My very good Lord vpone yowre
message vnto me by yowre servant Hykes, I receyved no small comfort, that God
puttinge into yowre hart to fauoure and assist me in my swtes to her Magestie
after a longe travel, and doutfull labor, I myght obteyne sume ende to my
contentment. Wherfore I most ernestly, and hartely desyre yowre Lordship to
have a feelinge of myne infortunat estate, which althowghe yt be far vnfitt to
indure delayes, yett have consumed fowre or fyve yeares, in a flatteringe hope
of idell wordes. But now havinge receyved this comfortable message of
furtherance & fauoure frome yowre Lordship althowghe her maiestie, be
forgettfull of her selfe, yet by suche a good meane, I doo not dout, yf yow
lyst but yat I may receyve sume frute of all my travell.
This last yeare past I have
bene a swter to her Magestie yat I myght ferme her Tynes, gyvinge 3000l a yeare
more then she hadd made. yf I had not done thys, ther weare which thowght to
have had yt for a thowsand markes a yeare. I perseuerd, and yf I wowld have
giuen yt over to suche, I myght have bene recompenced to my content. but for
yat I dyd not a showe hathe bene made to her Magestie of 10 thowsand poundes of
yeare, only determininge therby, to stope her Magestie frome harkeninge to my
swte, and so to weare me out therof, which beinge compassed, to bringe yt to
ther fyrst poynt or at the least to an easier rent, they demanded 30 or 40
thowsand poundes, to be lent them for one yeare, which they thowght her
Magestie wowld absolutly refuse. and so havinge culler to breake of all, and my
self forgotten yt myght be, and as they thowght most lekly, her Maiestie wowld
yelde and be browght to be contentend with a small sume, or att the most with
so muche as I had offred. Thus I was to have beaten the bushe, whylst other
howldinge the nett, had taken the bwyrd.
But as I perceyve, a rude copie
of myne altogether vndigested came to her Magesties hands, wherby she is not so
discoraged as they have made there account. this copie as I perceyve yowre
Lordship hathe sene. yett I am sure, althowghe yow may discerne sume lyghtes of
resonable matter, yt ys so yll ^appearinge^ as yt wyll rather incomber yow,
then comfort yow of any possibilite.
Yet vnderstandinge thus muche
by yowre servant Hykes, I framed one other plott, which for that the other stood
all vpon leklywhodes, & probabilities, myghte vpon a more assured grownd be
bwylt, yf her Maiestie any kynd away can be perswaded to disburse forthe her
monie. for wheras that for whiche was demanded 40tie or 30tie thowsand poundes,
stood altogether vpon coniectures, this dyd only relye vpon that which was
certeyne & what was by her maiesties informationes of the yere past
certefied in her rates how yt myght be made with a fare smaller sume of mony
layd owt, and so what difference ys betwiene dout and certeynte betwiene a
great cost and lesser charge that differencie is apparent betwiene that
vnperfect noote and that I last sent yowre Lordship.
But yf yt be so yat her
Magestie lekes away, wherby she shall lay forthe no monye & can be
contented to have those revenues whiche allredie are made to be lyfted vp and
increased to ten thowsand pownd by yeare.
Then I have discouerd suche an
one as yf yowre Lordship leke therofe, I wilbe glade to doo her Magestie
seruice therin, & so to procede as I shalbe incoraged by yow.
And thys yt ys. those
merchantes which fyrst sett me one worke, will giue her Magestie fowre thowsand
pound a yeare aduancment of rent in her custome, yf she will grant me the ferme
therof, and to me a fyft part. They are to lay owt in stoke 20 thowsand pounde.
I only bearinge but the name of the sute, lay owt never a pennye but have as ys
sede a fyft part. this fyft part is assured me to be 2000l which indede althowghe
I seme to receyve at there handes, yet yt shall rune into her Magesties cofers.
so yat here is 6000l for her Mageste without layinge forthe one penye & I
dare vndertake presently to be performed, so that this 6000l added to the 3283l
wantethe but lyttell of 10 thowsand, to make vp whiche yf yt shall pleas her
Magestie to graunt my sute for the licence of transportatione, I ame to giue
her 500l more, and will what I can strayne my self to make yt vp full 10 thowsand
whiche ys sume 200 or 300l more.
Also for yowre Lordships
furtherance of my swte concerninge the licence for ye transportatione of Tyne
and leade, accordinge to the statute, which defendethe none to be carried out
of the Realme without lycence vnles yt be to Calice etc, I will assure yowre
lordship towardes the helpe of my doughters mariage, or otherwise as yt shall
pleas yowre Lordship to assigne, to pay yearly whear and to whome yow shall
appoynt 500l.
And yf her Magestie sees yat
the other wayes are all intricate and troblesume then she may be assured of
this last way to be presently performed, & yt ys without troble, to her
Magestie or layinge owt any monye, to take this cowrse last sett downe. And
althowghe the Marchant ys to be thowght therby to gayne, yet yt ys to be
considered the sume of monye which he must lay owt, the hasard of the tymes, of
ware of peace wherto he must stand, the dowt whyther the Mynes wyll continve
there proportione or no. And what he dothe gayne, her Magestie shall allwayes
be able to loke into by my fyft, wherofe thowghe I beare the name yet ^yt^ ys
hers. Thus desyringe pardone for my ernest and longe wrightinge, I commit yowre
Lordship to the Almighte. this 20tie of Marche. Yowre Lordships alwayes to
Command.
(signed) Edward Oxenford
Addressed (in Oxford’s hand):
To the ryght honorable and his very good lord the Lord Thresorer of England
[seal]
Endorsed: 20 March 1594; The
Erle of Oxforde to my Lord; Tinne.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- Oxburgh Hall, Rats’ Nests and Hamlet’s Book. January 31, 2021. “Among the little things that could be done was to scavenge for the centuries of dreck that had found its way between the floorboards.”
- On Shakespeare and Drinking Smoke. January 4, 2021. “The debate raged for some time: Had Shakespeare smoked pot? Tobacco? Both?”
- On the Question “Who knew Edward de Vere was Shakespeare?” December 14, 2020. “But was the word going around that his wife, the Countess of Oxford, conceived two children in his absence?”
- 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?”
- 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.
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