The Oxford Authorship Site

[=03] BL Harley 6991[/5], ff. 9-10: Oxford to Lord Burghley, September 1572

My Lord, I have understood by your Lordship's letters that Robert Christmas, according to my appointment, hath repaired to your good Lordship about my causes, and as your Lordship thinks good therein, as touching a new survey, so do I determine shall be done; for both as your Lordship perceives, and also myself, I have been greatly abused in the former by such as I put in trust tofore; but for that is past, now I have no other remedy but to look better to amend the fault in the rest of my dealings hereafter, and as for my timber at Colne Park, therein I had no other meaning save only to make, as it were, a yearly rent, so as I may without disparking the ground. But now for the surveyor which your Lordship hath named, I must get him by your Lordship's means and for your Lordship's sake, for I am utterly unacquainted with him.

And as for those large leases which your Lordship hath been advertised of to be granted by me, I do assure your Lordship, without dissembling my faults to you to whom I perceive myself so much to be bound unto for your singular care over my well-doing, I must confess my negligence and too little care, with the too too [sic?] much trust I have put to some over mine own doings; it may be I am greatly abused, but as yet, till I search into those things now, upon your Lordship's most gracious admonitions, I do not know, but it is likelier to be as your Lordship doth guess than otherwise and, if it be not so, it is more by good hap than of my providence.

The device of making free my copyholders, my Lord, I never thought of otherwise than a motion made to me by Robert Christmas wherein, among the other things, I bade him tell it your Lordship, at whose liking or disliking I was to be ruled in anything, knowing if it were a thing fit or unfit for me I should, by your Lordship's good advice, quickly understand, and so I left it to be not done, or taken in hand. And thus, sir, for these matters, both in this as in all other things, I am to be governed and commanded at your Lordship's good devotion.

I would to God your Lordship would let me understand some of your news (which here doth ring doubtfully in the ears of every man) of the murder of the Admiral of France and a number of noblemen and worthy gentlemen, and such as greatly have in their lifetimes honoured the Queen's Majesty our mistress, on whose tragedies we have a number of French Aeneases in this city that tells of their own overthrows with tears falling from their eyes, a piteous thing to hear, but a cruel and far more grievous thing we must deem it then to see. All rumours here are but confused of those troops that are escaped from Paris and Rouen, where Monsieur hath also been and, like a vesper Sicilianus, as they say, that cruelty spreads over all France, whereof your Lordship is better advertised than we are here. And sith the world is so full of treasons and vile instruments daily to attempt new and unlooked for things, good my Lord, I shall affectiously and heartily desire your Lordship to be careful both of yourself and of her Majesty, that your friends may long enjoy you, and you them. I speak because I am not ignorant what practices have been made against your person lately by Mather and later, as I understand, by foreign practices, if it be true. And think, if the Admiral in France was an eyesore or beam in the eyes of the papists, that the Lord Treasurer of England is a block and a cross-bar in their way, whose remove they will never stick to attempt, seeing they have prevailed so well in others'.

This estate hath depended on you a great while, as all the world doth judge; and now all men's eyes, not being occupied any more on these lost lords are, as it were, on a sudden bent and fixed on you, as a singular hope and pillar whereto the religion hath to lean. And blame me not, though I am bolder with your Lordship at this present than my custom is, for I am one that count myself a follower of yours now in all fortunes, and what shall hap to you, I count it hap to myself or, at the least, I will make myself a voluntary partaker of it.

Thus, my Lord, I humbly desire your Lordship to pardon my youth, but to take in good part my zeal and affection towards your Lordship, as on whom I have builded my foundation either to stand or fall. And good my Lord, think I do not this presumptuously, as to advise you that am but to take advice of your Lordship, but to admonish you as one with whom I would spend my blood and life, so much you have made me yours. And I do protest, there is nothing more desired of me than so to be taken and accounted of you. Thus, with my hearty commendations and your daughter's, we leave you to the custody of Almighty God. Your Lordship's affectioned son-in-law.

Edward Oxenford

*To the right honourable and his singular good Lord, the Lord Treasurer of England, give these.

[=04] BL Lansdowne 14/84, ff. 185-6: Oxford to Lord Burghley, 22 September 1572

[=05] BL Lansdowne 14/85, ff. 186-7: Oxford to Lord Burghley, 31 October 1572

[=06] Cecil Papers 8/24: Oxford to Burghley 17 March 1575

[=07] Cecil Papers 160/74: Oxford to Burghley, 24 September 1575

[=08] Cecil Papers 8/76: Oxford to Burghley, 27 November 1575

[=09] Cecil Papers 8/12: Oxford to Burghley, 3 January 1576

[=10] Cecil Papers 9/1: Oxford to Burghley 27 April 1576

[=11] Cecil Papers 9/15: Oxford to Burghley 13 July 1576

[=12] TNA SP12/149/42(15), f. 108v: Oxford to Commissioners for voyage to Meta Incognita, 21 May 1578

[=13] BL Lansdowne 33/6, ff. 12-13: Oxford to Burghley, [13? July 1581]

[=14] BL Lansdowne 38/62, ff. 158-9: Oxford to Burghley, [?20 June 1583]

[=15] BL Lansdowne 42/39, ff. 97-8: Oxford to Burghley, [30 October 1584]

[=16] BL Lansdowne 50/22, ff. 49-50: Oxford to Burghley, [25 June 1586]

[=17] BL Lansdowne 63/71, ff. 181-2: Oxford to Burghley, 5 August [1590]

[=18] BL Lansdowne 63/76, ff. 191-2: Oxford to Burghley, 8 September [1590]

[=19] BL Lansdowne 68/6, ff. 12-13: Oxford to Burghley, 18 May [1591]

[=20] BL Lansdowne 68/11, ff. 22-3, 28: Oxford to Burghley, 30 June 1591

[=21] BL Harley 6996[/22], ff. 42-3: Oxford to Burghley, 25 October 1593.

