hope that he will bring forth in a short time some fit remedie against this evill The Lords States do as much as they are able And the Princes of Low Saxonie do not want in their duties There remaineth now that your Highnesse put also your powerful hand to this work and with a vigorous succour worthie of your great heart do incourage all the rest to continue their Emprese The two Kings are not ignorant of the great sincerity wherewith this most Excellent State doth observe the capitulations made with Allies of the league and that rather then to be wanting in things agreed upon you have surpassed in necessarie provisions for the advancement of the designs and that you have not been partakers nor agreers of the treaty made at Moncon But that you do continue to keep some forces in your Dominions and likewise some troops in the Valtoline for the effecting as much as is in you of what was first thought fit and of the agreement of the League And as that generous resolution and constancie of this State is never enough praised so there is great hope that you will not bring this same in the reckoning of the two Kings who never will misse to praise the wisdome and generositie of this State though not obliged for their particular for any thing whatsoever done till now either by the league in general or by whomsoever of the united in particular because that the league was made two years and more before his Majestie of great Brittain broke with Spain or that the King of Denmark had declared himself Since the time that these two Kings are come to the Dance your Highnesse hath not levied one man and the Forces which you do yet keep as they were not levied so are they not maintained in Contemplation of the two Kings but onely for the first reasons of the League The onely thing here sought for is to go with a common pace that those that are now too heavily laden may be supported by their friends either by way of diversion or by way of assistance And therefore your Highnesse and other Princes are now requested to help seeing there is small appearance of diversion And set the case that the Peace between Spain and France should be firm would it not turn against the Common Cause Italiae incendium ruina Germaniae extinguere To quench a little fire in Italy by the ruine of whole Germany In Chronical diseases Physitians do not so much respect the symptomes and accidents as they do the causes of the evil The Valtoline Palatinate Hussia Marchisat of Baden Dukedome of Brunswick and so many other Countries attempted and oppressed by the Spanish and Austrian usurpation are grievous and dangerous symptomes and accidents but the Cause and fewel of the evil remains yet in the ambitious bowels of the Spaniard who now with spread sailes goeth on towards the universal Monarchie unlesse there be applied betimes some fit remedies all topick remedies will do but little good The King of Denmark doth offer himself ready to apply such an issue whereby he may be brought back to terms of modestie and with the assistance he doth expect from your Highnesse and other interessed Princes he hopeth to bring his good intent to passe And being prodigal of his great Soul there is no doubt he will ever go back unlesse he be forsaken Thus there remains the Common liberty almost in your hands and if this most excellent Senate resolves to give ayd unto that King that libertie will be preserved If you do forsake him that will also be indangered yea lost I therefore beseech your Highnesse to ponder well this matter and to grant such an assistance as is requested by the King of Denmarks Embassadour Sir Henry Wootton to the Duk. My most Noble Lord I Will be bold by this opportunity to give his Majestie through your Lordships hands an accompt of a Command which I had from him at Theobalds about sounding how the Venetian Embassadour stood satisfied with the late determination touching his predecessour Donato I did visit the said Embassadour immediatly at my return from the King and saluted him as by expresse Commandment interjecting some words of mine own gladnesse that he had received contentment in this tender point which would signalize his beginnings This I said because in truth I had found him alwaies before the more passionate in it by some reflection upon himself His answer after due thanks for his Majesties gracious remembrance of him from abroad was That for his own part he was Contentissimo and had represented things home in the best manner He hoped likewise it would be well tasted there also though with some doubt because the State out of their own devotion towards his Majestie might form a confidence of expecting more I replyed that the King upon the matter if we consider disgrace had done more then themselves for he was but once banished at Venice and twice here viz. once from the Verge of the Court and secondly from London which was as much as could be done with preservation of National immunities and more then would have been done at the suit of any other Embassadour here resident or perhaps of any of their own hereafter if the like case shall occur For as I told him it was the Kings expresse will that his particular respect to the republique and to him in this businesse should not be drawn into examples With this point he was not a little pleased for his own glory and said that indeed Mr. Secretarie Nanton had told him so This was the summe of what passed between us omitting impertinencies Let me end my dear Lord as I am bound in all the use either of my pen or of my voice with an humble and hearty acknowledgment of my great obligations towards your Lordship which will make me resolve and in good faith unhappy till I can some way shew my self Your Lordships most thankful and faithful servant Henry Wootton 25th of January 1619. Sir Henry Wotton to the Duke My most honoured Lord and Patron THese poor lines will be presented unto your Lordship by my Nephew one of your obliged servants and withal some description as I have prayed him of my long infirmities which have cast me behind in many private and often interrupted even my publique Duties with which yet I do rather seek to excuse some other defects of service then my silence towards your Lordship For to importune your Lordship seldom with my pen is a choice in me and not a disease having resolved to live at what distance soever from your sight like one who had well studied before I came hither how secure they are whom you once vouchsafe any part of your love And indeed I am well confirmed therein by your own gracious lines for thereby I see that your Lordship had me in your meditation when I scant remembred my self In answer of which Letter after some respite from mine own evils I have
hath dibursed and stands engaged more for my affaires and the States then any Number of Noblemen of England whatsoever and therefore there is reason that from a King he would receive his own and more And now my Lords since I have thus far opened a Kings Cabinet unto you at least by the measure of this foot of answer you may discover what may be said concerning that great bodie and bulk of accusations of the Highest kind made against the Duke I desire you would take it to heart remembring that it is your King that speaketh this who therefore expects your service and love herein and who will requite the same assuredly hoping you will believe me indeed and do accordingly indeed and that you will also rest assured that my spirit is not so young though a young King as that I would bring this testimony in mine own wrong were not that I say true in my own knowledge And being so you also will grant that it is not for a King to use his Servant and Instrument as he doth his Horses which being by hard riding in his service foundred and lamed to turn them off to grasse or to the Cart. I must therefore in right of the King my Fathers Honour and my own protect a man though I have said justly seeming guiltie yet in mine own knowledge innocent and free as I have delivered it will you then deny the King to favour whom he please which the King hath never denyed you that are his subjects will you controle me your Head and Governor in things wherein your selves have taken liberty uncontroled would you that I should require accompt of your liberalitie nay of all your failings which are liable to my authority well commend me to my Lords and tell them that if any thing had been formerly done amisse by others I have power and will to redresse it and to prevent the like I speak it in the word of a King neither Lords nor Commons can desire of me any thing that is honest which I am not ready to give them Let not therefore the world by these mistakings make Table-talk any longer of your King and his negotiations nay of his secrets and necessities for alas what great wrong or indignity can the Glorie of the State receive then that the private grudges of subjects accusing to the ignorant when in their consciences they could excuse should be the businesse of our Parliament and that the King himself should be forced to appear as a partie No doubt this is a Cocatrice egge that craftie heads of our enemies seek to hatch whilest the weightie affaires that in present concern the Honour and welfare of the King and State and the peace of all Christendome are by us utterly neglected I end hoping your Lordship now privy to these things will be tender of your Soveraigns honour and will so satisfie and treat with the rest that those particular janglings may be by some other course and in some other place and time discussed and determined that so our minds and time may be employed in the care of better things which earnestly invoke our ayd at this instant Thus much spoken or written or the like for I seek but to awaken your Lordships higher spirit and invention I conceive it may get this effect That these 6. Lords won by these reasons and by other the Kings invitations may deliver to the House that for their parts they have received unexpected satisfaction in those greatest points of the accusation against your Lordship and of such secret nature as are not fit to be published without further deliberation Wherefore since it pleased their Lordships to have made choyce of them to be trusted in this imployment they have faithfully served accordingly and do upon their Honours freely and without any ingagement or respect protest the fame And therefore humbly desire their Lordships that they would intreat his Majestie to be President in advice with their Lordships What further were to be done in this private Contention betwixt your Lordship and the Lord Digbie which obtained something may then follow for your Lordships good by yeelding up that Cause into the Kings hands And his Majestie hath great reason to bend it that way because it is conceived that the Lords will be loath to admit the King to be supream Judge and Accuser which point will much touch his Majestie And his Majestie were better give some ease to the Lord Digbie then permit that dispute And now for my self I beseech your Lordship to pardon my strange boldnesse I know I am a mere stranger to you and if ever you have heard of me it must be as of a friend of such you then did not love I know it shewes me a medler in businesse or an insinuator which are suspitions that may distast you and make you suspect my pretences though they were not altogether witlesse I know this disadvantage and am in my own nature offended for putting my self thus into your notions But yet I resolved to undergo all this First because you made my Brother a Captain in Ireland who had otherwise perished Next for the favour you did to my Lord of Northumberland and the retiring of disfavour from my Lord of Sommerset And lastly for your firm hand that advanced the now Lord Treasurer To all which Lords I am familiarly known and bound But neerest to you your Lordship may hear of me from the Lord Treasurer I am confident of your Lordships noble interpretation since I seek no ends no acquaintance no other thanks being one that have no Court-suits to your Lordship but being one that loves not ruines which my friends have tasted nor that the publique should wrestle with a private Inturn of Spleen And I offer it but as a simplicity yet with good will enough for what can a man that is not privy to the Elements of State demonstrate any conclusion thereof yet I hear sometimes how the world goes as other men do I conceive I have said something to your Lordship and though perhaps short yet enough to occasion and stir up your deeper thoughts I also may have deeper but also I know that little pinnes of wood do sustain the whole building More I could have said touching the other points but these greatest elided the fall of the others may be easily directed What I have said against those objections I touched doth arise from grounds of truth and they must win and prevail and my conceit is fitted to the Kings part and to the occasions now on foot I humbly cease your Lordship further trouble and wish you all good desiring your Lordship also to pardon my tedious and hasty scribled hand Your Lordships unknown servant Ch. Th. Postscript YOur Lordship shall be pleased to take off some part of my boldnesse and impute it to the obligation and service I owe this worthy Lady the Bearer To Count Gondomar My Lord I Thought my hands bound that I could no sooner have
wished conjunction How much greater need then hath it of a hastie and happie dispatch And what comfort can the Prince have in her when her friends shall have utterly ruined his Sister and all her babes you remember how your self praysed his Majesties wisdom in the election of so fit a Minister as Sir Richard Weston in this businesse but you saw what desperate Letters he writes from time to time of their cold and unjust treating with him in this businesse you could not but wonder at any spark of Patience could be left us here and to conclude this point in a word we ever received comfortable words from Spain but find such contrary effects from Bruxelles together with our intelligences from all other parts of the world as all our hopes are not only cold but quite extinguished here Thus far for the By and yet such a By as may put by the main if it be not well and speedily prevented As to the Main which is the match his Majestie and we all here thought we had done our part and put the ball at your foot when wee agreed upon the twentie and five Atticles more whereupon as your self often answered and assured us the best Divines in Spain concluded that the Pope not only might but ought to grant a dispensation to this marriage but now we are surcharged with a number of new Articles from Rome and in the mean time the Dispensation is as far off as ever it was His Majestie hopes that you are not ignorant that the treatie is between him and your Master He hath no treatie with Rome neither lyes it in his way to dispute with them upon this question yet that his readinesse to imbrace your Masters friendship may the better appear he is contented to yield to so many of their demands as either his Conscience Honour or safetie can permit if so the King your Master shall think it necessarie But on the other part we three remember that when as you first moved this match unto him and perswaded him to break off with France you then promised that he should be pressed to nothing in this businesse that should not be agreeable to his conscience and honour and stand with the love of his people As to the particular Articles new added at Rome I will not clogg this paper with them which I fear without them will be too troublesome unto you For what his Majesties opinion is of them his Majesties Embassadour there will particularly acquaint you But whereas the Pope desires in the end of his Articles that he may see what ponum publicum the King our Master will grant unto that may perswade to grant this dispensation I will remit it to your conscience and knowledge whether if the favours his Majestie daily grants to those of his religion and is resolved still to continue if not to increase them if they shall by their good behaviour deserve it be not a real bonum publicum considering that if the match should break off which God forbid his Majestie would be importunatly urged by his people to whose assistance he must have his recourse to give life and execution to all the penal Lawes now hanging upon their heads It only rests now that as we have put the ball to your foot you take a good and speedie resolution there to hasten a happy conclusion of this match The Prince is now two and twenty years of age and so a year more then full ripe for such a businesse the King our Master longeth to see an issue proceed from his Loins and I am sure you have reason to expect more friendship from the posterity that shall proceed from him and that little Angel your Infanta then from his Majesties Daughters Children Your friends here are all discomforted with this long delay your enemies are exasperated and irritated thereby and your neighbours that envie the felicity of both Kings have the more leisure to invent new Plots for the Crosse and hinderance of this happy businesse And for the part of your true friend and servant Buckingham I am become odious already and counted a betrayer both of King and Countrey To conclude all with I will use a similitude of hawking which you will easily understand being a great Faulkoner I told you already that the Prince is God be thanked extreamly sharp set upon this Match and you know that a Hawke when she is first dressed and made ready to flie having a great will upon her if the Faulkoner do not follow it at that time she is in danger to be dulled for ever after Take heed therefore lest in the fault of your delayes there Our Prince and Faulcon gentle that you know was thought slow enough to begin to be eager after the Foeminine prey become not so dull upon these delayes as in short time hereafter he will not stoop to the Lure though it were thrown out to him And here I will end to you my sweet friend as I do in my prayers to God Onely in thee is my trust and say as it is written on the outside of the Pacquets Haste Haste Post-haste Conde de Condomar to the Duke 13. Febr. 1625. Most Excellent Sir AT last Sir the Earl of Gondomar goes for England There will be many good discourses made in Holland about this voyage But the truth is that the intention of his journey is not to offend any one but only to desire and procure peace and the publique good And onely with this intent the King my Master Commands me to go thither and I go with a great deal of joy as well for this as for to kisse his Majesties and his Highnesse his hands and your Excellencies in particular And therefore I do appoint for the field of our Battail your Excellencies Gallerie over the Thames where I hope your Excellencie shall see that the Earl of Gondomar is an honest man and that he hath been is and ever will be a faithful and true servant and friend to Sir George Villiers Duke of Buckingham whom God preserve many happy years The Countesse my Wife and my self kisse my Lady the Countesse and my Lady Dutchesse their hands Your Excellencies Constant and faithful servant Gondomar Padre Maestre at Rome to the Spanish Embassadour in England 12. June 1621. My Lord I Have received two Letters from your Lordship the one of the 15th of March brought me by Mr. George Gage and the other of the 30. of April which came by the Ordinarie In both which Letters I have received a special favour from you and much comfort The coming of Mr. Gage hath given me infinite contentment then which there could nothing have happened more fitly and to the purpose for the matter which is in negotiation nor any man have come hither that could better advance the businesse then he as well in respect of his good affection as for his wisdom and dexterity in all things And if the King of Great Brittain will withal help
