I receyved this morninge yowre message by H Loke, wherby I see yow have not forgotten me to her Magestie, and so as yt ys muche to my contentment, I protest to god not so muche in that sumwhat her Magestie doothe satisfise my desyre, but that I finde that assurednes in yowre kindnes to me, wyth whome as we are streyghly alyed, ther ys no reasone but I showld make especiall account of before all others, so am I glad mooreover to find an especiall friend constant and assured in yowre woorde. whiche thinge I vow to god to acknowlege to yow in all faythe
kindnes and loue, and in whatsoever I may stand yow in sted wch accordinge to myn estate now ys littell, but in good will very great I will wythe all alacrite and well wishinge performe, and this I boothe speake and wright vnto yow from my hart. Wherfore as yow have begone, so I most ernestly desyre yow to styke to me in this cause, for yt ys a thinge wherof I make great account, and yt ys a friendship whiche yow have done me aboue thankes, whiche I will frely impart to yow at my cominge to the Court, wch I thinke shalbe to morow by the grace of God. tyll whiche tyme as a hater of ceremonies I will refer all other thankes and obseruationes whiche in me are as far from ordinarie accomplishments, as my thankfull accepetance of thys yowre frendly and brotherly office ys nere my harte simple and vnfayned. I sent my man as H. Loke informed me vnto yow that he myght open sumwhat moore playner the cause, the moore yow shall countnance him the more bouldly and frely he will certefie yow. I will only now end wholy recommendinge my cause to yowre friendship, assuringe
yow that ther ys nothinge in the world that I esteme more or accept
more kindle then yowre brotherly and frendly office which yow at thy present
vndertake in my behalfe. to morrowe I hoope to se yow my selfe at the court
where I will more francly and frely declare my self. for to day, althowghe I
thowght to have come to yow yet consideringe yowre manyfold causes I thinke yt
best to forbeare. In the meane seasone I rest yowre most thankfull brother and
assured friende
(signed) Edward Oxenford
Addressed
(by Earl of Oxford): To my very welbeloued friende and brother Sr Robert Cecil,
principall Secretarie to her Magestie. [trace of seal]
Endorsed:
xjmo Maij The Earle of Oxenford to my Mr
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?”
- Gutenberg, proto-Hack Writers and Shakespeare. May 26, 2020. “A less well known effect of the Reformation was that many young Catholic men who had taken religious orders in order to receive an education began to lead lives at large from monastic discipline. Like Erasmus and Rabelais they took up the pen.”
- 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.”
- Shakespeare Scholarship in the Internet Age. August 12, 2018. “I love to be presented with a legitimate challenge to any of my work. This does not change the fact that such challenges are followed by an unpleasant sinking feeling. Had I missed something?”
- 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 Letters Index: Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
No comments:
Post a Comment