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.

Master Bertie destitute of all other succor of hos|pitalitie, resolued to bring the duchesse to the porch of the great church in the towne, and so to buie coles, victuals and straw for their miserable repose there that night, or at least till by Gods helpe he might prouide hir better lodging. Master Bertie at that time vnderstood not much Dutch,Gods proui|dence in time of distresse. and by reason of euill weather and late season of the night, he could not happen vpon anie that could speake English, French, Italian, or Latine; till at last going towards the church porch, he heard two striplings talking La|tine, to whome he approched and offered them two stiuers to bring him to some Wallons house. By these boies, and Gods good conduct, he chanced at the first vpon the house where master Perusell supped that night, who had procured them the protection of the magistrats of that towne. At the first knocke, the goodman of the house himselfe came to the doore, and opening it, asked master Bertie what he was. Master Bertie said, an Englishman, that sought for one master Perusels house. The Wallon willed master Bertie to staie a while, who went backe and told master Perusell that the same English gentle|man, of whome they had talked the same supper, had sent, by likelihood his seruant to speake with him.The meéting of W. Perusel & the duchesse of Wesell. Wherevpon master Perusell came to the doore, and beholding master Bertie, the duchesse, & their child, their faces, apparels, and bodies so farre from their old forme, deformed with durt, weather, and heaui|nesse, could not speake to them, nor they to him for teares. At length recouering themselues, they salu|ted one another, & so togither entered the house, God knoweth full ioifullie: master Bertie changing of his apparell with the goodman, the duchesse with the good wife, and their child with the child of the house.

Within few daies after, by master Perusels means, they hired a verie faire house in the towne, and did not let to shew themselues what they were, in such good sort as their present condition permitted. It was by this time through the whole towne what discourtesie the inholders had shewed vnto them at their entrie, in so much as on the sundaie following,The citizens of Wesell ad|monished by their preacher of their hard|nesse toward strangers. a preacher in the pulpit openlie in sharpe termes re|buked that great inciuilitie towards strangers; by allegation of sundrie places out of holie scriptures, discoursing how not onelie princes sometime are re|ceiued in the image of priuat persons, but angels in the shape of men, and that God of his iustice would make the strangers one day in an other land, to haue more sense of the afflicted heart of a stranger. The time was passing foorth,A fréendlie part of sir Iohn Mason towards the duchesse. as they thought themselues thus happilie setled, suddenlie a watchword came from sir Iohn Mason, then quéene Maries ambassa|dour in Netherland, that my lord Paget had fained EEBO page image 1145 an errant to the baths that waies:A traine laid for y^e dutches by the lord Paget and the duke of Brunswicke. and whereas the duke of Brunswicke was shortlie with ten ensignes to passe by Wesell for the seruice of the house of Au|stricke against the French king, the said duchesse, and hir husband should be with the same charge and com|panie intercepted. Wherefore to preuent the crueltie of these enimies, master Bertie with his wife and child departed to a place called Winheim in high Dutchland vnder the Palsgraues dominion,M Bertie & the dutchesse remooue to Winheim vnder the Palsgraue. where vnder his protection they continued till their necessa|ries began to faile them, and they almost fainting vnder so heauie a burthen, began to faile of hope.