My good lord, hauinge loked for yowre Lordships letters a great while, at lenght when I grew to dispaire of them I receiued twoo from yowre Lordship thre pakets whiche at sundrie times I had sent this summer towards England retorned bake againe, by reason the plage beinge in the passages, none were sufferd to pass but as they came were returned bake; whiche I cam not to the knowlege of till my returne now to Venice, where I haue bene grieued withe a feuer. yet withe the help of god now I haue recouerd the same and am past the danger therof thowght browght veri weake therby, and hindred from a great deale of trauell. whiche griues me most, feringe my time not sufficient for my desire. for allthought I haue sene so muche as sufficethe me yet wowld I haue time to profite therby. yowre Lordship semes desirous to know how I
leake Italy, what is myne intention, in trauell, and when I meane to returne; for my lekinge of Italy, my lord I am glad I haue sene it, and I care not euer to se it any more vnles it be to serue my prince or contrie. for myne intention to trauell, I am desirows to see more of Germanie, wherfore I shall desire yowre Lordship withe my Lord of Lecester, to procure me the next summer, to continue my licence. at the end of whiche I meane vndoughtedly to returne. I thought to haue sene Spaine, but by Italy, I gess the worse. I haue sent on of my seruants into England, withe sume new disposition of my thinges there, wherfore I will not troble yowre Lordship in thes letters with the same. if this siknes had not happend vnto me whiche hathe taken away this chifest time of trauell, at this present I wowld not haue written for further leaue, but to supply the whiche, I dought not her Magestie will not denie me so small a fauour. by reason of my great charges of trauell and siknes I haue taken vp of Mr Baptisto Nigrone 500 crounes, which I shall desire yowr Lordship to se ther repaid. hopinge by this time my monie whiche is made of the sall of my land is all com in. lekwise I shall desire yowre Lordship that whear as I had on [=one] Luc Atslow that serued, whoo now is become a lewd subiect to her Magestie and an euil member to his contrie, whiche had certeine leses of me, I doo thinke accordinge to Lawe he lesethe them all to the Queen sithe he is become on of the Romishe church and there hathe performed all such ceremonies as myght reconcile hime self to that churge hauinge vsed lewd speaches against the Queens Magesties supremice, legitimation, gouerment and particuler lyf, and is here as it were a practiser vpon owre nation, then this is my desire that yowre Lordship if it be soo as I doo take yt wowld procure those leses into my hands againe where as I haue vnderstood by my Lord of Bedford they haue hardly delt withe my tenants. thus thankinge yowre Lordship for yowre good newes of my wiues deliuerie, I recommend my self vnto yowre fauoure and allthought I write for a few months more yet thowght I haue them so it may fall ought I will shorten them my self. written this 24h of September by yowre Lordships to command.
(signed) Edward Oxenford
Addressed: To the right honorable his singular good Lord the Lord Tresorer of England [seal]
Endorsed: 24 sept. 1575 Erl of oxford to me.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- The Fascinating Itinerary of the Gelosi Troupe, 1576. June 10, 2019. “The Spanish soldiers had not been paid and unpaid soldiers tend to rob and loot. The citizens were prepared to give them a fight. Violent flare ups were occurring everywhere.”
- A Thousand Years of English Terms. June 2, 2019. ‘One person did not say to another, “Meet you at three o’clock”. There was no clock to be o’. But the church bell rang the hour of Nones and you arranged to meet “upon the Nones bell”.’
- The Battle Over Shakespeare's Early and Late Plays. September 24, 2018. “The answers to the post-Oxford dilemma, of course, are three.”
- Stratford Shakespeare’s Undersized Grave. July 22, 2018. “Mr. Coll’s considers this evidence to support an old rumor that Shakspere’s head had been stolen in 1794. But I submit that he is merely making his observation based upon a coincidence.”
- 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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