APPENDIX A
 

Kyd’s Letters to Sir John Puckering
 

The transcript of Letter A Follows Tannenbaum’s (The Booke of Sir Thomas Moore...), incorporating Baldwin’s reading of ‘vj yeres’, and other material differences with Boass text. The transcript of Letter B, unsigned, is by W. W. Greg (English Literary Autographs... )
 

Letter A MS. Harl. 6849, fols. 218-19.
 

At my last being w^th yo^r L^p. to entreate some speaches from yo^u in my favor to my Lorde, whoe (though I thinke, he rest not doubtfull of myne inocence) hath yet in his discreeter judgm^t feared to offende in his reteyning me, w^thout yo^r hono^rs former pryvitie; So is it nowe R. ho: that the denyall of that favo^r (to my thought resonable) hath mov’de me to coniecture some suspicion, that yo^r L^p holds me in, concerning Atheisme, a deadlie thing w^ch I was vndeserved chargd w^thall; & therfore have I though^t it requisite, aswell in duetie to yo^r L^p, & the lawes, as also in the feare of god, & freedom of my conscience, therein to satisfie the world and yo^u:
 

The first and most (thoughe insufficient) surmize that euer [w]as therein might^t be raisde of me, grewe thus. When I was first suspected for that libell that concern’d the State, amongst those waste and idle papers (w^ch I carde not for) & w^ch vnaskt I did deliuer vp, were founde some fragments of a disputation, toching that opinion, affirmd by Marlowe to be his, and shufled w^th some of myne (vnknown to me) by some occasion of o^r wrytinge in one chamber twoe yeares synce.
 

My first acquaintane w^th this Marlowe, rose vpon his bearing name to serve my Lo: although his L^p never knewe his service, but in writing for his plaie^rs, ffor never cold my L. endure his name, or sight, when he had heard of his conditions, nor wold indeed the forme of devyne praiers vsed duelie in his L^ps house, haue quadred w^th such reprobates.
 

That I shold loue or be familer frend, w^th one so irreligious, were verie rare, when Tullie saith Digni sunt amicitia quib^s in ipsis inest causa cur diligantur w^ch neither was in him, for p[er]son, quallities, or honestie, besides he was intemp[er]ate & of a cruel hart, the verie contraries to w^ch, my greatest enemies; will saie by me.
 

It is not to be nombred amongst the best conditions of men, to taxe or to opbraide the deade Quia mortui non mordent, But thus muche haue I (w^th yo^r L^ps favor) dared in the greatest cause, w^ch is to cleere my self of being thought an Atheist, which some will sweare he was.
 

ffor more assurance that I was not of that vile opinion, Lett it but please yo^r L^p to enquire of such as he conversd w^thall, that is (as I am geven to vnderstand) w^th Harriot, Warner, Royden and some stationers in Paules churchyard, whom I in no sort can accuse nor will excuse by reson of his companie, of whose consent if I had been, no question but I also shold haue been of their consort, for ex minimo vestigo artifex agnoscit artificem.
 

Of my religion & life I haue alredie geven some instance to the late commssion^rs & of my reverend meaning to the state, although p[er]haps my paines and—vndeserved tortures felt by some, wold haue ingendred more impatience when lesse by farr hath dryven so many imo extra causas w^ch it shall-- never do w^th me.
 

But whatsoeue^r I haue felt R. ho: this is my request not for reward but in regard of my trewe innocence that it wuld please yo^r L^ps so t[o] [. . . . . .] the same & me, as I maie still reteyne the favo^rs of my Lord, whom I have servd almost theis vj yeres nowe, in credit vntill nowe, & nowe am vtterlie vndon w^thout herein be somewhat donn for my recoverie, ffor I do knowe his L^p holdes yo^r hono^rs & the state in that dewe reverence, as he wold no waie move the leste suspicion of his loves and cares both towards hir sacred Ma^tie yo^r L^ps and the lawes whereof when tvme shall serve I shall geue greater instance w^ch I haue observed.
 

As for the libel laide vnto my chardg I am resolued w^th receyving of y^e sacram^t to satisfie yo^r L^ps & the world that I was neither agent nor consenting thervnto Howbeit if some outcast Ismael for want or of his owne dispose to lewdnes, haue w^th pretext of duetie or religion, or to reduce himself to that he was not borne vnto by enie waie incensd yo^r L^ps to suspect me, I shall besech in all humillitie & in the feare of god that it will please yo^r L^ps but to censure me as I shall prove my self, and to repute them as they ar in deed Cum totius iniustitiae nulla capitalior sit quam eoru, qui tum cum maxime fallunt id agunt vt viri boni esse videant^r ffor doubtles even then yo^r L^ps shal be sure to breake [. . . .] their lewde designes and see into the truthe, when but their lyues that herein haue accused me shalbe examined & rypped vp effectually, soe maie I chaunce w^th paul to live & shake the vyper of my hand into the fier for w^ch the ignorant suspect me guiltie of the former shipwrack. And thus (for nowe I feare me I growe teadious) assuring yo^r good L^ps that if I knewe env whom I cold iustlie accuse of that damnable offence to the awefull Ma^tie of god or of that other mutinous sedition towrd the state I wold as willinglie reveale them as I wold request yo^r L^ps bette^r thoughtes of me that neuer haue offended yo^u
 

Yo^r L^ps most humble in all duties
 

Th. Kydde.
 

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Letter B MS. Harl. 6848, fol. 154.
 

Pleaseth it yo^r hono^rable l^p toching marlowes monstruous opinions as J cannot but w^th an agreved conscience think on him or them so can J but pticulariz fewe in the respect of them that kept him greater company, Howbeit in discharg of dutie both towrds god yo^r l^ps & the world thus much haue J thoug(ht good breiflie to discover in all humblenes ffirst it was his custom when J knewe him first & as J heare saie he contynewd it in table talk or otherwise to iest at the devine scriptures gybe at praie^rs, & stryve in argum^t to frustrate & confute what hath byn spoke or wrytt by prophets & such holie men/
 

1 He wold report S^t John to be o^r savio^r Christes Alexis J cover it w^th reverence and trembling that is that Christ did loue him w^th an extra­ordinary loue/
 

2 That for me to wryte a poem of S^t paules conversion as J was deter­mined he said wold be as if J shold go wryte a book of fast & loose, esteming Paul a Jugler.
 

3 That the prodigall Childs portion was but fower nobles, he held his purse so neere the bottom in all pictures, and that it either was a iest or els fowr nobles then was thought a great patrimony not thinking it a pable
 

4 That things esteemed to be donn by devine powe^r might haue a aswell been don by observation of men all w^ch he wold so sodenlie take slight occasion to slyp out as J & many others in regard of his other rashnes in attempting soden pryvie iniuries to men did ouerslypp though often reprehend him for it & for which god is my witnes aswell by my lords comaundm^t as in hatred of his life & thoughts J left and did refraine his companie/
 

He wold pswade w^th men of quallitie to goe vnto the k of Scotts whenther J heare Royden is gon and where if he had liud he told me when J sawe him last he meant to be/