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SP 83/15/68 f. 148r - 152v. William Herle to Lord Burghley. This letter is written on unusually white paper. After the first paragraph on f. 150r Herle adds a sentence in a different style of handwriting. 
Address Leaf:
[Superscription:] To the R. honorable my verey good L. the Lord highe Thresuror England give these with spede [att] the Cowrtt./
[Endorsement by Burghley?:] 18 martij 1581 William Herle by Master Anthony Mildmay
Letter Text:

[fol. 148r] I wrytt to your L. by these late postes, 5. or 6. lres wheryn were conteyned sondrye advertysments & papers of collectyons, which I hope shall not mislyke your good L. nor leave unexpressed the desyre I have to serve yow. But as the season hathe byn, the sayd postes ar deteyned on this syde as yet./ with the troblesomest wether that hathe byn here these 40. yeres, & with a contynuall contrarye winde, that hathe bothe hindred many things, & caste awaye above 50. sayll of shippes here & in holland & broken downe the dykes & walles of the contrey, & therwith Monsieurs armes that were fastned att the keye gate of this towne, & with the vyolens of the separatyon of the sayd armes. from the place they were tyed unto, [brothe] with theme a great parte of K. Phillips crowne & armorye, which were dyrectlye under the skutchion of the sayd Monsieurs armes./ Conseqwentlye hathe bin sene ferefull ^bloodye^ & firye ympressyons in the ayre in the night time, which hathe ministred matter of muche speeche here, aswell of apprehensyon in som, as of callculatyon in others what these tokens may portende to Monsieur & the K. of Spayne, by the waye of yll presayge./

Synce that tyme Monsieur hathe made his proposytyon to the estats generall, the copye of whose oratyon to that effecte, I do send your L. inclosed herein. Towching the articles that were delyverd with the sayd oratyon, I am not sure att this instant to have theme tyme ynowghe to ynclose with this my lre (for som scruple that is made in the delyveryng of them, butt by monday noone I shall not fayll of theme, and accordinglie to sende theme to your L./ In the meane tyme the articles ingenerall do subsiste of these poynts, that fyrst [fol. 148v] Monsieur reqwires the mayntenance of the Religyows frede, the restitutyon of justyce, the establyshement with suffycyent persons fyt & hable therunto of the 3. cowncelles vz. that of estate, of the secrett cowncell, & that of the fynances, with the chamber of accomptes & aydes appendent therunto./ fowrthlie that there be prompt & speadye meanes fownde to levye men, to provyde munityon, & to appoynt the order that shalbe convenyent for resisteng of the enmye, fyvethlye, that where they be agreed to contrybute 300 m. gylldernes by the monethe for the charge of the sayd warres, that they will sett downe, when & how the sayd som shalbe answerde./

Sixtlye, that a suffycyent hable man be chosen to be generall Thresuror, to be answerable for the sayd contributyon, to the end that meaner officers do not consume the same, whyle yt is in theyre [ Marginalia (by Herle): Lowsnes ] custodye, by their multitude & lowsnes./

Lastlie that ytt be declared & sett downe, what the awthoritye [ Marginalia (by Herle): Coronelles ] is of the Coronelles of this towne, & how they may be limited which poynte procedes from the P. of Orenge, therby to make bothe Monsieur behollding to him, & the sayd cowncelles also./

The rest of the poynts, & of the conclusyon, to be taken by the states, ^with their answer to eche partycularity^ shalbe sent your L. with the fyrst messenger that comes, prayeng humblie (with as convenyent speade as may be, answeare to my former lres after they shalbe com to your honorable hands./

I sende your L. allso, herewith, the occurrents of Italye which ar delyverd me by a personayge of accompt, & therwith a mynute of Monsieurs entrye & awguratyon here, & when ytt comes furthe in prynte, your L. shall have the fyrst [fol. 149r] Drawght that shalbe sene therof sent yow by me, yf I were riche (as these things do coste money) yow sholld have more thinges, butt your L. will bere with this in the mene tyme, for I have no ayde here but God and my sellf & yow knowe best my habilitye./

