[Superscription:]
To the right honorable mi very good L. the Lord
[Hig]
he Thresuror of
[Eng]
land &c.
give these
[with]
spede att the Cowrtt.
[Endorsement by unknown hand:]
20. mart. 1575. William Herle to my L. Paul Buis dispatch.
[fol. 254r]
Your good L. by your last lre of the xv
^th^
of this present, dyd somwhatt att large
vowchesave to discowrse unto me,
[
deleted: yf]
of your ernest & ynward affectyon to the publyck
cawse that the hollanders do treatt for here, wissheng theme bothe to understand & be
perswaded assuredly, of the same your good mynde towards theme & their cawse, &
that yow dyd desire unto theme all their Relygyows & honest zeles
[
deleted: to be grawnted
theme]
, & to be permytted to serve God truly, & to enjoye the rightes that belong to
theme, comending the dexterity & right judgement of Powll Buis in his procedings,
namely in his intentyon & Cowrse that he proffessed, to joyne rather with this Crowne
than with frawnce or ani other stranger, concludyng that now the parlyament
[
deleted: was
ended]
being ended,
[
deleted: that]
yow ment, as allredy yow had begon, to sollycite their depeche, &
that bothe as favorably & with that reward that yow cowd gett for theme./ Wherof
confferryng partyclerly in your L. name, with the sayd Pawll Buis
[
Marginalia
(by Herle): as allredy I have wrytten to your L. therof. ]
he remayned so
satisfyed in your L. favorable inclynatyon towards the cawse, & of your good
oppynion privately of him, as he sayd that he wolld deppend of your L. whiles he
lyved, & that rather he wolld suffer to be torne with willde horses, than to joyne with
the frenche, or with ani other stranger that might prejudice this Crowne
[
Marginalia
(by Herle): in which oppynion he constantly remaynes & will so contynew duryng lyfe.]
gyveng your
L. humble thanks for your offer so honorably to procure his dispatche./
which
confference, he is com this affter noone to repete unto me, for that God willeng he
menes on Wensdaye or thursdaye att the furthest, to departe, desireng your L. even as
he assures him sellf in your honorable woord & promis, than which he thinks nothing
more certayn that may be procedyng from
[
deleted: them]
^men^
that yow wolld procure him an
answer or depeche in wryteng from her majestie grownded uppon the negocyatyon
that master hastyngs had with theme & that yf it might be for her majesties owne
credyte, & for her suretye many wayes withall, that she wolld secrettly lend theme 30.
Mli nott estymeng the natyon of holland & Zelland so bassely (yf it were butt in
[fol. 245v]
respect of their neighborhood, who have many correspondencyes with this state &
Crowne, nott lyghtly to be weyed) as to denye theme for so small a som, for the which
her majestie shall have so good assurance from the Stats of the contrey, as yf the
money were styll in her coffers, ‡
[
Marginalia
(by Herle): ye she shall have suffycyent hostaygs to remayn for yt here yf she will which he presse the
rather for that]
[
deleted: Agayn that]
it sholld nott seme to those of Holland
& Zeland to be so contempned of her majestie that after so long a treaty here, & so
grett assurancs given by her majestie to theme
[
Marginalia
(by Herle): of favor & ayde ]
that they sholld cary no frute of their
negocyatyon
[
deleted: hence]
^att all^
butt rather to
[
deleted: ytt wolld]
appere
[
deleted: unto theme]
that they theyr
Comissyoners had betrayed the Contreyes cawse, wherunto they be apt inowgh in
those parts to speke & beleve
^the worst^
& principally he leves to your honorable & wise
consideratyon, whatt an yll taste ytt wolld give nott only to theme of holland &
Zeland, butt to all those of the Lowe contreyes ever to dele with England agayne, or to
trust to ani treaty that might be made here, that sees the Comissyoners of so weightye
a cawse so dallyed with, & protracted, being assured of the contrary in the begyneng,
even in the invyolable woord of a prince, wherof he feres the inconvenyence more
than the losse of his own lyfe yf they retorne thus fruteles home./ Butt trustyng uppon
your L. hellp now, or of your answer, he stayth his departure uppon that only./
Desireng yow to be assured of on thing (which as a christien man he speketh bothe as
truthe ledes hym & for the goodwill that he beres to this state) that the frenche will
attempt presently som whatt in Zeland,
vel
[
deleted: ipsis]
ipsis invitis, which wilbe to the Q.
majestie grett danger & charge, & wilbe fyrst executed beffore she ones beleve it. yett
yf her frynds & wellwillers mynds be nott tomuche withdrawen by unkyndnes from
her, there may be good remedy used to encownter ani of their attempts yn season, butt
he prayes to God for ij things, the on that this state were served with better
intelligence, & then with a mynde to beleve theme & to execute that which is
necessary, being of an oppynion for his parte (which he hath good arguments to
conffirme hym in) that the K. & the hugenotts in frawnce were agreed
[
deleted: synce the ty]
synce
the tyme
[fol. 246r] that Lamote & portall were here last, whatt so ever semblance was made to
the contrary, & that her majestie is entertayned in the mene tyme, to be prejudiced &
abused, as allwayes they have
[hard]
the
[starte]
of her that waye./ He sayth that master
wallsingham tolld theme that the Q. majestie wolld send a gentillman into flanders to
cawse a cessyng of armes, or elles her majestie wolld releve theme with money in
holland. for the fyrst parte, theyr enmyes have offred somuche allredy theme sellves
& therfore that her majestie shall nott nede to be att this charge nor travayll
[
deleted: in this
behallf]
which is nether the cowrse that they most take, nor theyr surety to follow ani
suche devises, & in effect is butt a trayne & mockery to their estate, yf they sholld
apply so nere unto theme. And to the second for releeff to be used affterwards, that
their affayres reqwire present ayd & to be grownded uppon certayntyes, & not uppon
season & yrresolutyons, wherwith he humbly comended hym sellf to your good L.
being very sory, even
[
deleted: if]
with his harte for your sycknes, prayeng God for your
amendment, & so humbly I take mi leve. from Redcrosse strete the xx
^ti^
of marche in
haste.
1575. Your L. most humbly W. Herlleli.
[Postscript:]
wanton wolld now com & waytt uppon your L. yf
your comodytye & lykeng wolld so permytt ytt/