understand sume of youre newes, whiche here dothe ringe doutfullie in the eares of evrie man, of the murder of the admirall of Fraunce, and a number of noble men and worthie gentelmen, and suche as greatlye have in there live times honored the queens majestie, oure mistris; on whose tragedies we have an number of Frenche Æneases in this citte, that tell of theare owne overthrowes withe teares fallinge from ther eies a piteous thinge we mus deme it than to see. All rumores here are but confused of those tropes that are escaped from Paris and Rohan, wher monsieur hath also bene, and like a vesper Sicilianus, as they say, that crueltie spredes over all Fraunce, wherof youre lordship is better advertised then we are here. And sithe the world is so full of treasones, and vile instrumentes, daylie to attempt new and unlokt for thinges; good my lord, I shall affectiouslye and hartely desire youre lordship to be carfull bothe of youre self and of her majestie, that youre friendes may longe enjoie you, and you them. I speake bycause I am not ignorant what practises have bene made against youre persone lately by Madder 3; and later as I understand by forren practises, if it be true. And thinke yf the admiral in Fraunce was a eysore or beame in the eyes of the Papistes, that the lord tre "This Madder, or Mather (says a manuscript note on the margin of the letter), was he who together with Barny and Herle, as Camden relates, had conspired to take off some of the privy councel, wherof Burghley was one, and to deliver the duke of Norfolk then committed for treason about the queen of Scots." sorer of England is a bloke and a crose bare in ther way; whose remove they will never strike to attempte, seinge they have prevailed so well in others. This estate hath depended on you a great while, as all the world dothe juge; and now all menes eyes, not beinge ocupid any more on these lost cardes, are, as it weare, on a soden, bent and fixed on you, as a singular hope and piller, wherto the religion hath to leane. And blame me not, though I am boulder with your lordship at this present then my custome is, for I am one that count myself a follower of youres now in all fortunes; and what shall hap to you, I count it hap to my selfe: or, at the least, I will make my self a voluntarie partaker of it. "Thus, my lord, I humbli desire your lordship to pardone my youthe, but to take in good part my zeale and affection towardes your lordship, as on whome I have builded my fowndation, ether to stand or fall. And, good my lord, think I do not this presumptiouзlie, as to advise you, that am but to take advise of your lordship, but to admonishe you, as one withe whome I would spend my blud and lyfe; so muche you have made me youres: and I do protest, ther is nothinge more desired of me, then so to be taken and accounted of you. Thus, withe my hartie commendationes and youre daughter's, we leave you to the custodie of Almightie God, "Youre lordship's affectioned sone in lawe, (Sept. 1572.) " EDWARD Oxenford." "To the right honorable and his singular good lord, the Lord Tresorer of England, give these." The following article from lord Burleigh's Diary, exposes a baser cause than history has assigned for the earl's subsequent separation from his countess: “1576, Mar. 29, The erle of Oxford arryved; being retorned out of Italy, he was entyced by certen lewd persons to be a stranger to his wiff.” As the queen gave her royal assent to the match, it might have been expected that her displeasure would have followed the earl's unjustifiable behaviour; but his exterior accomplishments perhaps threw a courtly veil over his domestic immoralities. It may be presumed, however, that a reconciliation afterward took place, as lady Oxford bore him a daughter in 1584, and another in 15875, besides a son. A votary of the muses, and a lord chamberlain of England, was sure to be looked up to as the Phoebus of poesy, and the Mæcenas of every verse-maker. Numerous productions were consequently inscribed to the earl of Oxford, and high eulogiums passed on his qualifications as a writer. Watson, Lily, Golding, Munday, and Greene, appear among the number of his dedicatory panegyrists: and Spenser and Lok, the best and the worst poets of that period, have each transmitted a complimentary sonnet in his praise. John Farmer, a composer of madrigals, applauds his lordship's judgment in music also, and protests, See lord Burleigh's Diary, Aug. 3, 1571. See Memoirs of the Peers of England, vol. i. p. 492; or Collins's Noble Families, P. 265. "without flatterie," that using this science as a recreation, he has overgone most of those who make it a profession". Webbe, our early discourser on English metre, declares that the earl of Oxford may challenge to himself the title of the most excellent among the rare devisers of poetry in queen Elizabeth's court. The same "noble gentleman" is placed first in the "crew of courtly makers," by Puttenham, and is ranked by Meres among the best for comedy. Mr. Ellis observes, therefore, with his usual propriety and judgment, that lord Oxford's poetical talents were much admired, or at least extolled, by his contemporaries; and such of his sonnets as are preserved in the Paradise of dainty Devices are certainly not among the worst, although they are by no means the best in that collection". His lordship has a poem "On Desire," in Breton's Bowre of Delights, 1579, which Puttenham commended for its "excellencie and wit," and Dr. Percy has reprinted from the Garland of Good-will, in order "to gratify curiosity 8," Three other pieces occur in the Paradise of dainty Devices, edition 1576, and five in that of 1596. One other is printed in the quarto edition of Sidney's Astrophel and Stella, 1591; another in the Phoenix Nest, 1593; another in England's Helicon, 1600; and three extracts from different 6 " Dedication before English Madrigals, 1599. 7 Specimens, vol. ii. p. 167. "Reliques, vol. ii. p. 179. poems in England's Parnassus, 1600. The last of these have been reprinted by Mr. Brydges in Theatrum Poetarum Anglicanorum. Two other poems communicated from an ancient manuscript miscellany by Mr. Lysons, were printed in lord Orford's works; but perhaps no fairer specimen can be shown of this carl's poetical talent, which seldom rose above mediocrity, than the verses prefixed to Bedingfield's translation of Cardanus' Comforte, 1576. They follow a long epistle in prose, addressed by the earl" to his lovinge frend Thomas Bedingfeld, esquyer, one of her majesties gentlemen pencioners," who published the book at his lordship's commaundement, "THE EARLE OF OXENFORDE TO THE Reader. "The labouring man that tilles the fertile soyle, And reapes the harvest fruiet, hath not in deede The gaine but payne, and if for al hys toyle He gets the strawe, the lord will have the seede. "The manchet fyne falles not unto his share, On coursest chear his hungrye stomacke feedes: The landlord doth possesse the fynest fare ; He pulles the flowers, the other pluckes but weedes, "The mason poore that buildes the lordly halles, Dwelles not in them, they are for hye degree: His cottage is compact in paper walles, And not with bricke or stone, as others be. 9 Vol. i. p. 551. Printed cheat, |