Harleian 7002, folio 268 recto
From the collections of: THE BRITISH LIBRARY
Terms of use
The British Library has graciously contributed the above images to Shakespeare Documented under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark.
Copyright status of the manuscript and unpublished Materials: The 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (as amended) states that unpublished literary and artistic works remain in copyright in the UK until at least 31 December 2039. Therefore important parts of the library’s collection remain in copyright, including very old manuscripts. However for unpublished material created many centuries ago and in the public domain in most other countries, the Library believes this material to be very unlikely to offend anyone. As an institution whose role it is to support access to knowledge, we have therefore taken the decision to release certain digitised images technically still in copyright in the UK under the Public Domain Mark.
Copy-specific information
Creator: Thomas Lorkin
Title: Several Letters of Mr. Tho. Lorkin from Paris to Mr. Adam Newton ; & from London to Sir Tho. Puckering at Madrid with the Occurrences at both the Places where he resided
Date: June 30, 1613
Repository: The British Library, London, UK
Call number and opening: Harleian MS 7002, fol. 268r
From the collections of: THE BRITISH LIBRARY
Terms of use
The British Library has graciously contributed the above images to Shakespeare Documented under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark.
Copyright status of the manuscript and unpublished Materials: The 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (as amended) states that unpublished literary and artistic works remain in copyright in the UK until at least 31 December 2039. Therefore important parts of the library’s collection remain in copyright, including very old manuscripts. However for unpublished material created many centuries ago and in the public domain in most other countries, the Library believes this material to be very unlikely to offend anyone. As an institution whose role it is to support access to knowledge, we have therefore taken the decision to release certain digitised images technically still in copyright in the UK under the Public Domain Mark.
Copy-specific information
Creator: Thomas Lorkin
Title: Several Letters of Mr. Tho. Lorkin from Paris to Mr. Adam Newton ; & from London to Sir Tho. Puckering at Madrid with the Occurrences at both the Places where he resided
Date: June 30, 1613
Repository: The British Library, London, UK
Call number and opening: Harleian MS 7002, fol. 268r
Heather Wolfe, "Letter describing the burning of the Globe during a performance of Henry VIII," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/587.
British Library, Harleian 7002, folio 268 recto. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/587.
The Globe went up in flames on June 29, 1613, a newsworthy event mentioned in numerous contemporary accounts. In his weekly letter to his former student Sir Thomas Puckering, Thomas Lorkin notes that it burned down during a performance of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII. His description is tucked between other gossip: the Earl of Southampton’s trip to a spa town in Germany, the publication of a controversial book by an English Catholic, and the rumors that Puckering himself had converted to Catholicism.
… No longer since than yesterday, while Burbage his company were acting at the Globe the play of Henry 8, and there shooting of certain chambers [that is, theatrical cannons] in way of triumph, the fire catched and fastened upon the thatch of the house and there burned so furiously, as it consumed the whole house and all in less than two hours (the people having enough to do to save themselves)...
[This transcription is pending final vetting]
[fol. 268r]
Syr
My Last letters advertised yow of what had ^lately happened concerning Cotton, who yeelding himself to ye Kings Clemency,
doth neverthelesse vtterly disavowe the booke, and constantly denyeth to be ye author of it. Heervpon his studdy hath
been searched, and there, divers papers found conteyning many severall pieces of ye said booke, and (which rendres the
man the more odious) certayne reliques of ye late saincts of ye Gunpoulder treason; as one of Digbye’s finger, Percies
toe, some other part [of] ether ^of Catesby or Rookewood (whether I well remember not) with ye addition of a piece of one
of Peter Lambert’s Ribs, to make vp ye full mesre of them. Yf the proofes which are against him will not
extend to ye touching of his life, at least they will serue to worke him other misery & affliction enough.
