may be anie more in your grace to visit poore Channon rowe where as late as it shal please you a gate for your supper shal be open: & K. Richard present him self to your vewe. Pardon my boldnes that ever love to be honored with your presence nether do I importune more then your occasions may willingly assent unto, in the meanetime & ever restinge
At your command Edw. Hoby.
[Addressed] To the Right Honorable Sir Rob. Cecil knight one of her Maiesties most honorable privie Councell.
[Endorsed] Sir Edw. Hobbie to my Master; [and] 7 Dec. 1595; [and in another hand] readile.
This seems to suggest a performance of Richard II., and, if so, date of the confirms 1595 for Shakespeare’s play, to which the parallels in the second, but not the first, edition of Daniel’s Civil Wars in that year have been thought to point. Some “conceit” of Richard II. from Cecil, which amused the Earl of Essex, is referred to in a letter from Sir Walter Raleigh of July 6, 1597 (Edwardes, ii. 169). This was some time before the talk of a political analogy between Richard II. and Elizabeth, which caused trouble in the later career of Essex.
iii. The Lord Chamberlain at a Play.
This letter is taken from Cecil MS. 108, 61; cf. Calendar of Hatfield MSS. xiv. 288.
Your L. hath done me some disgraces which greive me so much as I must complayne thereof to your L. And that which greiveth me most is the publicke disgrace which your L. gave me at the play on Sonday night not only before many of my frendes that thought your L. did me wronge but in the hearinge of my wife who beinge with childe did take it so ill as she wept and complayned in the place, for I cam to her but to aske her how she did & not to stay there, and your L. liftinge up your staffe at me, called me sirra and bide me gett me lower saucy fellowe besides other wordes of disgrace. All which though I bear patiently at your L. handes, yet because [it] seemes to proceede of some spightfull informacion of me which I am loth sholde harbor in your L. opinyon, I beseech your L. to give me leave to say that I knowe noee cause why your L. or any other sholde despise me. For my birth I am indeed one of the meanest of my kindred, but yet not base: but well descended as many honorable persons the L. Keper, the Erle of Essex, the Countesse of Warwicke and others of good quality in the courte to whom I am allyed doe knowe. My educacion hath been allwayes like a gentleman both here in Englande and biyonde the seas, and such as hath bene so made knowne to her Maiestie by divers of her counsell as her Maiestie was pleased to knowe me & thinke