Towching the Enmyes they raised theyr campe from Ingellmister Rowssellar & Isingam, the xj ^th^ of this presente monethe, burning theyr cabbyns & marching by Cowrtryck to Deddissell, a village within ij englyshe miles of Menyng. They had browght parte of their canons from Turney & Risselles to Cortryck, & parte allso to the nomber of 20. peecs to Gravellyng./ Menyng is scituated upon the Ryver Lys, distant from Risselles 3. leages; & from Cowrtrick ij. now forteffyed verey strongly to the land warde from the ryver, butt comanded by a hill which disscovers their whole Ramparte, & the cheeffe streate that ledes to the same. yf the enmyes were masters of the sayd towne, they had no ympedyement to staye theme from the gates of Gawnt. There is within Menyng ix enseyns of scotts under Coronell Trayll, & ij cornetts of horssemen with captayne Seton, with provision of vyttaylles & necessaries for 3. monethes./

There hathe bin controversye, in the enmyes campe betwene the wallons & Allmaynes, which occasyoned theyr long staye abowt Rowssler, butt now they ar reconsiled, & yesterdaye the prince was advertised to his greatt perplexitye & Monsieurs that they were departed from deddissell agayne towards donkerck [ Marginalia (by Herle): butt whatt they will do is nott as yett certayn, The P. of Parma,] beyng ernestlie sollicited to beseege the same by Lamote of Gravellyng, which place obteyned, with the lyttell towne of Berges St wymock, which Joynes neere unto ytt, wolld exclude all ayde of the frenche by Calys, assure [fol. 149v] Gravellyng & be a port for the K. of Spayne to troble theme greattlie here, & to drawe ayde of men & shippes out of England./

This was forsene & advertisments given of a grett cheyne that was made att Risselles to stoppe the mowthe of donkerck haven, wheruppon [ deleted: Govill &] vj enseynes of the frenche were dispattched thitherwards on thursday mornyng, & with hym the Admirall of Zeland Trelong, who is allso governor of Donkyrck, supplyed with thinges necessarye to endure a seege, Monsieur allso tooke up upon his credyte xviij m [crowns] here, to be repayed in Parys, wherof he disposed xijm towards the expedicion. of the sayd vj Enseynes./

There be vj companyes of scotts & wallons within Donkyrcke allredye, & on cornett of horssemen. the scotts be of Coronell Prestons Regyment.

The cheyne that is made for the haven wilbe of no effecte, for besyde that the late storme, hathe made a large breche yn the mowthe of the sayd haven, than that the cheyne is hable well to [compasse] , ytt hathe bin experymented [ deleted: further] in Holland, that a cheyne in a narrowe river is not hable to endure the force of a hoye under sayll muche lesse of a shippe that hathe [ deleted: the force of] the sea occean under foote. yet is ytt feared that the towne wylbe loste, & then Monsieur leeseth his credyte here, & yf the enmye do followe his victorye, withall, a greatt parte will revollt, & Monsieur be dryven to provyde for his further saffetye. The Enmye hathe 3.6. pecs of Battrye, greatt provision of munityon, & store of basketts to deffende the artyllerye./

[fol. 150r]

Ther be som that thincke that those viijm. sowdyors 30. greatt shyppes 12. galleyes, & ij gallyons that ar redye att Lusborne, may be employed for Donkyrck, yf the P. of Parma do in ernest beseege ytt. [ Marginalia (by Herle): som other do mistrust the frenche preparatyons in france under the pretence to help don Anthonio ]

Monsieur here dothe practys secrettlye, with the Cowntt Dellalayng & Montygnye to drawe theme to his parte, usyng for arguments theyr own resons to theme, wherby they fyrst perswaded him hyther, & next the securytye that they may be yn, by his & theyr conjunctyon, the estymatyon that wilbe had of their vertew & persons, the danger they stande yn, by the comyng of the spanyardes, & new supplyes, the assurance that they shall have of the Religyows vrede, & to enjoye all suche ecclesiasticall goods & landes, as they ar allredye possessed of, which yf the spa: prevayll they shalbe deprived whollye of & of the premissh withall./

