Catalogue description HENRY BERTIE to his brother, LORD WILLOUGHBY.

--"My humble service remembred to your Lordship. Not many dayes ere the receit of your Lordship's, which was dated the 12th of August 1616, and which came not to my hands till the sixth of May 1617, I had sent a packet to your Lordship concerning the whole occurances of my business heare, which for thiere safer convieance to your Lordship. I directed to my cosen Willowghby at Padoa, but about the time they showld have arrived theire, as I understand by some letters are received since thence, that he died ; wherefore at this time I have not thought it amisse to reinforme your Lordship at large, least you might remaine no lesse doubtfull of my stat in these parts then the most unwelcome newes of Stephen Bertie's death hath left me concerning my affaires at home. About a yeare since I tooke a voyage to Constantinople, where I spent most part of that sommer, arriving thiere in a time wherin I saw such part of the Turk's greatness, as it may be the like hath not or may be seene these many yeares. By the way, I mett seventy of his gallies, which lay in port four days at Sio [Chios], whilst I was theire, and some few dayes after as they were scouring the Archepeloug, mett with the Viceroy of Naples gallions, by which they were soundly beaten and putt to flight. At my arrival at Constantinople, I saw the entry and entertainment of the Emperor's extraordinary Ambassadors, with whome I had the favour to kisse the Grand Signeurs hand. At my departure thence, I came by land through Greece with the Ragusean Ambassadors, (which hold a little commonwealth like to the Venetians, paying yearly some 1,201) crowries tribut to the Turke) by whom (being commended to them by my Lord Ambassador) I was very kindly used all the way. It would be too tedious to write all I saw by the way and during my stay theire, albeit, for the variety of anticke tonnes, countryes and the multitude of most pleasant Hands, I never tooke more delight in any jorny in my life. At my arrivall at theire towne of Raguza, which is in Sclavonia (right against Barletta in Appuglia in Italy), I had determined to imbarke myself for Venice, but by the way having disbursed a great part of my mony for a horse which I bowght in Macedonia, and which indeed I had thowght to have sent your Lordship, being the handsomest which ever I shall sett my eies on, and with the rest succord a poore French gentleman who was excedingly distresed in that barbarous country, being robd both of one of his horses and his mony, and having himselfe and three other horses and his man to care for, I was forct (he himself not being able to repay me at Raguza as hee promised) to accompany him to Ancona, a sea towne of the Pope's, whether his marchant had retorned him for the receit of his mony, where when we were arrived he payd me honestly, but staying thiere some few daies to refreshe ourselves and our horses, I was sollicited dayly by the Governor and other gentlemen of the towne to sell him mine, which upon no termos they could gett me to doe, which refusal, for owght I can since imagine, was happily [i.e., haply] the cause of my ensuing fortune ; for the day ere wee were to depart, I was taken by the Inquisition, examind what countryman I was, and so consequently of what religion, which I declaring, was forthwith made close prisoner, and by this meanes sure they thowght to worke him out of mee, but having kept mee almost a month's space prisoner, having neither liberty to write or speake with any but themselves, and seing they could prevaile nothing with mee, either in this, or concerning my religion, which they pretended the cause of my imprisonment, they forthwith informed of me to Rome, whether presently after I was sent, and since have remained some two months and a halfe prisoner, but usd with all kindness and respect, both of the officers of the place, and of the Cardinalls who are judges of that Court, before whom some few dayes ere my enlargement I apeard and awnswerd for myselfe. My man was likewise made prisoner, althowgh I had formerly turnd him away for having once or twice beene almost occasion both of the losse of myself and horse. A great freind of your Lordship bath done me wondrous favours in these my troubles, succoring me with mony and freinds, for which unspeakable kindnesses I have made bold to present him my horse, and thowgh yet I have not his answer, I hope I may asseur your Lordship he is in good health, as by the last I had from him I was asseurd, being then to take his jorny for Venice. I am yet tide to stay heare in Rome, thowgh at free liberty." [Explains what has been done about his affairs since he left London on July 1, 1015.]

" But it is now time to crave pardon of troubling your Lordship with such a world of fatherlesse businesses . . . wherfor I will end as briefly as I may with this humble request, that since I am cleare out of debt and my estate wholly retourned into my hands, which is in all twelscore pound a yeare, I mean seven score pound for Withcall and hundreth from Batman," it may be made over to me by equal portions at Michaelmas and Lady Day, as Stephen Berty used to do ; all orders for my business being still to be directed to my merchant at Venice."

P.S.--" I beseech you to remember my humble service to my mother."