Add MS 74286

This manuscript principally contains a collection of 43 original letters written from Robert Devereux (b. 1565, d. 1601), 2nd Earl of Essex, to Queen Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603). Although some of the letters are undated, all but the first were written between the time of Essex's expedition to France in 1591 and his rebellion of early 1601. Each letter is preceded by a modern transcript of the text, and in some cases, a brief commentary, with occasional corrections, dates, and page references to an unidentified work, added in pencil in a later 19th-century hand.

Most of the letters are written on bifolia of various sizes, which were folded crossways three or four times and then lengthways, forming a small compartment for a brief superscription. These vary in style but typically take the form 'To the Q. [or To her] most sacred Matie'. Discolouration of and damage to the address-panels suggests that they were preserved in their folded state for some considerable time. Dockets added in an unidentified 17th-century hand on the address-panel give the place of writing (e.g. 'Plymmouth', 'From the sea side') or describe the character of the letter ('D'amour') or the mood of the writer (e.g. 'Malcontent').

Two red wax seals, with remains of seal ties of various colours, survive on most letters, with four distinct types being discernible. The main one, incorporating a shield of the arms of Devereux (argent, a fess gules, in chief three torteaux) set within a Garter, occurs both in a larger (e.g. f. 50v) and smaller format (e.g. f. 58v). The third type (e.g. f. 52v) shows a crowned shield of Devereux quartering Bourchier with two other unidentified coats of arms. The fourth (e.g. f. 115v) features the crest of Devereux of Wexford, a stag trippant, gorged and chained, within a Garter surmounted by a coronet.

Several items formerly included in the volume and described in the Sotheby's catalogue of 14 December 1992 (Lots 1, 2, and 5-10) were excised following the sale. 19th-century transcripts of these letters still remain part of the manuscript. They include a letter of Essex to his mother Lettice Knollys (b. 1543, d. 1634), Countess of Leicester (f. 47) and two letters of Robert Dudley (b. 1532, d. 1588), Earl of Leicester, to Elizabeth I. Additional letters to Essex's son, Robert Devereux (b. 1591, d. 1646), 3rd Earl of Essex were also once featured, addressed from Sir Francis Bacon (b. 1561, d. 1626), Viscount St. Alban; a certain 'Kent', possibly Elizabeth Grey (b. 1582, d. 1651), wife of Henry Grey (b. c. 1583, d. 1639), 8th Earl of Kent; Henry Rich (b. 1590, d. 1649), 1st Earl of Holland; and Charles Louis (b. 1617, d. 1680), Elector Palatine.

The manuscript originally included a draft autograph copy of Robert Devereux's Discourse on War with Spain, written onboard his ship the Due Repulse in August 1596, which was bound as ff. 154-169. It is now kept separately as Add MS 74287. Contents:

f. 1r: Modern calligraphic title-page, mistakenly identifying all the letters in the volume as being addressed to the 2nd Earl of Essex and incorporating a painted shield of the arms of the Hulton family.

f. 2r-v: Modern table of contents, written in the same hand as the transcriptions of the letters that follow.

f. 3v: A 19th-century transcript of a letter of Robert Dudley (b. 1532, d. 1588), Earl of Leicester, to Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603), from Harden Castle, complaining of the country and of the difficulty of obtaining news from Court; July 1588.

f. 4v: A 19th-century transcript of a letter of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, to Elizabeth I, on the defeat of the Spanish Armada; Tilbury, 1 June [n. y.].

ff. 5v-7v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, on her breach of promise as to a claim of £3000 to satisfy which he has to part with a manor; 7 October [1590].

ff. 8v-10v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, complaining of his impatience for action; France [not dated].

ff. 11v-13v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, concerning his interview with Henry IV (r. 1589-1610), King of France; [September, 1591].

ff. 14v-17r: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, defending his transactions with the French king; Arques, 12 September [1591].

ff. 17v-19v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, complaining of her unkindness and detailing his present operations in France; Arques, 14 September [1591].

ff. 20v-22v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, referring to the death of his brother and requesting leave to remain in France should the army be recalled; [not dated].

ff. 23v-25v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, complaining of the misconstruction of his actions; [not dated].

ff. 26v-28v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, apologising for a delay of two days in coming to Court, because of indisposition; Rye [not dated].

ff. 29v-32v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, resenting his ungracious reception [not dated].

ff. 32v-34v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, requesting to be excused from writing to her on business and expressing his impatience to return triumphant; Dieppe, 18 October [1591].

ff. 35v-37v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, on the approach of the King of France and Marshall Biron, and protesting the warmth of his affection; [not dated].

ff. 38v-40v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, on his advance to the siege of Rouen, requesting aid; [not dated].

ff. 41v-43v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, requesting supplies for the siege and commending the valour of the Queen's forces; Rouen, 2 November [1591].

