The whole account of buying a place in the country, of feeding upon all men (that is lending money upon usury) of never keeping promises, of never giving anything in charity, agrees but too well with the few records we possess of the man of Stratford. And therefore Stratfordians are obliged to accept Halliwell-Phillipps' dictum that this tract called Ratsei's Ghost refers to the actor of Stratford and that "_he_ needed not to care for them that before made _him_ proud with speaking _their_ words upon the stage." How is it possible that Stratfordians can continue to refuse to admit that the statement in the "Return from Pernassus" "with mouthing words that better wits haue framed they purchase lands and now Esquiers are made" must also refer to the Stratford Actor? CHAPTER VI. Shackspere's Correspondence! There is only a single letter extant addressed to Shakspeare, and this asks for a loan of L30 It is dated 25th October 1598, and is from Richard Quiney. It reads "Loveinge Countreyman I am bolde of vow as of a ffrende, craveinge yowr helpe wth xxxll vppon mr Bushells & my securytee or mr Myttons wth me. mr Rosswell is nott come to London as yeate & I have especiall cawse. yow shall ffrende me muche in helpeinge me out of all the debttes I owe in London I thancke god & muche quiet my mynde wch wolde nott be indebeted I am nowe towardes the Cowrte in hope of answer for the dispatche of my Buysenes. yow shall nether loase creddytt nor monney by me the Lorde wyllinge and nowe butt perswade yowr selfe soe as I hope & yow shall nott need to feare butt wth all hartie thanckefullenes I wyll holde my tyme & content yowr ffrende & yf we Bargaine farther yow shalbe the paie mr yowr selfe. my tyme biddes me hasten to an ende & soe I committ thys [to] yowr care & hope of yowr helpe. I feare I shall nott be backe thys night ffrom the Cowrte. haste, the Lorde be wth yow & with us all amen ffrom the Bell in Carter Lane the 25 October 1598. yowrs in all kyndenes Ryc. Quyney (_addressed_) LS To my Loveinge good ffrend & contreymann mr wm Shackespere d[e]l[ive]r thees." This letter is the only letter known to exist which was ever addressed to William Shackspere, the illiterate householder of Stratford, who as has been pointed out in these pages was totally unable to read a line of print, or to write even his own name. There are however in existence three, and three only, contemporary letters referring in any way to him, and these are not about literature with which the Stratford man had nothing whatever to do--but about mean and sordid small business transactions. One is from Master Abraham Sturley, who writes in 1598 to a friend in London in reference to Shakspeare lending "Some monei on some od yarde land or other att Shottri or neare about us."