To the Countesse of Shrowesbury
at Hardwike
The answere to my
Wyues lettre of ye 4th
of August. 1584.
Your lettre of the third of this instant carryinge so faire
and vnaccustomed shewe of dutifulnes & humilyte of spirite
commeth now so late and so out of season that makes
me suspect it to be a Sirens songe set for some
other purpose then it pretendeth/ I would most
gladly haue accepted such motions (notwithstandynge
all other your private & dayly abvses though both by
wordes and accions most vehement & intollerable) yf
the same had ever bene offered before you shewed your
self publiquely my bytter enemy sekinge by your ministers
of false sudiestions every where my infamy & overthrowe
then the spoile of my goodes and of myne & your owne
children by your vnnaturall meanes & mallice and
lastly the sack of Chatsworth house that
devowringe gulf of myne and other your husbandes
goodes which notwithstandinge I ever thought good and yet
do to maintene and augment for theire saks who are
to succede vs therein/ But now forasmuch as
ether for despite of me or for the vndeserved spoile
of your sonne and heire or else to satisfie the
insatiable covetousenes of that your other sonne
you haue betaken vnto him all as it semeth leavinge
in your self no intrest vnto any thinge vnder colore
of a supposed graunt exacted from me by what
synister meanes the Lord knoweth: vppon deliberate
advice of the Lerned I am now resolved to proceade
by due order of Lawe with those my adversaries
your sonnes vnto the triall of there honestnes & my honor in that
accion synce they haue alredy with all advauntages
& force comenced the same thinkinge it in
conscience most dishonorable vnto me to stand and
Loke vpon the ruine of that house with the vtter vndoing
of your eldest and best deservinge sonne And the
manyfest wronge offered vnto my self by them
that by all reason shuld haue wrought the contrary
Sheffeld the iiijth of. August 1584
your husband
the coppy of my letter to the countes of shrewsbury
the 4 of August