My very good Lord, I hope it is not out of your remembrance how long sithence I have been a suitor to her Majesty that she would give me leave to try my title to the forest at the law, but I found that so displeasing unto her that, in place of receiving that ordinary favour which is of course granted to the meanest subject, I was browbeaten and had many bitter speeches given me; nevertheless, at length, by means of some of the Lords of the Council, among which your Lordship especially, her Majesty was persuaded to give me ear. At that time, which was at Somerset House (if your Lordship please to call to mind), her Majesty would needs have it committed unto arbitrers, pretending therein to do me especial favour in cutting off the long circumstances of the law and charges pertaining thereto. But after I had consented thereunto, for me could be no other arbiter permitted than the Lord Chancellor, whom she had chosen for herself; this I am assured your Lordship hath good cause to remember by her Majesty's exception against you, in that she thought you partial to your son-in-law. But these things I call only to mind for your Lordship's better remembrance which, through so many affairs, otherwise, in so long a time, it is no marvel if perhaps you have easily forgotten. Therefore I will to purpose only further call to remembrance the success of this arbitrament, which was thus. After much ado, and a good year spent by delays from her Majesty, my Lord Chancellor, then Sir Christopher Hatton, being earnestly called upon, appointed a time of hearing, both for her Majesty's learned counsel at the law and mine, whereupon what he conceived thereby of my title, he was ready to have made his report unto her Majesty. But such was my misfortune (I do not think her mind to do me any wrong), that she flatly refused therein to hear my Lord Chancellor, and for a final answer commanded me no more to follow the suit for, whether it was hers or mine, she was resolved to dispose thereof at her pleasure. A strange sentence, methought, which, being justly considered, I may say she had done me more favour if she had suffered me to try my title at law, than this arbitrament under pretence of expedition and grace; the extremity had been far more safe than the remedy which I was persuaded to accept. But after I had made some complaint of this hard determination, yet in so desperate a state, she promised this relief to my cause that, in some other matter, that should be as commodious as that unto me, she would recompense me in the meanwhile. Hence riseth the cause, my Lord, wherefore I have preferred many suits to her Majesty, but have found in them all the same delays and difficulties that I did in the other before. But now the ground whereon I lay my suit being so just and reasonable that either I should expect some satisfaction by way of recompense, or restoration of mine own (as I am yet persuaded till law hath convinced me), these are most earnestly to desire a continuance of your Lordship's favour and furtherance in my suit which I made at Greenwich to her Majesty, at her last being there, about three commodities, to wit, the oils, wools and fruits, in giving therefor as then my proffer was. I do the rather now renew the same for that I do not hear as yet they are disposed otherwise, and that the time is fittest, as well as for her Majesty's commodity as his that shall take it, and considering (if her Majesty will have a just consideration of the premises) I am to challenge and expect somewhat. Your Lordship knows the whole process of the matter, and can better judge than any other (as to whom my estate is best known, & how hardly I may forbear so great an interest without any recompense) and, therefore, as to the meetest (for that my state and cause, both in right and conscience, is best understood) to conceive of the just desire I make of this suit, I do address myself to your Lordship, most earnestly to crave both your opinion and counsel, your favour and furtherance, whether I were best to follow this suit which I have commenced or, it standing so that there is no good or hope to be done or conceived therein, to seek again her Majesty's favour that I might proceed in law to try my title to the forest. And thus desiring your Lordship to hold me excused for that I am so long in a matter that concerneth me so much, I will make an end, this 25 of October, 1593.

And always rest your Lordship's to command.

Edward Oxenford

*To the right honourable and his very good Lord, the Lord Treasurer of England.

[=22] BL Lansdowne 76/74, ff. 168-9: Oxford to Burghley, 7 July 1594

[=23] Cecil Papers 31/106: Oxford to Cecil, 24 April 1595

[=24] Cecil Papers 35/84: Oxford to Cecil, 20 October 1595

[=25] Cecil Papers 172/81: Oxford to Cecil, 21 October 1595

[=26] Cecil Papers 44/63: Oxford to Cecil, 6 September 1596

[=27] Cecil Papers 44/101: Oxford to Cecil, 17 September 1596

[=28] Cecil Papers 37/67: Oxford to Cecil, 11 January 1597. Accompanies =49

[=29] TNA SP12/264/111, f. 15: Oxford to Lord Burghley, 8 September 1597

[=30] Cecil Papers 251/28: Oxford to Cecil, July 1600

[=31] Cecil Papers 76/34: Oxford to Cecil, 2 February 1601

[=32] Cecil Papers 181/80: Oxford to Cecil, circa March 1601

[=33] Cecil Papers 182/23: Oxford to Cecil, 11 May 1601