LETTER FROM THOMAS DRURY TO ANTHONY BACON

(Lambeth Palace Library, Bacon Papers MS.649 f.246, as transcribed by S.E. Sprott in his 'Drury and Marlowe', TLS, 2 August 1974)

 
Sir the trew loue that I haue euer born to your honorabell father as allso to all his house hath forced me to singell you ought for many vertus acsions and desiors that I know and hear to be in you to vnfold s[um] latte accidentes which ar with in my knowledge and for brevite sake and for avoyding your farther trubell with ought cycumsta[u]ns thus standeth the matters

Ther was a command layed on me [latly] to stay on [m]r [Ba]yns which did use to resort vnto me which I did persve [ ] in tym allthoughe then I did not ons so much as Immagin where he was I found him ought and got the desyered secrit at his hand. for which the sytty of london promysed as allso by proclymasion was promysed a hundered crownes but not a peny parformed and a fine evasion made

After ther was a lybell by my men[e]s fou[n]d ought and delyvered a vyld bocke allso by my desyfering taken and a notabell vylayn or toe which ar close prysonnars and bad matters agaynst them of an exceding natuer and it no reward but all the credit puled ought of my mouth and I robbed of all

Then after all this ther was by my only means sett doun vnto the Lord Keper the Lord of Bucurst the notablyst and vyldist artyckeles of Athemisme that I suppose the lyke was never known or red of in eny age all which I can show vnto you they were delyvered to her hynes and command geven by her selfe to prosecut it to the fule but no recompense no not of a peny

Sithens that tym there is ould hold and shoue for to gett the bocke that doeth mayntayn this damnabell sect which bocke I presum ther wold be geven great somes for and larg promysis offered in lyke manor but [ ] non of thos will I trust but if I may secrytly confer with you I and on that I haue brought with me a marchent will geue you such lyght as he and I can bring you to the man that doeth know who did wryght the bocke and they to howe it was delyvered as allso who red the lecture and whe[r] and when with dyverse such other secrytes as the state wold spend a thousand poundes to know and a better peny as him selfe affyrmeth which man him selfe I can bring forth in loue to you if he may be but buckled and rewardid I can in lyke manor revell vnto you an Alderman or too that doe convay over mony to the enymy and get named vnto you ther poysoned factors

In lyke manor I can tell you of such a devyse intendid agaynst the state by a captayn as never was hard of the lyke as I thinke

I know I am not gras[iu]s in the syght[e] of your brother therfor if it please you eyther to [R]ake your coch or nage I will attend you and declar the rest of my mynd and bring a Ryght honest marchant with me which shal Iustify vpon his othe all that I haue sett doune [&] I presum you shall know such a secryt if you please to hear me a lyttel and goe on my way because I know the natuer of the party as you haue not bin posessed of a good whyle

now sir I haue vsed a faythfull hart to you geuen you the onsett of this acsion which is notably sought after so vse me and my frend as we may haue cause to pray for you and after you shall be posessed of the matters so recommend our servysis to the Lord Tresurer as we may receyve sum reward and fauor in his syght and thus praying to god for you with a vnfyned hart vntill I speake with you or know your plesuer I [am] staying at the watter syd vntill I hear from you in Rychmond syd the first August

Yours in all duty
to command

Thomas Drury


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