It is now two or three years since, that her Majesty was sought unto, for the farm of her Tin by two sorts, of suitors. The one sort were many, the other was only myself. They having given a very slight estimation thereof, and devised many reasons to move her Majesty to pass it, had wrought it so far, that seeming to her Majesty that they had made a very hard bargain, gave her with much ado a thousand Marks by year, and so her Majesty had yielded unto it. At which Instant I ignorant of their proceedings, chanced to light upon the same suit, and earnestly solicited her Majesty therefor; desiring to be her farmer for three thousand pounds a year. These offers were so unequal, as then her Majesty made a stay of her former deliberation, further told them she was offered by me so much, and showed for more confirmation my letter unto them. They seemed to answer that sure I mistook it in writing, and for haste had missed the number of my cyphers for I had written it 3000, and they thought I meant but 300. Whereupon her Majesty caused the Lord Treasurer to send unto me, and write whither I meant. I affirmed the 3000. Whereupon the matter then was stayed, and put to further consideration. Thereupon I was fain to look more exactly into the nature of the suit, which I found, of Two natures. The one was a suit to her Majesty which ran
under the name of Mr. George Gifford in the behalf of the company of Pewterers,
and this suit was called the lesser suit, which was in effect that there should
be no Tin carried out of the Realm, but that it should be cast into Bares or ingots,
by the Pewterers, or else the Merchant should pay one halfpenny to them for the
pound. This suit was so blemished and painted out so small as it was to be
passed for Mr. Gifford at a very low rate, of little value, and fit for such a
gentleman as he, that had ruined his fortune in her Majesty’s court. But your
lordship knows better than I, how the Tin is her Majesty’s Commodity, and how
she is to take custom thereof. This year wherein these occurrences of suit happened,
was transported Fifteen hundred thousand pound weight of Tin so far I affirm to
your lordship, but by tomorrow at night (by that time I have had recourse to my
notes and memories, I think I must affirm to your Lordship, not pounds but blocks.
Blocks ought to be 250l a piece. But now they cast few under 400l
a piece & most 5, 6, and 700l. Now my lord then you can well judge, if
her Majesty grants this suit, that seemed so small what it comes unto, if so
many pounds ^weight^ so many halfpennies, so many halfpenny pounds worth. I am
sure it cannot be less than 6000l a year, but when your lordship shall
consider of it you will find it more, for this her Majesty should have had
nothing. Great Persons great shares, a number of meaner persons, a hundred, two
hundred, three hundred, fifty pounds and such sums, all passed signed sealed
and assured by the masters and wardens of the Pewterers, seen by myself and
able to be proved, and was so. Of great persons, a thousand, and two, thousand
to one and as much to another. Now my lord how little this suit is, may appear.
The other Nature of the suit which had been passed as I said
before for a thousand Marks, to write shortly to your Lordship at this time,
was brought to twenty thousand pound a year rent to be given, but for that I could
not follow it, and they that thought to get it among themselves being more in
number, in place, and authority, when all their objections were refelled[?] and
there was nothing to make but for her Majesty’s profit then they, quenched the
heat thereof, said it was no time for her Majesty to lay new impositions on her
subjects, and that it was her Majesty’s pleasure to hear no more thereof. Whereupon
I have surceased ever since, till lately these persons themselves have revived
the matter to her Majesty and thinking me to be so discouraged, that I thought
no more thereof, and that her Majesty soon had now forgotten all former
contradictions, they have used all mine answers to their objections, for reason
to her Majesty to grant this suit unto the companies of Pewterers. These reasons
whilst they were mine, could be by no means in her Majesty’s behalf accepted.
But now to serve their turn they have used them for very reasonable, &
forcible. Insomuch as I being informed that her Majesty had passed this suit, I
thought it good to know the truth, & to put her Majesty in remembrance of
what was past, hereupon I understand from her Majesty that it is true she has
signed the same, but now upon this remembrance from me she has stayed the writing.
Now I thought my good lord, the case standing thus, that there was
nothing so fit to be done, as to acquaint your Lordship with the whole cause,
That you being fully possessed therewith, by the knowledge of her Majesty’s right
in law, the examination of what number of Tin is transported, may easily and
perfectly discern, what the weight or lightness of the matter imports. And for
so much as They have wrought so cunningly that before ever I could have knowledge
thereof they had gotten her Majesty’s hand, the sudden cannot give me opportunity
to gather up so many remembrances, as is necessary to unfold a matter so full
of objections, deceits, and false appearances. But I hope since it has pleased
her Majesty to stay the writing, by tomorrow at night, or next day, to give you
so good heads, and general informations of these matters, that if you shall
have cause to speak with her Majesty therein, that you will think reason, that it
is not fit that her Majesty should so suddenly and without further advisement,
pass it. Thus desiring your Lordship to pardon my long discourse urged by this
matter, I leave to trouble your Lords[hip] any further. This afternoon. Your
Lordship’s to Command.
(signed) Edward Oxenford
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- More on Thomas North as Shakespeare and author of Arden of Feversham. June 14, 2021. “This is also the reason why the title pages included the address of the shop that was selling the book.”
- 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.”
- 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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