Lewin, was the graduate of Cambridge and steady slightly older servant of Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, who wrote a long letter to William Cecil, in July of the previous year,1 to explain that his master, the Earl, had disappeared from Strasbourg, where the two had been staying with the great German didact, Johannes Sturmius. The young earl had given him the slip and proceeded alone to Italy. Here we find him still in close contact with Sturmius and Oxford.
Lewin led an interesting life in his own right but on a smaller scale than the principals mentioned in this correspondence. We first see his name associated with the Royal Court as a Cambridge student during the Queen's progress to the university in 1564 [Link].2 Surely, this is how he had come to William Cecil's attention as a candidate to accompany Oxford on his European travels. Now, Lewin was a servant of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and, having remained with Sturmius for some months after the departure of Oxford for Italy, he is serving as personal intercessor with the English authorities for his host and teacher.
Sturmius' role vis-a-vis his English employers is too complex to describe here. Suffice it for present purposes to point out that, according to the letter, he was receiving payment for his services twice yearly at the Frankfort Fair through one Bernus, associate of Santrinus, an English merchant. In all likelihood, Santrinus traveled the fair circuit. In Frankfort Santrinus gave Bernus payment to take to Sturmius, in Strasbourg, some 30 miles away. However much those payments were dependable, the old didact had lent a large sum of money to England's Protestant allies in the lowlands, when they were desperate for funds, and was finding it extremely difficult to receive his money back.
LEWIN TO JOHN STURMIUS.
Dated at [London,] Sept. 8, [1576.]
I wrote you word a few days since, most accomplished Sturmius, with what design and by what motives I was especially induced, after that Lanscade's letter had been sent to me by you, to carry to court, together with that letter, those others written to the queen and the lord treasurer, and [sir Francis] Walsingham; also, how gratifying they both were to both those noblemen, and for what reasons I thought that the third letter addressed to the queen had not been delivered to her.
I wrote at the same time, and that at some length, respecting your pecuniary and French affairs; especially about our primate, the archbishop of Canterbury, who is indeed most anxious for your welfare and interests ; and also the method he devised both of relieving you from this debt, and restoring you to your former tranquillity and ease, whereby you may pass the remainder of your life with the gentle muses.
From that time you must know that the lord archbishop has used his utmost exertions in your behalf; that he has pleaded your cause with prudence, diligence, and friendly regard. For besides having again and again commended yourself and your affairs to sir Amias Paulet, a most nobleminded and valiant man, to whom a new embassy to France is entrusted, he also treated thenceforward separately, first with the lord treasurer, and afterwards with sir Francis Walsingham, that they might render this same Paulet for many reasons more interested in yourself and your fortunes. And the sum of this recommendation was, that those two noblemen, who possess the greatest influence and authority among us, should request and entreat Paulet to arrange your French business with the duke d'Alencon and the prince of Conde, either in the queen's name, or at least publickly in that of our nobles ; which they both of them, moved in part by his authority, and partly too by the circumstances of your case, positively promised to do. And I have no doubt myself, nor, my Sturmius, would I have you to doubt, that they have already done as they were requested to do.
Paulet, having taken leave of the queen six days since, is preparing for his journey to France, and will very shortly set out. He is a man of great talents and of a powerful and lofty mind. I perceive that you inquire respecting the earl of Oxford, whether he also did not recommend your case to Paulet. But you must know that I diligently interested myself with the earl, who replied, that he would not only recommend his friend Sturmius to Paulet, but would also request the earl of Leicester to recommend him in every possible way. He added also, that unless you are relieved from France, he will take care that assistance shall be obtained for you in England ; lastly, that he had a most high opinion of you, and had made most honourable mention of you: which things afforded me the greatest pleasure when I heard them, and certainly ought to delight you on being informed of them. But do you, as an old man, both make much of our archbishop, who is also advanced in years, and who is so firm and stedfast in friendship ; and do not disparage this young earl, who has so favourable an opinion of you : from both I dare hope every thing, while from the one I dare promise every thing.