deceived You know Sir that I treat in truth and freedom and do therefore hope you will impute my excuses to that and will not call this libertie of my discourse rashnesse but an immortal desire in me in all things to procure the service of our Kings laying aside all occasions of misunderstandings now we treat of nothing els but uniting our selves more by the strickt bonds of love over and above those of our Alliance I do humbly beseech you to say thus much to his Majestie and to assure him from me that when he shall be pleased to imploy me in this matter as in all other he shall ever find me faithful and real as I have offered my self and alwayes continue being well assured that even in that I shall serve my Master And I pray you to believe in your particular that I am and will be eternallie Yours c. The Marquesse Yuoiosa to the Lord Conway 5. September 1623. I Answered not long since to both your Letters and now I will add this that only the sport and pleasure that Don Carlos and I consider his Majestie hath in his progresse may make tollerable the deferring by reason of that and not hearing the newes we expect to hear of his Majesties good health For by that meanes we might not onely satisfie more often our desires in this point having his Majestie neerer but also our desire to bring these businesses to an end which are ordinarily more delayed and lesse well executed when they are to passe through the hands of Ministers though they be very zealous and well affected to it as these Lords are with whom we treat here who are desirous that the King should be known for just though unnecessarily when nothing is pretended contrarie to that which is agreed upon This knowledge whereupon I ground my reasons may perhaps make me Sin Embargo incurre the Censure of an impatient man But I am perswaded that if that which hath been done here had been setled there by your Honour and the Lord Count of Carleil whose good disposition and proceeding is as much to be esteemed as it is praysed by Don Carlos and my self we would have made an end and those things which I have seen and observed here had not happened unto us For in the conference in which my Lord Keeper did assist it was agreed as we thought that his Majestie should give order to the Judges and Justices of Peace Arch-bishops and Bishops signed with his royal hand under the little Seale within three months or at the Princesse her arival He hath persisted afterwards as also Sir George Calvert in that though it was plain that his Majestie would give the said warrant afterwards there being no tearm nor day appointed Neverthelesse at last we have condescended that it should be within six months or at her Highnesse arrival if she comes afore that time that we may shew how happie we think our selves in being Servants to his Majestie whom God save The dispatches that we are to have are contained in the relation here enclosed I pray you to take order that those that are to be sent back to that effect may be subscribed and Sealed for I have differred the dispatching of a Currier with an evident danger that he will now arrive too late and put in hazard a businesse of mine of consideration which obligeth me to dispatch him that he may not go without them And that it may not be an occasion to doubt of the assurance we have given of his Majesties good will and intention whose Royal hands I and Don Carlos do intreat your Honour to kisse in our name and to continue us in his Majesties good Favour and your Honour likewise in yours for we deserve it with a particular affection and equal desire to serve you God save your Honour as I desire Your Honours servant The Marquesse Yuoiosa Sir Arthur Chichester to the Duke the 25. January 1623. May it please your Grace VVHen you went last from White-Hall I waited on the Prince and you into the Gallery where your Lordship spake something unto me which I understood not to wit Are you turned too As I knew not the ground of the Demand I could make no present answer nor now but by Conjecture When I turn from the Prince whom I know to be the worthiest of Princes or from you who by your favours have so bound me to serve you or from the truth as I conceive it God I know will turn from me until then I humbly pray your Lordship to believe that I am your honest servant The Sunday after your Lordships departure the Embassadours of the King of Spain came unto me under the pretext of a visit I have herewith sent your Grace a brief of what passed between us I judge some man hath done me an ill office by insinuating me into their good opinions of me sure I am I never spake of them nor of the affaires they have to manage but what I have said when the selected Councel were assembled I cannot be so dull but to know that they meant your Grace to be the Interposer of their desires and the Man whom they wished to be absent when they have their private audience They are exceeding Cautelous and I conceive the late Dispatch from Spain is like a gilded bayt to allure and deceive your Lordship perceiving their Malice will be warie to avoid their Venom I am Your Graces Humble and faithful Servant Arthur Chichester The Collections of the Passages and Discourses between the Embassadours of the King of Spain and Sir Arthur Chichester 18. Jannary 1623. These Passages were sent to the Duke inclosed in the last foregoing Letter ON Sunday the 18. of this present January the two Embassadors of Spain came to visit me at my House in Drury-Lane At their first entrance they took occasion to speak of the profession of Souldiers and of the Spanish Nation affirming them to be the bravest Friends and the bravest Enemies I approved it in the Souldier and contradicted it not in the Nation When they were come into an Inner Room looking upon the Company as if they desired to be private I caused them to withdraw but noting that they had brought an Interpreter with them I prayed Sir James Blount and Nathaniel Tomkins Clark of the Princes Councel who doth well understand the Spanish tongue to abide with me Being private they said they came to visit me because of the good intention and well-wishing they understood I had to the accommodation of businesses and because I stood named by his Majestie for the imployment into Germanie I acknowledged their coming to visit me as a particular Favour professing my self to be one of those who was able to do least but that I must and would in all things conform my self to the will and good pleasure of the King my Master They were pleased to remember and to take for argument of his Majesties good opinion of me to make
Compassion of me in respect of the grief wherein he saw I had upon these occasions and to say That although the marriage were broken yet he would procure that his Catholique Subjects should not fare the worse for that yet I know that it is morally impossible for that honourable design of his to take place in respect of the People and the importunitie and malice of the Puritans and especially because it will now be a case of meer necessitie for my Lord the King to run in a course of very straight Conjunction with them of his Parliament that he may be able the better to serve himself of them in other occasions from which Parliament as now the case will stand what Catholique can expect any other then the extreamitie of rigour In consideration whereof I cast my self with a sad heart at the feet of your Majestie beseeching you that you will take into your royal remembrance the love which you owe and procure to paie to our holy Mother the Church and that some course may be taken and with speed for otherwise it will be too late to give the Prince some foot of ground upon which he may be able to stand in such sort as that without losse of honour and breach of that word which he hath given to the world and without prejudice to that obedience which he oweth to the least commandement of the King his Father his Highnesse may be inabled to comply with the incomparable affection which he beareth the Infanta your Majesties Sister And that by meanes hereof the two Crowns may be kindly in perfect union and the Catholique religion may be highly advantaged not only in the Dominions of my Lord the King but in many other parts of Christendom into which the Authority of these Dominions doth flow For my part I take the eternall God to witnesse whom I procure to serve and who hath given me a heart which disclaimeth from all other interesses then to serve God and my King that I conceive my self not to comply with a good conscience without laying this protestation under the Eye of your Majestie that if the Catholique subjects of the King my Lord shall grow liable to persecution or affliction by occasion of breaking this Match through the disgust of the King my Lord and his Councel or through the power which infallibly the Puritans assembled in Parliament will have with him upon this occasion that blood or miserie whatsoever it may partly be required at their hands who have advised your Majestie not to accept of those large conditions for Catholiques which my Lord the King and the Prince have condescended to and of that more then moral Securitie which they have offered for the performance thereof And on the other side I undertake to your Majestie under the pain of infamie in case that be not made good which here I affirm that if your Majestie will be pleased to give some such ground to the Prince as whereupon he may with Honour stay and perfect the Treatie of the Marriage by any such way or means as may occur to your Majesties royal wisdom the whole bodies of the Catholiques in England both religious and secular shall acknowledge it as a great blessing of God and shall oblige themselves to pray incessantly for your happie Estate c. Sir Tobie Mathew to the Dutchesse of Buckingham 9. June 1625. Madam THere was no cause till now why I should trouble your Ladyship with presenting my unprofitable service to you but now I shall venture to do it by reason of the good newes I shall send with it For our Queen arrived here yesterday and I was glad at the heart to see her such as she had seemed she is more grown then I had thought being higher by half the head then my Ladie Marquesse And whatsoever they say believe me she sits already upon the very skirts of womanhood Madam upon my faith she is a most sweet lovely Creature and hath a countenance which opens a window into her heart where a man may see all Noblenesse and Goodnesse and I dare venture my head upon the little skill I have in Physiognomie that she will be extraordinarily beloved by our Nation and deserve to be so and that the actions of her self which are to be her own will be excellent Me thought I discerned in her countenance a little remnant of sadnesse which the fresh wound of parting from the Queen Mother might have made yet perhaps I was deceived Her Aattyre was very plain for so Great a Queen can be thought to have nothing mean about her But I hope that amongst many other blessings which God will have provided for us by her means her example will be able to teach our Countrie wit in this kind I had the happinesse to see and hear her at a short distance by the Commandement which my Lady of Buckingham laid upon me to interpret for her and believe me she is full of wit and hath a lovely manner in expressing it But I confesse I was sorrie with all my heart to hear that her courage was so great as to carry her instantly after my Ladie of Buckingham had taken her leave for that time to Sea in a poore little boate in the company of her brother whom yet I have not had the honour to see I dare give my word for her that she is not afraid of her own shadow who could find in her heart to put her self at the first sight upon an element of that danger and disease for meer pastime Unlesse it were perhaps that she might carrie some Steel about her and that there is some Adamant at Dover which already might begin to draw her that way I am extreamly sorrie that we have lost the hope of seeing the two other Queens for if they had come we might have had beautie here as well in the preterperfect and in the present tense as now we have in the future But the Queen Mothers indisposition hath arrested her at Amiens in punishment of that malice wherewith she dissembled it too long at the first through the extream desire she had of coming hither Our Queen received my Lady of Buckingham with strange courtesie and favour and now there is no remedy but that the King will needs defray and treat her after a high manner And I have been told that Mounsieur will needs descend so much as to visit her in her lodging and the Dutchesse of Chevereux being that great Princesse as she is both by match and bloud will perforce give precedence not onely to my Ladie of Buckingham but to my Ladies her daughters also And I assure my self that a lesse puissant example then this will serve to convert our Great Ladies even to exceed in England towards the Ladies which are strangers and do but come and go But the while this Court doth so apply it self to do my Lady of Buckingham all imaginable honour I look on it so as that I
not subject to many eyes Even now the Savoyard Embassadour sends an expresse Messenger unto me to hasten to Fountain Bleau Perhaps it may be to facilitate the Treatie with Rochel by either some Letter or Journey of mine thither But upon the conference I have had with the Duke de Chevereux I shall temporise till I hear his Majesties pleasure or see good evidences of generous effects like to ensue Being desirous to shape my course so as may be most acceptable to his Majestie and pleasing to your Grace whose virtues I adore in qualitie of Your Graces Most humble most faithful and most obedient servant Tho. Lorkin Postscript THe Duke de Chevereux expects the Cypher from your Grace if I be not deceived Mr. Lorkin to the Duke 17. September 1625. May it please your Grace TO read and consider two contrary advertisements the one given me on Munday evening by des Porches who repeating what he had told me before D'avoir destrompé la Royne mere en mil et mil choses assured me that her thoughts were now so far changed from what they were as she remitted every thing to his Majesties pleasure to do what he list provided that he attempted not upon the conscience of the Queen her Daughter which was the only point she was tender in and scrupulous that she had written a very sharp Letter full of good lessons and instructions to her that she had as clear a heart to your Grace as was possible had sent for Blanvil expressely to alter his instructions and that howsoever he like a hollow-hearted man had uttered in confidence to a friend of his That he would perswade the Queen of England to put on a reconciled countenance for a time till the way should be better prepared to give your Grace a dead lift yet the Queen Mothers intentions were assuredly sincere and good The Savoyards Embassadours voyage was not then resolved but his Secretarie prepared to make it in his room Of whom Pocheres by the way gave this touch That there was a great correspondence between Madamoiselle de Truges and him contracted upon occasions of frequent visits that had passed betwixt her Mother and the Embassadour and that therefore a careful eye was to be had of him Another who must be namelesse sent for me yesterday in the forenoone to tell me that Pere Berule's errand hither was only to make out-cries against the decree or proclamation against the Catholiques and to accuse your Grace as the Principal if not the only author who was now of a seeming friend become a deadly foe That the Earl of Arundel had out of his respect unto this State purposely absented himself that he might not be guilty of so pernicious a Councel That your Grace and my Lord of Holland had both but very slippery hold in his Majesties affections that if this King would imploy his credit as he might it would be no hard matter to root you both out thence that there were good preparatives for it alreadie and that my Lords Arundel and Pembroke would joyn hands and heads together to accomplish the effect Whereupon Blainville was sent for back to be more particularly instructed in the waies how to compasse it and would speedily post away in diligence The same party added that the propositions which the Marquesse de Fiatt had made bout the League and Fleet were before Brule's arrival somewhat well tasted but since slighted as those that became cheap by their offer to divers others as well as them that the said Marquesse should have visited Blainville at Paris and sounded him about his errand after this manner First whether he had order to disnestle Madam de St. George Whereto the answer was No and that it was against all reason of State so to do and when the other replyed that the world was come to a bad passe if reason of State descended as low as her Blainville remained silent Secondly whether he had commission to introduce the Dutchesse of Buckingham and the Countesse of Denbigh into the Queenes bed-chamber Answer was made that it was a nice and tender point and if that were once condescended to they would be continually whispering in the Queenes ear how dear she would be to the King her Husband how plausible and powerful among the people how beloved of all if she would change her religion against which they were in conscience here bound to provide and therefore conclude with a refusal of that likewise Thirdly whether he carried any good instructions about an offensive or defensive league whereunto the negative was still repeated but that he carried brave offers for the entertainment of Mausfelt And when the Marquesse replied that if that were all the contentment he carried he feared she would find but a very cold welcome the other added that perhaps he might be an Instrument to make the Queen and Duke friends This were good quoth the Marquesse if the Queen had not as much need of the Dukes friendship as the Duke of hers and upon these terms they parted The same lips that utterred all this gave caution likewise against the Savoyard Embassadour as a cunning deep hollow-hearted man And being felt by me how his pulse beat towards Porcheres told me he was a mercenarie man and no wayes to be trusted In the issue of all this his Councel was That your Grace would consider well your own strength and what ground you have in his Majesties favour If it be solid and good then a Bravado will not do amisse may be powerful here to make them to see their own errour and to walk upright so it end with a good close but if your station be not sure then he Counsels to prevent the storm for to break with all Spain France Puritanes Papists were not wisdom And desires that by any meanes you instantly dispatch a Currier to me to represent the true state of things at home and how you desire matters should be ordered for your service here abroad so that there may be fabriqued a more solid contentment to your Grace whose hands I most humbly kisse in quality of Your Graces Most humble most faithful most obeent and most obliged Servant Tho. Lorkin Postscript IF my stay be intended long it will be necessary that I use a Cypher which I humbly beseech your Grace to send me or to give me leave to frame one as I can As I was closing up my Letter Mr. Gerbier arrived who hath been somewhat indisposed in his health by the way but now is reasonably well God be thanked His coming is very seasonable and I assure my self will be useful By the discourse I have had with Mr. Gerbier I see a little clearer into the state of things here and think Porcheres his advertisement may be truer as being perhaps grounded upon knowledge the other springing only upon conjecture built upon Berult's clamours and overtures and the suddain sending for Mounsieur Blanville back Your Grace will see day
that respect and observance towards him that I think malice her self cannot charge me with an omission And my Lord this is the truth whatsoever may be said or written to the contrary It is true that some four moneths since in a businesse that no lesse concerned his Majestie and the Prince's service then abruptly to have broken off all our Treaty I was far differing from my Lords opinion And thereupon happened betwixt us some dispute in debate of the businesse but without any thing that was personal and there was no creature living at it but the Prince to whose Censure I shall willingly refer my self In me I protest it unto your Lordship it made no alteration but within half an hour I came to him with the same reverence and respect that I was wont to do the which I have continued ever since so that I have much wondered how it cometh to be so much spoken of in England that my Lord Duke and my self should live here at too much distance And I cannot find any other reason for it but that every body hath taken so much notice of my ill and contemptible usage that they think it unpossible for any Gentleman but to be sensible of it But if any one disrespect or omission from me towards my Lord Duke can be truly instanced in by any man I will be contented to incur his Majesties high displeasure and your Lordships Censure For the present Newes here it is that the ninth of this Moneth the Prince intendeth God willing to begin his journey for England And the day before I conceive the Contract will be The Infanta is to follow in the Spring and the Prince hath commanded my stay here I know not how things may be reconciled here before my Lord Dukes departure but at present they are in all extremity ill betwixt this King and his Ministers and the Duke and they stick not to professe that they will rather put the Infanta headlong into a Well then into his hands I write unto your Lordship you see with much freenesse and I intreat you let it remain with you And so in much haste I onely intreat your Lordship to believe that you have not living an honester nor a true hearteder a friend and servant then Your Lordships ever to be commanded Bristol The E of Bristol to the Lord Bishop of Lincoln 24. of Septemb. 1623. My singular Lord I Have dispatched this Bearer my servant Greislie with the draught of the temporal Articles which I hope will be to the King and Prince his satisfaction and he will let your Lordship have a sight of them Since the departure of the Prince there have every day passed Letters of extraordinary affection between the King and the Prince and the love that is here generally born unto the Prince is such as cannot be well believed by those that daily hear not what passeth both from the King and his chief Ministers And to say the truth his Highnesse hath well deserved it for in the whole time of his being here he hath carried himself with the greatest affability patience and constancie and at his departure-with the greatest bountie and liberality that I think hath been known in any Prince in our times And I protest unto your Lordship as a Christian that I never heard in all the time of his being here nor since any one exception taken against him unlesse it were for being supposed to be too much guided by my Lord Duke of Buckingham who is indeed very little beholding to the Spaniards for their good opinion of him and departed from hence with so little satisfaction that the Spaniards are in doubt that he will endeavour all that shall be possible to crosse the Marriage Wherein certainly they are very much mistaken For my Lord cannot but be obliged a servant for any particular distastes of his own to crosse the advancement of his Majestie and the Prince's service especially in a businesse of so high Consequence as this It may be your Lordship will hear many Complaints and that the Match never was nor yet is intended I beseech your Lordship to give little belief in that kind and the effects will now speedily declare the truth if the fault be not on our side It is true that the Spaniards have committed many errours in their proceedings with the Prince but the businesse is now by the Prince overcome if we our selves draw not back For which I confesse I should be heartily sorry and so I conceive would most honest men for if this match and the alliance with Spain hath been so long desired by his Majestie and that for it he hath been pleased to do so much and the Prince to take so hazardous a voyage if all the same râ—â—sons are yet on foot which have ever moved the King and Prince to wish the match if to this may be added that his Majestie hath overcome all the difficulties on his part and that both he and the Prince do stand ingaged for the performance of it as far as Princes can be God forbid that any particular distastes or misunderstandings which God knoweth have little relation to the businesse should be of power to disturb it especially now when the Match is past all danger of miscarrying the portion and all temporal Articles settled and I hope to the Kings Content and all other good effects that could be expected by this allyance in a very fair way I hope there will be no cause of doubt in this kind if there should be I am sure that your Lordship would put to a helping hand to keep the businesse from being overthrown since you have done so much for the overcoming of former difficulties and the bringing it to the passe 't is now in If there be no cause of writing this I beseech your Lordship to impute it to my zeal to the businesse and my freenesse with your Lordship upon whose true love and friendship I so much rely as I shall not forbear to tell you any of my fears I hope within 3. daies Sir Francis Cottington will be able to begin his journey towards your Lordship He will tell you many truths being on my knowledge as hearty a servant and friend as 't is possible for your Lordship to have He hath told me how much I am bound to your Lordship for your love and favour and truly I will deserve it the best I can and that I think will be onely by loving you for otherwise I conceive I am like to have little means of meriting at any bodies hands yet at your Lordships it may be I may by being a man of honesty and honour And such an one I will lubour to be and your affectionate friend and servant And so I kisse your Lordships hands Madrid c. The E. of Bristols Letter to the Prince touching the delivery of his Proxie to the King of Spain May it please your Highnesse IN this Letter I shall onely speak unto your Highnesse
