Shakespeare of Stratford/The Biographical Facts/Fact 22
XXII. ALLUSIONS TO SHAKESPEARE’S LOAN TO QUYNY (1598).
(A) Extract from undated letter (ca. November 1, 1598) from Adrian Quyny of Stratford to his son Richard in London. (Corporation Records, Stratford.)
If you bargain with Wm. Sha. . or receive money there, bring your money home that you may; and see how knit stockings be sold. There is great buying of them at Evesham. Edward Wheat and Harry, your brother[’s] man, were both at Evesham this day sennight, and, as I heard, bestow 20li. there in knit hose; wherefore I think you may do good, if you can have money.
(B) Extract from letter of Abraham Sturley to Richard Quyny in London, November 4, 1598. (Ibid.)
Your letter of the 25. of October came to my hands the last of the same at night per Greenway,[1] which imported a stay of suits by Sir Ed. Gr[eville’s] advice, until &c.,[2] and that only you should follow on for tax and subsidy[3] presently, and also your travel and hinderance of answer therein by your long travel and the affairs of the Court; and that our countryman, Mr. Wm. Shak. would procure us money, which I will like of as I shall hear when, and where, and how; and I pray let not go that occasion, if it may sort to any indifferent[4] conditions.
Note. Richard Quyny was a mercer by occupation. Hence his father’s suggestion for using any residue of the money borrowed from Shakespeare to stock his shop. Sturley’s letter indicates that Quyny had informed him that Shakespeare would procure them money on the very day (October 25) on which Quyny addressed his note to the poet. Fripp (Richard Quyny, p. 139) assumes from this that Quyny must have received a favorable answer from the poet on the same day; but Sturley is evidently uncertain about details and somewhat skeptical.
- ↑ Greenway was the ‘carrier’ who delivered parcels between London and Stratford.
- ↑ So in the original. Sir Edward Greville was lord of the manor of Stratford, with whom the town corporation frequently had trouble.
- ↑ ‘That you should confine yourself to securing from the court a relief from taxation.’ Bad harvests and two disastrous fires had greatly impoverished the town of Stratford.
- ↑ Reasonable.