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©2023 Anniina Jokinen, this transcription is from the contemporary copy
of Wingfield's letter now at Surrey History Centre (LM/1921, section C1).
Another contemporary copy of the letter is in the Bodleian (Tanner MS 78, f.129).
The original letter is held in the archive of the Marquess of Bute, Mount Stuart,
Isle of Bute (HM/3/1).
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Letter from Robert Wynkfeilde to William Cecil, Lord Burghley,
on the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 8th of February, 1587.
"It beinge certyfied the vith of February last to the queen of Skottes by the ryght honorable the
Earle of Kent, the earle of Shrewsbury, and also by Sr Amyas Powlett and Sr
Drue Drurye, her governors, that she was to prepare her self to dye the viijth of
Februarie then next cominge, she seeminge not to be in any terror by ought that appeared by
anie her outwarde gestures or behavior, other than marvaylynge that she should dye, but
rather wth smylinge cheer and pleasaunt countenance digested and accepted the said
admonicon of pg* paradise to her as she said an unexpected execucon sayinge that her death
should be wellcome unto her, seeinge that her matie was so resolved, and that that
soule were too, too far unworthie the fruicon of the joyes of heaven forever, whose bodie would
not in this world be contented to endure the stroke of the execucon for a moment. And that
spoken, she wept bitterlie and became silent.
The said viijth of February beinge come and the tyme and place appointed for the execucon, as
aforesaid, the Q. of S., being of stature tall and bodie corpulent, round shouldered,
her face fatt and broad, doble chinned, and hazell eyes, her borrowed haire auborne. Her attyre
was this: on her head she had a dressinge of lawne edged wth bone lace, a
pomandr chayne and an Agnus Dei about her necke, a Crucifix in her hand, a payre of
beads at her girdle wth a goulden Crosse at the end of them, a vaile of lawne fastened
to her caule bowed out wth wyer and edged round about wth bone lace,
her gowne was of blacke satten printed wth a trayne and longe sleves to the ground,
sett wth acorne buttons of iett trymed wth pearls and short sleves of
blacke satten cutt wth a payre of sleves of purple velvett whole, under them her
kertell whole of fine figured black satten, her peticote, upper bodies unlaced in the backe
of crimson velvett, her shoes of Spanishe leather wth the roughe side outwarde,
a payre of greene silke garters, her nether stocke of worsted coloured watchett clocked
wth silver and edged on the topps wth silver, and next her leggs a paire
of Jersey hose, white.
This Q thus apparelled in a kinde of Joye, wthout any desire of deferringe of matters
or tyme, dep[ar]ted her chamber and verie willinglie bended her stepps towards the place of
execucon, beinge gentlie caried out of her said chamber into an entrie next out the said great
hall by twoo of Sr A: Powlett, his cheifest men gentlemen. Mr Andrewes, the highe Sheriffe
goinge before her. In wch entry, the honorable the Earle of Kent and the earle of
Shrewsb., Comissioners appointed by her Matie for the said execucon, together wth
the twoo governors of her p[er]son, Sr A. Powlett & Sr Drew Drewry,
and divers knights and gentlemen of good accompte did meet her, where one of the said Queenes servants,
named Melvin, kneelinge on his knees to the said Queen his mess, wringinge his hands and
shedinge of manie teares, used then and there theis words unto her, sayinge: "Madame, unhappie me,
what man on earth was ever before the messenger of such important sorrowe and heavinesse as I
shalbe when I shall reporte that my good and gracious Q. and mress is beheaded in
England!" Theis said, teares prevented him of farther speakinge, whereupon the said Q., pouringe
out of her dyeinge teares, thus answered him: "My good friend: Cease to lament, for thou hast
cause rather to ioye then to mourne, for nowe shalt thou see Mary Stewarde troubles receive their
longe-expected end and determynacon, for," said she, "good servant, all the world is but vanity
& subiecte still to more sorrowe than a whole ocean of teares canne bewaile, but I pray thee," she
said, "carry this message from me, that I dyed a true woman to my religion and like a true
woman of Scottland and Fraunce; but God forgive them," said she, "that have longe desired my end
and thirsted for my bloude as the Harte dothe the water brooke. O, God!" said she, "thou that art
the author of truth, and truth itself, knowest the inward chamber of my thoughts and howe that I
was ever willinge that England and Skotland should be unyted together. Well," said she then,
"comende me to my sonne and tell him that I have not done any thinge preiudicall to the State
& Kingdome of S." & Soe resolvinge herself againe into teares, said: "Good Melvyn, farewell!"
and, wth weepinge eyes, her Cheeks all besprinkled wth teares as they were,
kissed him, sayinge once agayne: "Good Melvyn, farewell and pray for thy mris and queen."
