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42 - Prophet

from Part VI - Intrigue 1579–1580

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Summary

Still under house arrest in late July or August 1581, Charles Arundel recalled Oxford's charge ‘That my Lord Harrye shuld be present when I presentid a certayne boke of pictures, after the manner of a prophesie and by interpretacion resemblid a crowned sone [=son] to the Quene &c’ (LIB-2.3.1/5). The book evidently prophesied the date of the Queen's death and the identity of her male successor.

Arundel, denying that Henry Howard ever saw the book of prophecies, attempted to turn the tables on Oxford:

O[f] all other, this pointe is most childishe, vayne, and most ridiculus, for as my Lord Harrye never sawe this payntid boke, I protest – much lesse expowndid it or playd the paraphrast – so in my knoledge dyd he never of any suche, till my Lord of Oxford, beinge commaundid to kepe his chamber abowte the libellinge betwene him and my Lord of Lester, I declarid to my Lord Harrye that suche a toye Oxford layd vpp in his deske, which some man of his (as I conceavid) thrust vppon him vnder cullor of a prophesye, to [cozen] him of crownes [i.e., money] – as indede it was not rare to picke his purse with pretence of novelties and future accidentes – addinge further that I fearid lest Sir Thomas Henedge, who had the kepeinge of the fole [=the Queen's fool] at that time, lightinge on the same, might wilfullie pervert it to his [=Oxford's] hurt, and geve a greter oportunitie to those that had a mind to temper or to worke against him. This was mye sincere and honest care of my ingratefull and accurseid fri[e]nd, and this was all that ever my Lord Harrye h[e]ard of the payntyd gewegawes, so farr his iudgment and discretion was from geseinge or interpretinge. And for his further clereinge in this cawse, I will depose on my othe, he was never privie to the boke, and that Oxford shewinge it to me coniurid me by soleme othe never to impart the thinge to my Lord Harry, bycause he [=Howard] wold not hide it from my Lord Treaserer [=Burghley]. Nowe iudge whether it be likelie, that he wold make his eies wittnessis of that, wherof he was so lothe his eares shold receave the sownd by report of another.

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Monstrous Adversary
The Life of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
, pp. 218 - 224
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
Print publication year: 2003

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