Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk to Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, January 20, 1571.

The following introduction is an excerpt from John Bayley's History and Antiquities Tower of London and is followed, in turn, by a brief excerpt from a long letter filled with solid advice from the Duke to his children. The latter I quoted in my edition of Edward de Vere, the 17^th Earl of Oxford's Ulysses and Agamemnon (1584) (2018). At the time of the Duke's execution, on June 2, Oxford was 22 years old and the heir apparent to the leadership of the Howard-Vere faction at court.

In the much expanded version of Ulysses and Agamemnon of 1599 — Troilus and Cressida — when Achilles/Leicester has Hector/Norfolk executed, with the help of his minions, Troilus is still the heir apparent to lead the Trojan faction.

how he looks, and how he goes! O

admirable youth! he ne'er saw three and twenty. —

Go thy way, Troilus, go thy way!¹

He is 22 years old.

Norfolk's single comment here regarding the 22 year old Oxford tells us a great deal about the state of matters in the English court circa 1572. Some 10 years later, the pamphlet called Leicester's Commonwealth and the play Ulysses and Agamemnon will appear at nearly the same time — the complaints against Leicester in the one and Achilles in the other being nearly identical, the authors clearly being different persons allied against Elizabeth I's great favorite.

Now to the letter written four days after Norfolk, found guilty of treason, was sentenced to death.

Having heard this decree, the prisoner, with much presence of mind, answered: “Sentence is passed upon me as upon a traitor! I have none to trust to but God and the queen: I am excluded from your society, but hope shortly to enjoy the heavenly. I will fit myself to die. Only this one thing I crave, that the queen will be kind to my poor children and servants, and take care that my debts be paid.’

The duke was then taken back to the Tower, with the usual forms of a condemned person, and being told that an early day would be appointed for his execution, he prepared himself to meet it, with a nobleness of soul, which at once characterised the Christian, and dignified the man. On the twentieth of January, the fourth day after his trial, he addressed from the Tower, a long and excellent letter of advice to his children, pointing out to them, in the most affectionate and sensible manner, the paths to pursue, and the dangers to shun, in their future course in life.

The letter is quite long and not to any historical point. For this reason we quote from the portion written to his eldest son as the new head of the family. The full letter may be read in Bayley.²

I forbeare, sonne Philip, to put these particulars hereafter remembered into y^e general letter sent unto you all, because most part of these thinges perteigne cheifly to your selfe. I made certaine conveyances which save to you y^e greatest part of my landes, w^ch can by noe means be taken from you, but by act of parliam^t; and to prevent y^t, you must seeke, by good dealing, to gett your selfe as many to be your good lords and freindes as you can. My L^d Burghley hath been ever my freind, and therfore I hope he will be yours. My cowzen of Oxford is too negligent in his freind's causes, or else he might doe you more good then any kinsman you have. The M^r of y^e Rolles, and the Atturney, have been ever freindly unto me, and if you seeke theyr freindshipp I hope you shall finde y^em willing. Mr. Hatton is a marveylous const^t freind, one y^t I have been much be holding unto. Write unto him, and seeke his good will, and I beleive you shall finde him assured. After sometyme is overblowne, write an humble letter to y^e queen's ma^ty, laying your selfe prostrate at her highnes' feet, declaring your lamentable case. By this meanes I hope you shall asswage her majesty's ire, and thereby that land w^ch is left you, be w^thout danger of rigour by parl^t. This bearer hath been soe faithfull unto me, as if you be not mindfull to recompense him, if you be able, you shall show yourselfe unnaturall to me; therfore let your dealing be such towardes him, as he may think y^e faithfull and dangerous service y^t he did to your father not to be forgotten. Credit him in y^t he shall say by mouth to you from me, for I have comitted diverse things to his credit to be reported by worde. He is contented to spend his tyme w^th you: heare him, he will advise ou nothing but for y^e best.

1 Troilus and Cressida, I.ii.

2 Bayley, John. The History and Antiquities Tower of London (1825). II.470-

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