Sir Edward Vere to Sir William Browne. August 14, 1603.

In this series:

• Sir Edward Vere to Sir William Browne. August 14, 1603.
• Pending
• The Death of Sir Edward Vere, son of the 17th Earl of Oxford and Anne Vavasour.
• Pending

Likely most readers remember two things of Sir Edward Vere if they remember him at all. First, that he was the illegitimate son of Edward de Vere, the 17^th Earl of Oxford. Second, that Mr. John Hampden wrote of him that he spent “all summer in the field, all winter in his study”.[1] According to Clements Markham, “A [1010 page] manuscript folio [was] still preserved,” circa 1888, in the library of Lord Leconfield, “containing Polybius translated into English by Sir Edward Vere.”[2]

Sir Edward is so little known that the 19^th century biographers of each of the correspondents — Hampden and Sir John Eliot — noted that the name “Edward” was a misprint for the more famous Francis Vere. A quick check of the sixth volume of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts[3], however, verifies that the manuscript in Leconfield’s library was written by Sir Edward Vere. That Hampden assigned a degree of fame to Sir Edward in his letter also informs us that he was held in high repute among many as a military man and scholar.

Not having attracted the attention of historians, we must take his biography from hints and a handful of documents. In this first document we find him, a 22 year old English officer, writing to Sir William Browne, deputy governor of Flushing, under Sir Robert Sidney.

Sir Edward Vere to Sir William Browne.

Have receaued both your Letters, and haue spent the rest of my Tyme in seekinge some Man whereby I mought come out of your Debt. Lieutenant Poynes promised me he would be gon againe, but because I haue lighted Vpon this Messinger, I dischardge myself by him first; and, in the next, if I owe any Thinge, will paye the rest. Two Days after our march from Gertrudenberg, we lodged within two English Miles of the Ennemye, who, by the next Morninge, two Howers before Day-breake, began to make his Retreat in much hast and some disorder. His Excellencie made hast after him, and the Vantgarde of our Horse, with the Muteneers, ouertooke his Rere before he was fully out of the Villadge, where they chardged those they founde, beinge Monsieur de Rohan, with some few Gentlemen; some fifty or sixty at the most, were slain in that Encounter; amonge the which was the French Chevalier, Lieutenant Generall of the Horse under the Duke de Male, and Commander of the Lorraners. The Muteneers were violent to goe one, and all the Armie desired it infinitly, seeing the Ennemy wavering, and vppon a faire Heth, fit to determine the Controversy. My humble Sperite, and the Modeste of a Soldier will not giue me leaue to estimate my Generall, but in all Mens Iudgement, if his Excellency would but haue giuen them Countenance, the Muteners had been sufficient to haue routed the Ennemye, beinge in that pickle, if he would but have been contented to haue looked one. He refused to harken to all such Counsell, yett made a Shew as though he would have fought, if they had stood the comminge vp of all his Enfantrie, which they did not; but being hartned by his Staye, marched awaye in very good Order, though it was long first ere he could assure his Soldiers. I make no Doubt, if our Lorde had been present, he would haue made them giue a better Account of their Businesse, and payde dearer for there Passadge. The Ennemye lies still at Herentales: He was determined to haue begun, but the Comminge of 3000 Men out of Italie hath stayd his Feare. Vppon which News his Excellency hath encreased his Guards, and wacheth very stronge. The Number out of Itallie is no more; for I spooke with one who hath been imployed as a Spie for that Purpose, and hath marched with them ouer the Mountaines: He makes Relation that they were then 3500, 13 Spanish Companies out of Naples, the rest Italians. His Excellencie is yet unresolved how to proceed till the comminge of the States, who this Daye arrived att our Camp; but the generall Speech is, that we shall march to the Busse, some say to Wowe, in which Buisinesse the Muteneers are pertakers, who leaue behinde them in the Castell of Hoghstrate 500 Men, furnished with Artillerie and Munition by the States. You write nothinge of our Lorde, of which we would gladly heare somethinge. Thus recommending my best Loue vnto you, I rest. From the Camp att Heoghstraet, this 14th of August, 1603.

Yours most affectionately,

Ed. Vere.[4]

The camp from which Vere writes, at Heoghstraet [modern spelling Hoogstraten], near Antwerp, was the headquarters of the Italian mercenaries, called “the mutineers”. They had been poorly treated by their Catholic employers, in the wars over the Lowlands [Netherlands], and just recently gone over to the Protestant side. Those highly capable veteran forces were not necessarily the most emotionally stable but were a great benefit nonetheless.

Vere seems to have been among an English contingent that shared the camp. The reference to having received a number of other letters suggests that he was regularly reporting on the state of the new allies.  Only one report from him back to Sir William Browne seems yet to have been published.

---

[1] Nugent, George. Memorials of John Hampden: His Party and His Times (1899). 77.

[2] Markham, Clements. The Fighting Veres (1888).

[3] Sixth Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, Part 1 (1877). 288.

[4] Collins, Arthur. Letters and Memorials of State (1746). 278-9.

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• A Life of John Dee, Part 1. January 17, 2022. “In reality, John Dee was a man born out of due season. His age was not ready for him.”
• How Shakespeare gave Ben Jonson the Infamous Purge. November 7, 2021. “Of course, De Vere could not openly accuse Jonson of having outed him as Shakespeare.”
• 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?”
• 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 Shakespeare Authorship Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.