39 - 27 May To Accepted Frewen, vice-chancellor of Oxford university

Summary

Worthye Sir:

I have bye thiss Carryer sent you downe those Manuscripts which you have longe expected; and hear inclosed you shall find a Leter of mye Lord Stewards, written with his owne hand to accompanye his gift. Of whome I shall saye noe more but that he hath shewed himselfe your most Honourable Chaunclor.

Those Bookes ar made up in three chests, and one lesser Trunke. They ar marked all with W. L. upon them, and directed to you. The Catalogue of them (verye carefullye and exactly taken by the great paines of Dr Lindsell, and Mr Patricke Younge) is with your Librarye keeper allreadye, which I am verye glad of, because mye beinge at Court when they left London made it allmost forgotten.

The waight of these is as you find in a paper mentioned. And the carridge for all is payed for. Thear is noe locke to anye of the Chests but one, the other two ar nailed up. The Keyes of that chest, and of both the Trunkes you shall receave togeather with these Leters in a little boxe. In the chest which hath lockes on it you shall finde a Boxe and thearin a newe wheele verye faire in velame, with his Maiestyes hand to it, which mye Lord Steward desyres maye be kept carefully and that the other with the Kings hand sent at first in paper maye be safelye sent back to me.

Amonge these Manuscripts thear ar some that want bindinge and I have taken order that all or most of them ar putt togeather into the little Trunke. Mye Lord was once purposed to have them bound heare, but it was hard to find whome to trust with them: or whome wee should put to that paines to be a continuall overseer. If they should be misplaced in the bindinge it was as much as manye of them wear worth, it would be soe hard to rectifye them againe. I thinke thearfore the safest waye will be to page them before they be taken asunder for newe bindinge. Mye Lord would have them bound plaine, and as like their olde felowes as maye be. I have Monye in mye hands to paye for that to: For mye Lord will possess the Universitye with this noble gift without puttinge them to any chardge.