To the ryght honorable my
sengiular good Lord and frend
the Lord Burgley Lord Tresurar
of England./ /
2. August 1584
ye Countess of Salopp.
hir hard vsage
by my Lord hir husband
my honorable good Lord and deare frend./ your Lordship hath always
bound me to you by your many good fauors./ I was neuer more
dystresed then now and therfore assuredly hope your Lordship of your
accustomed goodnes wyll releue me, my case ys most Lamentable
many ways./ I beseche your Lordship be ameane to her majesty for me.
and that yt wyll please you to wryte your owne Letters of aduyse
and parswagyon to my Lord for my better vsage. quyatnes ys
the thynge I most desyre in thes my Lattar days, and in
reason I would thenke my Lord should not myslyke yt./
your Lordship's Letters wyll doe more with hym now then any subiects
els Leueing./ and therfore yf he be parswaded to vse me
well, I must yelde the wholl thankes next to her majesty) to
your Lordship; and rest for euer most bound to you./ my Lord
now within thys few days sekes to take away chatsworth
and thos pore goods and Leueing which were myne, which
hym selfe assured to my ij yongar sonnes vnder hys hand
and sealle about xj yeares synce in consederatyon to pay my
dettes, to dyscharge such somes as my Land was charged with
to my chyldryn, and to others; and for ther aduancement and
mentynance; which euer synce they haue quyatly inioyed tyll within thes
few days./ I would not haue my sonnes (without they be
inforced) to stand in sute ageanst my Lord; yt wyll not be honorable
for hym, to doe contrary to hys owne hand and sealle, and to
deale so hardly with me and them, I haue not any thynge of
hym at thys day to mentayne my selfe, nor haue not had
thys xij monthe and more; for then he withdrew that pencyon
he allowed me before for my mentynance so that I am dreuen
to Leue one my chyldryn; and now he sekes to take from them
that which before he assured, and comands the tenants to pay
them no rente./ my Lord knows the Lawe ys with my sonnes
but sayth he wyll make them consume in sute that Lettell
they haue, he knowes my debte and thers are greate,
and therfore the rathar he sekes to trobell them./ yf gods
pleasure had ben I would I had not Leued to thys day
to haue my husband at thes hard tearmes with me./
I beseche your Lordship Lycence thys bearar to declare more
partecularly vnto your Lordship my most Lamentable state; and thus
haueing an assured hope to reseue comfort by your Lordship's good meanes
I cease from further trobeling your Lordship with my prayar for
your Longe and happy Lyffe;/ from hardwecke the second
of august.//
your Lordship's faythfull most dystresed
sorrowfull frend
EShrouesbury
my good Lord synce the wryting heareof I heare that my Lord meaneth
to send agreat numbar to ashford (parsyll of the
Land conuayd to my yongar sonnes) ther to gether the rent
and certeyn Lead ore which belongeth to them./ after a xj
yeares quiat poscession yt ys hard to be thrust out in
thys sorte I beseche your Lordship conseder honorably and
frendly of me and myne hearein./ I can not stay my
chyldryn but they wyll rathar Lose ther Lyffe ther, then be
so spoyled and I Leue not without feare of my Lyffe
./ my Lord ys not contente only to vse me
so hardly hym selfe but hath wone my sonne hary
cauendysh to deale most vnnaturally with me, for
whome your Lordship knoweth my care./ who had ben Lettell
worthe yf I had not obtayned apardon at her majestys
hande for the which your Lordship was a specyall meane, good
my Lord be an earnest meane to kepe me and myne from
spoylle
