[fol. 280r] Wheras by mi last lre R. honorable, I certeffyed that the Stats of these contreyes (among other contributyons) had grawnted to Monsieur, from the first of Aprill 250m. gylldernes monethlye duryng the warres, for the intertayneng of the Armye, wherunto they have added synce 50m. gylldernes more, to be allowed for the space onlye of vj monethes following, which is their proportyon, & further than this charge can they nott be browght unto, therfore Monsieur most mesure the forcs that he is to have by their habilytye & disposityon: Otherwise they say playnlye, that they will Rejecte the burden & difficultye uppon hym, of any surcharge that shall Aryse: Remembryng hym herwith, that those companyes which ar allredy in service, & have well deserved of the State of these contreyes hitherunto, (beyng a 23. Regyments of foote men besyde the Cavallerye (many wekely fylled) be first provyded for, & [w] hen suche new supplyes to be added, as the surplusage shalbe hable without dissorder or mutynye [ deleted: for lack of mayntenance] to mayntayne.
Monsieur nottwithstandyng, hath given owtt Comissyons to levye viij Regyments of french, which after the Rate of ij C. (for so strong wolld he have eche Enseygne) wilbe xvjm. / Or att 150. to the Ensegne, wilbe xijm foote shott, which is judged by som, to be given a force, namelye of our natyon the same to be frenche), within these Contreyes & therfore grudged att./
He wolld bryng in now 25C. frenche Lawncs & Italyen Lawncs iijm. swyttzers & xv [C] Reysters, with intencyon to be generall hym sellf in person when the Camp is addressed, & the P. of Pynoys to be his Lyvetenant. The P. dullphin to be soveraigne marshall of the feelld, & next to him 4. other marshalles in the Armye, according to the frenche dissciplyne & order./ Bellegard shall comande the frenche Cavallerye, & Lavall those of these Contreyes, & so other officers to be appoynted in their degre, when thyngs ar com to their maturitye./
The frenche, Englyssh, & Scotts that ar att Ecklowe, have made difficultye to marche towards Gawnt, beffore they have som paye, wherof their ned is so grett, as very povertye sturres the men to strayn dutye, in sekyng releeff before they remove, which shalbe provyded for from hence, bettwen this & tomorow in trust wherof they do marche forwards./
A Camp shall begyn presentlie of these sowdyors att Mallt, a myle from Gawnt, yett within the Turnepyke of the Town towards Owdenard, with whom shall joyne the other sowdyors that may be spared owtt of the provyncs & Garrisons where they lye, over whom the P of Pyoners shall comande who shall have allso a new Regyment raysed of his own consisteng of x Ensygnes & ij Cornetts./
Ytt faylled butt lyttell, that the mallcontents (whiles they made their cowntenance to Owdenard) had nott surprised Gawnt which was discoverd by [fol. 280v] [on] of their own Instruments./ The lyke was to have hapned to Cortraye, by the Intelligens that the Stats had there, butt that the enmyes prevented the enterprise./ Owdenard is nott beseeged strayttlye, butt by Cordegarde & [blockhowses] , & their Battrye nott yett arryved thither./ Those of the Towne have putt a third parte of it under water, the other ij parts subject to the seege./
In respect of the River from Turney to Owdenard, & from thens to Gawnt, & of the convenyent seatt of the said Owdenard, lokyng very far into flanders, ytt is of grett conseqwens to ether syde, & a fowll rebuke & [diminuing] to the mallcontents, yf they fayll therof./
The mallcontents have taken the castel of Gasebeck by a stratageme fayneng by the mowthe of a Trompettor, to be certayn of the stats horse men, that were com to that place with bootye from Allost, & to be pursued very nere by the enmye, by which trayne the gate was opend, & the garrison putt to the sword. A losse that ymports theme of Bruxelles muche, beyng within ij Leages of theme, a place by scytuacyon strong, & appertayneng to the howse of Egremonte./
[ Marginalia (by Herle): Muckeron hym sellf is suspected lykewise] Muckerons Lyvetenant was he that betrayed the Town of Allost, to Temple yn whose Rown, Monsieur hath appoynted Thyant Governor, & sent him a pattent therof./
The P. of Orenge (thancks be to all mightye God, by whose miracle he is preserved) is hable to walke in his chamber, with whom I was this after noone & Coronell Morgan with me, beyng hartlye demaunded by the sayd P. how your honor, the L. Thresuror & the Erlle of Lecester dyd, spekyng unto me withowt ympedyment of tong: som lyttell contusyon, yett remaynes, which is hoped to becom better shortlye./
The Pryncesse is fallen very syck, as hym sellf tolld me, judgyng her dissease to be a plewresye, for the which she was [ deleted: twise] 4. tymes lett blood ^in on day^ Her wattching & grett travaylle with the P. her husbond, duryng his hurte & yndisposityon, hath bred this unto her./
