About fiue miles from Santon is a frée towne cal-Wesell,The frée [...]oone of [...]esell in Cleueland. vnder the said duke of Cleues dominion, and one of the Hauns townes, priuileged with the companie of the Stilliard in London, whither di|uerse Wallons were fled for religion, and had for their minister one Francis Perusell, then called Francis de Riuers, who had receiued some courtesie in England at the duchesse hands.A protection procured for [...] duchesse, [...] the magi|strates of Wesell. Master Bertie being yet at Santon, practised with him to obteine a protection from the magistrats for his abode and his wiues at Wesell: which was the sooner procured bicause the state of the duchesse was not discouered but onelie to the chéefe magistrate, earnestlie bent to shew them pleasure, whilest this protection was in séeking.

In the meane while, at the towne of Santon was a muttering, that the duchesse and hir husband were greater personages than they gaue themselues foorth,M. Bertie & the duchesse [...] danger of [...] by the bishop of Ar|ras at Santõ. and the magistrats not verie well inclined to religion; the bishop of Arras also being deane of the great minster, order was taken, that the duches and hir husband should be examined of their condition and religion vpon the sudden. Which practise discoue|red by a gentleman of that countrie to master Ber|tie, he without delaie taking no more than the duches hir daughter,Another [...] of the [...]chesse and [...] husband. and two other with them, as though he meant no more but to take the aire, about thrée of the clocke in the afternoone in Februarie, on foot, with|out hiering of horsse or wagon for feare of disclosing his purpose, meant priuilie that night to get to We|sell, leauing his other familie still at Santon.

After the duches and he were one English mile from the towne,The hard di|stresse of the duchesse by euill wether. there fell a mightie raine of conti|nuance, whereby a long frost and ise before congea|led was thawed, which doubled more the wearinesse of those new lackies. But being now on the waie, and ouertaken with the night, they sent their two ser|uants (which onelie went with them) to villages, as they passed, to hire some car for their case: but none could be hired. In the mene time master Bertie was forced to carrie the child, and the duches his cloke and rapier. At last betwixt six and seauen of the clocke in the darke night, they came to Wesell,The hard in|terteinment of M. Bertie & the duchesse at their en|tring into Wesell. and repairing to their innes for lodging and some repose after such a painfull iourneie, found hard interteinment: for going from inne to inne, offering large monie for small lodging, they were refused of all the inholders, suspecting master Bertie to be a lanceknight, and the duches to be his woman. The child for cold and sustenance cried pittifullie, the mother wept as fast, and the heauens rained as fast as the clouds could powre.