§
manner gevinge yor La: thankes for yor lettre wch lately we
receved/ Wherby we vnderstand/ that wch beste contenteth
vs/ The good healthe of yor La: wth all yo:rs there./
Touchynge our busynes here/ we can not yet (by any possible
meanes) procure the dispatche therof, but are styll delayed
wth daly promis/ and partycularly for the offyces/ I lately
vnderstandinge that the Erle of Essex meante to renew
his sute to her ma:tie for Tutbury I toulde him/ that
I was very sorry my happ was to be crossed therin by
any seynge the same offyce hadd contynued in the handes
of my auncestors thes two hundred yeres paste/ muche
more by suche a one as his Lp: was w of whom I
never deserved otherwyse then well/ and who I was
ryghte sorry sholde vse so great discurtesye to me &c: wth
muche more to the lyke effecte/ When I hadd ended/
he answered/ that It lyinge so very nere his chefe
house & in his owne cuntrey he hadd moved her ma:tie
therin more then a yere synce/ who did dyrectly ~
promis him that she wolde may make stay therof for him
and not graunte it to any other/ wch promis he sayde
he was fully purposed to have now renewed to her
ma:tes memory/ nevertheles so muche he respected my
house/ and so great good affection he bearethe to me/
as he was contented bothe to relyngose surcease his
sute for him selfe/ and to further me therin all that
he coulde/ wch I colde not but take very thankfully
at his handes/ And thus muche I have imparted bothe to
my L:d Threasurer and to m:r Secretary/ And they have
declared the same to her ma:tie so as there is now no
scrupell at all/ that I can learne/ & yet my bylls are
vnsigned/ and putt of from day to day./
I assure my selfe that before this lettre shall cum to yor La:
handes/ you shall have harde of the wycked murther
of the ffrenche Kynge In this manner/ a freare of a
new order wch this Kynge him selfe erected caled/
The order of Dominickes desyred to have private accesse to
his owne person for matters tendynge hylye to his honor
& servyce/ And beynge admytted he delivered vnto the
Kynge a lettre importynge an offer of one of the chefe
gates of Paris to be at the Kynges commandem:t but before
the sayde lettre was fully redd/ that cruell varlett (wth
a longe sharpe poynted knyfe yt he hadd in his wyde
sleve for yt purpose) stabbed the Kynge into ye syde
therwth/ yet the K: havynge sum glympse of the knyfe
stryck stroke it sumwhat doune wth his arme/ wherby it
perced not so depe into his boddy but yt ther was hope of
vyllanes hande/ (sum sayes he pulled it oute of his owne boddy)
but certayne it is that the K: stabbed the varlett two or three
tymes into the face & hedd therwth/ & so by thos yt were nerest
nereste the Knyge/ he was Instantly slayne in ye place/
The K: immediately sente for the K: of Navar to him who was
incamped nere vnto him wth many others of the nobilitie/ And
after he hadd hadd sum pivate speche wth the K: of Navarr/ he
desyred all thos noble men ther presente to receve him for
theyr Kynge and no other/ wch they all faythfully vowed to doe
And they all (wth that Kynge) did also vow to be revenged of
the Kynges dethe/ Sum thynke it was ^is not^ a freare indeede who
did this wycked acte/ but sum ^other^ person who determininge to sell his
lyffe in yt revenge/ did so aparrell him selfe/ to thende therby
to procure accesse./ Vppon this newes my L:d Chancellor
(who was then at holdenby at the marryage of his daughter
nephew) was sente for vpp agen wth all spede/ And this
nyghte he will be at london/ he purposed to have tarryed
ther xen or xij dayes longer/ here they will resolve what
course is fytteste to be taken ^for the K: of Navars ayde^ so sone as they shall be agen
advertized how the nobilitie & people are bente towardes
him./ all thynges here are after the wonted manner/
Thus moste humblie besechynge yor La: blessinge/ wth our
wonted prayers for yor moste happy longe lyffe in all
comfortes/ and our prayers to God to prosper my La: Arbella
and to blesse our lyttell ons/ & to rewarde yor La: for yor gret
goodnes to them Ind we humblie seace./ This fyrste
of Iuly .1589.
obedient lovynge chyldren
/ /
§
contenewally receue and
promes of as much as
I can desire but nothing
performed for your la: case
nothing done how my lo: reuersion
of his ofesis standes this leter
will aduertes your la: and
for welbeke it is much mor
bacward then it semed to
be at our coming vp. we
will labor still by all good
menes and leue: the succes
to god ho who is in shart time
may make greter alteracions
when we lest loke for it god
I know not of what credet that foler
shall be the Q leger imbasiton^r^ in
Scotland: the Q axed me very carfuly
for my la: arbell the last day god
bles her wt all his good blesinges and
geue your la: that and all other comfortes