Lres be yntercepted that cam owtt of Spayn from on Mallvenda to Thomas fieschye, att Giene, by the which is signeffyed, that suche money as hath byn disbursed by the sayd fieschi & his company, to the P. of Parma, is nott allowed in Spayne therfore that they sholld forbere to delyver ani more, for the K. of Sp: service, till they harde more./
The mallcontents have lykewise yntercepted lres that were comyng owtt of Italye hitherwards, the last weke, which was procured by Taxis informacion, who is offended that his office of poste master is seqwestred from him to another./
Backevill is to depart tomorrow towards England in place of du Bee, whose jorney was stayed when he was redy to take his leve./
La fogiera arryveng att flusshyng, when he cam owtt of England, [fol. 281r] spred the Rumor there, & so dyd his company, all the way hitherwards, that her majestie had sent Thresure in grett qwantitye to ayd Monsieur in his warres, & wolld joyne forcs to expullse the name of Sp: wholye owtt of the Lowe contreyes, wherof when Monsieur was advertised by on of his Cowncell, how ynconvenyent this Report was & mete to be suppressed, he answerd that it was to late to redresse that which was ones don./ Butt it may plese your honor not to make me awthor therof. Som of the stats were sorye to se the Q. majesties good menyng & the seryowsnes of this Trust so frenchelye handled./
They do coyne att this present yn the mynt, gyveng owtt that ytt is frenche Bullyon./
The Estats do take it very yll that the frenche K. hath nott ones thancked theme, for advancyng of his brother, butt they comffort theme sellves agayne, yn that the congratulacion that procedes from a Tyrant, is meere deceytt, & his ayd suspicyows & dangerows: havyng a very hard oppynion of all the rest of that natyon./
The sayd Estats generall, do dissollve their assembly this next weke, & whatt hath byn proposed unto theme [over] & besydes the contents of their last comissyon they ar to make repport att [home] in their severall Collegs, & nott to conclude ani thing here beffore their next assembly, which is to be abowtt the first of julye./ Their generall & partyculer contributyons, ar conffirmed yn forme as I signeffied to your honor by mi Last & this./
Skynckes Rutters, synce his takyng have broken their cornets & mutyned for want of paye, wherby the prince of Parma is unffurnisshed of a xij C. horse that he made accompte of./
The K. of Sp: as is credibly repported, will have by the end of june 200. grett shippes yn redynes 60. galleyes & more than 300. small vessells The 5000. spaniards that accompanyed the Empresse into spayne, ar yntertayned yn Andolozia, to be embarcked yn this navye, & with theme x or xjm sowdyors more, the grettnes of which preparatyon, threttens rather som other place, than the [ Marginalia (by Herle): s ] Tercera./ V. grett shippes departed from Lusbon towards the Indyes of portyngall laden with ij myllyons of syllver for that traffyck havyng nether waffter [ deleted: wafter] nor scowtt with theme, wherby apperes that they nether dowtt the forcs of Tercera, nor make difficultye to have the sayd Indyes yn qwyett possessyon./
On the v ^th^ of thys moneth cam the newes to the K. of Sp: of the dethe of the P. of Orenge, the daye followyng arryved a messenger that affirmed that he lyved butt the K. att nether of these Repports made ani allteracion or semblance to be moved ani waye therwith. nomore dyd he when he understood of the [fol. 281v] d. of Angeows Recevyng here, & of his Awguratyon, The Advertisments of Italye do holld that for certayne the Turkes navye is to com furth this moneth, & that the Treatye with Persia shalbe concluded./
Here is a Rumor amongest som of good sort, & there be advertisments of ytt, thatt the Pope hath sent a Nuncio into Spayn, and another into frawnce, & that there is a negociatyon in hand to marye Monsieur to on of his neeces of Sp: which breedes whisperyng here amongst som of good sort, for fere that they have bothe of Sp: & Roome, & of frawnce allso the producer of practises./
Monsieur urgeth the Religyows frede agayn, butt they ar slowe for good respect to agre therunto./
I am bolld herwith to present a booke unto yow of Monsieurs joyeowse entry into this Town [ deleted: & of his negociatyon] furnisshed with the Representations of the Theaters & pagents then shewed att his Awguratyon, which contyayns things besyde, mete for your wisdom to consyder of./ namelye I note that yn all their procedyngs, they desire to yntangle the Q. with this actyon, & so is it spred all abrode./ Wherwith prayeng humblye the good acceptance of mi speciall dutye borne to your honor, I fynisshe, desyreng onlye by your good favor & cowntenance agayne. & yow shall well perceve whatt trew & sufficyent servyce I will do to yow & to her majestie withowt her charge her or yowres./ Andwerpe the 28. of aprill. 1582./ Your honors most assured. W. Herlleli.
