To the Earl of Leicester
RIGHTE honorable and my singular good Lorde and unkle. Allthoughe I have at this presente little matter worthy the writinge unto yowr Lordeshippe, yet beinge newlie returned frome my poli[sh] journei, I woolde not omitt anie ocasion of humbly perfoorminge this dutie. Wherefore I hum[bly] beseeche yowr Lordeshippe to take these few lines in good parte, whiche I wryte rather to continew this I ow unto yow, then for any other thinge they may conteine in them. The Emperour as I wrate laste unto yowr Lordeshippe hathe these two yeeres continuallie pretended a journey to Prage, w[hiche] it is thoughte shall in deede be perfoormed, to the greate contentacion of that kingedome, w[hiche] otherwise seemed to bende to disobedience. There it is thoughte his son shall very shortlie be kinge, whome likewise the Emperour seekes by all meanes possible to advance to the kinged[ome] of the Romaines, and for that purpose desyres to call an imperiall diett in Francfort, th[e] appointed for the elections, but it is thoughte the Electours will rather chose an other for this nexte ensuinge diett whiche is saide shall be sommer followinge at the fur[dest] and then there is no hope of election. Not beinge at Francfort, it is likely it sha[l] at Regenspurg, where I beleve the Emperour will demaunde fur greater summes of mo[ney] then will be grawnted unto him. Thoughe the peace betwixte the Turke and him, as yet as fur as it is knowne perfittlie concluded, yet it is thoughte the Turke will rat[her] proceede by sea then this waie, and as the frenche embassadour hathe writtne, mean[ethe to] visite the Popes territorie, perchaunce his conscience moveth him, to seeke the benefitt of Jubile. I hope as the Spanierdes allreddy begin to speake lower, so the Popes holiness[e] will have lesse leasure to ministre suche wicked and detestable cownceills to the chris[tian] princes as hetherto he dothe. Owt of Frawnce yowr Lordeshippe hathe the advertisementes fu the Prince of Conde is retired to Basill where he livethe in companie withe the Ad [mirais] children, beinge frustrate of a greate hope he had conceaved of suckowr owt of Jerm[any] wherein many and wise men do impute greate faulte to the prince Casimire the Cou[nte] Palatines seconde son, in so muche that to write to yowr Lordeshippe plainely, he is heavilie s[uspected] to be corrupted by the Frenche. His father certainely is as vertuous a prince as livethe, he sufferethe him selfe to muche to be governed by that son. This I thoughte my dut[ie to] write as havinge hearde it in very good place and muche affectioned to the tr[ew] cawse. The Polakes hartily repente their so fur fetcht election, beinge now in suche case neither they have the kinge, nor any thinge the kinge withe so many othes had promised besides that their is lately sturred up a very dangerous Sedition, for the same c[awse] that hathe bredde suche lamentable ruines in France and Flandres. Now the — is reasonably wel appeased, but it is thoughte it will remaine so but a while.
I have no other thinge worthy the writinge at this presente to yowr Lordeshippe wherefore I humbly ceasse withe mydailie and most boundne praier, that it please the Eternall, to continew and encreace yow in all prosperitie. Frome Vienne. This 27. of Novembre. 1574.
Your Lordeshippes moste —
Philippe Sidney.
[To] the righte honorable and my singular [good Lorde and] unkle the Earle of [Leicester].