Sir Rober[t] Cecil.
Whereas I have dealt with the Earl of Derby, about my daughter’s allowance, and that he has promised me to assure her to that intent a thousand pound a year, for so much as I now understand upon some discontentment that he has not attained to that honor which it seems he did at this time expect, he determines tomorrow to depart into Lancashire, and that he has neither in his house, or for herself, set down any stay, whereby either in her own lodging, or if she shall follow her attendance upon her Majesty, she is provided as his wife. I do therefor most heartily desire you as her uncle, and good friend to deal earnestly with my Lord Treasurer, unto whom I have also written, that he would send unto him, or else speak with him, to the end that either he should fulfill his promise, or until such time as he shall, to take that order which is fit for her place wherein she serves her Majesty and for his wife. I do understand by my daughter how good an uncle she finds you, and how ready to befriend her, wherein
I also take myself beholding unto you. Of what fancies his humors
are compounded, you know well enough, and therefore I pray you to be earnest
with my lord, that he may deal effectually upon so good a ground as his word
and honor, which he has given. Also I understand that my Lady Russell for some
offence conceived of my daughter has lately written to my Lord Treasurer to
discourage and dissuade him to urge the Earl of Derby. But for that she was herself
^the first^ that moved this allowance, and has since altered her mind upon some
conceit, I hope my lord will not be carried away upon such inconstant balance.
Yet if you find any such hindrance, I pray you nevertheless stick to your niece,
and further her in what you can, since her desire is just, in that it is his
promise, & reasonable in that she is his wife. Thus what you shall do for
her, esteeming it my own bond, I refer her whole cause to your kindness.
Your Assured friend.
(signed) Edward Oxenford
Addressed: To ye right honorable
& his very good friend Sir Robert Cecil one of her Majesty’s privy Council
give this. [seal - boar]
Endorsed: 24 April 1595; Earl of
Oxford to my Master.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- A 1572 Oxford Letter and the Player’s Speech in Hamlet. August 11, 2020. “The player’s speech has been a source of consternation among Shakespeare scholars for above 200 years. Why was Aeneas’ tale chosen as the subject?”
- Portia’s Quality of Mercy. June 2, 2020. “Likely a line from Sonnenschein’s 1905 follow-up essay “Shakspere and Stoicism” is to the point: ‘I hope, by the way, that no "Baconian" will find in this article grist for his mill.’”
- 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.”
- Henry Neville’s Twelfth Night in Context. January 13, 2020. “Winwood informed his correspondent that the Grand Duke de Medici and his Duchess had arrived in Marseilles together with a large entourage including three Florentine princes, Virginio, Giovanni and Antonio.”
- 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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