from five a clock in the morning to 10. or 12. at night are restlesse and endlesse but under earth and out of his Majesties sight What other men do or but seem to do it is ever before the Kings face and if his Majestie will not look on it if he hath eares about him he shall be told of it so often by the parties themselves that he must hear of it whether he will or no. And as my service by this remotenesse is hidden from the King so is it liable to be traduced to the King and my relief as in dispatching the motions of poor men by Petitions allowable to my orders made to be a Grievance to the Common Wealth But in all these fourteen dayes wherein by the voice of the City I have remained a prisoner in my house where is that one party grieved that hath troubled his Majestie with Complaints against me Onely my Lord Marshal hath dealt with my noble Lord Marquesse Hamilton my Lord of Carlile my Lord Treasurer as your Lordship may soon know by asking the question to make a faction to disgrace the poor Lord Keeper who never dreamt thereof Sir Gilbert Haughton hath complained to my Lord Treasurer of my men for taking Hugh Holland was by and heard him If your Lordship do but ask him his reason I think it will appear how well grounded their complaints be Upon those two former Anchors I will therefore rest and that so far from Cowardlinesse that I will either challenge them before his Majestie to make good their suggestions or else which I hold the greater valour of all and which I confesse I wanted before this check of your Lordships go on in my Course and scorn all these base and unworthy scandals as your Lordship shall direct me I have sent a Copy of a Letter of mine to my Lord Anan which his Majestie hath seen and given his assent it should not be kept private yet I would humbly crave your Lordships opinion thereof by Mr. Packer before any Copy goeth from me I am ever c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 12th Octob. 1622. My most Noble Lord I Will speak with the Jesuit to morrow and deliver him his admonition from the King but do send your Lordship here inclosed a Copie of the Conference which I procured from him without his privity onely to make his Majestie and your Lordship merrie I have also received a Letter concerning the French Embassador which I will be ready to put in execution as your Lordships servant and Deputy but not otherwise Yet your Lordship will give me out of that freedom which was wont to be well interpreted by your Lordship to let your Lordship understand that I find all businesses of restitution of ships and goods thus taken to have been handled before the Councel in Star-chamâ—â—â— all the reigns of Henry 7th and H. 8th without any contradiction of the Lord Admiral for the time being But this to your Lordship in secret I will be very careful of the Earl of Desmond that neither his cause nor your Lordships reputation shall suffer thereby And this is the account I can yet give of your Lordships Letter save that I humbly expect that answer which your Lordships own Luckie hand hath promised in the postscript of one of them I would ease your Lordship in this place but to prevent complaint that peradventure may be first invented and then presented Your Lordship shall heare of a long narrative of our Councel Table dispatches That passage of our letter which as it now goeth doth hope that his Majestie will spare to confer any suites of moment in Ireland until the return of the Irish Committee was a blunt request to the King to grant no suites there without our advice Against this concluded in my absence the first day of the Tearm I spake first to the Prince privately who allowed of my reasons then when the President would not mend it at the Table openly that I did utterly dislike we should tutour his Majesty how to grant suits especially in Letters that are to remain upon record My Lord of Cantuar and the Earle Marshal said they had many Presidents in that kind I answered I knew they had none but in the Kings time and that I wished them as I do all torn out of the book and cast into the fire I concealed my reasons which now I will reveal unto your Lordship because this is the third time I have expressed unto your Lordship under my hand my dislike of this kind of Limiting his Majestie otherwise then by word of mouth First if his Majestie which we see so often done shall dispose of these suites otherwise here are so many records remaining to malitious litious men to observe his Majesties aversenesse from following the advice of the Councel board Secondly if your Lordship shall procure any suit in this kind here are records also in time to come that you crosse and thwart the government of the Kingdom And I pray God this be but mine own jealousie The passage in the Letter with my Prating and his Highnesse help was altered and for fear of misreporting I make bold to relate the truth hereof to your Lordship My Lords proceeded very resolutely in those reformations which concerned other men The Commission of fees enables the Committees to call before them all the Judges as well as their under Officers which was more then the King exprest at Hampton Court amongst whom the Lord Keeper is one who from the Conquest to this day was never subjected to 〈◊〉 call of any power in the Kingdom but the King and the Parliament And although I have not one Pennie of Fee which hath not continued above one hundred years yet for the honour of the Prime place in the state though now disgraced by the contemptiblenesse of the Officer I am an humble suiter unto your Lordship that my Person may be exempted from the command of Sr. Edwin Sandys or indeed any man els besides the King my Master Otherwise I shall very patiently endure it but the King hereafter may dislike it The Justices of the Peace are also appointed but if the Judges and my-self be not utterly deceived to no purpose in the world nor service to his Majestie But when their Lordships came to surrender the under Leivtenantships to his Majesties hands whom the Lord President and I held fit to be created henceforward by several Commissions under the Great Seal it was stiffly opposed and stood upon that the King should name them in their Lordships Commissions onely according to a President in the late Queens time that is the King shall have the naming but they still the appointing of them And now it was pressed that his Majestie intended not to disgrace his Lords c and your Lordship is to have a Letter from Mr. Secretarie to know his Majesties mind herein If his Majestie shall not ordain them to be created by several Pattents it were
in no disfavour at all I was never hitherto brought into the presence of a King by any Saint besides your self Turn me not over most noble Lord to offer my prayers at new Altars If I were guiltie of any unworthy unfaithfulnesse for the time past or not guiltie of a resolution to do your Grace all service for the time to come all considerations under Heaven could not force me to beg it so earnestly or to professe my self as I do before God and you Your Grace's most humble affectionate and devoted servant Jo. Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln to his Majestie Most Mighty and dread Soveraign I Have now these four moneths by the strength of those gracious speeches your Majestie used when I took my leave of your Majestie at Salisbury and the conscience of mine own innocencie from having ever wilfully or malitiously offended your Majestie comforted my self in these great afflictions to be thus injoyned from your Majesties presence the onely heaven wherein my soul delighted having submitted my self I hope dutifully and patiently to the discharge from that great Office for the execution whereof I was altogether unworthy My required absence from the Councel Table my sequestration from attending your Majesties Coronation And your Majesties favourable pleasure for so I do esteem that to spare my presence at this next Parliament And I trust in God I shall most readily obey any other Command that bears the image and superscription of your Majestie without any desire of searching after the hand that helps to presse and ingrave it Yet because I suffer in some more particulars then peradventure is explicitely known to your Majestie And that I have no friend lest about your Majestie that dares for fear of displeasure relate unto your Majestie my griefs and necessities I humbly crave your gratious Pardon to make some two representations and some few Petitions unto your most excellent Maiestie First I humbly shew unto your Majestie that besides my former Calamities I am not paid that part of my Pension which should pay the Creditors who lent me money to buy the same notwithstanding your Majestie hath been gratiously pleased to order otherwise Secondly I have not yet received my Writ of Summons unto the Parliament denied to no Prisoners or condemned Peers in the late raign of your blessed Father that I might accordingly make my Proxie the which I cannot do the Writ not received nor can I my self go into the Countrie as I had done long ere this had not the expectation of this Writ together with the special service of my Lord Duke and no other occasion whatsoever detained me These two particulars I present with all submission unto your Majestie and shall rest satisfied with what royal resolution your Majestie shall make therein These petitions that follow I must earnestly beg at your Majesties hands and for Gods sake and your blessed Fathers sake whose Creature and most painful servant I was First that your Majestie would be pleased to mitigate and allay the causelesse displeasure of my Lord Duke against me who is so little satisfied with any thing I can do or suffer that I have no means left to appease his anger but my prayers to God and your Sacred Majestie Secondly I beseech your Majestie for Christ Jesus sake not to believe newes or accusations against me concerning my carriage past present or to come whilest I stand thus injoyned from your Royal presence before you shall have heard my answer and defence unto the particulars Those that inform your Majestie may God he knoweth be oftentimes mis-informed My last supplication unto your Majestie is That in my absence this Parliament no use may be made of your sacred name to wound the reputation of a poor Bishop who besides his Religion and Dutie to that Divine Character you now bear hath ever affectionately honoured your very Person above all the objects in this world as he desires the salvation of the world to come But I crave no protection against any other accuser or accusation whatsoever So shall I never cease to pray to the Almighty God to make your Majestie the Happiest and Greatest King that ever was Crowned and Anointed which shall be the continual orisons of Your Majesties most dutiful and most humble Vassal Jo. Lincoln The Lord Keeper to the Lord Viscount Anan 17. Septemb. 1622. Right Honourable I Owe more service to that true love and former acquaintance which your Lordship hath been pleased to afford me now these full ten yeares then to be sparing or reserved in satisfying your Lordship about any doubt whatsoever the resolution whereof shall lie in my power Concerning that offence taken by many people both on this side the borders and in Scotland from that Clemencie which his Majestie was pleased to extend to the imprisoned Lay-Recusants of this Kingdom and my Letter written unto the Justices for the reigling of the same which your Lordship did intimate unto me yesterday at Mr. Henry Gibbs his house out of some newes received from a Peer of Scotland This is the plainest return I can make unto your Lordship In the general as the Sun in the firmament appears unto us no bigger then a Platter and the Stars but as so many nails in the pummel of a saddle because of the Elongement and disproportion between our eyes and the object so is there such an unmeasurable distance betwixt the deep resolution of a Prince and the shallow apprehension of common and ordinary people that as they will be ever judging and censuring so must they be obnoxious to errour and mistaking Particularly for as much as concerns my self I must leave my former life my profession my continuall preaching my writing which is instant in the hands of many my private indeavours about some great persons and the whole bent of my actions which in the place I live in cannot be concealed to testifie unto the world what favour I am likely to importune for the Papists in their religion For the King my Master I will tell you a storie out of Velleius Paterculus A Surveyor bragging to M. Livius Drusus that he would so contrive his house Vt Libera à conspectu immunis ab omnibus arbitris esset that it should stand removed out of sight and be past all danger of peeping or Eves-dropping was answered again by Drusus Tu vero si quid in te artis est ita compone domum mean ut quicquid agam ab omnibus Conspici possit Nay my good friend if you have any devices in your head contrive my house after such a manner that all the world may see what I do therein So if I should indeavour to flourish up some artificial Vault to hide and conceal the intentions of his Majestie I know I should receive the same thanks that the Surveyor did from Drusus I was not called to Councel by his royal Majestie when the resolution of this Clemencie to the Lay-Recusants was first concluded But if I
had been asked my opinion I should have advised it without the least haesitation His Majestie was so Popishly addicted at this time that to the incredible exhaustments of this Treasurie he was a most zealous interceder for some ease and refreshment to all the Protestants in Europe his own Dominions and Denmarks onely excepted Those of Swithland having lately provoked the Pole had no other hope of peace those of France of the exercise of their Religion those of the Palatinate and adjoyning Countries of the least connivencie to say their prayers then by the earnest mediation of our gracious Master And advised by the late Assembly of Parliament to insist a while longer in this milkie way of intercession and Treatie What a preposterous argument would this have been to desire those mighty Princes armed and victorious to grant some liberty and clemencie to the Protestants because himself did now imprison and execute the rigour of his lawes against the Roman Catholiques I must deal plainely with your Lordship Our viperous countrymen the English Jesuits in France to frustrate these Pious endeavours of his Majesties had many months before this favour granted retorted that argument upon us by writing a most malitious book which I have seen and read over to the French King inciting him and the three Estates to put all those statutes in execution against the Protestants in those parts which are here enacted and as they falsely informed severally executed upon the Papists I would therefore see the most subtile State-monger in the world chalk out a way for his Majestie to mediate for Grace and favour for the Protestants by executing at this time the severity of the Lawes upon the Papists And that this favour should mount to a Toleration is a most dull and yet a most divelish misconstruction A Toleration looks forward to the time to come This favour backward onely to the offences past If any Papist now set at liberty shall offend the lawes again the Justices may nay must recommit him and leave favour and mercy to the King to whom onely it properly belongeth Nay let those 2. writs directed to the Judges be as diligently perused by those rash Censures as they were by those grave and learned to whom his Majestie referred the penning of the same and they shall find that these Papists are no other-otherwise out of prison then with their shackles about their heels sufficient sureties and good recognisances to present themselves again at the next assises As therefore that Lacedemonian posed the Oracle of Apollo by asking his opinion of the bird which he grasped in his hand whether he were alive or dead so it is a matter yet controversed and undecided whether those Papists closed up and grasped in the hands of the law be still in prison or at libertie Their own demeanours and the successe of his Majesties negotiations are Oracles that must deside the same If the Lay-papists do wax insolent with this mercy insulting upon the Protestants and translating this favour from the person to the cause I am verily of opinion his Majestie will remand them to their former state and condition and renew his writ no more But if they shall use these graces modestly by admitting Conference with learned Preachers demeaning themselves neighbourly and peaceably praying for his Majestie and the prosperous successe of his pious endeavours and relieving him bountifully which they are as well able to do as any of his Subjects if he shall be forced and constrained to take his sword in hand then it cannot be denied but our Master is a Prince that hath as one said plus humanitatis penè quam hominis and will at that time leave to be merciful when he leaves to be himself In the mean while this argument fetcht from the Devils topicks which concludes a Concreto ad abstractum from a favour done to the English Papists that the King favoureth the Romish Religion is such a composition of follie and malice as is little deserved by that gracious Prince who by word writing exercise of Religion acts of Parliament late directions for catechizing and preaching and all professions and endeavours in the world hath demonstrated himself so resolved a Protestant God by his holy Spirit open the eyes of the people that these aierie representations of ungrounded fancies set aside they may clearly discern and see how by the goodnesse of God and the wisdom of their King this Island of all the Countries in Europe is the sole nest of peace and true Religion and the inhabitants thereof unhappie onely in this one thing that they never look up to heaven to give God thanks for so great a happinesse Lastly for mine own Letter to the Judges which did onely declare not operate the favour it was either much mis-penned or much misconstrued It recited four kinds of recusancies onely capable of his Majesties clemencie not so much to include these as to exclude many other crimes bearing amongst the Papists the name of Recusancies as using the function of a Romish Priest seducing the Kings liege people from the Religion established scandalizing and aspersing our King Church State or present Government All which offences being outward practises and no secret motions of the conscience are adjudged by the Lawes of England to be merely civil and political and excluded by my Letter from the benefit of those Writs which the bearer was imployed to deliver unto the Judges And thus I have given your Lordship a plain account of the carriage of this businesse and that the more suddenly that your Lordship might perceive it is not Aurea Fabula or prepared tale but a bare Narration which I have sent unto your Lordship I beseech your Lordship to let his Majestie know that the Letters to the Justices of Peace concerning those four heads recommended by his Majestie shall be sent away as fast as they can be exscribed I will trouble your Lordship no more at this time but shall rest ever Your Lordships servant and true friend Jo. Lincoln C. S. The Bishop of Menevensis to the Duke Dr. Laud. My most Gratious Lord I May not be absent and not write And since your Grace is pleased with the trouble I must professe my self much content with the performance of the dutie I am not unmindful of the last businesse your Grace committed to me but I have as yet done the lesse in it because I fell into a relaps of my infirmitie but I thank God I am once more free if I can look better to my self as I hope I shall My Lord I must become an humble suitor to your Grace I hear by good hand that my Lord of Canterbury intends shortly to renew the High Commission Now I am to acquaint your Grace that there is never a Bishop that lives about London left out of the Commission but my self and many that live quite absent are in and many inferiours to Bishops The Commission is a place of great experience for
