[Address Leaf]
To the Ryght hono=
rable & hys synguler
good lady my lady
ye Countese of
Shresburye.
[Letter Text: Notes]
Ryght honorable. yt may be yt I mystoke ye matter, but as myn
aucthore spake, so I wrote to yor honor. he is ye party, yt hathe
all doinges wt ye seriante for mr pierpoynte I meane mr fletcher
my great frynd, but not so frendly in this matter, as I labored
to make hym; yet I am fayne mervelously to hyde my meanyng
The other parties have so prvented & foreclossed the hartes of honeste
men to gyther wt Raskalls. I pray you Madame pervse over my
laste letres agayne, ye constructiene I referre to you, for I
wrote as I herde, & we go all by gesse & coniectures as strangers
to ye thyng so closly in wrkyng. And I say, ye meane to levy
no fyne, but to passe all by feoffes apon truste, wch I beleave
shalbe ye auctores & begynners of this Tragedy fownde in ye ende
I wrke as a meane betwene ye ij parties, lovyng bothe so well
as non better. Therfor he muste handle ye matter wysly and
silently, yt muste putt his hand wtowt harme betwene ye
barke & ye tree. When I have comoned wt hur, ye other
gelously desyryth to know of me, whatt was sayd. Thynke
you now whatt herte I have, whome bothe parties truste
love. Thei bothe ar lothe I should departe from yer howse, &
evyn now mr p. browght me from holme whome & wyll
call me agayn at night returnyng whome warde from New
sted this xijth of Auguste. yet I can not do any great
good, so long as ther ys suche cowncellors wt in a myle
& wtin iij myles weste, wheare now ye yowng syr is
wt his mammee I take yt place to be ye fountan of this myscheffe
yet I know it not & so I pray yor ho. to take me. I speak
of no stomache, yet there was ye forge, wheare my troble
was framed. & there was ye meanynges & concourse of
them all, er thei sett owt to ye Sriante as I espyed in ye be=
gynninge by way of prophesyinge. Now yf this be trew, then the
scripture is trew, yt sayeth: ex presbiteris processit iniquitas
—prestes ar the begynnyng of all mischeffe I neade speak
no playnr to a good expositonne. Then madame thynke yt
yt ys no marvayle yf a yowng ientleman be entrapped
of olde sowldyers. Suche wyly heddes other for nearenes of
place & parentage, or for olde serpentyne sublyltee, ar able
to sett division betwene moste conioyned persons, wo wrth them.
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My Lorde Dyer told me, yt there ys no way to lett mr pierrepont yf he
lyste so to doo, but by persuasyone & fayre meanes, wch for his parte
should not wante, yf he came to hym. I beleave mr harehe
being wonne (wch my Lorde yor Beadfelow may do) all the
matter wer steyd. for all thei sett theyr lyght at Suharson.
I beseche you good madame, vse ye yownge gentleman as gently
as ye can, yt we may wynne hym, yf yt be possible, to hate theyr
devises & thynke of them as thei ar: no fryndes but foes.
Iyt may be yt theyr prposed feate at Candlemas to be wrought
ys ys ye same, yt the letter mentioneth yt yor hon. laste wrote.
A sonne (when pleasyth god) wold turne all this matter.
I do not yet lyke all thynges ^there^ so well, as I hope I maye
here after. but ye two parties agrea well thanked be ye lorde
I heare say yt Anne pierrepont ys in love wt on Teverle Teyvle &
for yt cawse hur mother hathe discharged Teverell of his
man & boy he hadd in the howse. I speake but by heare
say, yet Teyvell ys not at Clyston. yf it be this, then
yor hope of mr Chaworth yt wayse ys dawnted. I mynd
in the ande of this next weeke to see yor honor.
Mr pierrepont hathe a booke of me called Gallen in phesycke, and
foloweth my cowncell for ye thynge I told yor honor, yt he
theryn ^may^ perceave wedlocke helpyth & hurtythe not yt thynge./.
yor dowghter speakyth to me for soiornyng &c. but he dothe
not as yet. yor .ij. suheete chyldren ar in helthe, but I
suppose concernyng theyr commyng to Chatzworth ^promyse^ wyll not
be performed, yor letter was shewed to me/ & I spake but
lacke of horse ys ye cawse. when I beleaved .v. hundrythe
mrkes to be &c. I now vnderstand I was deceaved by hym
yt wold have me thynke so. Thus I take my leave
of yor honor. the xijth of Aug.1571.

yor hon. to command

Jo. L.

by close dealyng, a man may come to a kyngdom


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