Posted By Roger Stritmatter on December 21, 2009
“Your Majesty’s Most Humble Servant”:
As some readers are aware, a mystery lurks over the de Vere Bible: who is responsible for the handwriting — and therefore the underlining and other notations — it contains? Does the answer to this question lie, in part, in the record preserved in the letters of Edward de Vere.
Contradictory and sometimes dishonest statements by some dedicated to the traditional view of Shakespearean authorship have confused the issue.
In the coming weeks, therefore, I will be reproducing a few blog entries which address this question. Already on the site you can read my forensic analysis of one recent and mistaken claim about the handwriting of annotations in books owned by Sir Thomas Smith.
The Letter
This first post on Oxford’s handwriting comes kindness the English owner, who prefers to remain anonymous. A transcript appears below. I will defer further comment until a later time.
Seeing that it hath pleased your Majesty of your most gracious inclination to[ward] Justice & right to restore me to be keeper of your game as well in your forest Waltham, as also in Havering Park I can do no less in duty and love t[o] Your Majesty, but employ my self in the execution thereof. And to the end
yow might the better know in what sort both the forest, & the park have be[ene] Abused, and yet continued, as well in destroying of the Deer, as in spoiling of your demesne wood, by such as have patents, & had licenses heretofore for selling of Timb[er] in the Queens time lately deceased, præsuming thereby that they may do what they list. I was bold to send unto your Majesty a man skillful, learned, & experienced in forest causes, who being a dweller and eyewitness thereof might inform you of the
truth. And because your Majesty upon a bare information, could not be so well satisfied of every particular as by lawful testimony & examination of credible witness upon oath, according to your Majesties appointment by commission a course hath been taken, In which your Majesty shall be fully satisfied of [the] truth. This commission together with the depositions of the witness I do send to [illeg.] your Majesty by this bearer, who briefly can inform you of the whole contents. So that now, having lawfully proved unto your Majesty that Sr John Gray hath killed and destroyed your Dear in Havering Park without any warrant for the same his patent us void in law, & therefore I most humbly beseech your Majesty to make him an example for all others that shall in like sort abuse there places & to restore me to the possession thereof, in both which your Majesty shall do but Justice and right to the one & other. This 30 of January 1603.
Your Majesties
Most
Humble
Subject and
Servant
E. Oxenforde
For more, please visit the category Letters of Edward de Vere.
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