For many of those that should have assisted me were more careful in betraying me then in forwarding his Majesties service And if this course be held to encourage them there is no man shall suffer more then his Majesties service will For it will be folly for any man to look to his Majesties service or to take any pains to prevent or hinder that which may be committed against it But to let every man do what he will so all will be pleased and he that Commands shall have no man to slander him which is the way to live in quiet Thus much I thought was fit for me to let your Excellencie understand and withal that I held it a great unhappinesse for me that have taken such toyl and pains and suffered so many slanders to be kept back by my enemies from that honour that never any one of my rank and place was hindered in which is from kissing the hand of my Soveraign Lord the King All Power is in your Lordships hands whether you will uphold me in my just cause or no or let me be ruinated for want of it So that I can say no more but that if I suffer I shall be your Excellencies Martyr if not I shall all my life rest Your Excellencies most humble and most thankful servant and Creature Wimbledon Sir John Ogle to the Duke Right Excellent and most Gratious Lord ANd because you are so why should not I put my soul in your hand that I have not done it sooner was not through want of will in me but it hath been the will of God that mine acknowledgment should be the fuller your goodnesse the greater Your Grace cannot be ignorant of the many motions I have had thereto but my judgment hath been made irresolute by several distractions I lay now my self and the fortunes of me and mine at your Graces feet Take me up then noblest Lord as becometh the fame which you have and the confidence which I have of you with a hand of goodnesse If I had wilfully sinned against you when I was wickedly insnared and beguiled by that wretch at Vtrecht to whom I gave some Extract out of your Letters as also out of the Lord Embassadours or did yet with obstinacie maintain such indiscreet proceeding your Grace might in justice reject me as unworthy But since you have long discerned in me a propension to crave your pardon though still unhappily diverted till this time I trust your true Noblenesse generousnesse and goodnesse to be such as you will not only not turn this heartie submission to any disadvantage on my part but looking upon mine ingenuitie with a right eye of gracious inclination both pardon my fault and follie towards your self and also to bind my prayers to be offered in the greater zeal for you for I shall not be able to do you better service then in prayer be a strong mediator to his gracious Majestie that my errours of weaknesse and want of discretion committed then towards his late Majestie of ever blessed memorie and his Embassadour with what other oversights may have been gathered up since may be freely and fully forgiven and remitted that so my soul being discharged of all fear of displeasure against me I may with a cheerful heart and quiet conscience go on in such a vocation as the Lord shall have appointed for me My Lord this wound hath long festered neer my heart and though false skins have been drawn over it sometimes by unskilful hands yet have I ever judged it the surest â—â—re to rip it up by Confession and heal it by Contrition And sure I judge that it savours more of a right generous spirit to confesse a fault then to conceal it especially when the party offending is free from malice and the party offended of a nature so noble and full of goodnesse as nothing can be wished to be added unto it and which is yet more and this have you graciously done to me my Lord signed himself with his own hand a true and faithful friend unto him the more to invite him to trust him And trust you I do my Lord and in you next my Gracious Soveraign as much as may be in any arm of flesh The God of Heaven I hope will speak peace to my soul if the King and your Grace will send peace to my heart I trust you will and will pray to God you may that I may in all cheerfulnesse and thankfulnesse ever remain Your Grace's most humble and faithful and obliged servant Jo. Ogle Exester 3. June 1625. Postscript I Beseech your Grace to send some other man to take this Charge which I too weakly for fear of offending by denial have thus far undergone but upon hope of being withdrawn Yet still submit my self to your Graces good pleasure Sir Robert Mansel to the Duke Right Honourable and my singular good Lord HAving used all the possible speed I could to repair to Algier where I should have been by the 15. of March last I held it my dutie humbly to present unto your Lordship the particular account of my proceedings Before my arrival I furnished the two Prizes three Brigandines and a fourth Boat with Eirelocks and combustible materials for the burning of the Pyrats ships within the Moal and had trained my men in the execution of their several duties and likewise appointed a squadron of boats with small shot to rescue the vessels of execution in their advancement and retreat The first night of my arrival being the 21. of May last the vessels of execution were all advanced but by reason of contrary winds they were commanded to retire The second and third nights they were also in a readinesse but were withheld with calmes The fourth night it pleased God to blesse us with a fair Gale and they being advanced again and the two ships with the fire-works having almost recovered the mouth of the Moal the wind to our great grief turned to the opposite point of the Compasse The boats performed their directions in towing of the ships but considering that by the continuance of the course they should expose their principallest men to hazard by reason of the great store of Ordnance and small shot which plyed upon them they debated amongst themselves what to do Capt. Hughes who commanded one of the Brigandines replyed Go on and give the attempt with the boats which they cheerfully pursued crying out without cessation King James King James God blesse King James and fearlesse of danger even in the mouth of the Canon and small shot which showred like haile upon them they fired the ships in many places and maintained the same to the great comfort of us that were spectatours so long as they had any powder left in their bandileers striving in the end who should have the honour to come off last the which at length as a due to his former resolution and courage they left to captain Hughes and so retired all the ships continuing still
that he had not able men in her to manage her Sailes Also in imploying the most choice men in his Ship under the command of his Nephew for the firing of the Pyrates ships within the Moale of Algier And lastly in his joyning with Sir Richard Hawkins in the towing off one of the Prizes when she was becalmed within musquet shot of the Moale My Lord I must protest unto your Lordship that I had no ends of mine own for the injuries done to Sir Thomas Button and therefore your Lordship cannot cast a greater honour upon your poor servant then in repairing him which I humbly begg of your Lordship If Sir Richard Hawkins do return unto me then I shall be an humble suitor unto your Lordship in the behalf of Sir Thomas Button that he may return to his imployment in Ireland from whence in my earnest desires to enjoy his company and assistance I was the only means to withdraw him and that he may receive such allowance and entertainment as was formerly usually paid unto him by which means your Lordship will take away the Curses of his children whose blouds are neer unto me and oblige me with my continual prayers for your Lordships increase of honour ever to remain From aboard the Vantguard the 10. of July 1621. Your Lordships most humble and faithful servant Robert Mansell Captain John Pennington to the Duke May it please your Grace MY last to your Lordship was of the 18. of this present from Stokes Bay since which time I have received two from your Grace at Deep one by your Secretarie Mr. Nicholas whereby your Grace commands me to deliver up his Majesties Ship and the rest under my Command to the hands of such Frenchmen as his Christian Majestie shall appoint according to his Majesties pleasure signified by my Lord Conway And that I and the rest of the Masters take securitie of them for our ships severally according to the true valuation And to see this put in execution you sent your Secretarie Mr. Nicholas And the other by Mr. Ingham in answer of mine written from Stokes Bay The former part whereof being only a command to put your former in practice and the latter a denial of my humble suit for my being called home from this Service Which said part confirms absolutely that it was not your Graces pleasure that I should yield up the ships into their hands and disposesse my self and companie of them for I trust your Grace had no such unjust thought as to continue me here alone after The French had possession of her to be their slave as I am sure they would have made me if they had their wills To give your Grace an account of what I have done since I came to Deep which was the 21th at this instant about nine of the clock at night would be too tedious for this time The 22th in the morning Earlie I sent my boat ashoare with my Lievetenant to find out your Graces Secretarie to receive my Letters whereby I might know your Graces pleasure and to kisse my Lord Embassadours hands from me and to let him know I was come with his Majesties ship to do him service but could not command the rest to come along with me their Masters not being there and all their companies in a mutiny But his jelousie was such that he would not suffer your Graces Secretary to come aboard or to send me your Letters or that my Lievtenant should speak to him but in his presence but presently sent a Gentleman aboard to me commanding me to come ashoar to him which I confesse I was very loath to do in regard my people were much discontented and readie daily to mutiny being all wonderous unwilling to go against Rochel or those of their religion And besides I never having been a shoare since I came into my command neither on our own Coast or else where It being not my use yet notwithstanding these particulars knowing his Greatnesse and your Graces pleasure for the giving him all due respect I presently went to him where he taking me into a roome apart with your Graces Secretary he first delivered me my Lord Conwaies Letter or rather a warrant for so he tearms it himself for the delivery of the ship into their hands as they interpreted it and then your Graces Letter commanding me to see his Majesties pleasure signifyed by my Lord Conwaie put in execution And lastly a letter from the King of France thereby willing me to receive his Souldiers aboard that he had provided and his Cousin the D. de Mommorencie and to go presently and to joyn with his Great Fleet against his rebellious subjects This is the effect of that Letter Having read all these letters he would presently have possession of the ship that night for that he could not stay longer I told him that I did not understand it so but that I was to render all service to his most Christian Majestie but nothing would serve him save the present possession which because I would not yield unto he grew into a strange furie telling me that your Grace had sent your Secretary to see her delivered and security to be taken for her My answer was that I was ready to obey according as I understood the warrant which was to do his Christian Majestie service and to receive a convenient number of Souldiers aboard me But to dispossesse my self of my command I had no such order but still nothing wold satsfie him but the shipe telling me he would not entertain at the most if they were willing above 60. or 80. of our people My answer was I had no order to discharge a man of them neither could I but if they were discharged what they should do or how they should get home having neither meat mony nor clothes I know not To the first of these he told me that Mr. Nicholas had order by word of mouth from your Grace to discharge us which Mr. Nicholas confirmed as also to see the ship delivered which he commanded me to do But with your Graces pardon I durst not do it upon words it being a businesse of too high consequence neither if I had been willing would my companie ever have condescended to it To the second for our passage he promised to have provided barques for us but to conclude this and not to insist upon the rest of the particulars they being too tedious his rage and fury was such that I must of necessity give a little way thereto or else I think he would have kept me ashoare so as I told him I was content if my company would yield thereunto and therefore desired to go aboard to speak with them and to give order for the drawing up of the inventorie And upon this he suffered me to depart but not without promises of a large summe of mony which should be given me at the surrender besides a royal pension during my life he sending his Secretarie and many
and it is now too late to put me in a new Furnace Therefore It must be your Lordships proper work and not onely your Noble but even your charitable goodnesse that must in some blessed hour remember me God give your Lordship many healthful and joyful years and the blessing of that Text Beatus qui attendit ad attenuatum And so I remain with all humble and willing heart At your Lordships command Henry Wotton Sir Richard Weston to the Duke May it please your Lordship I Fear I have taken too much of that liberty of not writing you were pleased to allow me by Sir George Goring but I hope your Lordship will measure my devotion to serve you by no other rule then your own interest and desert For as I understand by Sir George Goring how often I come in your thoughts and how great a part I have in your Cares so is there no man to whom I would more willingly give daily account of my self then to your Lordship to whose grace and favour I owe so much I forbear to trouble your Lordship with any relation of businesse because I presume your Lordship is acquainted with all my dispatch and it is not long since I intreated my Lord Treasurer to tell your Lordship what I thought of things then I have yet little reason to change my opinion And if your Lordship please to know the state of things now I have sent this Gentleman the Bearer hereof especially to do your Lordship reverence in my name and to give you full information For my return or stay I humbly submit it to his Majesties pleasure Though this Negotiation be like to spin it self out into much length I weigh not my own interest I shall willingly be there where I shall be thought most able to do his Majestie service And so intreating that I may be continued in that good opinion and grace wherein your Lordships own affection not any merit of mine hath placed me I humbly kisse your hands And remain Your Lordships Faithful and devoted servant Rich. Weston Bruxels 26. June 1622. Sir Richard Weston to the Duke My very good Lord I Have understood by my Lord Treasurer the way you have made with his Majestie for my calling home for which this present doth give your Lordship most humble thanks though I have forborn to presse or sollicit it because I would approve my obedience to his Majestie and take away from them all occasion who otherwise might have accused my departure and imputed the want of successe here to my want of patience to expect an answer I have almost in all my Dispatches since we entred into this Treaty signified what opinion I had of their proceedings here and my chief comfort was that whatsoever the successe were that the clearnesse of his Majesties intentions would appear to the whole world and that the failing is not of his side which I think is manifest enough for notwithstanding that his Majestie hath followed them in all their desires and the Prince Electour hath conformed himself to what was demanded that the Count Mansfelt and Duke of Brunswick the pretended obstacles of the Treatie are now with all their Forces removed No face of an enemy in the Palatinate but his Majesties power in the Garrisons All other places repossessed which Mansfelt had taken No cause of continuing any War now nor any cause of jealousie or fear for the future considering his Majesties fair and honourable offers yet are they so far from a cessation that they are fallen upon Heidelbergh and either want the will or power to remove the siege And all I can get is two Letters of intreatie from her Highnesse to the chiefs of the Emperour to proceed no further and after some 18. daies since I made my proposition for the Cessation I have yet no answer so that being able to raise no more doubts they make use of delayes I have said and done and used all diligences within my power to bring forth better effects and can go no farther and therefore I humbly beseech your Lordship that I may have leave to return when I shall hear that they will not remove the siege at Heidelbergh For their pretending to restore all when all is taken is a poor comfort to me and as little honour to his Majestie and how far they are to be believed in that is to be examined more exactly then by writing by weighing how the weak hopes given me here agree with the strong assurances given by my Lord Digbie out of Spain I hope therefore his Majestie will be pleased to think it reasonable to speak with me and as your Lordship hath ever been a happie and gentle star to me so have I now more need of your favourable aspect then ever that his Majestie may receive my obedience as a sacrifice and interpret well of all my endeavours what successe so ever I bring home with me Wherein humbly intreating your Lordships wonted grace and favour I humbly kisse your hands and vow unto you the faithful observance of Your Lordships Most humble and devoted Servant Richard Weston Bruxels 3d. of Septemb. 1622. Sir Richard Weston to the Duke May it please your Grace YOur Grace shall adde much to the infinite favours I have received from you to read a few lines from me much more to vouchsafe them an answer which I am the more bold to begg and the more hopeful to obtain because I understand by Sir George Goring that howsoever I have had many ill offices done me your Grace will not easily depart from that opinion you have hithertâ— conceived of me for which I humbly thank your Grace and intreat the continuance of it no longer then I shall be able to make good the integritie of my heart unto you But that which with all humilitie and importunitie I sue for at your Graces hands is to let me know my Accuser and if your Grace think it unseasonable now that I may have a promise to know him at your return Whatsoever or how great soever he be though respect and reverence of those eyes which shall read these lines make me forbear ill language now I shall dare to tell him whatsoever becomes a wronged innocence to say In the mean time I despise him if there be any such that hath accused me since your Graces departure to have done or said or given way to the hearing of any thing that may be wrested to the impeachment of my faith and sincere professions towards your Grace and yet till it come to the tryal I relie as I wrote to Sir George Goring no lesse upon your Graces wisdome and goodnesse then my own innocencie that such Calumnies shall not lessen the estimation I had with you wherein being most confident praying for the continuance and increase of your Graces honour and happinesse I remain Your Graces Most humble and devoted servant Richard Weston 17. July 1623. Sir Richard Weston to the Duke May it please your