And then she tourned herself to the Lords & tould them that she had certaine requests to make unto
them. One was for a some of money, wch she said Sr A. P. knew of, to be paid
to one Curle, her servant; next, that her poore servants might have and enioy that wth
quietness wch she had given them by her will and testament, and that they might be
favourablie entreated and to send them safelie into their Country. "And this to doe, my very
good Lords, I doe comande yow." Answere was made by Sr A. P. to this effect: "I am
not forgetfull of the mony yor grace doth speake of, and therefore," said he,
"yor grace shall not need to rest in suspencon of the not performinge of yor
request." And then she said there resteth yet another request wch she would make
unto the Lords, and that was this: That yt would please them to permitt unto her poor,
distressed servants to be present about her at her death, that their eyes might behould and
their harts mighte be witnesses howe paciently their Q. and mris should endure her
execucon, and that, therby, they mighte be able to make relacon, when they came into their
countries, that she died a true Constant Catholicke to her Religion.
Then the Earle of K. did answere thus: "That, wch yow have desired, cannott
conveniently be granted, for, yf yt should, it were to be feared least some of them wth
speeches, or other behavior, would both be greivous to yor grace & troblesome
and unpleasinge unto us and or Companie, whereof we have had some experience, for, yf such
an access mighte be allowed, they would not stick to putt some superstitious trumpery in practice
& yt were but in dippinge their handkerchiefs in yor graces bloud, whereof it were
very unmeet for us to give allowance.
"My Lo:" said the Q. of S. "I will give my life, althoughe it be but dead, that they shall not
deserve blame in any the actions yow have named, but, alass, poore soules, yt would doe them good
to bidd their Mris farewell, and I hope," said she further to the said E. of Kent,
"yor mris," meaninge her Matie, "beinge a maiden queen, will
vouchsafe to regard of womanhood that I shall have some of my owne people about me at my death.
And I knowe," said she, "her matie hath not given such straight comission, but that
yow might grant me a request of farre greater courtesie than this, and yf I were a woman of
farr meaner callinge than the Q. of S." And then, perceavinge she coulde not obteyne her request,
of meer greif burst into teares, sayinge: "I am Cozen to yor queen and descended from
the bloud Royall of H. the 7th and a married Q. of Fraunce and annoynted Q. of S.," at
wch tyme, upon great consultacon betwene the twoe Earles (and others in commission),
yt was p[er]mitted that she should have some of her servants about her as she had instantly
intreated, & wthall did desire her to make choice of half a dozen of her best beloved
men and women. And of her men, she chose Melvin, her appothecarie, her Surgion, and one other
ould man besides, & of her women, she chose those twoe that did lye in her Chamber. After this
the said Q. beinge supported by Sr A. P., twoe gentlemen as aforesaid, Melvyn
carryeinge upp her trayne, beinge accompanied by the Earle of K., gentlemen, and the Sheriffe
goinge before her, as aforesaid, passed out of the entry into a hall within the said Castle of
Fotheringhay before menconed, wth a countenance unapauled, then and there made for her
death, stepped upp to the Scaffould in the said hall, beinge two foot highe and twelve feet
broad wth rayles rounde about yt, hanged and covered wth blacke. Then,
havinge the stoole brought her, she satt downe, and on the righte hand of her stode the Earle
of K. and the Earle of S. on the lefte hand, Mr Andrewes the Sheriffe, and opposite
against her stode the twoe executioners, and rounde about the rayles of the Scaffold stode
Knights, gents, and others; then, silence beinge made, the Q. Matie Commission for
her execucon was read openly in the hall by Mr Beale, Clearke of the Counsell,
wch done, the people wth a loude voice said: "God save the Q." Duringe
the readinge of wch said comission, the said Q. was very silent lysteninge unto
wth soe carelesse a regarde as thoughe yt had not conserned her at all. Nay,
rather wth so merry and cheerfull a countenance, as yf yt had bene a p[ar]don from
her Matie for her life, and wthall used such strangenesse in her words
& deeds as thoughe she had never knowne any of the Assembly, nor had bene anie thinge sene
in the Englishe tounge. Then, Mr Doctor Fletcher, Deane of
Peterburrowe, standinge directly before her wthout the rayles, bendinge his body
wth great reverence, uttered this exhortacon following:—
"Madame, the Q. moste excellent matie, whome God
preserve longe to reigne over us, havinge (notwthstandinge this preparacon for the
execucon of iustice, iustly to be done upon yow for yor manie trespasses against her
sacred person, state & government) a tender care upon yor soule wch,
presentlie dep[ar]tinge out of yor bodie, must either be separated in the true faith
of Christe dothe offer unto yow the comfortable promises of almightie god to all penitent,
beleivinge Christians, wherein I beseech yor grace, even in the bowells of Christe
Jesus, to consider theis three points breiflie:
First. Yor estate past & transitory glorie.