Vpon Satterday Last, being the 26. of this present, there was found in ye stone gallery at Whitehall a certayne letter
bearing addresse vnto ye King, which advertiseth him of a treasonable practice against his Maties owne person, to be putt
execution the 4th day of the next moneth; as he went a hunting (if ye commoditie so served) or otherwise, as they
should finde their opportunity, affirming, that divers Catholiques had therin joigned hands (as finding no other means
to relieve themselues in ye liberty of yer consciences) & how there was one great nobleman about his Matie that could
giue him further instructions of the particulars; That himself was appointed to haue been an actor in it;
but touched with a remorse of dying his hands in his Prince’s bloud, moved likewise with ye remembrance of
some particular favors which his father (saith he) had formerly receyved from his Matie; he could doe no
lesse then giue him a generall notice & warning of it. But because he instancels not in any one
particular, nether subscribeth his name; it is held to be a meer invention to intimidate ye King, & to begett
some strange jealousies in his head of such as are conversant about him. The Prince is as [this day] ^to morrowe to be-
ginne housekeeping at Richmond. Sir David Murray & Sir Robert Car haue newly procured to be sworne (with Sir James
Fullerton) gentlemen of his bedchamber; Sir Ro: Carey hath taken no oath & remaynes in the same nature
that Sir Tho: Challener did to ye late Prince deceased. Sir Arthur Mannering, Varnam, & Sir Ed: Lewys
haue at length with much suite obteyned to be sworne gentlemen of his Highnes privy chamber. The great
officers [of his] must rest still in a longer expentance, vnles this occasion healp them. The King is de-
syrous to relieve his wants by making estate out of ye Prince’s lands; and hauing taken ye opinion of ye best
lawyers which course is fittest to be followed, their judgement is, that no good assurance can be made, vnlesse
the Prince ^himself joigne likewise in ye action; Now this can not be done without his council & officers for that pur-
pose; so that it is supposed, that sometyme in Michaelmas terme next, before any conveyance be made,
certayne of these officers, if not all, shalbe putt ^againe into ye possession of their former places. My Lord of
South-Hampton hath lately gott lycense [<…>] ^to make a voyage over to Spaine, whether he is ether allready gone, or means to
goe very shortly. He pretends to seeke remedy against I knowe not what maladie: but his greatest sicknes
is supposed to be, a distontentment conceyved, [for] that he can not [be] compasse to be made one of ye Privy
council; which not able to [digest] brooke heer well at home; he will try if he can better digest it abroad.
No longer since then yesterday, while Bourbege his companie were acting at ye Globe the play of Hen: 8.
and there shooting of certayne chambers in way of triumph; the fire ^catch'd & fastened vpon the thatch of ye house
and there burned so furiously, as it consumed ^the whole house & all in lesse then two houres
(the people hauing enough to doe to saue
themselves.). Yow haue heertofore heard of Witherington’s booke, wherein he mainteines against ye vserpation
of Popes the [King’s] right of Kings in matters temporel; this booke hath been vndertaken to be confuted
<by> some in France; But ye author hath proceeded so far in his confutation / against Kings prerogatiues,
as ye Court of Parlement [of] at Paris haue censured the booke, and giuen order to haue the sentence
printed. It is bruited abroad heer, that Sir Tho: Puckering is grownen a very hott & zealous ca-
tholique; Sir Thomas Badger reports to haue heard it very confidently auouched at a great mans table,
and I assure yow it is ye generall opinion [of], or rather fear, of ye most that knowe yow & honour you.
How farre this may prejudice ^yow, I leaue to your wise consideration: My self rest fully assured to ye
contrary, & to indeavor to possesse others; your care wilbe in ye mean tyme to avoid all occasions wherby
to increase this suspicion & jealousy. The buisinesse[s] which yow recommended to me at my departure,
I shall seriously prosecute, & the little encouragement that Mr Newton giues me, shall encrease so much
the more my industry & diligence. for as I must ever acknowledge[ment] my best means & hopes to be from
you, so shall I thinck that tyme best spent, which is [duely] ^alltogether employed in your service. To this haue I vowed
& dedicated my self, & will ever esteeme it my greatest honour to be reputed
Your most humbly devoted servant
[signed] Tho: Lorkin
London this last of June
1613. in great hast, which
I pray yow excuse./
Written by Heather Wolfe
Last updated October 30, 2023
