[fol. 163r] In the generall lre written to your L. yesterday, I thowght good to omitt this that followith, as matter of more ymportance & secresye, to be cowched a parte./
Ytt is thowght by Gasper the Surgyen, who hath charge (among others) of the Pryncs Wound, that he canott escape, for that the Artherye [ Marginalia (by Herle): cure ] is towched, & accydents do yncrese, that make the cure owtt of hope, thowgh better speche be blowen abrode. Therfore do I send [ deleted: John Morgan of purpose] this berer mi servant John Morgan of purpose, to signeffye the same to her majestie by your L. honorable menes, & will not fayll from ynstant to ynstant (havyng the ynsynuatyons that I have) to advertys whatt allteracyon, ether his person, or the matters of State do suffer here./
Yf her majestie or ^ani of ^ her cowncell in partycler, do wryte [ deleted: any thyng] to condole this actyon with the prince, yt most be don presently & yf I be thowght fytt, I will discharge the offyce of delyveryng those lres, & of the further servyce that I shalbe comanded./
There is an advertysment gyven by a cowncellor of ymportance here, that there is somwhatt practised agaynst her majesties person yn England by Bernardyn de mendoza, wherof yf there be partycularytyes, I shall with the care & dutye [ deleted: advertys] that becomes me, advertys by special messenger whatt is certayn on that behallf./
And seyng that the K. of Sp: hathe taken the cowrse to dele by suche fowll menes, there is probabylytye sufficyent, that he estemes nott his honor nor conscyens, butt is drawen forward to ynfamye, & to becom the popes ynstrument & Bowcher, in whattsoever that ether ambycyon or revenge may sturre hym unto, which requires an eye to be had every where for her majestie & theryn to the popes Semynarye, & to the dispersed Jesuytes pertyclerly in England, persons resolute to do actuall mischeeff, besyde the cowrse of their secrett & ordynary practises./ for a Taste of K. Phillips disposityon & ynward project [ Marginalia (by Herle): further] ytt may plese yow to rede & judge of this paper ynclosed, wheryn he alone dyd practys so fowllye the murther of the prince of Orenge, by promises that he never ment to perfforme. whose scholler the prince of parma is [ deleted: & therfore] worthye of his [ deleted: own grandfather] ^Awncestry^ . Aniastri beffore he departed [ deleted: obteyned] hence, obteyned a large passport of the Prynce of orenge, with favorable Termes to ^go^ [ deleted: depart ] abowtt his busynes whither he wolld, wherby he had horses & gyde from Donkerck to Gravellyng, where it is sayd that he presently is./
[fol. 163v] Monsieur & the States generall grawnted to Gellderland, beffore the prince was hurt, an exemptyon of the Relygiows frede, which dothe ymport muche for presydent & facte./
On sondaye a sermon was made by the P. of Pyenoys precher yn St. Michelles churche, exhortyng theme to abjure the K. of Sp: who had vyolated his othe & fayth, & broken all their pryvyleges & fredoms, nott worthye to governe, beyng in Tyranye & ambycyon the rejectedst prince of the worlld, which he a papist signeffied to theme by the vertew & power of the word of God./
Verdugo in Gellderland growes strong. Aqwisgrave is freed by the interposytyon of the Pryncs protestants. The dyett Imperyall begynes att Awgusta the 22. of the next moneth. The Emperors [ deleted: ar com to order] harbengers ar com to order thyngs of lodgyng there & provysyon./ A mariayge shalbe there bettwen a dowghter of the howse of Brandenburgh & a duke of Bronswyke./ The pope sends the Bisshop of Bresst to the dyett as nuncyo, & no Legate, as he first had determyned./
Ytt may plese your L. to have regarde to Paul Buys motyon, expressd yn mi former lres, & to gyve me som answer therunto./ Yf the P. do dye of this hurte, Buys is a person to be the more cherysshed for mani respects./
Cownt John de Nassowe brother to the P. is sent for hither to assiste these affayres. And there is som bytter ynvectyve [ Marginalia (by Herle): Tresons ] & declaratyon of secrett Tresons conspired by Sp: a comyng furth yn wryteng uppon this attempt agaynst the P. by K. Phillip. ytt is Judged [ deleted: of] that it wilbe of more force & vehemencye than the Apologye was./ & to do hym grett hurte withall./
Tolon a marytyme towne in yn Provens, was lyke to have byn surprised by the k. of Sp: menes of late./
The P of orenge affirmed that yf the enmye were hable & dyd determyne in dede to beseege any town, he ferd rather Bruxelles than Donkerck or Meneng, wherwith verey humbly I fynissh. Andwerpe the 21. of marche. 1581. Your L. most humblye. W . Herllely.
This examynate saythe that the practys to murther the prince of Orenge began viij monethes paste, betwene K. Phillip & a secretorye of his called Peter Alhonzo borne in Biscay, who browght his father John Alhonzo by lres to Luxborne to confferre therof with the K. which confferrence proceded so far as John de Alhonzo undertooke to provyde an Instrument to execute the K. will on that behallf upon the condycyons preponed, that the partye sholld have 80m. [crowns] in redye money, A Comenda an offyce, & have titelles of honor./ Gasper Aniastri was dellt with herein by Alhonzo the father, & browght to accept the executyon in his own person, butt fyndeng his corayge (when he had better examyned the matter) weke, signeffyed that he was unhable, yet cowd fynde a person to supplye his place, so the former condycyons were observed, which the K. ratefyed, willyng that he sholld compownde with his partye, att what price he might best, for so the acte were don, he wolld bestow upon Aniastri the medyator therof, the whole of his promys to dispose att his pleasure./
Aniastri brake herein with this examynate Anthonio his Cassyer, to take upon him the enterprise, who verey willeng but unhable, advised that John or Ivan Jawreg'uy the booke keper of the sayd Aniastri, & a Biscayn borne sholld be perswaded in the cawse, & then he dowted not of his corayge & resolutyon to performe that which was required. which motyon was fownd good & succeded as is now apparent. The sayd John was promised grett somes of money & favors by Aniastri at the K. hand, & induced further to beleve that they wolld not execute hym upon the facte [ Marginalia (by Herle): thowgh he were apprehended] butt reserve him prisoner for a tyme to learne more, & therfore Aniastri wolld departe in poste beffore the enterpriseng hereof a v. or vj dayes to acqwaynt the P. of Parma in the K. name with the matter, that he myght be redye with his armye to approche the Cyttye of Andwarpe, & in his companye Dellanow of whom he sholld make offerre by a Trompettor to delyver him in lyew of the sayd Ivan for so was ytt the K. pleasure: which yf they reffused, bothe the sayd Lanowe sholld dye for ytt, & thep. of Orenges son ^likewise^ , that is in Spaine withall other prisoners that the sayd p. of Parma hathe in his custodye, In confydens wherof this Ivan proceded so resolutelye as he dyd & had the yssew & rewarde that was sene on Sonday laste
The K. of Spayne ys offended with ij thinges concernyng the prince yrreconsiliblye, the Apollogye, & Monsieurs callyng yn./