Secondlie. Yor condicon present of Death and mortality.
Thirdly. Yor estate to come either by everlastinge happynes or p[er]petuall torments.
For the first lett me speake to yor grace wth David the Kinge. Forgett
(Madam) yor self, yor owne people, yor Father's house, forgett
yor natural birth, honor regall and princely Dignity; soe shall the Kinge
of Kings have pleasure in yor spirituall bewtye makinge all thinges as duste and
dounge, that yow may be founde of God not havinge yor owne riteousnes,
wch is defyled and uncleane, but the righteousnes of God by faith in Jesus Christ
upon all and in all that beleive that yow may knowe him whome to knowe is life
everlastinge and the vertue of his resurrection to wayft yow upp to high everlastinge
and the fellowshipp of his passion, that yf yow suffer wth him, yow
may be gloryfied wth him and the conformytye of his death, that by the p[ar]takinge and
comunion whereof yow may dye to synne and live agayne to righteousnes. And that in
yor former course (Madame) yow be not iudged of the Lord, repent yow
truly of yor former sinnes and wickednes, iustifye by Justice now to be executed
and iustifye her Maties faithfullnes and favor towards yow at
all tymes, havinge a lively faith in Christe or Lo: and Savior soe shall
yow be rightly p[re]pared unto death. Yf yor offences (Madame) were as
manie as the sands on the sea shore and as redd and bloudye as the scarlett, yet the F[ellow]shipp
of the Lo: and grace and mercy of God the father, throughe the death and passion of Jesus Christe,
his sonne, by the sanctyficacon of God the Holy Ghost shall puryfy and make them as white as snowe
and shall caste them into the bottome of the Sea and shall remember them noe more. The speciall
meanes to attayne unto this forgivenesse of sinnes is neither in man, nor by man, but by faith
only in Jesus Christe Crucifyed by faith, in whome we beinge iustifyed have peace wth
God in all Spirituall securitye.
Secondly, consider, I beseech yor grace, yor present condicon of Death and
mortalytie, yor goinge from hence to be noe more sene, yor departure into
a land where all things are forgotten, yor entry into a howse of clay where wormes
shalbe yor sisters and rottennesse and corrupcon yor father, as Jobe
speaketh. Where the tree falleth, there yt must lye whether yt be towards the South of liefe and
blessednes or towards the North of death and dolefullnes, nowe ys the tyme of yor
rysinge to God or yor falle into utter darkenes where shalbe weepinge, waylinge, and
gnashinge of teeth; hereafter ther is noe tyme of reconciliacon, noe place of satisfaccon; here
liefe is gotten or here it is loste, and therfore this day (Madame), yea, this hower, yf yow
will heare God's voice, harden not yor harte, for the stroake of death is over
yor head, and the axe is putt to the root of the tree. The throne of the great Judge
of Heaven is laid open & the booke of all yor life is spredd wide and the p[ar]ticular
sentence and Judgment is at hande. But, yf yow flye to the Throne of grace wth
bouldnes in Christ's only merotorious obedience and apply yt unto yor soule wth
the hand of true faith, then Christ shalbe yor life, and yor death shalbe
yor advantage, and nothinge else but an entry into everlastinge glory, and thro
yor mortality shall, in a moment, put on imortality. Nowe (Madame), even now (Madame),
doth God almighty open unto yow a doore into a heavenly kingdome, in comparison whereof
all earthly principalityes are as darkenes and the shadowe of death. Shutt not up, therfore, this
passage by the hardninge of yor harte and greive not the Spiritt of God wch
may seale yor howre to the day of redempcon.
