Constance Sherwood: An Autobiography of the Sixteenth CenturyFullerton, Georgiana
History
Constance Sherwood: An Autobiography of the Sixteenth Century
Fullerton, Georgiana
Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603 -- Fiction
"Farewell, good Dyx! your service hath been so faithful unto me, as
I am sorry that I cannot make proof of my good-will to recompense
it. I trust my death shall make no change in you toward mine, but
that you will faithfully perform the trust that I have reposed in
you. Forget me, and remember me in mine. Forget not to counsel and
advise Philip and Nan's unexperienced years; the rest of their
brothers' and sisters' well-doing resteth much upon their virtuous
and considerate dealings. God grant them his grace, which is able to
work better in them than my natural well-meaning heart can wish unto
them. Amen. And so, hoping of your honesty and faithfulness when I
am dead, I bid you this my last farewell. T. H."
Now to another trusty friend and honest dependent:
"Good friend George, farewell. I have no other tokens to send my
friends but my books; and I know how sorrowful you are, amongst the
rest, for my hard hap, whereof I thank God; because I hope his
merciful chastisement will prepare me for a better world. Look well
throughout this book, and you shall find the name of duke very
unhappy. I pray God it may end with me, and that others may speed
better hereafter. But if I might have my wish, and were in as good a
state as ever you knew me, yet I would wish for a lower degree. Be a
friend, I pray you, to mine; and do my hearty commendations to your
good wife and to gentle Mr. Dennye. I die in the faith that you have
ever known me to be of. Farewell, good friend.
"Yours dying, as he was living,
"NORFOLK."
These letters and some others did pass from hand to hand in that
afflicted house; and sometimes hope and sometimes despair prevailed in
the hearts of the great store of relatives and friends which often
assembled there to confer on the means of softening the queen's anger
and moving her to mercy; one time through letters from the king of
France and other princes, which was an ill shot, for to be so
entreated by foreign potentates did but inflame her majesty's anger
against the duke; at others, by my Lord Sussex and my Lord Arundel, or
such persons in her court as nearly approached her highness and could
deal with her when she was merry and chose to condescend to their
discourse. But the wind shifts not oftener than did the queen's mind
at that time, so diverse were her dispositions toward this nobleman,
and always opposed to such as appeared in those who spoke on this
topic, whether as pressing for his execution, or suing for mercy to be
extended to him. I heard much talk at that time touching his grace's
good qualities: how noble had been his spirit; how moderate his
disposition; how plain his attire; how bountiful his alms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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