The prince of Pynoys & his wyffe, syster to Dellalayng & Montygnye, ar made greatt instruments herein & largelye promised, incase they can worcke so greatt a good to the generall good of the cawse & their contrey, which they have undertaken to do, & ar in the mene tyme muche cowrted by Monsieur & the prince of Orenge./

The wyneng of these ij ^bretherne^ wolld alonelye dissollve the K of Spa: enterprish here, expullse the prince of Parma & exclude the entrye of the forreyne power that is expected, wherby the ayde of frawnce sholld not nede & they wolld as lytell regarde England ^ then^ Som of judgement suppose, that yf Dellalayng & Montygnye be browght yn ones to Joyne with Monsieur in actyon, that this state wyll then becom whollye frenche, which wolld [fol. 150v] be a nere perill unto England, & the forteffyeng of frawnce & Scottland against us, wherunto som be prompt ynowghe to sett forwardes the advantayges therof, & to yntymate the same in theyr negocyatyons, havyng allredye conseved hardelye of us, & desyre but the mene to crye qwyttance. Therfore ytt is wysshed of those that do cownterpayse things, that Dellalayng & Montignye might remayne in the state they do, to serve as Instruments of Spayne, to drawe the warres on, ^in lengthe^ for the good of the sowdyers, & the quiettnes of the neyghborhed./ of the other syde, yf Donkyrck should be lost, the frenche K. wylbe utterlye discorayged from gyveng of any assistens to his brother ^beyng yll affected allredy that way^ & then of necessitye the Q. of England wilbe intreated they saye, to succor the comune perill, which consernes her as nere as theme. /

Ytt is dayllie conffyrmed here, that the frenche K. dissavowes all his brothers actyons & enterprises, renowncyng the ayde that is demaunded, for the establyssheng of his sayd brother in these contreyes, which cleres the Q. of England of any condycyons & contractes passed with Monsieur, a matter that dothe rejoyce som persons of good porte here, Duvraye is loked for daylye, who departed from Parys x dayes synce. and Monsieur repposethe greatt truste in his sister of Navernes negocyatyon with the frenche K. her brother for hym, expectyng by Mewffylld to have resolutyon bothe that waye & from other of his frindes in frawnce. Butt there is small hope remayned of successe from thens. therfore yf matters thryve not here, Monsieur makes an estate (as som nere unto hym do newlye affyrme to retorne into England & from thens to worcke his peace with his brother, & to grownd his further cowrse theruppon, beyng harde they saye that the frenche K. [fol. 151r] will nether suffer his onlie brother to lyve in frawnce peaceablye in his degree: nor ells where, to make the advantayge of his own assurans & grettnes, which argues that there was a snare layd by the sayd frenche K. to have intangled her majestie of England with the whole expence, hasarde & envye of the warres./

There is a grawnt made of xij shippes by Monsieur for the servyce of don Anthonio, with xij C maryners from hence, the furniture & charge wherof sholld be answerd att the Tercera, butt ytt apperes that there most be money provyded here beffore hand for the same otherwise the enterprise will growe colld & vayne./ The prince of Orenge on wensday att mydnight to terreffye the more sent for the principall marchants of that Portyngall natyon that lie here Resyant, to be with hym the next morning before vij of the clock: to whom he exposed by a long speeche, the justyce of don Anthonios cawse. theyr naturall & lawffull K: the necessytye of theyr contreye Portingall, now oppressed by their enmyes the spaniardes & their habilitye here, to releve this by money wherunto they were bownde by dutye & nature to supplye theyr parts therin, & to satisfye the exptectacion of their K. & of the actyon generall, otherwise that he colld not favor nor esteme theme as he had don. The Portingall merchants having tyme gyven theme to delyberate, made answeare the next daye that they were onlye factors that were resyant here, & had no awthoritye to dispose of other mens goods, whose masters being manye were in Portingall with their wyves, familyes & substance, under the hande of K. Phillip, subjecte to suffer conffyscatyon of all & vyolens in their persons, yf they sholld make but shew to ayde Don Anthonyos parte, ytt appertayned not to theme as merchants to decyde the titells of kingdomes, butt to attend the yssew of gods disposytyon att which tyme they wolld render good accompte of their dutye & loyalltye, ether to don Anthonio, or to hym that were placed in the seatt, with the expence of theyr goods & blood [fol. 151v] prayeng that they in the mene tyme might be conserved in this newtralytye here, or yf not, to have 3. monethes respyte to retyre with their things to a place of assurance./ which answeare hathe satisfyed the prince att this presente, who was urged to dele with theme in this [ deleted: warme] warme ^maner^ by don. E. dicrasto Ambassador here for Don Anthonio./ a verey chillde./