Thirdly, and lastly of all, I pray yor grace to way wth yorself
the tyme and state to come, either to ryse in the day of the Lo: unto resurrection of lief & to
have the ioyfull and blessed (Venite): Come yow, blessed of my father; or the
resurrection of condempnacon repeated wth sorrowe and greif (Ite): Goe, yoyow
accursed into everlastinge fyer! There to stand on God's right hande as a shepe of his pasture or on
his left hand as a goate, p[re]pared unto vengance, either to be gathered as wheat into his barne
or to be cast out as chaffe into a furnace of unquenchable fyer; blessed are the dead wch
dye in the Lo. In the Lo. shall yow dye yf in true faith yow desire to be
dissolved and to be wth Christe; wth Christ shall yow be yf
yow make Christe yor only sacrifice for yor sinnes and ransome
for yor redempcon. Agen, Madame, trust not to the desire wch God's worde
doth not warrant, which is to lead and to guide or feet into the way of peace
the true touchstone. Touchstone and the cleer lanterne to lead & to guide our feet into the way
of peace, Jesus Christe, yesterday as to day & the same for ever. In him are all the promyses
of God, to him give all the scriptures testimony that, through faith in his bloud, we, and all
God's Church, shall receive remission of synnes. On him all the saints called in the day of ther
trouble and have bene heard and delivered. In him have they all trusted and were not confounded.
All the cisterns (Madame) cannot hould the water of everlastinge life. The name of the Lo. is
a stronge tower whereunto the righteous fly for succor and be saved and therfore (Madame) that
yow may be glorified in this yor last passage, that yow may be
glorified of him for ever, I moste humbly beseech yor grace, in the tender mercyes
of God, to ioyne wth us present in prayer to the throne of his grace that we may
reioyce and yow may be converted and God may turne his blessed countenance towards
yow and graunt yow his grace."
In utteringe of wch exhortacon the said Q. three or fower tymes said unto him:
"Mr Deane: Troble not yorself nor me for knowe that I am setled in ancient
Catholicke and Roman religion and in the defence thereof I meane, by God's helpe, to spende my
bloude." Then said Mr Deane: "(Madame): Change yor opynion and repent yow
of yor former wickednes and settle yorself upon this ground, that only in
Christe Jesus yow hope to be saved." Then she answered againe and againe wth
great earnestnes: "Good Mr Deane, troble not yorself any more about this
matter, for I was borne in this religion and lived in this religion and am resolved to dye in
this religion." Then said the twoe Earles, when they sawe howe farr unreasonable she was to the
hearinge of Mr Deane's good exhortacon: "(Madame), we will pray for yor
grace wth Mr Deane that, yf yt stand wth God's will, yow
may have yor harte lightened wth the true knowledge of God and his words
& so dye therein." Then answered the said Q: "My Lords, yf yow will pray wth
me I will even from my harte thanke yow and thinke myself greatly favored by yow,
but to ioyne wth yow in prayer, my Lo., after yor manner, whoe
are not of one and the self same religion wth me, yt were a sinne, and I will not."
