To the Ryght honorable & hys synguler
good lady my lady
ye Countese of
Shresburye.
Ryght honorable. yt may be yat I mystoke ye matter, but as myn
aucthore spake, so I wrote to your honor. he is ye party, yat hathe
all doinges with ye seriante for master pierpoynte I meane master 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 prevented & foreclossed the hartes of honeste
men to gyther with 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 workyng. And I say, ye meane to levy
no fyne, but to passe all by feoffes apon truste, which I beleave
shalbe ye auctores & begynners of this Tragedy fownde in ye ende
I worke as a meane betwene ye ij parties, lovyng bothe so well
as non better. Therfor he muste handle ye matter wysly and
silently, yat muste putt his hand withowt harme betwene ye
barke & ye tree. When I have commoned with 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 master pierrepont 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 with in a myle
& within iij myles weste, wheare now ye yowng syr is
with his mammee I take yat place to be ye fountan of this myscheffe
yet I know it not & so I pray your honour 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 Seriante as I espyed in ye begynninge by way of prophesyinge. Now yf this be trew, then the
scripture is trew, yat sayeth: ex presbiteris processit iniquitas
—prestes ar the begynnyng of all mischeffe I neade speak
no playner to a good expositonne. Then madame thynke yat
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 wereth them.
My Lorde Dyer told me, yat there ys no way to lett master pierrepont yf he
lyste so to doo, but by persuasyone & fayre meanes, which for his parte
should not wante, yf he came to hym. I beleave master harehe
being wonne (which my Lorde your 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, yat we may wynne hym, yf yt be possible, to hate theyr
devises & thynke of them as thei ar: no fryndes but foes.
yt may be yat theyr proposed feate at Candlemas to be wrought
ys ye same, yat the letter mentioneth yat your honour 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 yat Anne pierrepont ys in love with on Teyvle &
for yat 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
your hope of master Chaworth yat wayse ys dawnted. I mynd
in the ande of this next weeke to see your honor.
Master pierrepont hathe a booke of me called Gallen in phesycke, and
foloweth my cowncell for ye thynge I told your honor, yat he
theryn may perceave wedlocke helpyth & hurtythe not yat thynge./.
your dowghter speakyth to me for soiornyng &c. but he dothe
not as yet. your .ij. suheete chyldren ar in helthe, but I
suppose concernyng theyr commyng to Chatzworth promyse wyll not
be performed, your letter was shewed to me/ & I spake but
lacke of horse ys ye cawse. when I beleaved .v. hundrythe
markes to be &c. I now vnderstand I was deceaved by hym
yat wold have me thynke so. Thus I take my leave
of your honor. the xijth of August.1571.
your honor’s to command
Jo. L.
by close dealyng, a man may come to a kyngdom
