My very good Lord, yf yowre
meanynge be onlye that the Alderman showlde goo downe to ioyne wythe
Middeltone, whose Iornie in myne opinion is to small furtherance of her
Magestys seruice, then I thinke as yowre Lordship yat yt ys nott so convenient
for an Alderman to be sent for yf yt be to inquyre of the quantetye of Tyne,
whervpon as the matter is now, yt ys not to be so muche stood vpone, sythe her
Magestye myght have hade with lesse troble, a more perfect intelligence, and
wythe lesse charge here at home by pervsinge the Bookes of the Exchecker, the
receytes of Sir Frances Guydolphines, and conferringe them with the Marchantes
bookes, which have vsed the trade, at what prizes they bowght and have sowld
thys fowre or fyve yeares past.
But yf the mayne and chiefest
poynt ys to bee hadd in consideratione, whyche ys that her Magesty be nott put
by the benifite of thys yeare, then I am wholy of the opinion, yat in a matter
of suche importance, no man to good for to serve her Magesty and the more
experienced & practised in the cause the meter to be imployed.
And yf yowre Lordship stand in
dowte of the contentment in the Contrye, then yt ys easie inoughe for yowre
Lordship to be resolued.
Sythe the last yeare bothe the
Contrie, and ^companie of peutrers^ made an agrement and gave assent vnto 24l
the thowsande.
And then they hadd reasone as
the case stood wythe them, for Tynne wythein this 18 monthes was as good
cheape, as yt was fortye yeares agoo, by the meanes of fyve or syx marchant
ingrossers, whoo kept yt at a lowe ratte, for there gayne a dozen yeares. yet
now have put yt vp, for the lettinge of good causes whyche showld take effect.
Whearfore yf her Magesty giue
them 20s more, which is 25l or 26l or 40tie marckes, whiche will content them,
to be assured yearlye, & may have twoo or thre thowsande pounde at fyve or
six in the hundred at the Agentes handes, puttinge in good assurance, whiche
monye will cause the quantite to be greate, by meanes they shall want no monye
to sett there people one worke; Then ther is no lett but her Magesty may make
her benyfite thys summer; so therbe sent wythe speed sumeone to stey the sale
tyll St Iemses tyde, in whiche tyme the Agentes and suche others may goo to
accomplishe the cause.
As for yowre Lordships
mistakinge of the puttinge of the Coynage to St Iameses day, yt ys no puttinge
of, for yt ys the very day, by order of the stannerye, wherby her Magesty shall
rather reforme a late abuse browght in by the ingrossers, then seme to innovat.
Myne intent ys no more but that
there myght be a cople of Agers and suche others thys summer appoynted to take
in the Tynne for the Queens vse at the prizes aboue sayed. and they to sell yt
but as yt ys now woorthe in Londone, very nere fowre pownd a hundred whiche ys
nere 40l a thowsande, and makes of every twoo thowsand three. The quantetye of Tynne
beinge woorthe neare fortye thowsand pownde, makes very neare three scoore
thowsand pounde whiche ys 20tye thowsand l gayne.
Now my Lord I leaue to yowre
iugment whyther ten thowsand pound a yeare be better to the Queen then fowre. And
yett suche a bargayne for the Agents and others, as few marchantes can attayne
vnto, whoo make greater aduentures for less gayne. This 15 Iune 1595.
Yowre Lordships to commande.
(Signed) Edward Oxenford
Addressed (in Oxford’s hand):
To the ryght honorable my very good Lord the Lord Thresorer of Englande [seal]
Endorsed: 15 Iunij 1595; Tyn;
Erle of Oxford to my lord
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- The Thomas North Theory Springs Leaks Under Scrutiny. June 6, 2021. ‘In McCarthy’s video “How We Know Sir Thomas North Wrote Richard II,” at 1:10, we are informed that “there is zero doubt that this was the passage used.”’
- Shakespeare and Thomas North. April 5, 2021. “It might have been more of a surprise if North had not been advanced after one or another fashion.”
- On Shakespeare and Drinking Smoke. January 4, 2021. “The debate raged for some time: Had Shakespeare smoked pot? Tobacco? Both?”
- 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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