Then the Lords called for Mr Deane againe and badd him say or speake what he would
thought good; whereupon the said Mr Deane, kneelinge upon the scaffold stayers,
beganne this prayer followinge:
"O most gracious God and moste mercifull father, whoe accordinge to the multitude of thy mercies
dost soe put awaie the sinnes of them that truly repent, that thou remembrest them noe more, open,
wee beseech the, thy eyes of mercie and behould this p[er]son appointed unto death, whose eyes
of understandinge and spirituall light thou hast hitherto shutt upp, that the glorious beames of
favoyor in Jesus Christe doe not shine upon her but is possessed wth great
blindenesse and ignorance of heavenly things, a certaine token of thy heavie displeasure, yf thy
mercie doe not triumph over thy iudgment.Impute not unto her, O God, wee beseech the, those her
offenses wch sep[ar]ate her from thy mercy, and, yf yt may stand wth thy
everlastinge purpose and good pleasure, O Lord, grante unto us (we beseech the) thy humble servants, that the eyes of her hart maye be lightned that she may
understande and be converted unto thee. And graunt her alsoe, yf yt be thy blessed will, the
heavenly comforte of thy holy Spirite that she may taste & see howe gracious the Lo: is. Thou
hast noe pleasure, good Lo:, in the death of a synner, and noe man shall praise thy name in the
pitt. Renewe in her, we most humblie beseech thy Matie, whatsoever is corrupt in her,
either by her owne frailty or by the mallice of the ghostly enemy, visite her (Good Lo:) yf it
be thy good pleasure wth thy savinge health, as thou did the offendor on
thy side upon the Cross, wth this consolacon, sayeinge, 'this day shalt thou be
wth me in Paradise.' Sayinge unto her soule as thou didest unto thy servant David,
I am thy
salvacon, soe shall thy mercie be the more mighty and be more magnified. And graunt theis
mercies unto us, thy servants, to the encrease of this kingdome and glorie at this tyme. And
further, moste mercifull Father, preserve, we moste humblie beseech the, in longe and honorable
peace and safetie Ellizabeth, thy Servant, or moste naturall Souvraigne Ladye and
queen—lett them be ashamed and confounded (oh Lo.) that seeke her soule, lett them be
turned backe and put to confusion that wishe her evell, and strenghten still, O Lo., thy hand
and ballance of Justice amongst us by her gracious government; soe shall we both nowe and ever
rest under thie faithfullnes and truth as under a sheild and buckler, so prayse thy name &
magnifye thy mercie wch livest and raignest ever one, moste gracious God, for ever
and ever. Amen."
All the assemblie, savinge the said Q. and her servants, said the prayer after Mr Deane,
duringe the sayinge of wch prayer the Q herself sittinge
upon a stole, havinge about her necke an Agnus Dei, in one of her hands a Crucifix, at her gerdell
a paire of beads wth a goulden Crosse at the end of them, wth a Latine
booke of vayne prayers in her other hande. Thus furnished wth her sup[er]stitious
trumpery, wthout any regarde had to that wch Mr Deane said, began
verie faste wth teares, and loude, to praye in Latyne, and in the middest of her prayeinge,
by reason of her overmuch weepinge and mourninge, as it seemed, she beganne to slide from her
stole, at wch tyme, kneelinge againe, said diverse other prayers in latten, and soe she
lefte prayinge before Mr Deane. When Mr Deane had done againe, she prayed in
Englishe for Christ's afflicted church and for an end of her trobles, for her sonne, and for the Q:
Matie, and desired God that she might p[ro]sper and serve God arighte; that spoken, she
said she hoped to be saved by and in the bloude of Jesus Christe at the feet of whose Crucifix
houldinge the Pope, wch she had in her hande, she would shed her blode.
Then said the Earle of Kent: "(Madame), I beseech yow settle Christe in yor
harte, as yow did before,
and leave the addicon of theis Popyshe trumperies to them selves." Then she seemed little or
nothinge at all to regarde the good counsell of the said E of Kent, but went forwarde wth
her prayers and, in the conclucon thereof, desired of God that yt would please him to averte his
wrath from this Island and that he would graunt unto yt grace and forgivenes of sinnes. Then she
said that she forgave her enemyes, wth all her harte, whoe had longe soughte her
bloude, and desired God to converte them to the truthe. This done, she desired all Saints to make
intercession for her to the Savior of the worlde, Jesus Christe. Then she beganne to kiss her
Crucifix and to cross herself sayeinge theis words: "Even as thy armes (O Jesus Christe) were
spredd here upon the Crosse, soe receive me (I beseech the) into thy armes of mercie and forgive
me all my sinnes," and soe she ended.
Then the twoe execucioners kneeled downe unto her and desired her to forgive them her death.
She annswered: "I forgive yow wth all my harte, for I hope that this death
shall give me an end to all my trobles." Then they wth her, twoe
woomen helpinge her upp, beganne to disrobe her & then she laid the Crucifix upon the stole & one
of the Executioners toke from her necke the Agnus Dei. And then she beganne to lay hould on yt,
sayeinge she would give it to some of her woomen and wthall tould the execucionr
that he should have monie for yt; then she suffered him, wth her twoe woomen, to take
of her chayne of pomander beads & all her other apparrell, and that wth a kinde of
gladnesse and, smylinge, she beganne to make herself unreadie, puttinge on a paire of sleves
wth her owne hands, wch the execucionrs rudely had before put
off, and that wth such speed as yf she had longed to be gone out of the worlde. Duringe
all theis actions of disrobinge of the said Q. she nevr altered her countenance but,
smylinge as yt were, said she never had such gromes before to make her unreadie nor ever did put
off her clothes before such a Companie. At length, she beinge untyred of such of her attire and
apparell as was convenient, savinge her peticote & kirtell, her twoe woomen, lokinge upon her,
burst out into a verie great and pittifull weepinge, cryeinge, and lamentinge, and when their
cryeinge and screekinge beganne to declyne, they crossed them selves and prayed in Latine.
