An undated letter from John Fletcher to the Countess of Huntingdon. As noted in Petti thirteen of the words on the letter do not belong to the same hand as the letter's scribe, and it is assumed that they are Fletcher's. Greg says: "That they are in the hand of the dramatist is an inference, but a probable one." The punctuation troubled Greg. He believed that some later person may have read through the document and by resting their pen here and there made some marks that must then be regarded as accidentals. The words presumed to have been written by Fletcher I have also placed in red print. The only spelling changes I have made are to replace the long s  with its modern equivalent, and the normalization of all abbreviations. Elizabethan Secretary superscript abbreviations are difficult to reproduce with modern HTML coding.

There ys not any Sculler of or Tyme inventing nowe, more misbegott wth ryme The I am at this Instant :   But 'tys so that I must write.   yett hange mee If I knowe of what, or to what End : ffor that maine sinne of my fforgettfullnes (best of yor kinne) I knowe you haue forgeuen ; for I am sure, You are too good to Lett yor anger dure ; and so that subiect's Lost.   Saye then I striue 10 extreamely to commend you ; Some doe thriue by those vaine gloryes ; But they knowe whoe neede such commendations ; (as I knowe that creede I take from, by additione.)   Lett mee then write something (Maddame) lyke those honest men that haue no busines ; Something that affordes some favor to the wrighter.   Knights, and Lords praye by yor Leaues, I will not treate of you ye are too teachy ; nor whether ytt bee true wee shall haue warrs wth Spaine : (I wold wee might :) 20 nor whoe shall daunce i'th maske ; nor whoe shall write those braue things done : Nor summe vp the Expence ; nor whether ytt bee paid for ten yeere hence. All theise I overpasse ; and come att Length Out of myne owne dexterytie, and strength to wish my selfe at Ashby : There I am sure I should haue Brawne, and Brakett, wch indure Longer then twentie Tryvmphs ; and good Swan, able to choake Th'ambition of a churchman, and Pyes cum priuelegio, wthout sinne 30 forbydding all to Make 'vm, but Ralph Goodwin : And you O Ladie I should see agen, ther's all my maine End : you that Euery man, and euery ayre breaths well of, you that styll Lyke Eue before the fall must bee vnyll. and though you haue the power to doe amis ye haue the apple still to knowe what 'tys, you I should see I saye, That of my all service, and prayers, are originall Roome for a Little prose, lyke a Lenvoy ; There were certaine Bookes 40 Maddame that Sir Thomas Beamont mencioned , and (as hee told mee) ffor yor Ladiship, wch shall bee very shortely sent downe , and some others to attend them. I am sure yow will doe my doe my service to my Lord : so I commytt yow to your Closett. [maddame] All at yor service . / John Fletcher   [The address on the verso side of the letter is as follows:] To the ^ Excelent and Best Lady the Countess of Huntington

[Both Greg and Petti take it as a given that "To the ^ Excelent" was meant to read "To the most Excelent".]