Sir. Althoth [although] my hap hathe bin so hard that yt hathe visited me of lat wythe syknes yet thanks be to god throw the lokinge to which I haue had by yowr care had ouer me, I find my helthe restored and myself doble behowldinge vnto yow bothe for that and many good turnes whiche I haue receiued before of yowre part. For the which althothe I haue fownd yow to not account of late of me as in time tofore yet not wythstandinge that strangnes yow shall se at last in me that I will aknowlege [them] and not be vngratfull vnto yow for them and not to deserue so ill a thowght in yow that they were ill bestowed in me. But at this present desiringe yow yf I haue done any thinge amise that I haue merited yowre offence imput [impute] to my yong yeares and lak of experience to know my friendes. and at this time I ame bowld to desire yowre fauoure and friendship that yow will suffer me to be imploid by yowre meanes and help in this seruice that now is in hand Wherby I shall think my self the most bownd vnto yow of any man in this court and hearafter ye shall command me as any of yowre owne Hauing no other meanes wherby to speak wythe yow my self I am bowld to impart my mynd in paper,
ernestly desiring yowr Lordship that at this instant as her to fore yow haue giuen me yowre good word to haue me se the wares [wars] and seruices in strange and forren places sythe yow cowld not then obtayne me licence of the Quenes Magesti Now yow will doo me so much honor as yat by yowre purches of my licence I may be called to the seruice of my prince and contrie as at this present troblous time a number arr. Thus leuing to importunat [importune] yow wythe my ernest sut I commit yowe to the hands of the Almighty. By yowre assewred friend this 24th of Nouember
Edward Oxenford
Addressed: To the ryght honorable and his singular good friend Sir William Cecill Secritarie and Master of the wards. Yeu thes [Give this]. [sealed]
Endorsed: 24 Nouember 1569 Therle of Oxford to my Master
Second endorsement: Desires him to procure leave from ye Queen for him to go & serve hir Magesties Country in ye Wars.
"Yeu thes" in a cursive hand, possibly O's.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- Shakespeare and Painter’s Palace of Pleasure. May 19, 2020. “…there is no richer source for clues to who was Shakespeare.”
- What About Edward de Vere’s Twelfth Night of 1600/01? January 28, 2020. “Leslie Hotson, who brought the Orsino-Orsino coincidence to the attention of the Nevillians seems to have made one particular mistake that is all to our point.”
- Malvolio’s Crow's Feet and “the new Mappe”. October 14, 2019. “Percy Allen’s candidate is not mentioned by any of these parties. The traditionalists, of course, could not consider it possible because it would suggest far too early a date for the play.”
- The Battle Over Shakespeare's Early and Late Plays. September 24, 2018. “The answers to the post-Oxford dilemma, of course, are three.”
- Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
- Check out the English Renaissance Letter Index for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
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