[fol. 310r] Beinge weake and sycklye to daye (my right honorable good L.) and havinge taken phisycke withall, I am fayne to use my brothers hand unto you in steade of myne one./ Thes partyes have receaved the Q majesties graunte for the Lycence of ij [ ... ] clothes verye thankfullye, acknowleginge your favor the more, in that you have not fayled to shewe it even then, whan your sycknes moost trobled you, but thay will not forget to shewe ther dewtyes agayne towardes your L. whan thay shalbe in place to do it. even nowe thay have sent to my L. keper to passe ther sayd graunte under the greate sealle, and to morrowe in the afternoone thay depart hence, to whome as thay humblye comende them selves to your good L. (namelye paulle de busse) so yf ther occure anye thinge in the meane tyme, wherin your L. may have cause to use ther Sarvis, thay saye, thay wolde be glad to understand it and obaye it.
This morninge the poost is com out of the Lowe countrys by whome I parseve that Champayney toke seas yesterdaye in the morninge by the breake of daye ^at Dover^ in a verye smalle vessayll, belyke to stealle a passage whyle the brute was, that he wolde be transported in one of the Q. majesties shippes,
Thes matters of brussells growe sharper and sharper for wher barlemount was of intelligence with Culyan romero, to have delyvered to the Spanyerdes the keyes of brussells gatts, the sayd keyes were taken by the magistrats of the cyttye from the custody of barlamont, & delyvered to the countye mansfelde. A practyse was afterwards discovered that the spanyerds had [ deleted: afterward] an intent to set fyer in certayne parts of the cyttye that whiles men were attentyve to repres the same, the spanyerds myght have brought in more companye, and have byn masters of the place, but this occasyoned that the spanyerds were comaunded to kepe ther Lodgenges uppon payne of kyllinge. yet nowe thay have Leve to retyre into hennolde uppon great intreatye to withstande the insolent doings of the horsmen that oprese the people verey sore ther abouts, therby to exacte ther paye the rather, whose doings doth styre up [fol. 310v] the hole countrye agaynst them, and agaynst the holle spanishe nation and government.
The duke of Aresscotte styll refuseth to take anye government uppon him, for the diffycultyes that he seethe to increse daylye./
The stattes ar assembled at brussels generallye to take order for the affares and government of the countrye, which dyet was to begyn on tuisdaye last, havinge in the meane tyme bent ther ordynaunce agaynst certayne numbers of the K. horsmen that presented them selves before the towne, to let the proceadings of this generall and free dyet.
At Andwerpe count haniball of altems who hath a garyson of almayns in the towne, wolde have brought in vj ancients more but was refused by the magistrats ther, and this sayd companyes [ deleted: is] countermaunded.
The spanishe imbassaytor that is Leyger in fraunce hath stayed all the Lres comynge out of spayne by the iij ^tie^ last postes, as well thes that appertayneth to marchants as others, and retaynes them by him, which encresethe the rumor of the K. deathe with some, & to some other it is a suspition of further inconvenyences that is a workenge and may showe a difydence in the sayd imbassator towards the Lowe countryes, that he wolde not have the K. secrets knowne unto them, while a spanyerd is not placed in the goverment for the K.
The assemblie at brussells hath publyshed that all men that ar credytors to the K. of Spayne, or ar interessed by him, shall brynge in ther demands to them, wherby the sayd K. deptes and state shalbe Leyd open to the worlde and the ^injuryes^ that men have suffred be manyfested./
The flete that went out of donkerke to attempte somwhat about surecseaye, is returned very sore wetherbeten, having donne nothing & saving the sogers and maryners amonge them selves have fallen into question and debate, wherby harme is com to both sydes.
The prynce hath taken tertollen and St. martens dyche in [ deleted: and] St [aunyeland] ^besydes Barrow^ wherby ther is nowe no passage from andwarpe towardes surecseaye but directlye before flusshing which will aske a greter power, & a greter hasard to dele [fol. 311v] by sea that waye./
The Spanishe and wallounde Soldiers forsake ther garrysons everye wher, and ther ensygnes some for drede som for lack of a head, yet the spanyers seke to joyne them selves to gether by all menes thay can, which is the substaunce of that which I receaved this daye by the post.
nowe it may plese your L. because it requires spede to geve order ether to master
Skynner or master Walter that peter Serres, and mathieas Lull may have an open lre
from your L. to master Lourde the customer or to anye other customer to whome it
shall appertayne that thay maye enjoye
^in theyr names^
the Q. majesties graunte above
sayd to whose trust it is comyted accordinge to that which is sygnifyed under the great
Sealle, wherwith moost humbly prayenge for your L. healthe and stronge recovery I
take my leve from redcrosse strete this xxix
^th^
of marche A
^o^
1576./
I am boulde to
appoynte this bearer for your L. sayd lre to the customer in the behalfe aforesayd, that
he maye brynge it with him, yf your L. leasure so serve for it. Your L. moost humble to
comaunde. W. Herlle li.
