Letters: Earl of Oxford to Baron Burghley; June 14, 1595.

PRO SP12/252/70, ff. 135-6, Oxford to Burghley; 14 June 1595. [Click here for modernized spelling.]

My good Lord. althowghe yt ys all one, in myne opinion whether her Maiesty send downe or not to have any bodie ioyne with Mideltone, for that I am not aquaynted with the poyntes of his message which yf they bee but as I doo heare, are lyttell to the aduancement of thys seruice, but rather a detere and hynderance therto. yet concerninge the mayne poynt vpon whiche I most force, that ys that her Maiestye showld nott leas the benifite of yis yeare, to that part of my desyre I have of no eare givene Wherfor assuringe my self that yowre Lordshyp will further her Maiestyes profytt and assyst them that shall goo about the same ernestly. I wowld gladly put yowre Lordship in remembrance that the chyfest part of my request was to have her Maiestyes Letter, for the stay of Tyne, that none showlde be bowght ore sowlde tyll thys monthe be past, or abowt St Iameses tyde. In which tyme she may have leysure to consider what course wilbe most for her benyfyte, and not to suffer a matter of suche moment as thys, which is to great for any subiect, for a small tryfell to her self, by to muche hast to slype her handes.

The matter of Tyme to busie about the quantite, is but friuolus, and I know not to whatt purpose, sythe yt myght be easlier knowne here, then by examinatione of Sir Francis Guydolphynes Rooles, for the deceyt there cannot be perceyved, that will only stand vpon affirminge and denyinge without controle.

The monye which he yerly payes to the Queen declarethe sufficiently, for yf he pay to her Maiestye 2400l rent, then ys that after 40s the 1000l weyght, 1200 a thowsand pound weyght, and yf the remayne which is to come to the account of ye yeare folowinge, yf yt be a hundred or two ^100^ thowsand Tyne, that is but a 200 or 400th matter more of monye. whiche ys to smale a tryfell to stand vpone at thys present.

The deceyt lyees where the Tyne is transported, and when the Stokes be vnderrated, as where 4 Blokes showld be a thowsand, yt ys commonly sene that thre Blokes attayne to that quantetye.

wherfore my Lord I insist styll to crave her Maiestyes letter for the stay of the Tyne that none be bought and sowlde, tyll her Maiestye be throughly satisfisde what wilbe her plesure. And in the mean seasone, that yt shall ryse muche more to her benefyt then otherwise. Then I am to aduertise Robertes, to drave in hys monye wherof I know at his last beinge in towne he left here a good some. About this matter I must and so he is determyned to send Alderman Cacher downe, whoo I know will not be negligent to performe the seruice. then ther is no lett but to appoynt  an other to ioyne with him for the other Moyete, and yf Alderman Havltone be redie to take suche a charge vpon him alone, then is yt muche more easier beinge ioyned with an other. And sythe he hathe all redie deceyved her Maiesty of 40 thowsand pound, as when he hade for 12 or 14 yeare to gether the impost of wynes, vnder his master: why showld he thynke muche to recompence the same now in her Maiestyes seruice, raytinge to her so great a commodite, and to himself no small revenue.

Yf 40 thowsand pound layde owt yelde sume fowre or fyve and twentye thowsand pound gayne, as the returne and the vse of this monye comes to no lesse, why shall yt not be thowght, yf her Maiestie hathe half with them, and they fyve or syx thowsand pound a yeare. that ys ys the best way for her Maiestye and a resonable comodite, for them, whose proportiones, few noble men in England attayne to the leke in there lyvinges. I doo not dowt but Havtone may very well be satisfisde with fyve or syx thowsand pound a yeare, a portione that may content any subiect in the land.

Wherfore my Lord thys ys my request in short that I may have her Maiestyes letter to Sir Fraunces Guydolphine for the stey of the Tyne that none be bowght or sowld tyll her Maiestye hathe declared her plesure. And wheras I am aquaynted with the sendinge downe of dyvers Marchantes of there men, to buy vp the Tynne before hande, that expeditione may be vsed of the same and for that Alderman Cacher is now at this present to goo downe about  thes busines betwien me and Robertes concerninge the settinge forward of thys seruice, I wowld gladly obteyne that he myght carie downe the letter. for I wowld be lothe that her Maiesty beine dravne one with friuolus deuises, showld leas sume eyght or ten thowsand pound thys yeare, and after be sayd that yt wass throwghe my vayne motiones, when in dede yt shalbe there practise whoo wowld have her maiestie be content with a lyttell that they may deceyve her of muche. And to prevent this disgrace, I crave bothe in myn owne behalf, aswell as in her Maiestyes, yowre Lordships trwe and honorable helpe. this 14 of Iune 1595.

Yowre Lordships to Commande

(signed) Edward Oxenford

 

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