Barrow's Letter to [attorney-General Thomas Egerton, March 26, 1593]

This letter is in Harley MSS. 6849, f. 211 recto. It carries no date or addressee, but the reference to the likelihood that “streames of christian bloode” may be shed indicates a date between March 24 and March 30. From Egerton’s letter of March 28 we obtain a reference to his conference with Barrow [on March 26] and to “what disputacion he requyreth,” and to “a copy of Barrow’s request in that behalfe”—that is, a copy of Barrow’s letter of March 27. Thus we can narrow the date of Barrow’s first letter to March 24–26. It is unlikely that Barrow wrote a letter on March 24, the day of his reprieve, and it is unlikely that he wrote the letter on Sunday, March 25. Therefore, Monday, March 26, seems the most likely date. Perhaps Barrow gave the letter to Attorney-General Egerton Monday afternoon during their conference in Newgate prison.