Godly Advice, Court News, and Atlantic Adventures: Maurice Browne and his Patrons in the 1580s

Maurice Browne was an ambitious minor figure at the Elizabethan Court, seeking patrons. In 1580 he became London agent for the wealthy Wiltshire gentleman John Thynne of Longleat, sending news and vigorous advice on godly religious attitudes. While emphasising God's role, Browne worked at Court for Thynne's worldly interests, offering hints on tactics and even dress. Browne had useful contacts because he was in the service of Secretary Sir Francis Walsingham, who sent him on diplomatic business to the Azores, but also encouraged him to join Sir Humphrey Gilbert's doomed expedition to found a Newfoundland colony, during which Browne, and Gilbert, drowned.