone Inough to the clensing, yf ani diligence be applyed. Surely on thing here bredes muche sclander, & therfore most mete of advertisment: for dayly com over hole flocks of women, bering the port & name of gentylitye & using the shades of conscyens in religion, & yett in effect, be butt stark staring strompetts for the most parte. These brede rumors also, & theyr behavior ledes men to judge & report worse of those that remayn. George Cobham ys com owt of Germani to this towne, in verey miserable case, & so yll appointed as the substans of his apparayll was nomore then dublett & hosen, lastly he shold have ben apprehended for dett, & stands styll verey dowtfully, for his chamber ys garded night & daye with ij of the Margraves offycers.

A greatt som of money is sayd to be fownd now yn Calyce, butt the fame semes gretter than the thing, yett somwhatt there ys. Off the prince of Orange I here [fol. 19r] certainly that he prepareth from hence towards Lipsick, the 29 of this present, with muche pomp & with a trayne of 800/ horse, & thexpectacion of his mariage ys so greatt, as hole Germani semes to attend nothing elles, the state being otherwise fre from ani mocyon, only som [ deleted: suspicion] suspicions be spred abrode, which be butt mere devises comunelye practysed by Coronelles to procure entertaynment. Att Lipsick have the herbengers appointed owt place for 10000. horse, & the proportyon of the provisyon ys according. Hither be better tydengs com of the king of Portingales Indyes, to the discorage of the venetyans, who ^before^ were muche erected in hope of theyr ancyent trade of [ deleted: their] spicerye agayn. Also from Constantinople be there new lres of verey fresshe date receved, by the waye of venice, carieng suffycient credite with theme, thatt the Turke hath sent 60/ galeyes & 40/ greatt shippes marvaylously well furnisshed, with all kynde of municyon, to renforce the cytyes of Capha, & Theodesium (lyeng in the verey strayts of Lacus Meotides) against th'attempts of the greatt Tartare Krim [ Marginalia (by unknown hand): Crim ] , which menes invasyon towards theme this yere, att the perswasyon of the Russe, also the Russe him self threttens Armenia shrowdly of th'one parte, & the Sophie (ys sayd) will do his indevor another waye to assayle the Turk, these things certaynlye have semblance inough of the truthe mani wayes, therfore God gyve happi successe. The Kyng of Denmark pretends a greatt malyce to the towne of Hamburgh, & hath uppon the same stayed so many of their shippes, as of late be passed through the Sownd, the newes be certayn, & yett knowne butt to few, for the case ys nott vij dayes old. Of the Swethen, his Agent here blaseth abrode (though fayntlye) of his masters spedi navigacion into England. Now saith he, seing his coronacon is ended, nothing rests butt a prosperous wynde to direct his jorney thither: his navy ys in point, the state of his contrey establisshed, all fur [fol. 19v] niture mete for so greatt a prince appoynted, fynally no inclynacion ys wanting in hym, nor no assurance fayles, which her Majestie may make, which doth accellerate his desyre the more, this ys smally credited notwithstanding of the wyser sort, & mani also makes dyverse judgements, in that he hath intangled him self with the protectyon of Livonia, a case of more honor than proffitt, ye a case of muche hasard & danger, having att on tyme to resyst the malyce of the Russe aswell in Livonia, as in his own territoryes, & another waye to deffend his dignitye against the polles, who claymeth a former grawnt of the same, & a present possession of mani parts of the contrey, owtt of the which he will nott so slyghtly be [ deleted: expulsed] expulsed, suche is the descanting of these that be som whatt experymented in thaffaires of the world. Among other things I have ben inquisityve for fyne Bullyon here, the price wherof ys 47.s flemyssh the marke, every marke conteyneng viij oz, butt to be playne there was none to be gotten for ani price. more have I nott presently to advertys, butt allwayes wissheng to here well of your honors most prosperous estate. So I fynissh, from Andwerpe the xi ^th^ of Julye. 1561. your honors most humble & affectyonate W. Herlleli.