They ar nowe a coyneng of new money in golld & syllver, which caryes Monsieurs armes qwarterd with the armes of Brabant, Butt the prince & he wold of new rayse the valuatyon of the moneyes to .5. upon the C. more, which our natyon & the rest of the Inhabitants here with the foreyne merchants, do flattlye reffuse to agree unto, & will rather departe for all togeather, than be subjecte to suche an inconvenyens as hathe allredye undon many & the traffycke withall./ ytt is talked that this B ^u^ llyon of golld & syllver wherwith they do coyne theyr moneyes was supplyed owtt of England.

Uppon thursdaye was ytt proclaymed from the towne howsse that bothe the protestants & catholyckes sholld abjure the K. of Spayne & sweare to Monsieur. suche withall of the catholickes as ar not as yet sworne ar kept owt of the churche that is assygned for the masse, till they have perfformed the order appointed on that behallf./

This daye dothe Monsieur solempnize the remembrance of his natyvytye, having prepared a greatt banckett of .14. messe of meate to yntertayne the Estates generall, & the magistrates & Coronells of this towne, There shalbe lykewyse ronnyng att the Ryng and Qwintyn with other disports./

The duchesse of parma is att namures smallye respected, dellalayng att Montz & Montignye with the prince of Parma & somtymes in the Campe./

Vyllyers coronett of horssemen, who is marshall of the states campe & brother to Hawtyn was overthrowen this last weeke by an ambushe of the mallcontents, the Cornett taken the livetenant with 57. slayne, & the rest prisoners & dispersed./

[fol. 152r] The [vynkeng] of Bollduck to this Towne, & to Receve Monsieur as theyr soverayne is styll treated of./ & yntertayned

Bruxelles is tollerated with towching the masse & Religyows vrede for that ytt is a frontyer towne, & hathe browght yn infformatyons to Monsieur by Record that the papistes have sowght by 4. sondry tymes, since the contracte was agreed upon betwene the states & hym to betraye the sayd Bruxelles to the Enmye. wherwith verey humblye desyreng to here from your L. of the receipt of my former lres, & of the contynewance of your good favor, I do take my leave. Andwerpe the xviij ^th^ of marche.1581. your L. most humbly. / W. Herllely.

[Postscript:] yt is reported very credibly that a gallyon ys arryved att Gene owtt of Sp: with 500.m [crowns] for the service of K. Phillippes warres yn these parts. The mallcontents have had a paye of late made unto theme./ Aqwisgrave that hath byn long beseged by the P. of Parmas appoyntment, yn cuttyng of of the vittaylles, that sholld com to the Towne, is browght to som extremitye, butt the dukes of [Bisent] have travaylled to dissollve the sayd seege, protestyng otherwise to the sayd P. of Parma, & to the d. of Cleve that deles in this matter for hym. of the wrong that is don to the Empire ^therby^ & of the ynconvenyens that may follow [ deleted: therof] ./ By reson that the Protestants made theme sellves masters of the Towne, [ deleted: that is] the P. of Parmas pretence of qwarrel ^is grownded theruppon^ to remove theme from the governement & possessyon, for that he wolld nott be so neyghbord./

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