businesse But I gave him great satisfaction in that point My Lord these are passages of my first nights being here matters of ceremonie and yet I omit much of that I thought these too slight to trouble his Majestie or the Prince with yet I thought it fit since this Messenger goes to let you see this outward show and face of this Court to have as much sweetnesse smoothnesse and clearnesse towards our designs as is possible My next Letters shall inform you of a further search made by me the which I am confident will be of the same nature And I conceive it the rather because I find them in a great alarum at the newes that they have received from Leige that the King of Spain makes a Fort upon the ruine there to command both that and the Town This they say hath made them more clearly see his vast ambition to inlarge his Monarchie and do all speak the careful and honest language of our Lower house men how it may be prevented I have said enough the Messenger I dare say thinks too much yet this I will add That I will study to make it appear to the world and your self by a thankful heart and to God himself in my prayers for your Lordship that I am Your Lordships Most devoted and most humble servant Kensington Postscript IF the French Embassadour or my Lord of Carlile wonders I have not written unto them I beseech your Lordship let them know this Messenger is not of my sending and in such haste as he cannot be stayed The Lord Kensington to the Prince May it please your Highnesse I Cannot but make you continual repetitions of the value you have here to be as justly we know you the most Compleat young Prince and person in the world This reputation hath begotten in the sweet Princesse Madam so infinite an affection to your fame as she could not contain her self from a passionate desiring to see your Picture the shadow of that person so honoured and knowing not by what means to compasse it it being worn about my neck for though others as the Queen and Princesses would open it and consider it the which ever brought forth admiration from them yet durst not this poor young Ladie look any otherwise on it then afar off whose heart was nearer it then any of the others that did most gaze upon it But at the last rather then want that sight the which she was so impatient of she desired the Gentlewoman of the house where I am lodged that had been her servant to borrow of me the picture in all the secresie that may be and to bring it unto her saying She could not want that Curiositie as well as others towards a person of his infinite reputation As soon as she saw the party that brought it she retired into her Cabinet calling onely her in where she opened the picture in such haste as shewed a true picture of her passion blushing in the instant at her own guiltinesse She kept it an hour in her hands and when she returned it she gave with it many praises of your person Sir this is a businesse so fit for your secresie as I know it shall never go farther then unto the King your Father my Lord Duke of Buckingham and my Lord of Carliles knowledge A tendernesse in this is honourable for I would rather die a thousand times then it should be published since I am by this young Lady trusted that is for beautie and goodnesse an Angel I have received from my Lord of Buckingham an advertisement that your Highnesse opinion is to treat of the General league first that will prepare the other Sir whatsoever shall be propounded will have a noble acceptation though this give me leave to tell you when you are free as by the next newes we shall know you to be they will expect that upon those declarations they have here already made towards that particularitie of the Alliance that your Highnesse will go that readier and nearer way to unite and fasten by that knot the affection of these Kingdomes Sir for the general they all here speak just that language that I should and do unto them of the power and usurpation of the Spaniards of the approaches they make to this Kingdom the danger of the Low-Countries the direct Conquest of Germany and the Valtoline By which means we have cause to joyn in opposition of the Ambitions and mightinesse of this King The which they all here say cannot be so certainly done as by an Alliance with us This they speak perpetuallie and urge it unto my consideration Sir unlesse we proceed very roundly though they be never so well affected we may have interruptions by the arts of Spain that make offers infinite to the advantage of this State at this time But they hearken to none of them untill they see our intentions towards them The which if they find to be real indeed they will give us brave satisfaction But Sir your Fathers and your will not my opinion must be followed and what Commandments your Highnesse shall give me shall be most strictly obeyed by the most devoted Your Highnesse Most dutiful and humblest servant Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Duke the 14. of March 1624. My Lord I Have already acquainted your Grace how generally our desires are met with here much more cannot be said then I have already for that purpose There was never known in this Kingdome so intire an agreement for any thing as for an Alliance with England the Count of Soysons onely excepted who hath had some pretensions unto Madam but those are now much discouraged upon a free discourse the Cardinal of Rochfalcout made unto the Countesse his Mother telling her That if she or her son believed or could expect the King would give him his sister in marriage they would as he conceived deceive themselves for he imagined upon good grounds that the King would bestow his Sister that way that might be most for her honour and advancement and likewise for the advantage of his Crown and Kingdom and he professed for his part although he much honoured the Count as a great Prince of the bloud yet was he so faithful unto his Master as he would advise him to that purpose The Queen Mother and Mounsieur Le Grand have advised me to say something unto the King concerning my businesse I told them I could say nothing very directly unto him and yet would I not so much as deliver my opinion of the King my Masters inclinations to wish an alliance with him unlesse I were assured his answers might make me see his value and respect unto him They then spake unto him and assured me I should in that be satisfied Having that promise from them I told the King that I had made this journey of purpose to declare unto him my humble service and thankfulnesse for all his Honours and favours the which I thought I could not better expresse
to posterity who was the worst deserver in this business an unoffended instrument might have prevented all after-mischief who for his own ends suffered it and by the like arts afterwards bewrayed it To this I may adde Tresham in the Powder Treason Sir Lewis Tresham upon whose successours I do not cast any of his infamy yet he preserved himself to posterity so as what he or others such as he have defrauded by the arts of Law and whom their own unfaithfulnesse made safe I have much adoe to hold by ingenuity and Confidence How may it be that because I distrusted not your Majestie or because it returned in your power from whom I had it it is in danger to be broken or dismembred Let me hope that there is nothing which by favour may be excused or by industry might have been avoided that will fail me where your Majestie is to determine It is not I who thus put your Majestie in mind importunely It is he that was your Creature it is Sommerset with all your honours and envious greatnesse that is now in question Kings themselves are protected from the breach of Law by being Favorites and Gods anointed which gives your Majestie the like priviledge over yours Dr. Dunne As I took from Dr. Dunne in his Sermon that the goodnesse of God is not so much acknowledged by us in being our Creator as in being our Redeemer nor in that he hath chosen us as that nothing can take us out of his hands which in your Majesties remembrance let me challenge and hope for For the first accesses of favour they may be ascribed to ones own pleasing themselves but that appears to be for our sakes and for our good when the same forsakes not our civil deserts This redemption I crave not as to my own person but with your benefits once given nor do I assume them very deep for I have voluntarily departed from the hopes of persion place office I only cleave to that which is so little as that it will suffer no pairing or diminution And as in my former Letters so by this I humbly crave of your Majestie not to let the practises of Court work upon your Son the Prince not fearing your sufferance of my losse in that particular so much for I cannot lose it but willingly all with it as for to take off the Stage that which in the attempt may prove inconvenient And consider I pray your Majestie that my hope in desiring to passe these had times was to be restored to my fortunes others are made unhappy by me if otherwise and then I lose my end I speak of impairing of changing or supplying as of any other way all such alterations and ruine are alike without I be worthy of your gift and that I can be worthy of all that Law can permit you to give or cast upon your Majestie by a more neerer title as it doth by this I shall account them equal evils that leave nothing or a patched and proportioned one changed or translated from one thing to another But if your Majestie have any respects to move you to suspend your good towards me let that which is mine rest in your own hands till that you find all opposite humours conformed to your purpose I have done wrong to my self thus to entertain such a doubt of your Majesty but the unrelenting of adversaries which when you will have them will sooner alter and that all this while I have received nothing of present notice for direction or to comfort me from your Majesty hath made me to expostulate with my self thus hardly For God is my judge Sir I can never be worthy to be if I have these markes put upon me of a Traytor as that tumbling and disordering of that estate would declare the divorce from your presence laies too much upon me and this would upon both I will say no farther neither in that which your Majesty doubted my aptnesse to fall into for my Cause nor my Confidence is not in that distresse as for to use that mean of intercession nor of any thing besides but to remember your Majestie that I am the Workmanship of your hands and bear your stamp deeply imprinted in all the characters of favour that I was the first plant ingrafted by your Majesties hand in this place therefore not to be unrooted by the same hand lest it should taint all the same kind with the touch of that fatalnesse And that I was even the Son of a Father whose services are registred in the first honours and impressions I took of your Majesties favour and laid there as a foundation stone of that building These and your Majesties goodnesse for to receive them is that I rely upon So praying for your Majesties prosperity I am in all humblenesse Your Majesties loyal servant and Creature R. Sommersett The Lo. Chancelour Bacon to the Lords If it may please your Lordships I shall humbly crave at your Lordships hands a benigne interpretation of that which I shall now write for words that come from wasted spirits and an oppressed mind are more safe in being deposited in a noble Construction then in being Circled with any reserved Caution Having made this as a protection to all which I shall say I will go on but with a very strange entrance as may seem to your Lordships at the first for in the midst of a state of as great affliction as I think a mortal man can endure honour being above life I shall begin with the professing gladnesse in some things The first is that hereafter the greatnesse of a Judge or Magistrates shall be no Sanctuary or protection to him against guiltinesse which in few words is the beginning of a golden world The next that after this example it is like that Judges will flie from any thing in the likenesse of Corruption though it were at a great distance as from a Serpent which tendeth to the purging of the Courts of Justice and reducing them to their true honour and splendour And in these two points God is my witnesse though it be my fortune to be the anvile upon which these good effects are beaten and wrought I take no small comfort But to passe from the motions of my heart whereof God is onely Judge to the merits of my Cause whereof your Lordships are onely Judges under God and his Lievtenant I do understand there hath been expected from me heretofore some justification and therefore I have chosen one onely justification instead of all others out of the justification of Job for after the clear submission and Confession which I shall now make unto your Lordships I hope I may say and justifie with Job in these words I have not hid my sin as did Adam nor concealed my faults in my bosome This is the only justification I will use It resteth therefore that without fig-leaves I do ingenuously confesse and acknowledge that having understood the particulars of the charge not
the breaking of this alliance would ingage his Majestie I will leave to your Lordships wisdom to consider of it being too large a discourse for a Letter I will therefore onely desire your Lordship to consider that even the most prosperous War hath misfortune enough in it to make the Authour of it unhappie of which how innocent soever your Lordship is the occasions that have been given you will ever make you liable to the aspersion of it This I write not unto your Grace as thinking to divert you from what you are falling into for I am confident your heart runs a more peaceable way but I am willing that you should see that howsoever others should be inclined to carrie you into this tempest it concerns you in your care of their happinesse and your own to divert them from it I humbly desire your Grace to pardon this errour of mine if it be one which I can excuse with the affection and infinite desire which I have to see you ever happie and flourish Concerning my self your Grace knowes my wants and I doubt not but your Care is what I could wish I should be glad when you have done with Peter Wych to see him dispatched away with some supplies unto me which I shall be in extream want of by Christmasse my debts besides in England being clamorous upon me for some satisfaction I leave all to your Graces care and favour Ever resting Your Graces humblest and most bound servant Wa Aston Postscript THe Condessa of Olivarez bids me tell you that she kisses your Graces hands and doth every day recommend you particularly by name in her prayers to God Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 15. Novemb. 1623. May it please your Grace MY Lord of Bristol intended to have dispatched away a Post unto his Majestie this night with the advice of the arrival of the dispensation which came to this Town the 12th of this moneth hoping that he should have been likewise able to have given to his Majestie and his Highnesse a clear account of all things concerning it But the deliverie of the Queen this morning who is brought to bed of a daughter hath stopped all negotiation and I believe it will be these two daies before he can be ready to send him away There is no noveltie as I yet understand that is come with the dispensation there will be something desired for better explanation of his Majesties and his Highnesse intentions and some omissions there are which as they understand was his Highnesse intention should have been in the Capitulation they being promised by his Highnesse But I do not find that these will be any stop to the businesse For they do presse my Lord of Bristol very much to proceed presently to the Deposories Your Grace shall understand all things more particularly by the next Post I do now make the more haste forbearing to trouble you with other occurrences lest my Letters come short of the departure of the Post as they did of his who was last dispatched from hence I do most humbly desire your Grace to continue the doing me those offices that may continue me in his Majesties and his Highnesse good opinion and I doubt not but I shall be ever able to let your Grace see that you have not a more faithful servant then he which your Grace hath most bound to be so and that shall ever remain Yours c. W. A. The Lord Duke of Buckingham to Sir Walter Aston IN your Letter of the 5th of December you desire me to give you my opinion my ancient acquaintance long custome of loving you with constancie of friendship invites me to do you this office of good will and to serve you according to your request And for your more intire satisfaction I will deliver the things in the past and present You in all the beginning of the treaty won to your self a good estimation while you were onely at large in the treaty and had communication of the passages from the Lord of Bristol as by courtesy and in his absence handled no farther in the treaty of marriage then by direction from him When the Prince was there your carriage gave his Highnesse and my self all satisfaction Now you must give me leave to put you in mind of the freedom used with you whilest we were at Madrid and of the explanation the Prince made of himself to you by his Letters from St. Anderas From which you might observe the resentment the Prince had of their proceedings with him And by his Highnesse declaration to you from thence you might see both his care and resolution not to ingage himself into the marriage without good conditions for the Pallatinate and Conservation of his honour every way My care and my intentions were to move increase of honour to you and to recompence by a good understanding to be layed in his Majestie towards you which I pursued so soon as I came to the Kings presence And the Princes confidence was so great in you as he joyned you in the Commission besides he declared himself to you by his Letters not leaving you thereby to guesse at his Majesties directions to the E. of Bristol which he was to communicate to you Now you may think how strange it was to the Prince and how much I was troubled not being able to make your excuse when your joynt Letters made known how you had concurred with the Earle of Bristol to ingage his Highnesse by prefixing a day for the Deposorios without making certain the restitution of the Palatinate and Electoral dignity the portion and temporal articles Which proceeding of yours with the Earl of Bristol was so understood by the Lords of the Committee as they took resolution once to advise his Majestie to revoke both the Lord of Bristol and you upon those grounds which you will understand by his Majesties own Letters and Secretarie Conwayes Letters written to you with this dispatch I was not able at first by any endeavour to oppose the resolution of your revocation so far had you cast your self into misconstruction and given stop to the progresse of your own advancement But with constant industry and time I have won this point of qualifying all ill opinion of you and sufferance of your continuing there So as it will be now in your power by your Carriage to come off without reproof And I shall hope to overcome the rest with time to to bring you again to the condition of honour and recompence Being confident that since you see your own errour and acknowledge it you will be careful by a stiff and judicious carriage to warrant all your present and succeding actions If you think at first sight I presse you a little hard upon this point you may be pleased to interpret it to be a faithful way of satisfying your request and expression of my affection to have you to do all things suitable to your wisdome virtue and honour and according to the
that your Majestie will likewise lay hold of this occasion which you now have in your hand to give him full satisfaction in that which with so much reason he desires and therewithal a reciprocal and everlasting blessing to both your Majesties Crownes Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 22. of Jan. 1623. Stil Vet. May it please your Grace HOwsoever upon the arrival of Mr. Greisley I took the occasion of the ordinary the day following to acknowledge unto your Grace the Comfort which I had received by your Letters understanding by them the favour which you had done me in diverting from me his Majesties and his Highnesse displeasure I shall notwithstanding intreat here leave by the same means by which I received so much happinesse to renue my humble and most thankful acknowledgment unto your Grace I most earnestly intreat your Grace to look upon me here as a servant that loves you in his heart and that shall faithfully in all things Comply with what you can expect from such an one and that therefore you will be pleased to preserve me still in the way how I may serve his Majestie and his Highnesse to their Content and perform towards your Grace those offices of a servant which may be most to your satisfaction For I am now here in a dangerous time in the greatest businesses that have been treated of many years and the bitterest storms threatening betwixt these Crowns that have been these many ages I have therefore no hope to save my self without I be guided by his Highnesse and your Graces trusts and care of me The Marquesse of Ynoisa hath lately advertised hither That he hath several times desired to have private audience with his Majestie and hath not been able to procure any but what your Grace assists at It is likewise advertised unto this King and his Ministers that your Grace hath many meetings with the Sea Captains and that your Counsels are how the War is to be made against Spain For the avoiding of unnecessarie repetitions I do here inclosed send your Grace a Copie of my Letter to Mr. Secretarie Conway wherein you will find a relation of all things that are come to my hands at this present that may any way have reflection unto his Majesties service And this is the course which I intend and conceive most convenient to hold hereafter with your Grace without you command me the contrary In the said Copie your Grace will find a discourse of what hath lately passed betwixt my Lord of Bristol and the Conde of Olivarez in the Pardo Now that I may more fully discharge my dutie I have thought fit here to acquaint your Grace that since the putting off of the Deposorios at a meeting that my Lord and my self had with the Conde he did make a solemn protestation that if the Treatie of the Match did ever come on again with effect it should onely be by his Lordships hands and no other I then understood it and still do but for a frothy protestation yet have held it my dutie to advertize it having passed in my hearing the truth is that my Lords answer was in Conformitie to his last in the Pardo every way rejecting it saying That he had rather be confined to any Town in Afrique then that his person should be any hinderance to the Match Thus forbearing to trouble your Grace any farther with my hearty prayers unto God for the continuance of his blessings unto you I rest Your Graces c. W. A. Sir Walter Aston to Secretary Conway 22. Jan. 1623. Right Honourable BY the return of this Bearer Mr. Greisley you will understand of the safe coming to my hands of your dispatch of the 30th of the last moneth with his Majesties Letters therein inclosed I do now herewithal send an account unto his Majestie of my proceedings upon his Commands which I do intreat your Honour to be pleased to present unto him as also farther to acquaint his Majestie that I have already spoken with divers of these Ministers and given them such a declaration of his Majesties good intentions in the pressing at this season for the restitutions of the Palatinate and Electoral dignity unto the Prince his Son in Law as I have order to do by the said Letter but do find they are here so possessed with the ill relations they receive out of England that I with much difficultie can scarce give them any kind of satisfaction I have acquainted the Conde Olivarez with the answer which your honour and Mr. Secretarie Calvert had received from their Embassadours touching their audiences the Conde himself having formerly acquainted me with their Complaint His answer now was That he understood they had acknowledged unto your Honours to have received from his Majestie in that point all kind of satisfaction but that after you were gone the Marquesse of Ynoisa wrote a Letter to Secretarie Calvert telling him that he did not well remember himself of what had passed at his being there but had since called to mind that he had procured some audiences with the Prince with much difficultie To which I answered the Conde That it seemed the Marquesse was very light of his advertisements to give such informations as might breed ill understandings betwixt Princes and esteem them of no more Consequence then to forget what he had advertised with so much ease Concerning that malitious report here raised of the Prince's treating a marriage in France I desire your Honour to let his Majestie know that it is advertised hither out of England as a thing so certain that there is not a Minister of State excepting the Conde of Gondomar that hath not given some credit unto it I have therefore according to his Majesties directions given such declarations touching the author and believers of it as your Honour in his Majesties name hath commanded me I have likewise received by Mr. Greisly your Letter of the 31. of the last In answer of which all that I shall need to say here unto your Honour is that my Lord of Bristol hath received your former Letter acquainting him with his Majesties pleasure concerning the same businesse from whom his Majestie will receive an account thereof This is all that I have to say to your Honour at this present touching those particulars mentioned in your Letter I shall now here further acquaint you with such advertisements as I conceive may any waies have reference unto his Majesties service My Lord of Bristol and my self repairing some few daies since unto the Pardo having conference with the Conde of Olivarez his Lordship acquainted the Conde with the Letters of revocation which he had received from his Majestie and withal desired that he would procure him licence to take his leave of the King The Conde answered his Lordship That he had much to say unto him by order from his Majestie the substance of his speech was That they had received large advertisements out of England by which they