But now, my Sturmius, you will perhaps expect me to state what I advise or recommend to yourself. First of all, you should write as soon as possible to sir Amias Paulet, knight, and who will be our ambassador in France before this letter reaches you. You may state what you have heard from me from England, especially respecting the good-will and interest on your behalf manifested by the lord archbishop; and you may, if you please, add that of the lord treasurer and sir Francis Walsingham. I hope also that the earls of Leicester and Oxford will commend you to Paulet, but this is not yet ascertained by me: I heard from the earl of Oxford that they would do so, but do not yet understand that they have done it.
Perhaps also it might be desirable, that if you have any faithful and trustworthy friend in France, you would send him to Paulet with your letter, that he may sometimes put him in mind of you, and write you word back from France, what is doing, and what is to be done on your part. But if you have not at this time such a friend in France, nor can procure one to go thither at his own expense, I dare not recommend you to send any one at yours. For it is not, perhaps, the part of a prudent man, who is already in debt, to involve himself yet more deeply. I hope that your letters, if you frequently send them to Paulet, as both giving an account of the affairs of Germany, and also full of your zeal and service, will prove sufficiently diligent remembrancers to him, who is naturally a worthy man, and is much beholden to the noblemen who have recommended you to him, and will certainly endeavour to shew himself grateful to them, and kind and liberal to yourself. This one thing must not be omitted, namely, that you inform Paulet, as soon as possible, of the amount that is owing to you, both in respect to the money you borrowed, and in respect to the interest which you paid the merchants on that account. I drew up from your letters a short statement of the whole debt you have incurred, and stated all the circumstances which might interest our nobles in your behalf ; but the lord archbishop, with the greatest discretion, erased whatever might offend the French in case they should see it. One copy of this was delivered to the lord treasurer, another to sir F. Walsingham, and I doubt not but that Paulet has seen both. The lord archbishop retains the third, for the purpose of making other noblemen acquainted with your case; and that you may perceive yourself how the matter has been stated by me, and make any addition that may be requisite, I send you a fourth copy of this statement, and that just as it was interlined and corrected by the archbishop. I will omit nothing that I may think conducive to your interests ; and if anything occurs to you, take care to let me know. There is one thing that I am thinking of, and that is, to induce one of Paulet's domestics, who has some respectable situation in his household, to interest himself in your affairs, and remind his master of you, when occasion arises; and lastly, to write me word when there is anything further to be done here.
My father and master, I will neglect no duty of a dear brother, since indeed you regard me in that light. My ability is but little, but I devote myself to you as far as I am able. Bernus will pay your autumnal pension at this Frankfort fair. Santrinus, an English merchant, whom I have made use of before, also promised to do this a fortnight since, respecting which I also wrote to you in my last letter.
Farewell, Sept. 8.
Yours,
LEWIN.
The archbishop requested me to salute you in this letter in his name. I am still suffering from weakness in my eyes, which makes me use the handwriting of another. Once more farewell.
1 A pdf file of a modern language transcription of the letter can be found at html http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/StatePapersOther/SP_70-134_ff_186-7.pdf. Green, Nina. The Oxford Authorship Site (http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/).
2 See my series on the visitation in Virtual Grub Street beginning with “Elizabeth I’s Progress to Cambridge University, 1564: The host is notified.” https://gilbertwesleypurdy.blogspot.com/2021/03/elizabeth-is-progress-to-cambridge.html
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
Shakespeare CSI: Sir Thomas More, Hand-D. April 22, 2023. “What a glory to have an actual hand-written manuscript from the greatest English writer of all time!”
Edward de Vere Birthday Backgrounder: April 12 (2023). April 7, 2023. "Edward De Vere was born April 12th, in the year 1550, at Hedingham Castle, in Essex, to John De Vere, the 16th Earl of Oxford, and his second wife Margery De Vere (née Golding)."
Edward de Vere in the Lives of his Daughters. February 27, 2023. "At least they take some comfort from their belief that De Vere had no demonstrable relationship with his daughter, the Countess of Montgomery, Susan de Vere."
- Shakespeare’s Character Names: Shylock, Ophelia, etc. July 13, 2021. “The name Ophelia was, by all indications, quite rare in the 16th century.”
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 Shakespeare Authorship 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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