198 Longleat Tapers. A.D. 1553—1588. 



please your hyenesse for me, beyng one off the yongeste off your maiestyes most 

 honorable concell as allso one that hathe lest experyence or understandyng, to 

 waye the depthe of so wayty a eawse, and beyng where i have not the oomod- 

 dyte to conferre w 1 sume off my lords, off whoes wysdomes i myght gather 

 sume grownds to satle my opynyon, who have bene more beaten w* suche 

 cawsys off wayte, than i have bene, to wryte i thynke so great a burden as, yff 

 ytt were not for feare off your maiestyes dysplesure, i wold never enter in to 

 suche a laborynthe. Thowh a mane sumtyme in speche utter that wyche ys 

 not so well to be alowyd, yeat spechys be easiyer forgotten, marry e, what a 

 mane dothe comytte to wrytyng, wherein ther ys eny error, ytt ys ever ane open 

 evjdence off a manes follye ; a mane maye in speehe be mystaken, and yeat 

 beyng present maye ether answer ytt, or excuse ytt, wyche offyce a dede wry- 

 tyng cane never perfowrme in his masters behalfe. Thus your maiestye maye 

 see howe farre your awtorytye dothe overwaye reason ; yff a mane consyder 

 howe dangerowse a matter he enterythe unto : and therffore i hope that your 

 hyenesse' wy 11 schall be admyttyd for pardon to my follye, and your comandy- 

 ment a bukler to my wantes herin. I am not ygnorante, yff ytt please your 

 majestye how that the archduke Charls request for hys pryvat relygyon ys a 

 matter off suche wayte, and so muche to be sayyd off bothe sydes as'everye man 

 that lyst maye say ynowfe, bothe w 1 ytt and agenst ytt, Nor yeat howe greate 

 dyfference ther ys for your hyenesse husband, apon whome all menes yees wyll 

 be sette to keepe a contrarye relygion to your selfe and your realme : and an 

 imbassador who nether cares for us, nor we for him, longer than the tyme of 

 hys negotyation ; no mane takes paterne off an imbassador's doying, but off 

 your maiesty's husband, yff he schuld schewe hyme selfe an open mayneteyner 

 off papystrye, ytt myght bothe bryng danger to your selfe and to your realme, 

 for lette your hyenesse assure your selfe that ingland cane beare no more changys 

 in relygyon : ytt hathe bene bowyd so often that yff ytt schuld be bente ageyn, 

 yt wold breke. Nor i assure your maiestye, that yff I thowght not your selfe 

 to be unremoveable in your relygyon to godwarde, i wold not be off thys 

 opynyon that nowe I am f but I hope that he that hath kepte you from all 

 your enymyes in your true professyng off hyme wyll maynteyn you styll to 

 your honor in thys world, to your sowles helthe in the worlde to come, and 

 benyfit off all us your power subiects. And because i am sorye to troble your 

 hyenes to longe w th my rude and tedyowse scryblyngs, hopyng in your maies- 

 tyes pardon as before, yff wishes myght take place I woulde to God the arche- 

 duke wold clerlye leve out hys request off relygyon, wyche thyng yff ytt cane 

 not be browght to passe, i wolde be sorye to geve your hyenesse advyse to 

 denye hyme hys demawnde : which yff he wyll nedes requyre, ytt ys as meane 

 as in that cace he cane desyer, and I assure your maiestye meaner than i wold 

 have reqnyryd yff I had bene off that relygyon, and in hys cace, ether i wold 

 have requyryd more or nothyng att all, wyche makes me thynke that allthowgh 

 he semes nowe to be sumwhat styffe therin, yeat that he dothe yt more of 

 pollycye, and by advyse off good consell, tyll he be suer off that he hopes for, 

 rather than off enye fyxyd resolutyon in relygyon ; for yff hope have brought 

 hyme to be contentyd to use hys relygyon secretlye, i dowght not but that 

 possession off hys hopyd ioye schall clerlye abolysche ytt : and yff before sygt, 

 your name alone to hyme hathe suche vertue, i hope after hys owne repayre, 