Parkhurst I recommend your Lordship c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the E. of South-hampton 2. Aug. 1621. My most noble Lord I Humbly crave your pardon for often troubling your Honour with my idle Lines and beseech you to remember that amongst many miseries my sudden greatnesse comes accompanied with this is not the least that I can no otherwaies enjoy the happinesse of your presence God is my witnesse the Lord Keeper hath often not without grief of heart envied the fortunes of a poor Scholar one Dr. VVilliams late Dean of VVestminster who was so much blessed in the free accesses in that kind as his Lordship without a great quantity of goodnesse in your self may scarse hope for This inclosed will let your Lordship understand that somewhat is to be finished in that excellent piece of meacy which his Majestie your hand guiding the Pencil is about to expresse in the E. of Southhampton It is full time his Attendant were revoked in my poor opinion and himself left to the Custody of his own good Angel There is no readier way to stop the mouthes of idle men nor to draw their eyes from this remainder of an object of Justice to behold nothing but goodnesse and mercy And the more breathing time you shall carve out between this total enlargement and the next accesse of the Parliament the better it will be for his Majesties service Onely remember this that now you are left to be your own Remembrancer Of all actions forget not those of mercy and Goodnesse wherein men draw nighest to God himself Nor of all Persons prisoners and afflicted Josephs Celerity doth redouble an act of mercy But why do I turn a Preacher of goodnesse unto him who in my own particular hath shewed himself to be composed of nothing else Remember your Noble Self and forget the aggravations of malice and envy and then forget if you can the E. of Southhampton God blesse you and your royal Guest and bring you both after many years yet most happily run over here upon earth to be his blessed guests in the Kingdom of Heaven The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Lord of St. Albons October 27th 1621. My most noble Lord I Have received your Lordships expression concerning the Pause I made upon the two Patents The Proclamation of writing to the Kings hand and my Lord of St. Albons pardon The former I have sealed this morning in duty and obedience to your Lordships intimation The latter I have not yet sealed but do represent in all lowlinesse and humility these few Considerations by your Lordship to his sacred Majestie wherein let your Lordship make no question but I have advised with the best Lawyers in the Kingdom And after this representation I will perform whatsoever your Lordship shall direct His Majestie and your Lordship do conceive that my Lord of St. Albons pardon and grant of his fine came both together to my hands and so your Lordship directs me to passe the one and the other But his Lordship was too cunning for me He passed his fine whereby he hath deceived his Creditors ten dayes before he presented his pardon to the Seal So as now in his pardon I find his Parliament fine excepted which he hath before the sealing of the same obtained and procured And whether the house of Parliament will not hold themselves mocked and derided with such an exception I leave to your Lordships wisdom These two Grants are opposite and contradictory in this point the one to the other The King pardons in particular words All sums of money and rewards taken for false judgments or decrees And therefore the exception of the Parliamentary Censure being inflicted but for the same taking of moneys and rewards coming a good way after falleth too late in Law and is of no force to satisfie the Lords as I am informed and I believe this clause was never seen in any other pardon The King pardoneth in my Lord of St. Albon the stealing away altering raising and interlining of his Majesties Rowles Records Briefs c. which are more in a Lord Chancellors pardon then the imbezeling of his Majesties jewels in a Lord Chamberlains And yet the Lord Chancellour Elsmore could not indure that clause in my Lord of Sommersets Pardon unlesse he would name the jewels in particular I will not meddle or touch upon those mistakings which may fall between the Parliament and his Majestie or the mis interpretation that enemies may make hereof to your Lordships prejudice because I see in his Majesties great wisdom these are not regarded Onely I could have wished the Pardon had been referred to the Councel board and so passed I have now discharged my self of those poor scruples which in respect onely to his Majesties service and your Lordships honour have wrought this short stay of my Lord of St. Albons Pardon Whatsoever your Lordship shall now direct I will most readily craving pardon for this not undutiful boldnesse put in execution Because some speech may fall of this dayes speech which I had occasion to make in the Common Pleas where a Bishop was never seen sitting there these 70. years I have presumed to inclose a Copy thereof because it was a very short one Your Lordship shall not need to take that great pains which your Lordship to my unexpressible comfort hath so often done in writing What Command soever your Lordship shall impose upon me as touching this pardon your Lordships expression to Mr. Packer or the bearer shall deliver it sufficiently God from heaven continue the showring and heaping of his blessings upon your Lordship c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. July 1621. My noble Lord VVIth my truest affections and thankfulnesse premised I do not doubt but his Majestie and your Lordship do now enjoy the general applause of your goodnesse to the Earl of South-hampton Saturday last he came and dined with me and I find him more cordially affected to the service of the King and your Lordships love and friendship then ever he was when he lay a prisoner in my house Yet the Sunshine of his Majesties favour though most bright upon others more open offenders is noted to be somewhat eclipsed towards him What directions soever his Majestie gave the order is somewhat tart upon the Earl The word of Confinement spread about the City though I observed not one syllable so quick to fall from his Majestie his Keeper much wondred at The act of the Councel published in our names who were neither present thereat or heard one word of the same yet upon my credit the Earl takes all things patiently and thankfully though others wonder at the same Mr. Secretary signed a Petition of one Rookwood a Papist and prisoner in the Fleet upon five several executions that I should grant him his liberty The Kings name is used and the mediation of the Spanish Embassadour If I breaking rules so fouly in favour of a Papist which I am
any example seen before Whereas all Provosts as well the Churchmen who came in by Election as the Lay-man recommonded by the late Queen were as the foundation exactly requires it admitted by the Bishop of Lincolne their Diocaesand and Visitor I hope iâ— was Mr. Murraies inexperience rather then neglect never deserved by me that directed them to this strange course subscription and other conformities to be acted in the presence of the Visitor are essentially to be required before he can be adinitted Provost of Eaton Lastly Mr. Murraie hath hitherto mistaken all his course He must be first dispensed withal If his Majestie in his wisedom shall hold it fit and then Elected first Fellow and then Provost of the Colledg if he will come in regularly and safely whereas now contrary to Savils president he is first Elected and then goes on with his dispensation All this I most humbly intreat your Lordship to make known to the Prince his Highnesse and as much as your Lordship thinks fit thereof to his Majestie I will only adde one note and so end It will be no more disparagement for Mr. Murray his Highnesse Schoolmaster to enter into orders then it was for Coxe King Edwards Schoolmaster a Master of Requests and Privie Counsellour to do the like who afterwards became a worthy Prelate of this Church I have discharged my duty to the King Prince and the Church of England It remains now that I should as I will religiously obey whatsoever I shall be directed in the sequel of this businesse And so I rest c. Postscript MY Lord Mr. Murray since came unto me to whom I shewed this Letter and told him I would send it unto you to be shewed unto the King and the Prince I find him willing to run all courses Priesthood onely excepted If the King will dispence with him my Letter notwithstanding I humbly beseech his Majestie to write a Letter unto me as a warrant to admit him only Ad Curam et Regimen Collegii instead of the other words Ad Curam animarum I schooled him soundly against Puritanisme which he disavowes though somewhat faintly I hope his Highnesse and the King will second it The Lord Keeper to the Duke about the Liberties of Westminster 6. May. 1621. My most Noble Lord I Humbly beseech your Lordship to be a little sensible of those injurious affronts offered without any shew of equity unto this poor Liberty of VVestminster And for Gods sake let me not want that protection which not your Lordship only but the two Cicils and the Earl of Sommerset who neither regarded the Church Learning nor Honour in any measure as you do have ever afforded every Dean of this Church When I had to my thinking given the Knight Marshal full and too much satisfaction this day a Letter was offered to the Table in my presence violently pursued by the Lord Steward and the Earl Marshal to command this liberty which had stood unquestioned these 700 years to shew reason to Mr. Attourney and Mr. Solliciter why they prescribe against the Knight Marshal A Course as my Lord President said openly not to be offered to any subject of England It is our Charter and freehold of inheritance to be shewed only in a Court of Justice and at the Kings Bench which we are very ready to do And we may as well be questioned by a Letter from the Councel for all the Land we have as for this My Lord the jurisdiction of this place brings not a penny to my purse but it hath brought much sorrow to my heart and now teares to my eyes that I should be that unfortunate Contemptible man who for all the King and your Lordships favour and the true pains I take in answer thereunto must be trampled down above all the Deans that lived in this place Nor would it ever grieve me if I had deserved it from these Lords by the least disrespect in all the world I beseech you for the Churches sake and your Honours sake to be sensible hereof and to know of the Bishop of Winchester London Duresmâ— Mr. Packer or Sir Robert Pye whether ever any question hath been made to this liberty in this kind If a Letter had been recorded to question the same when the Lord Admiral was Steward and the Lord Keeper Dean thereof judge you in your Wisdom what would become thereof in future posterity c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke Aug. 23. 1622. My most noble Lord YEsterday upon the receipt of your Lordships Letters of the 19th of this instant concerning the hastning of the businesse of the original Writs I sent presently for Mr. Attourney and Mr. Solliciter who were altogether unprovided for their parts of the dispatch and are casually forced so to be because three several Officers in whose records they are to search are now out of Town and do not return yet these 7. daies But your Lordship shall not fail to have all things concluded 3. weeks before the Tarm and I will of purpose put off all general seeling until it be effected In the mean time your Lordships Letter notwithstanding it will be nothing for your Lordships case to have Sir George Chaworth any way interested in this office of the originals but I hold it fitter to leave it as it is in Law and Equity forfeited for non-payment of rent in his Majesties hands for upon that issue I do not doubt but my Lord of St. Albons and Sir George will be content to hear reason I have received extraordinary respects and expressions from my Noble Lord the Lord Marquesse Hamilton which doth exceedingly comfort and encourage me to go on with some more alacrity through the difficulties of this restlesse place I beseech your Lordship who is Causa Causarum the first Cause that sets all these other Causes of my Comforte in Going to take notice of the same and to undertake this favour to be placed upon a poor honest hearted man who would if he were any way able requite it Gods blessings and the prayers of a poor Bishop over attend your Lordship c. Postscript THe Spanish Embassadour took the alarum very speedily of the titulary Romish Bishop and before my departure from his house at Islington whither I went privately to him did write both to Rome and Spain to prevent it Sir Tobie Mathewes But I am aftaid that Tobiâ— will prove but an Apocryphal and no Canonical intelligencer acquainting the State with this project for the Jesuites rather then for Jesus sake The Lord Keeper to the Duke about the Lord Treasurer Septemb. 9th 1622. My most Noble Lord THat I neither wrote unto your Lordship nor waited upon your Lordship sithence my intolerable scandalizing by the Lord Treasurer this is the true and only cause I was so moved to have all my diligent service pains and unspotted justice thus rewarded by a Lord who is reputed wise that I have neither slept read written or eaten any thing since that
time until the last night that the Ladies sent for me I believe of purpose to VVâ—llingfâ—â—d house and put me out of my humour I have lost the love and affection of my men by seizing upon their Papers perusing all their answers to Petitions casting up their moneys received by way of sees even to half Crowns and two shillings and finding them all to be poor honest Gentlemen that have maintained themselves in my service by the greatnesse of my pains and not the greatnesse of their fees They are most of them randed men that do not serve me for gain but for experience and reputation And desire to be brought to the Test to shew their several books and to be confronted by any one man with whom they contracted or from whom they demanded any Fee at all The greatest summe in their books is five pounds and those very few and sent unto them from Earls and Barons All the rest are some 20 s. 10 s. 5 s. 2 s. 6 d. and 2 s. And this is the oppression in my house that the Kingdom of the Common Lawyers peradventure who have lost I confesse hereby 20000 l. at the least saved in the parses of the Subjects doth now groan under Now I humbly beseech your Lordship to peruse this paper here inclosed and the issue I do joyn with the Lord Treasurer and to acquaint at the least the King and the Prince how unworthily I am used by this Lord who in my soul and conscience I believe it either invents these things out of his own head and ignorance of this Court or hath taken them up from base unworthy and most unexperienced people Lastly because no act of mine who am so much indebted for all my frugality could in the thoughts of a devil inearnate breed any suspition that I gained by this office excepting the purchase of my Grandfathers Lands whereunto my Lord Chamberlains noblenesse and your Lordships encouragement gave the invitation I do make your Lordship as your Lordship hath been often pleased to honour me my saithful Confessor in that businesse and do send your Lordship a note enclosed what money I paid what I borrowed and what is still owing for the purchase I beseech your Lordship to cast your eye upon the paper and say it aside that it be not lost And having now poured out my soul and forrow unto your Lordships breast I find my heart much eased and humbly beseech your Lordship to compassâ—onate the wrong of Your most humble and honest servant J. L. C. S. The Fair and Familiar Conference which the Lord Treasurer had with the Lord Keeper after some Expostulations of his own and the issue joyned thereupon at White-Hall Septemb. 7. 1622. THere is taken 40000 l. Object 1 for Petitions in your house this year Sol. Not much above the fortieth part of the money for all the dispatches of the Chancery Star-Chamber Councel-Table Parliament the great Diocesse of Lincoln the jurisdiction of VVestminster and St. Martius le Graund All which have resort to my house by Petitions You have your self a share in the money Ob. 2 Then let me have no share in Gods Kingdom Sol. it is such a basenesse as never came within the compasse of my thoughts Ob. 3 It is commonly reported you pay to my Lord Admiral 1000 l. per mensem As true as the other Sol. The means of my place will reach to no more then two moneths You never receive any Petitions with your own hands Ob. 4 but turn them to your Secretaries who take double Fees one for receiving and the other for delivering Let the Cloysters at Westminster answer for me Sol. I never to this day received any Petition from my Secretaries which I had formerly delivered unto them with my own hands This is a new fashion which my Lord hath found in some other Courts Ob. 5 You sell dayes of hearing at higher rates then ever they were at I never disposed of any since I came to this place Sol. but leave them wholly to the Six Clarks and Registers to be set down in their Antiquity Unlesse his Lordship means hearing of motions in the paper of Peremptories which I seldom deny upon any Petition and which are worth no money at all You usually reverse Decrees upon Petitions Ob. 6 I have never reversed Sol. altered explained or endured a motion or Petition that touched upon a decree once pronounced but have sometimes made orders in pursuance of the same You have 3. Ob. 7 Door-keepers and are so locked up that no man can have accesse unto you I have no such officer in all my house Sol. unlesse his Lordship meanes the Colledge Porters nor no locks at all but his Majesties businesse which I must respect above Ceremonies and Complements Object 8 You are cryed out against over all the Kingdom for an unsufferable oppression and grievance His Lordship if he have any friends may hear of such a Cry Sol. and yet be pleased to mistake the person cryed out against All the Lords of the Councel cry out upon you Ob. 9 and you are a wretched and a friendlesse man if no man acquaints you with it I am a wretched man indeed if it be so Sol. And your Lordship at the least a very bold man if it be otherwise I will produce particular witnesses Ob. 10 and make all these Charges good I know your Lordship cannot and I do call upon you to do it Sol. as suspecting all to be but your Lordships envie and malice to that service of the Kings and ease of his Subjects which God hath enabled me to accomplish and perform in this troublesome Office J. L. C. S. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 21. of September 1622. My most noble Lord MY Lord Brook diswarning me from his Majestie from coming to Theobalds this day I was enforced to trouble your Lordship with these few lines My most humble thanks for your Lordships most free and most loving Letter I do willingly confesse my errour yet still of the mind that your Lordship only who justly taxed it hath made it to be an errour If your love to me had not exceeded all reason and desert of mine my complaints were not effects of melancholy but of a real suffering and misery I do confesse and rest satisfied withal that his Majesties Justice and your Lordships love are anchors strong enough for a mind more tossed then mine is to ride at Yet pardon me my Noble Lord upon this Consideration if I exceeded a little in passion the natural effect of honesty and innocency A Church-man and a woman have no greater Idol under heaven then their good name And yet they cannot fight at all Nor with credit scold and least of all recriminate to protect and defend the same Their onely revenge left them is to grieve and complain My misery I took to be this I am one of those that labour in his Majesties Cole-mines under the earth and out of sight My pains