Then the said Q., turninge herself unto them and seeinge them in such a lamentable and mournefull
plighte, imbrased them and said theis words in French, crossinge them and kissing them:
"Yow ought rather to pray for me and not to be soe mournefull,
for," said she, "this day I truste shall end yor mris troubles." Then,
wth a smylinge countenance, she turned herself to her men servants, Melvyne and the
rest, standinge upon a bench nere unto the scaffold, whoe were some time cryeinge out aloude and
contynually crossinge themselves and prayeinge in Latine, and the said Q. tourned unto them and
did herself likewise crosse them, and bidd them farewell, and prayed them to pray for her, even
unto the laste hower. This done, one of her woomen havinge a Corpus Christie cloth, lapped yt upp
three cornerd wayes, and kissed yt, and putt yt over the face of her Q. and Mris, and
pinned yt faste upon the calle of her head. Then the twoe woomen mournefullie dep[ar]ted from her.
And then the said Q. kneeled downe, at wch tyme, verie resolute and wthout
anie token of feare of death, she spake aloude this Psalme in Latine: In te Doie confido ne
confundar in eternum. Then, gropinge for the blocke, she laid downe her head, puttinge her
chaine upon the blocke wth both her hands wch, holdinge there still, had
bene cutt off had they not been espied, then she laid her self upon the blocke moste quietlie and
stretched out her armes and leggs and cryed out, "in manus tuas Domine," three or
fower tymes, and at the laste, while one of the executioners held her slyghtlie wth
one of his hands, the other gave twoe strokes wth an ax before he did cutt off her
head, and yet lefte a litle gristle behinde, at wch tyme she made verie smale noyse
and stirred not anie part of her self from the place where she lay.
Then the Execucionr, that
cutt off her head, lifted yt up and bade "God save the Q:" Then her dressinge of Lawne fell from
her head, wch appeared as grey as yf she had ben iij½ score yeares old, powled
very short, her face beinge in a moment soe much altered from the forme wch she had
when she was alive as fewe coulde remember her by her dead face, her lipps stirred upp and downe
almoste a quarter of an hower after her head was cutt off. Then said Mr Deane: "Soe
p[er]ysh all the Queenes enemyes." Afterward, the E: of Kent came to the dead bodie and, standinge
over yt, wth a loude voice said likewise; such an end happen to the Q. and the Gospell's
enemyes. Then one of the execucioners, pluckinge off her garters, espied her litle dogge,
wch was crepte under her clothes, wch would not be gotten forth but
wth force, and afterward would not departe from the dead corps, but came & lay betwene
her head and shoulders, a thinge dilligentlie noted. The same dogge, beinge imbrued in her bloude,
was caried away & washed, as all things else were that had anie bloude, unlesse those things
that were burned. The execucioners were sent awaie wth monie for their fees, not havinge
anie thinge that belonged unto her. Afterwards everie one was comaunded forth of the hall, savinge
the Sheriffe and his men, whoe caried her upp into a great chamber
made readie for the Surgions to imbalme her, and was imbalmed.
And thus I hope my verie good Lo: I have certified unto yor honor of all
such accons, matters, and circumstances as did p[ro]ceed from her, or anie others at her death,
wherein I dare p[ro]mise unto yor good Lo: yf not in some
better or worse words then were spoken I have somewhat mistaken in matters I have not anie whitt
offended I will not soe iustifye my duety herein but that manie things mighte well have bene
omitted as not worthie notinge, yet because it is yor Lo: faulte to desire to knowe
all & soe I have certified yt: yt is an offence pardonable. Soe restinge at yor
Honor's farther comands, I take my leave this xjth of Februarye, 1586.
Yor Honors in all humble service to comaunde
R. WYNKFEILDE.
Page images from Surrey History Centre (LM/1921, section C1):
Citation:
Wingfield, Robert. "Letter to Lord Burghley, 11 February, 1587."
Transcription by Anniina Jokinen. Luminarium.
20 Feb 2023. [Date you accessed the page].
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