Lord Burghley to Sir Christopher Hatton. July 13, 1581.

Burghley’s son-in-law, the Earl of Oxford, had refused to live with his wife since his return from Italy in early 1576. To make matters worse, Oxford had been exiled from Court, since early in 1581, for fathering an illegitimate son on one of the Queen’s Ladies-in-Waiting.

For all of his power, Burghley needed all the help he could muster in an attempt to get the Queen to allow Oxford to return to Court. Hatton had replaced Oxford as the Queen’s favorite in the mid-1570s. While the initial infatuation had passed by 1581, she still trusted him and he was a member of her Privy Council.

For  his part, Burghley was vastly more powerful at Court than Hatton. But he had become the equal of any councilor by circumspection. He asked others who had the Queen’s ear to add his matters to their conversation.  He cajoled the Queen rather than bluntly calling upon her for any actions regarding government. Moreso any actions regarding family.

By this time, Burghley already realized that the Earl of Oxford was a curse that he must bear up under.  Other letters will be forthcoming to show as much. Everything possible must be done to see to it that male heirs were born from his daughter and that heirs male and female had meaningful wealth and power to inherit — the Earl being by nature prodigal even for a wealthy man.

For Oxford’s part, Burghley was satirized in the plays of Shakespeare. Particularly in the play Hamlet of which it has long been a scholarly commonplace that he was the model for the character Polonius. Perhaps The Bard even satirized a small habit of the Great Lord Treasurer to predict ill health by a northwest wind.

“I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is Southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.”

Hamlet, II.ii.

Sir, though I cannot alwayes pay my debts, yet I use to acknowledg them many tymes, to move my creditors to accept my good will in towardnes of payement; and so at this tyme, though I knowe myself many wayes indebted unto you for your good will, except you will accept for acquyttal my reciproque good will, I shall not be able to pay you that I owe you. Yet yesterdaye being advertised of your good and honorable dealing with her Majestie, in the case of my daughter of Oxford, I would not suffer my thankes to growe above one daye olde, and therefore in these few lines I do presentlie thanke you, and do praye you in any proceeding therin not to have the Earle dealt withall straynably, but only by waye of advise, as good for himself. For otherwise he may suspecte that I regard myself more for my daughter than he is regarded for his libertie. I knowe only the Quene's Majestie's motions shall further the cause, and more then her motions I wishe not. You see, being a debtor, I prescribe my manner to increase the debt, but, if I cannot acquit it, I knowe it belongeth to Almightie God to do it. I am most sorrie to heare of the disaster fallen oute yesterdaye betwixte two great plannets,[1] but I hope they knowe their Jupiter, and will obey her Majestie rather to contente her, than to follow their owne humors. It is far out of sea son to have these breaches; our adversaries are ever ready to make them greater, and to leap in also, to our common harme. I am not yet fully recovered; this north-west wynde keepeth me back from my porte of health, which God send you ever, with increase of honor. 13th July, 1581.

Your's assuredly,

W. Burghley.

 

Queen Elizabeth and Her Times, a Series of Original Letters (1838). II.144.

 

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• A 1572 Oxford Letter and the Player’s Speech in Hamlet. August 11, 2020. “The player’s speech has been a source of consternation among Shakespeare scholars for above 200 years.  Why was Aeneas’ tale chosen as the subject?”
• A Model for Lady Macbeth.  July 12, 2020.  “In Macbeth, the Lady of the castle would also seem to be her Lord’s indomitable will.  She will see the deeds done that need be done in order for him to pass the daunting tests and wear the crown.”
• Shakespeare’s Funeral Meats. May 13, 2020. “Famous as this has been since its discovery, it has been willfully misread more often than not.  No mainstream scholar had any use for a reference to Hamlet years before it was supposed to have been written.”
• Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
• Check out the English Renaissance Letter Index for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
• Be sure to check out the Browser's Guide to the Library of Babel.

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[1] Presumed reference to the Earls of Sussex and Leicester.