and my self to this effect 1. To grant a pardon of all offences past with a dispensation for those to come to all the Roman Catholiques obnoxious to any laws made against the Recusants 2. And then to issue forth two general Commands under the Great Seal the first to all the Judges and Justices of the Peace and the other to all Bishops Chancellours and Commissaries not to execute any Statute made against them Their general pardon we have passed and sent unto his Majestie from whence it is not returned in as full and ample manner as they could desire and pen it The other general and vast prohibition I prevailed with the rest of the Lords to stop as yet and gave in three dayes conference such reasons to the 2. Embassadors that although it is no easie matter to satifie the Caprichiousnesse of the Latter of them yet they were both content it should rest until the Infanta had been six Months in England My reason if it may please your Grace was this Although this general favour and connivence whereof there are 20. of the Prime Councel know nothing as yet must at last be known to all the Land yet is there a great difference between the publishing thereof A Golpe at one push as it were and that instilling of it into their knowledg by little and little by reason of favours done to particular Catholiques The former course might breed a general impression if not a mutinie This Letter will but loosen the tongues but of some few particulars who understand of their neighbours pardon and having vented their dislikes when they have not many to Sympathise with them they grow coole again so as his majestie afterwards may enlarge these favours without any danger at all Secondly to forbid Iudges against their oaths and Justices of the Peace sworn likewise to execute the law of the Land is a thing unpresidented in this Kingdom et Durus Sermo a very harsh and bitter pill to be digested upon a suddain and without some preparation But to grant a pardon even for a thing that is Malum in se and a dispensation with Penal Lawes in the profit whereof the King onely is interested is usual and full of presidents and examples And yet is this Letter onely tending to the safety the former but to the glory and insolencie of the Papists and the magnifying the service of the Embassadors ends too dearly purchased with the indangering of a tumult in three Kingdomes Thirdly and Lastly his Maiestie useth to speak to his Bishops Judges and Justices of the peace by his Chancelour or Keeper as your Grace well knoweth and by his Great Seal and I can signify his Majesties pleasure unto them with lesse noise and danger which I mean to do hereafter if the Embassadors shall presse it to this effect unlesse your Grace shall from his Highnesse or your own judgment direct otherwise That whereas his Majestie being at this time to mediate for favour to many Protestants in forraign parts with Princes of another religion and to sweeten the entertainment of the Princess into this Kingdom who is as yet a Roman Catholique doth hold a mitigation of the rigour of those lawes made against Râ—…nts to be a necessary inducement to both those purposes and hath therefore issued forth some pardons of Grace and favour to such Roman Catholiques of whose faithfulnesse and fidelity to the state he rests assured That therefore you the Lords Bishops Judges and Justices each of those to be written unto by themselves do take notice of this his Majesties pardon and dispensation with all such penal Lawes and demean your selves accordingly c. Thus have I been too tedious and troublesome unto your Grace and Crave your pardon therefore and some directions which you may cause Sir Francis Cottington or some other to write without your Graces trouble if there shall apeare any cause of alteration Doctor Bishop the new Bishop of Calcedon is come to London privately and I am much troubled thereabouts not knowing what to advise his Majestie in this posture as things stand at this present If you were shipped with the Infanta the onely Councel were to let the Judges proceed with them presently hang him out of the way and the King to Blame my Lord of Cantuar or my self for it But before you be shipped in such form and manner I dare not assent or Connive at such a course It is my gracious Lord a most insolent Part and an offence as I take it Against our common Law and not the statutes onely which are dispensed withall for an English man to take such a consecration without the Kings consent and especially to use any Episcopal Jurisdiction in this Kingdom without the royal assent and Bishops have been in this State put to their fine and ransom for doing so three hundred years ago I will cease to to be further troublesome and pray to Almighty God to blesse your Grace and in all humblenesse take my leave and rest c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 14th of October 1621. My most Noble Lord I Humbly thank your Lordship for your most sweet and loving Letter which as Sir George Goring could not but observe hath much revived me drooâ—ing under the unusual weight of so many businesses Let God suffer me no longer to be then I shall be true plain faithful and affectionately respectful of your Lordship as being most bound unto your Lordship for these so many fruits but far more for the tree that bore them your love and affection If your Lordship shall not think it inconvenient I do beseech your Lordship to present this Petition inclosed either by word or writing unto his Majestie and to procure a speedy dispatch thereof because we are to meet on Thursday next Also to acquaint his Majestie that I stumble at the Proclamation now coming to the Seal against any that shall draw or present any bill for his Majesties signature besides those Clarks which usually draw them up by virtue of their places It is most prejudicial to my place the Lord Treasurer and the Judges itinerant who are often occasioned to draw up and present to his Majestie divers matters and especially pardons of Course It is also too strong a tie upon your Lordships hands being intended by his Majestie against Projectors and Scriveners only If it shall please his Majestie therefore to make an exception of the Lords of his Councel and Judges of Assize it may passe to the contentment of all men Mr. Attourney saith he meant this exception but I find it not sufficiently expressed in the Proclamation Also I humbly beseech your Lordship to meddle with no pardon for the Lord of St. Albons until I shall have the happinesse to confer with your Lordship the pardoning of his fine is much spoken against not for the matter for no man objects to that but for the manner which is full of knavery and a wicked president For by this assignation of
especial favour as long as he liveth he will pay to whom you shall assign 5000 l. and account it a real obligation of service to your Grace for ever if you shall remit him the other thousand pound 2. That for the time with humble thanks for your noble favour which becometh not him to take in appointing the time he returns it to your Grace to nominate two daies of payment as your Steward or the person assigned shall think meet and fit for your Graces occasions desiring some small respite for the former but as little as the party please afterwards for the second payment for his Lordship will send in for his moneys forthwith And he will give his bonds or which I hold superfluous from so sure a Card his Morgage in present for both payments 3. If your Grace shall make him your servant with this favour so nobly condition'd he hopes your Grace may proceed on with his Patent thus forward without any stay for any other Corrival which notwithstanding he humbly refers 4. But desires if his presentment be accepted he may have leave by me to render his thanks unto your Grace personally sometime to morrow And so I leave your Grace for this time in Gods protection And rest The Lord Keeper to the Duke 24. December 1624. My most Gratious Lord I Most humbly beseech your Grace for Gods sake and his Churches to consider of this motion which I do make unto your Grace concerning the Deanerie of York now vacant the Dean being struck dead suddenly by a Letter which one Dr. Scot procured from his Majestie to be his Coadjutour It is not for any man in particular but against Doctor Scot that he may not by the importunity of any one upon your Grace be promoted to this place being the sixth or seventh place of preferment Ecclesiastical within this Kingdom but that your Grace would be pleased to remove Doctor White or Doctor Hall or whom your Grace shall please unto this great Deanery and bestow the lesser Deanerie far above his merit upon him For these Reasons 1. I know that he hath sold away all his Livings which he hath had in this Church and hath at this day never an one 2. I am credibly informed he oweth 5000 l. at the least A vast summe for a poor Scholar and too much to be got up in a poor Church And most of this money in York 3. I know he is a great Gamester and of no fitting conversation for a Church-man but of very mean parts either of Learning or government 4. I am certified at this time that he is a man often overseen in drink but this I do not know If therefore your Grace shall be pleased upon my Lord Mordant's importunity to procure him any Deanerie I do not doubt but his Lordship will be satisfied and that Church eternally obliged unto you for that Commutation And I beseech your Grace to believe him that is no way interested herein that it concerns your Grace very much in credit and reputation that so mean a man amongst such a choice as the Church of England doth afford be not by your favour preferred to so high a dignity God be merciful to my sins as I have no end herein but your Honour and the good of that Church and therefore I recommend no particular man unto your Grace but do rest Yours c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning Dr. Scott 4. January 1624. May it please your Grace I Humbly beseech you to interpret favourably what I said unto his Majestie or his Highnesse as intending to put off Dr. Scott from this place And no way God be my witnesse to crosse your Grace nor to hurt Scot who might have been otherwaies sufficiently provided for But I should have written or spoken unto your Grace so I did in this Letter enclosed upon Christmasse Eve But I confesse I durst not send it for fear of offending your Grace which I do take all possible diligence to avoid But I spake unto the King and Prince I did so but with this caution which I know they do remember that if your Grace would not upon the motion exchange Scot to some other preferment I did not hold it fit to presse these charges against him but would do my endeavour to still and quiet those of the Church of York who I confesse unto your Grace are the men that have written against him But I recommended Dr. VVhite and another to the Prince and Dr. VVarner to your Grace I confesse it but must distinguish the times and the manner I commended Dr. VVarner when I was informed Dr. White had his answer and denial and that your Grace was off from Dr. Scot and did desire to hear from me what Doctor Warner was whom I recommended onely in general terms upon the suit of another What I said of him I believe and know to be true but he is so far from being any creature of mine that I protest before the Almighty God I never spake one word with the man to this very hour in all my life I did conceive so meanly of Doctor Scot that no worthy man in the Kingdom should have failed of my recommendations in this particular Now I know your Grace's resolution I do alter my opinion and humbly crave your Grace's pardon for my meddling therein although I know his Highnesse will bear me witnesse it was with all dutiful respect unto your Grace I shall be very careful of giving your Grace the least cause of jealousie in this kind again And whereas I had put a poor suit in your Grace's hands about the helping of mypoor fortunes I will let that and all others fall and desire onely to be accounted Yours c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 2. March 1624. May it please your Grace THis heavy and unexpected accident of my Lord Stewards death makes me to be troublesome unto your Grace at this time In safety and discretion I might very easily spare this labour but my obligation to your Grace is such as if that I conceal any thing which but my self apprehends fit to be represented to your Grace whilest I affect the title of a reserved close and wise I may lose the other of an honest man which I more esteem Thus much by way of preface I represent this office of a Lord Steward as a place to be either accepted of by your self or else to be discontinued as for many years towards the latter end of Queen Elizabeth and the beginning of our Masters raign it was and in any case not to be placed upon another without the deliberation of some few years at the least Being an office that none but the Kings Kinsmen or Favorites or Counter-favourites raised up of purpose to ballance the great one have anciently possessed I could desire your Grace had it in your own person for these Reasons 1. It is an office of fair and very competent gettings but that is scarce
should first acknowledge those benefits and more specially give thanks for the last noble favour your Lordship did me in standing up the last day of Parliament and pleading my cause Never was poor man more bound to a gracious Lord for protecting his innocencie and it came seasonable like a showr of rain in the time of drouth My very heart was parched with grief till it came and it had ere this been broken had not your Lordships speech then dropt comfort in strength whereof it yet lives For an abortive thought which never came into act some 2. or 3. years ago conceived and that tending to a work of mercy and charitie a deed of justice and due thankfulnesse how far how foulie have I been traduced your Honour cannot imagine how deeply I have been wounded in my good name as if I had deserved deprivation degradation yea to be hanged drawn and quartered This can none cure but God or the King Deus in monte God hath done his part in providing an occasion Besides London which is too high for me to look after and the removes which may be thereby Hereford the next Seat to mine whither my Predecessors have oft been removed is said to be now void Now good my Lord speak once more seasonably It is a doubled and redoubled an infinitely multiplied benefit which is so given Never had I more need of the Cordial his Majestie gave me at my going into Wales which was that I should not stay long there It would be a restorative too not onely of my Credit so cruelly crackt with the sharp teeth of the wide mouth of vulgar lying fame but of my estate also alwaies poor but lately much more impoverished and made crazie by occasions of the Church which drew me to London a place of great expences as the busie times were to little purpose And the Parliament overtaking me which have held me long and longer yet are like to hold me here even to the undoing of my self my wife and six children from whom I have now lived 6. or 7. moneths And what shall I carry home with me but disgrace and infamie Yet my good Lord at least procure me of my Lord the King a Nunc dimittis leave to depart I shall be further out of the reach of pursuing malice there in the Countrie do his Majestie better service in gathering up his Subsidies praying and teaching my children whilest I read a Lecture to them my self was never yet able to get by heart of parcimony which must be to them instead of a patrimonie to pray for his Majesties long life health and happinesse In which prayer shall your Lordship ever be duly remembred by Your Lordships daily devote Beadsman Theophilus Landavensis Dr. Corbet to the Duke May it please your Grace TO consider my two great losses this week one in respect of his Majestie to whom I was to preach the other in respect of my Patron whom I was to visit If this be not the way to repair the latter of my losses I fear I am in danger to be utterly undone To presse too near a great man is a means to be put by and to stand too far off is the way to be forgotten so Ecclesiasticus In which mediocrity could I hit it would I live and die My Lord I would neither presse near nor stand far off choosing rather the name of an ill Courtier then a saucie Scholar From your Graces most humble servant Rich. Corbet Postscript HEre is news my noble Lord about us that in the point of Allegiance now in hand all the Papists are exceeding Orthodox the onely Recusants are the Puritanes The E. of Worcester Arundel and Surrey Montgomery to the King May it please your most excellent Majestie ACcording to the Orders and Constitutions made and established by your Majestie and all the Companions of the Order at the last general Chapter held at White-Hall the 21. of May last past we are bold to inform your Majestie that we having diligently viewed divers of the Records of the said Order do in the black book find that the keeping of the little Park at VVindsor next adjoyning unto the Castle is in direct words annexed for ever to the Office of the Usher for the said Order So humbly kissing your Royal hands We rest Your Majesties most humble and faithful Subjects and servants E. Worcester Arundel and Surrey Montgomery White-Hall 1. July 1622. The Lord Chancellour Bacon to the Duke My very good Lord MY Lord of Suffolk's cause is this day sentenced My Lord and his Lady fined at 30000 l. with imprisonment in the Tower at their own charges Bingley at 2000 l. and committed to the Fleet. Sir Edward Cook did his part I have not heard him do better and began with a fine of an 100000 l. But the Judges first and most of the rest reduced it as before I do not dislike that things passe moderately and all things considered it is not amisse and might easily have been worse There was much speaking of interceding for the Kings mercie which in my opinion was not so proper for a sentence I said in conclusion that mercy was to come ex mero motu and so left it I took some other occasion pertinent to do the King honour by shewing how happy he was in all other parts of his Government save only in the manage of his treasure by these Officers I have sent the King a new Bill for Sussex for my Lord of Nottingham's Certificate was true and I told the Judges of it before but they neglected it I conceive the first man which is newly set down is the fittest God ever preserve and keep you c. The Earl of Suffolk to his Majestie Gratious Soveraign IN this grievous time of my being barred from your presence which to me is the greatest affliction that can lie upon me and knowing by my former service to you the sweet and Princely disposition that is in you naturally together with that unmatchable judgement which the world knoweth you have is the occasion that I presume at this time to lay before your Majestie my most humble suit which is that you would be pleased to look upon the Case of your poor servant who after so many faithful desires of mine to do you service I do not say that successe hath fallen out as I wished should now not only have suffered for my weaknesse and errours but must be further questioned to my disgrace I would to God your Majestie did truly understand the thoughts of my heart and if there you could find one the least of ill affections to you I wish it pulled out of my body Now to adde to my miseries give me leave to let your Majestie know the hard estate I am in for I do owe at this present I dare avow upon my fidelitie to you little lesse then 40000 l. which I well know will make me and mine poor and miserable for ever All this I do