ff. 44v-46v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, with warm expressions of affection; Croydon [not dated].

f. 47v: A 19th-century transcript of a letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex to his mother Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex and Leicester, excusing himself for signing a paper which she thought to her prejudice; 1 Sept. n.y. [c.1590-1601]

ff. 48v-50v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and Robert Cecil, to Elizabeth I, on the discovery of a conspiracy and requesting her to be more careful of her safety; [January/February 1594].

ff. 51v-52v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, thanking her for a letter of kindness and protesting his devotion to her service; Sandwich, 23 June [1597].

ff. 53v-54v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, giving thanks for a token of her favour and the bestowment of her blessing on the Azores expedition fleet; Sandwich, 25 June [1597].

ff. 55v-56v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, on the affairs of the fleet; The Downs, 27 June [1597].

ff. 57v-58v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, on a visit from one of her courtiers; The Downs, 28 June [1597].

ff. 59v-61v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, recommending Sir Fulk Greville (b. 1554, d. 1628); Weymouth, 6 June [1597].

ff. 63v-65v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, thanking her for several tokens; Portland Road, 6 July [1597].

ff. 66v-67v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, detailing preparations for sailing at midnight; 6 July [1597].

ff. 68v-71r: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, on preparations for sailing and the state of his ship, and thanking her for additional supplies; 10 July [1597].

ff. 71v-73v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, concerning the state of the fleet, with expressions of affection; the Mirehonore, 12 July [1597].

ff. 74v-76v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, after a violent storm; Falmouth, 19 July [1597].

ff. 77v-79v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, on rejoining Sir Walter Raleigh (b. c. 1552, d. 1618) and the rest of the fleet which had been dispersed by a storm; Plymouth, 20 July [1597].

ff. 80v-82v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, accompanying an account of the state of the fleet; 14 August [1597].

ff. 83v-85v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, waiting for a favourable wind to set sail; 15 August [1597].

ff. 86v-88v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, requesting her opinion on a change of plan and recommending the bearer of the letter; the Due Repulse, 16 August [1597].

ff. 89v-91v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, announcing the operations of the fleet and deprecating the misconstruction of his conduct while absent from the Court; 31 August [1597].

ff. 92v-94v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, complaining of the troubles of absence; Dover [not dated].

ff. 95v-97v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, complaining of his ungracious reception; [not dated].

ff. 98v-100v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, thanking her for her gracious message during his sickness; [not dated].

ff. 101v-103v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, inquiring as to the Queen's health and excusing his absence from the Court on account of illness; London, 20 September n. y. [possibly 1598].

ff. 104v-106v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, responding to a message of displeasure; 20 September [1598].

ff. 107v-109v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, expressing resentment for a personal indignity; [not dated].

ff. 110v-112v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, recommending a gentleman to her service and complaining of his own situation; Ireland [1599].

ff. 113v-115v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, defending his conduct in Ireland and complaining of the withdrawal of her confidence in him; [1599].

ff. 116v-117v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, requesting to be recalled since he cannot please her and complaining of the base imputations cast upon him; [1599].

ff. 118v-120v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, requesting a grant of his wardship to Sir John Radcliffe (b. 1582, d. 1627), whose brother was lately killed in Connaught; [1599].

ff. 121v-123v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, expressing his bitter resentment at his situation; Ardbraccan, 30 August [1599].

ff. 124v-126v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, asking to be restored to favours; [1599].

ff. 127v-129v: Letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, to Elizabeth I, describing the desperate state of his mind and resenting her treatment of him and her countenance of his enemies; [not dated].

f. 130v: A 19th-century transcript of a letter of Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, to Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, from York House, London, concerning his expedition to the Palatinate; 7 November 1620.

f. 131v: A 19th-century transcript of a letter of Charles Louis, Elector Palatine, to Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, from the Hague, recommending an officer to the King's service; 8/18 March 1639.

f. 132v: A 19th-century transcript of a letter of a certain Kent, possibly Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kent, to Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, requesting to become his tenant; [not dated].

f. 133v: A 19th-century transcript of a letter of Henry, Earl of Holland, to Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, offering his services; 17th December [n. y.].

f. 134r-v: The London Intelligencer for 22-24 January 1688/9, a printed news-sheet including an announcement of the arrest of two men on suspicion of the murder of Arthur Capell (d. 1683), 1st Earl of Essex, forwarded to William Hilton, al. Hulton (d. 1694), by his fourth son Charles Hilton, of Gray's Inn.

f. 135r: An extract relating to the restoration of Charles II (r. 1660-1685) from David Hume's History of England (Vol. VII, Ch. 62).

ff. 136r-137r: The same extract, copied in a different hand.

f. 138r: A note by William Dunn Macray (b. 1826, d. 1916), English librarian and cleric, conjecturing that the letters in the volume were retrieved after Essex's death by his mother, Lettice Knollys; dated 6 September 1888.