single sheet
Mr Allin mey Loue remembered I vnderstoode bey a man which came with too Beares from the gardeyne that you haue a deseyre to bey one of mey Boles. I haue three westerne boles at this tyme but I haue had verey ell loock with them for one of them hath lost his horne to the queyck that I think that hee will neuer bee to feyght a gayne that is mey ould star of the west hee was a verey esey bol, and mey Bol Bevis hee hath lost one of his eyes but I think if you had him hee would do you more hurt then good for I protest I think hee would ether throo up your dodges in to the loftes or eles dingout theare braynes a geanst the grates so that I think hee is not for your turne. besydes I esteme him verey hey for my Lord of Rutlandes man badmee for him xx marckes. I have a bol which came out of the west which standes mee in twentey nobles if you so did leyck him you shall haue him of mey faith hee is a marvilous good Boole and coning and well shaped and but fore eyre ould seine com leime and shuch a on as I think you haue had but few shuch for I aseure you that I hould him as good a doble bole as that which you hadomee last a singgle. and one that I haue played therty or fourty coursses be fore he hath bene tacken from the stacke with the best dodges which halfe a dosen freyghtes had if you send a man vnto mee he shall see aney of mey boles playe, and you shall haue aney of them <...>refor if the will plesoure you. Thus biding you hartely farewell I end
Your Louing ffrend.
(signed) William ffawnte
Record title: Letter from Sir William Faunt to Edward Alleyn
Repository: Dulwich College
Shelfmark: MS II
Repository location: Dulwich
Sir William Faunt (d. 1639), of Foston, Leicestershire, was knighted by James I at Belvoir Castle during the royal progress from Edinburgh to London in 1603; see John Nichols, The Progresses Processions, and Magnificent Festivities of King James the First, vol 1 (London, 1828; rpt Burt Franklin, 1967), 92.
There are two more undated letters, also presumably early seventeenth century, from Faunt to Alleyn in the Dulwich College archive concerning his desire for male bear cubs from Alleyn, as master of the Bears, Bulls and Mastiff Dogs (1604–26). See Ioppolo, Henslowe-Alleyn Digitisation Project MSS 2, article 39 and article 40.
undated (early 17th-c.); English; paper; single sheet; 205mm x 305mm; good condition; addressed: 'To mey Verey Louing | frend Mr Allin at | the Palles Garden | at London giue| thes.' Foliated 83 by Warner; cited on p 82 of his Catalogue.