The purpose of the present article is to record a decisive period in Charles Tessier's career as a professional lutenist: his residence in England which led to the publication of his first collection of court airs. Tessier's journey to England is no novelty, but whereas information so far was limited to the London publication of his court airs, three unedited letters he addressed to Anthony Bacon now make it possible to project his visit and his publication against their social background. The paper accordingly is a contribution to the as yet unknown biography of Charles Tessier.
Anthony Bacon appears to hold the key to explaining Tessier's visit to England. Their acquaintance may go back to some time between 1579 and 1592 when Bacon was residing in France, studying continental politics and gathering intelligence with a view to putting his experience at the disposal of the English government.