Thomas Churchyard was born around 1520, in Shrewsbury, on
the Welsh boarder. He was quite well educated for his class and time. Cajoling
his inheritance out of his father before his majority, he set off, lute in
hand, to be a courtier. The experience was not pleasant but somehow he managed
to be taken on as a servant of the Earl of Surrey. Upon the earl’s execution by
Henry VIII, Churchyard took up mercenary soldiering in the Low Countries. After
many Falstaffian adventures, he was taken on by Surrey’s 16 year old nephew,
Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford. After calling the young earl a “cur” he was
released. He returned to the Court decrying the earl who done him wrong.
Here we find him writing Hatton — at this point, Vice-Chamberlain
to the Royal Household and member of the Privy Council — for the second time in
a month. In the first letter he has
taken refuge at Berwick castle and writes to ask for the Queen’s forgiveness
for serious breaches of trust. In this, he
writes from Marshalsea prison where he is being held on a charge of
manslaughter.
Sir, your honorable and courteous taking of my small paynes, with the great regard which you had of my patience in these troubles, dothe comfort me so muche, as my happinesse in sending unto you and your goodness in accepting my letters are at strife the one with the other, which of them both do best deserve the victory. But finding it follie, by late experience, to depende on fortune, and resting wholly uppon God's direction, and on the goodness of my friends, your favourable acceptation of my poore present[1] doth richly rewarde me for my worke, and conquereth both my fortune, and all other vayne hope that my presumptuous pen might give me. God, that worketh all goodness by worthie instruments, hath offered me greate good hope, and wrought a perfect meane to restore me to liberty. The man's wife, whose husbande I serve, is contented to abandon her sute, and henceforth to surcease her malice; so that I hope I shall presently departe from prison, though not able (poore wretche as I am !) to departe with any money. The divers occasions of expence in my restraint, have taken from me the best part of my purse, and only left me the bare stringes to play withall. I blushe, being olde, to begg, and yet not ashamed to receive; being a courtier. A souldier shoulde rather snatch, than stande at worlde's benevolence: but no man appoynts his own portion, and men often fare the worse for snatching too bouldly. Well, I wante, and howe to gett requyres a cunning reache. And then is simplicitie butt a very blunt hooke, to take that which may supplie a man's necessitie. Why feare I my feebleness? the fortune
of
poettes hath been ever poore and needye. Homer had but one eye, and knewe not
where to dyne. Ovid had two eyes, and yet could see but fewe that did him good.
Vergill, Petrarck, Dante, Marshall, Marrott, and many mo, were poore and riche,
but not to continue; and may not I presume among them, as poore as the least,
and a writer not always among the worst, though not a poett, yet one that hath
used both pen and sworde, with poett's fortune as well as they, to my owne
hindrance? Your Honor seeth my deserts, and may easily helpe them when you
please, with some small remembrance of your bountie and goodness. I write not
this to crave, but only desire some meanes to enlarge me, the sooner to drive
away this indigence. Your Honor's servante, or whosoever please you, may nowe
be welcome, and visite me when they will in this sweete comfort and expectation
of present libertie, and bringe that with them which a prisoner is glad to see,
and will be most joyfully willing to receive, whatsoever shall proceede from
your accustomed goodness, whom I commit to the grace of God.
From the Palace of Repentance, the 10th of July, 1581.
Humbly at your Honor's commandment,
T. Churchyard.
[1] This
present would seem to have been the 1580 second edition of Churchyard’s translation
of Ovid’s De Tristibus. For more on this and his many other books see my
Edward de Vere's Retainer Thomas Churchyard: the Man Who Was Falstaff
(2017). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077LVLXY2/
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- Edward de Vere, Shakespeare and Tycho Brahe. June 9, 2020. “When Brahe was encouraged by his friends and associates to publish a book on the November 1572 supernova for which he is now famous, his answer belonged to his times.”
- Shakespeare’s Funeral Meats. May 13, 2020. “Famous as this has been since its discovery, it has been willfully misread more often than not. No mainstream scholar had any use for a reference to Hamlet years before it was supposed to have been written.”
- 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.”
- What Color Were Shakespeare’s Potatoes? July 27, 2019. “By the year 1599-1600, when Shakespeare’s play would seem to have been written, the potato was available in London. It was considered a delectable treat and an aphrodisiac.”
- 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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