Maye yt please your Honor I receyved a lettar from your Ladyship by
my brother Wyliam: and whear as your Ladyship wrytes yt ys sayed with you
that, I am gonne onely vp to London to playe at dyse, the sayer, or speaker
of yt in tyme, wyll be asshamed of hys occupacyon, and eyther be noted
commonly for false, or els bewar how he crepeth into every mans
Iudgement, and mynde, whear he ys not made pryvye nor can led to counsell.
ffor me, I lyttle regarde reportes, nor studdy to please every man,
I haue attayned to please those I seeke, If I please your Ladyship for
others I lyttle esteme to please thear fantasyes, and wyll lesse
every daye, knowyng I am as ffree borne, as any other, and therfore
thynke I dooe well yf I please my selfe, which by Godes Grace I
wyll asshuredly, shortely dooe, and showe whearfore my commynge vp
was, neyther to playe at Dyce, to seeke ease and dallyance, or for
any other vayne delyghte, but to seeke vyrtú, and honor in Armes,
which by hys lycence that yeldes all thynges I am resolute to ffolloe
knowynge nottwithstandynge that yt wyll be yll spoken of, and letted
s by my ffrendes, not for my good, but for
envy. But by that meanes I shall staye some Babelyng tounges
from talkynge of my playe, and cause them to sharpen thear wyttes
to devyse some other great faulte in me, more I thynke in my conscyenc[e]
to troweble your honor, then to mend any yll in me, ys ther, deyffke.
My studdy ys to please your Ladyship and so I endevor my selfe dayly; and
for my playe your Ladyship shall hear, yf you hear the trewthe,
shall be altered, and I gyven to other playe. that many myslykes,
though, most fytte for a gentleman. Thus humbly cravynge your
Ladyship's dayly blessynge I end prayynge to God to send your
Honour longe lyffe and good healthe Coleharbert the
vjth of November
Your Ladyship's most bounden
Humble and obedyent sonne.
Henry Cavendyshe
