Transcript

[fol. 182r] Synce the writeng of mi Last to your honor, a grett conspiracye hath byn discoverd att Brugs intended agaynst Monsieur & the P. of Orenge, for the which on Sergedo a Spaniards son born in Normandye, is apprehended [ deleted: for the same] as hed of that platt, with whom was joyned Amorall, the yonger brother of the howse of Egmont, & is comitted to the custodye of Markett, lyvetenant som tymes to Lanowe, havyng allredy confessed sondry things towching the sayd conspiracye agaynst hym sellf. with those ij there be apprehended ij Italyens, wherof the on is called francisco, dyd accompany Sargedo hither from the P. of Parmas Camp, after the surrendrye of Owdenard. And there is taken for the same practys a [ Marginalia (by Herle): Lorayner] Lorenye & a Townsman of Brugs, & att Gawntt there be sondyre ymprisoned, as Colleages to the former. Monsieur hath taken this nere to harte, & hath advertised the frenche K. therof by a expresse messenger shewyng that in case sufficyent matter be proved agaynst these persons, that they shall suffer for it, without regarde more of Egmont, than of the meanest, thowgh nere of blood to the frenche Q. that now ys. And he hath futher signeffied, that their processe shalbe dyvulged [ Marginalia (by Herle): Du Plessis hath it in his ynstructyons for the dyett] throwghowt christendom, to make apparant the K. of Sp: procedings, agaynst his person & those that be joyned with hym. This Sargedo was son to a spaniard, that served the Frenche K. Henri the second by whom he was grettlye advanced & rewarded, & among other things had a Castell with a signorye gyven hym nere unto Roane where this yonger Sergedo was borne. The father for the good [ deleted: opinion] oppynion that K. Henri had of hym, was made governor of Metz, & matched hym sellf in mariage with on of the howse of Vawdemont agaynst the d. of Gwyses mynde, with whom comyng in pyke, was removed from his sayd government, & lastlye beyng att the massacre of Parys, was by those of Gwise, murtherd as a hugwenott, nottwithstandyng that he was a superstycyows papist. His son after his dethe lyved Ryottowslye, & havyng wasted his patrymonye & goods, fell to Robbyng by the highe waye syde, in which tyme he committed suche horrible murthers, vyolencs, burnyng of howses [ deleted: &] Rapes, & other vyllanyes, as were wonderfull, & Lastlye his Castell being serched for hym (he escaping by a postern) they fownde clyppengs of golld & syllver coyne, there, & ynstruments with matter allredy prepared to forge mony, uppon which they proceded in justyce agaynst hym, & sentenced that he sholld boylled to dethe, which was executed att Roan yn pretence a vj monethes past, synce which tyme he hath served with the P. of Parma, & offred to do notabell [fol. 182v] service for the K. of Sp: so he were ynhabled with mayntenance, whereunto the sayd P. consydryng the promptnes of the man, & his resons which were feysible, consented that he sholld trye his habilytye here, appoynteng francesco the Italyen to bryng word back from him of things, by whom he sholld be furnisshed with mony from tyme to tyme. Att His arrivall yn this Town, which was Imediatelye after the composityon of Owdenard, he putt him sellf in good order, & had accesse to Monsieur, to whom he declared that he was com owtt of frawnce to do him service even for affectyon sake, & albeytt that he had played the yong man sondrye wayes yett nott so, as might deserve the Rigor that was shewed hym by the Cowrt of Roan, hopyng by the good servycs that he wolld do, to purge all his former follyes, offryng uppon his own charge to levye & Arme an entyre Regyment, & to bryng theme to the Camp, which liberalitye plesed Monsieur muche. Butt confferryng with the P. of Orenge, his name [ ... ] were better examined & therby the rest browght in [suspityon] within a while after, ytt was discovred by som words that had escaped him, that he had a passeport from the P of Parma, wheruppon 3. gentyllmen were appoynted to observe hym, who plesing his humor, drew owtt by degrees, that he was com thither as a servant to Spayn, to do som exploytt./ In the mene tyme the P. of Orenge warned yong Egmont to forbere Sergedos company, as a man most ynfamows, [&] who had ynsynuated him sellf to be Egmonts kynseman by [his mo] thers syde, The Prynce, willeng the sayd Egmont to kepe this [ ... ] to him sellf, nott for any Regard or fere he had of Sergedo, butt for that the sayd P. alledged that he wolld nott have more enmyes than he allredy had. which nottwithstanding Egmont presentlye Revealed to Sargedo, whatt the P. had sayd, & afterwards dellt with hym by scedules & messaygs, withdrawyng in shew from his company, herewith was francesco dispatched back agayn, & apprehended by the waye, beyng [ deleted: thrett] threttned with Torture yf he conffessed nott the truthe of this practis, as he was made beleve that Sergedo had don, [ deleted: wherwith francisco] wheratt francisco beyng amased, & heryng som of the purposes recyted that the 3. gentyllmen had observed of hym Sergedo confessed that the sayd Sergedo was a proffessed servant to the K. of Sp: & had undertaken to the P. of Parma (who sholld fornysshe his chargs, & gyve hym monethlye 4m. gylldernes) to obteyne of Monsieur the credite of a Regyment, with which he sholld be hable, yf Monsieur & the P. of Orenge dyd com personally into the fylld to kyll [them] bothe or att lestwise on; or otherwise to be redy allwayes with his sayd [fol. 183r] Regyment to betraye the Camp, or yf it cam to a dayes battell, to be occasyon of vyctorye. Or lastlye beyng putt in garrison within any good town, to delyver the same to the P. of Parma, who gave Sergedo a passeporte for vj monethes to compasse his featt in./ further the sayd francsico confessed that Egmont, by reson that he was denyed the office of master of the horse att the d. hand, allso the governement of flanders. And for that Cownt Moryce son to the P. of Orenge, toke the upper hand of hym, And lastlye for the Bonyvett had gyven hym the lye, he was becom a partye of this conspiracye, & offerd, so that Sergedo wollde make Monsieur awaye, that he lykewise wolld dispatche the P. at his plesure, beyng easye for hym when he was att dyner with the sayd P. & dyd eate att on dysshe, to do ytt: by poysonyng a pawncye that he ware uppon the end of his lyttell fynger, which towching the soppes & brothe of the pryncs syde (a meat that the sayd P. dyd muche use) ytt were qwycklye & assuredlye effected./ francisco confessed further, that Egmont had consented to retyre to the P. of Parma, Sargedo promiseng that ij M. horse sholld meet hym & Receve hym according to his degree/ he allso affirmed that Egmont was present when very unseemelye & Injuryows words were spoken of Monsieur & of the P. & State here, wheryn he concurred rather, than was displesed with the sayd words./ which is substance of that which is knowen herof as yett & therfore thowght it mi parte for your honors satisfactyon, to sett the same down att large as ye se./

The P. of Parma is com to the Armye in person, which is abowtt Iper butt attempts nothyng./ Trulye grett practises ar in hand. Champignye & the Ellder Egmont att Gawnt, ar clapped into Irons synce this practis of Sargedo & of the yonger Egmont is com to lighte./ Owr Camp is to be mustred to morowe, & to Receve a monethes paye./ ytt contynewes bettwen donkerck & Bergen St wynocks still./ The frenche K. hath gyven Monsieurs trowpes now leve to marche with displayed Ensignes throwgh frawnce, threttnyng to cutt theme in peecs yf they comitt dissorder in the Contreyes where they passe. The whole [ deleted: forcs] frenche forcs ar promised to be here att the furtherest by the xvj of the next monethe, & we loke for certayn for the Q. mother to be presently here, her Coches were prepared for thatt purpose./ Master Norrys is reconsiled to his companyes, but grettlye stomacked by Monsieur & the P. of Orenge, & denyed to have lodgyng att Brugs. Heryn be newes from Colleyn, that the Cowncelles of this town have ymparted with me from a partye of good accompte here be allso the artycles propsed yn the Imperiall dyett & so I humbly finyssh Your honors in haste verye humblye. Andwerpe the 29. of Julye. 1582. W. Herllely.