1597 - Fenton, Geoffrey - To Robert Cecil (2)

Allusion
Date	17 Dec. 1597
Author	Fenton, Geoffrey
Title	Letter from Sir Geoffrey Fenton to Sir Robert Cecil
Mentions	O'Donnell and wicked confederacy intend to be Robin Hoods

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-08-01. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2014-07-02.

Allusion

Upon the late return of the Earl of Ormonde from Dundalk to Drogheda, he wrote to the Lord Justices for some assistance of councillors to be sent to him for a second meeting, which he had appointed with Tyrone about to-morrow, or the next day, at which time it seems that O'Donnell and the residue of that wicked confederacy are expected, to assemble near Dundalk. [... p. 474:] Besides, I doubt specially that the whole rabble of them will not come to the meeting, but that some one or two will be left behind, of purpose to be Robin Hoods, to the end to keep things still in garboil, which I have still observed hath been usually done by them in former times, and then in that case there can be no assurance that the agreement will hold."—Dublin, 1597, December 17.^[1]

Source notes

MS ref.: Vol. CCI, No. 107. The cited text is a calendar summary or (close?) paraphrase of the original.

IRHB comments

The writer of the letter, Sir Geoffrey Fenton (c.1539-1608), was an English writer, Privy Councillor, and Principal Secretary of State in Ireland. Its recipient, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563?-1612), was Lord High Treasurer May 1598-24 May 1612, Lord Privy Seal 1598-1612, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 8 October 1597-1599, and Secretary of State 5 July 1590-24 May 1612. The allusion has not been noted in previous lists or studies.

Lists

Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 293-11.
Not included in Sussex, Lucy, compil. 'References to Robin Hood up to 1600', in: Knight, Stephen. Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw (Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1994), pp. 262-88.

Sources

Atkinson, Ernest George, ed. Calendar of the State Papers, relating to Ireland, of the Reign of Elizabeth, 1596, July — 1597, December. Preserved in the Public Record Office (London, 1893), pp. 473-74.

Also see

Notes

↑ Atkinson, Ernest George, ed. Calendar of the State Papers, relating to Ireland, of the Reign of Elizabeth, 1596, July — 1597, December. Preserved in the Public Record Office (London, 1893), pp. 473-74.

Allusions links1501-1600texts

[1] Atkinson, Ernest George, ed. Calendar of the State Papers, relating to Ireland, of the Reign of Elizabeth, 1596, July — 1597, December. Preserved in the Public Record Office (London, 1893), pp. 473-74.

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