that have served in this Land which by proclamation and promise of mony in hand or more pay will easily discover themselves whom some of the new men to be released will be glad to satisfy without charge to his Majestie Sir Edward Cecyl to the Duke My most excellent Lord THere are some Letters of mine that had come to your Lorships hands a good many dayes since had not the wind been contrary and withstood their passage The substance whereof was onely to shew you how thankful I hold my self to your excellencie for so great and infinite a favour as it hath pleased your excellencie to think me worthie of But as is it a favour that will set me on work all the dayes of my life so is it greater then I can ever deserve Howsoever my resolution is to do my best And I humbly beseech your Excellencie to believe that with my diligence and the best understanding I have I will seek nothing but to please you and to honour you and if God say Amen to make the world speak of your design as much I hope as ever our Nation hath given cause And for the faults of my self and those I shall bring with me they shall not be excused but with our lives and bloods for I hope I shall bring none but such as know what to do and when they come to it will bite fooner then bark I do promise my self your Excellencie will have no cause to doubt or repent you of your favours for I know what men have done and what they can do in my occupation But God is God and men are but men All my discouragement is that the States answer not his Majesties expectation being fearful especially since the losse of Breda to part with any of their old Officers or old Souldiers but my hope is now better for we have put them to another resolution by answering all their objections By this disposition of the States to the keeping all their old Souldiers I wish your Excellencie will be pleased to be as careful in your choice as you are desirous of great designs For otherwise the honour and the charge will both be cast away as your Excellencie may perceive in some of our latter expeditions seeing that although there are many called Souldiers in the world yet but a few there be that are so for so long a man must live in the profession to inable him sufficiently that many grow unable to perform what they know before they have attained to the knowledge of what to perform The knowledge of war being the highest of humane things that God suffereth mans understanding to reach unto I have according to your Excellencies command made as many provisions as I can for the shortnesse of the time of such things as cannot be gotten in England And I could have wished I had known of this imployment but some months sooner for then I could have saved his Majesty somewhat and have added many things that would very much have advanced the service For in our profession the preparing of things belonging to the war doth more shew a mans experience and judgment then any thing else by reason the first errours are the begetting of many more that afterwards cannot be avoided Your Exellencie may be pleased to inform your self of all the exployts and undertakings of our nation that none of them hath suffered for the most part more then through the negligence of provisions as in victual munition boats for Landing and for the receiving of sick men to keep the rest from infection In this point of provision it is not good to trust upon a particular man for gain is a corrupter where the care is not publique And in so great an expedition one must do with living men as they do with the dead there must be overseers and executors to have a true intent well performed I have presumed to write thus much to shew my thankfulnesse to your Excellencie and my great affection to his Majesties service whereof I am infinitely possessed I hear your Excellencie is in France but my prayers to God are to send you safe and happie home for the World holds you the soule of advancing his Majesties affairs wherein his Honour is ingaged as it is especially in this action being the first and a Great One. And as for my self who am now a creature you have made I know not what I shall do when I come to England being your Excellencies shadow only I have here attended the wind and since I cannot force it I am glad of the opportunitie to send the Letters by Sir Henry Vane who goes over Land a Passage I am not capable of having been so long their enemie But I hope God will send me soon after leaving Sir William St. Leiger here for the dispatch of that which remains I have written more particularly to my Lord Conway which I dare not set down here for fear of being tedious and knowing his Lordship will give your Excellencie an account of it And so in all humblenesse and dutie I pray God send your Excellency honour and length of life for his Majestie 's affairs and for the happinesse of Your Lordships most humble faithful and obedient servant Ed. Cecill Hagh the 3d. of June 1625. Sir Edward Cecil to the Duke My most Excellent Lord THe occasion of my boldnesse in presenting your Excellency with these lines is for that contrary to my expectation I hear that there is a Commission a drawing to make Sir Horace Vere a Baron of England It is strange to me at this time to hear it for that I know not what worth there is more in him then in those that are equal in profession and before him in birth If your Excellencie have made choice of me to be your second in this journey of so much charge and expectation and to make me lesse then I was what courage shall I have to do you service or what honour will redound to your Excellencie But although I write it yet I cannot believe it for that I know you of that judgment and noblenesse that you will rather adde to your faithful servants although they beg it not then to disgrace them and make them lesse Therefore I will continue my belief and rest Your Excellencies most humble and devoted servant Ed. Cecill 19. of July 1625. My Lord Wimbledon to the Duke My Gratious Lord IT hath not a little troubled your faithful servant at my last being with your Excellencie in White-Hall Garden to understand after I had attended so long that I had ill offices done me to his Majestie and yet the World is of opinion that I have your Excellencies favor I presently went home and ever since I have mused and considered and can find no reason or policie for my being kept from his Majesties presence which maketh me and my neer friends astonished For hitherto I have received no favour but rather the most strictest proceeding that ever was
part where France hath before usurped on the Empire in which regard his interest of estate is greater then your Majesties in the Conservation of the Palatinate though your personal interest be incomparable with his Then he cannot but think of the losse of his Correspondencies and breach of his Confederacies in Germany which have been very ancient and very particular with the house of the Palatine And if the reason of mutual gratitude and vindication of injuries may move Frenchmen there are plentiful arguments on both kinds to move them to defend the House of the Palatine against that of Austria But now on the other side to move him against those of the Religion at home first doth present it self his successeful beginning against them in the businesse of Bearn then which nothing could be more unjust both in regard of the matter it self and of his own faith and promise and of the desert of those of the Religion towards him in these late troubles nor could any thing be more suddenly or violently I do not say cruelly executed then that was And again the present tearms wherein that King and those of the Religion do stand will push him on Then there will not want to this purpose the powerful perswasions of the Pope and his adherents both by propounding overtures to lay asleep the jealousies of the house of Austria and offering huge summes towards the charge of the War which if he should attempt and prevail therein it would prove of far greater prejudice for many reasons that may be given in the interest of Estate to your Majestie though not in the interest of your affection then the losse of the Palatinate What may in France be resolved upon these motives is uncertain But I do conceive hereupon that it may be useful for your Majesties service effectually to propound in France a Confederacie for the Conservation of the Palatinate to which if they do hearken your Majestie shall proceed in that design with greater strength and reputation and occasion the King of Spain to proceed with greater remissenesse or else absolutely to relinquish the Palatinate by a Treaty But if in France it be not hearkened to your Majestie may take it for an assured argument that they mean to proceed against those of the Religion in which case your Majestie may make use of the same Embassage to revive again some of their factions in the Court whereby those of the Religion may be strengthened in their defence and it will not be hard to effect if it be well proceeded in And herein doth properly offer it self the person of the Duke of Bovillon who for his great experience and wit and intelligence in that Court is best able to guide and further your Majesties intentions and for his interest in the person of the Palatine and in the conversation of those of the Religion doth precisely square with your Majesties ends whose advice you may first suddenly and secretly enquire c. Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 10. December 1624. May it please your Grace THe Arch-Duke Don Carlos brother to the Emperour made his entrie into this Town on the 15th of the last moneth Stil Vet. He was met by the Almirante of Castile two daies journey from this place who went from hence well accompanied and attended by many Liveries richly set forth Some 400. paces without a Gate of this Town called Alcala the Arch-Duke was received by the two Infants Don Carlos and the Cardinal and about 200 paces without the said Gate by the King himself who came attended with the greatest part of this Court and in his Coach accompanied with the Duke of Newbergh and the Conde of Olivarez The King lighted out of his Coach to receive the Arch-Duke and some complements being past between them returned into his Coach and set the Arch-Duke by him on his left hand in the other end of the Coach set the two Infants in one boot the Duke of Newbergh and the Conde of Olivarez and in the other the Emperours Embassadour and the Almirante the Almirante taking place of the Embassadour Being come to the Palace the King accompanied the Arch-Duke to the Queens Quarter where his Majestie left him to be conveyed from thence to his own Quarter which is the same was given to the Prince his Highnesse at his being in this Court by the Infants his Brothers as he was having finished his complements with the Queen and the Infanta Dona Maria There were preparations here making for the honouring his reception with several feasts and entertainments after their manner here But these have been stopped by the Arch-Dukes sicknesse who felt himself indisposed the day after his arrival and applying some Physical remedies by the advice of a Physitian which he brought along with him his distemper increased and as it is pretended by these Physitians by a wrong course held with him What hath been the true cause of his infirmity I leave to be disputed by them He hath been held divers dayes with a terrible Calenture which proved at last a Tabardillo whereupon there was little hope conceived of his life but he hath since received some ease and is now in a good way of amendment In respect of the Emperours unworthy proceedings with the King our Master I have not dared to visit him untill I shall have notice of his Majesties pleasure therein which I shall be glad to understand from your Grace Since the expiring of the Truce betwixt this Crown and the Hollanders this King hath given License to divers Port Towns on the Coasts of Biscay to arm out what ships they shall think good and to make prize to their own particular benefit of what they shall light upon belonging to the enemies of this Crown by which meanes it is here hoped That these Coasts will be much the better secured from the daily pillages of the Holland men of War and the Turkish Pyrates For the advancing whereof upon request made of those of Sevil there is License given unto them to arm what men of War they can find means The Duke of Maqueda likewise with leave hath lately set forth six ships which are abroad in Pyracie There is advice given hither that the Duke of Brandenbergh hath given his consent to the conferring of the Electoral dignitie upon the Duke of Bavaria which I can hardly believe though I find it assured from very good hands The Duke of Newbergh remains still in this Court and presses to carry a cleer resolution in his businesses from hence but for any thing I can yet learn his negotiation remains in the same estate as I advertised in my last to Mr. Secretarie Conway The Armada prepared in Portugal for the recovering of Brasil is gon to Sea and whereas they were to have stayed at the Cape St. Vincent for the Armado of Castile upon advice that is given hither that the Hollanders in Brasil are not able to make any resistance of consideration they have
Prince in the whole world upon whom the Conservation of the publique tranquillity doth more rely then upon your Majestie For there being none that doth equal your Majestie in wisdom and experience possessing your Kingdomes in perfect peace quietnesse and plenty to the infinite praise of your name and being free from the molestation of all stormes and tempests it seemeth that the eyes of all men are turned towards your Majestie as towards a Sun that ought to clear the Skie and that they expect deliverance onely from your hand These resolutions oh most wise King will be the strongest walls upon which your eternity can be reared These will be the Jewels and the crown which will adorn you in earth and in Heaven These will be the immortal Glorie of your powerful name The resolutions in cases of such weight and danger ought to be magnanimous quick and powerful The very noise of your putting in order your royal Navie the sending a person of quality to the place from whence the danger is feared and the declaring your self in favour of those whom you shall find to have the right on their side may perhaps prove sufficient to procure a peace If words will not prevail deeds must follow and such a resolution will prove the true Antidote to all their poysons For the better effecting whereof the world doth attend with great devotion to see a good correspondencie renewed betwixt your Majestie and the French King and for the disposing your Majesties heart thereunto the State of Venice doth joyn her humble prayers unto the earnest intreaty of many others In the mean time I am to request your Majestie that you will be pleased to forbid the exportation of Artillerie ships and Marriners out of our Kingdomes for the service of the Spaniards it being neither just nor agreeable to your Majesties Piety that your Arms should be stayned with the blood of a State and Prince that hath no equal in love to your Royal Crown and that will ever testifie to all the world by effects of their observance the pure and sincere devotion that they have to your Glorious name For my own particular I humbly crave leave to kisse your royal hands Sir Isaac Wake to the Secretarie Right Honourable I Have safely received the Letter wherewith your Honour hath been pleased to favour me dated at Theobalds the 19th of July Stil Vet. and have to my singular comfort understood that you have been pleased not onely to give favourable acceptance unto such weak dispatches as I have made bold to addresse unto you but done me the honour likewise to acquaint his Majestie with the contents of them and to direct my proceedings in in this intricate businesse which instructions dictated by his Majesties wisedom this light will be sufficient to direct my steps in the middest of an Egyptian darknesse which doth not only obscure the Horizon of this Province where I reside but almost the whole face of Europe by reason of the great mists which are cast artificially in all mens eyes to cover the designs of those who do presume that they have in all places arbitrium Belliet Pacis I most humbly crave pardon of your Honour if you do not receive my answer so soon as perhaps you might expect For yours having stayed upon the way a month and a day did not come to my hands until the 20th of August Stil Vet. At which time it was brought unto me by Mr. Rowlandson whom I had dispatched into Germany to advertize those Princes of the motion made to the Duke of Savoy for the passage of Spanish forces through his State My Lord of Doncaster under whose Cover I received that Letter did not think fit to send it to me by an expresse messenger for fear of increasing the suspition of some in those parts who are jealous that his Majesty doth favour the Duke of Savoy more then they could wish And I must confesse that the same reason induced me likewise to send that Gentleman of the Duke of Savoy's into Germany rather then any servant of mine own for fear least allees and vennes of messagers betwixt my Lord of Doucaster and me in these doubtful times might so far injealous the contrary party as might prejudice the service of his Majestie in that Negotiation The instructions that your Honour hath been pleased to give me from his Majestie 52. c. the Duke of Sav. y. 93. a. the Bohemians 95 a. the Emperour Ferdinand 51. a. the King of England 97. a. Germany 99. a. the King of the Romans 71. c. the Agent of England 51. b. the Prince Palatine 52. b. the Marquesse Brandenbergh 54. b. the Marquesse Auspach 50. b. the Princes of the Union 56 b. Count Ernest Mansfelt concerning my treating with 52. c. in favour of 93. a. having reference unto the inclination of 95. a. to peace or the probability of defence to be made by 93. a. I held it more safe for me to govern my self by such informations of the state of those affairs as I have received from the favour of the 1. 32. 7. 5. 47. 48. 2. 10. 40. 45. of 51. a. in 97. a. And for the better justification of my proceedings I send your Honour here inclosed the Copie of his Letter unto me wherein you will see that I have no reason as yet to spend the name of 51. a. in favour of 93. a. nor to imbargue 52. c. in a businesse which may draw a great charge and envie upon himself and not much advantage the 93. a. I must confesse that the 50. b. in general and particularly the 54. b. and the 41. 45. 23. 34. 9. 12. of 5. 35. 22. 4. 30. 50. have represented the state of those affairs at this present unto 52. b. in a manner not onely different from the advertisements sent me but almost contrary and they do seem not only to be confident of the prevailing of 93. c. but likewise they continue to give hope that the 10. 51. 29. 15. of 48. 3. 59. 15. will concur with 51. b. and 52. b. in the 12. 30. 13. 9. 50. 27. 40. 35. of 99. a. But because I have reason to suspect that they make relation of those affairs rather as they wish they were then as they be indeed and that their intention to draw somewhat from 52. c. towards the succours of 93. a. I will forbear to joyn with them therein until I can have some better ground then their advertisements which may be thought to savour of partiality and I have reason to be backward therein because I know that 52. c. would presently take me eu mot and put to the account of 51. a. that which he is most willing to do of himself I do not affirm this out of conjecture but upon good ground for besides that he did signifie so much unto me at my return out of England I do know that within this fortnight he hath sent unto 56. b. 3000. 41. 24. 48. 49.
plots would be most acceptable to the Puritans not without great injury to your Councel of State from which he fled and disclaimed by way of an appeale and with such successe that we may be bold to say that the Parliament is now above the King Nay which is more that this daring Duke propounded many things to the Parliament in the Kings name your Majestie being neither acquainted with them nor willing to them Yea and that he propounded many things contrary to your Majesties service Who is there that doth not see and commend the royal disposition of the Prince adorned with so great endowments of his mind that he doth not in them all shew and approve himself to be a very good son of a very good King And yet neverthelesse that the Duke doth so much presume upon his favour that he contemneth all men as knowing that those who are obedient to his Highnesse will also subject themselves to his will I would to God he did direct those his actions to the good of the Prince But that is a thing so far from the opinion of good men that they rather believe that he who hath overthrown the marriage with Spain will be of no lesse power to the breaking of any other marriage and that is it which many do prophesie They knew in Spain that very same day that he had received Letters from the most illustrious Prince Palatine that he caused the procuration to be revoked and in a few dayes after when the comming of the foresaid Princes Secretarie and the confirmation of his hope of having his Daughter married to her Highnesse son all things were utterly dashed in pieces Let your Majestie have a care of your self and the Prince and foresee the hurts and damages which a man of such a turbulent humour may stir up whose headie spirit your Majestie saith you have noted and have desired to mittigate A man I say that is ambitious of popular ayr as plainly appeared in Parliament when the casting of all odious matter upon your Majestie he did arrogate the thanks of all things that were acceptable to himself being stiled the redeemer of his countrie I say again a man that hath envied so great a good to the Christian world and principally to the kingdomes of England and Spain having used some certain meanes which do argue that he aymed at such an end as many already do fear and to prophesie in it the worst event that can be if the Puritans desire a kingdome which they do against their wills they wish it not to the most illustirous Prince the best and true Heir of your Majestie but to the Prince Palatine whose spie and Scout Mansfelt is what shew soever he makes He that makes these things known to your Majestie dischargeth the part of a good man as well towards God as your Majestie and the illustirous Prince whom it now standeth in hand to foresee the vengeance of God provided by the Dukes plots and the furie of the Parliament there having been so many and so great testimonies published against Spain contrarie contrarie to truth so many and so frequent infamous Libels begotten and brought forth and many such other things so full of bitternesse and ignominie that they cannot be read even of our enemies without some taint upon the English Nation It is mostapparent and stories will testifie that here Leagues have been broken by the will and pleasure of them whom it especiallie concerneth to provide for your peace and quiet and to wish from the bottom of their hearts that after many and these most happie yeares that Motto of yours blessed be the Peace-makers might be verified in Letter of the person of your Majestie and to propound the same Counsel to the most illustrious Prince to be imitated which your Majestie hath done to the whole world to be commended and admired A happie Prince will he be if he comes and succceeds peaceably into the haereditarie possession of his kingdom and which will be of no lesse advantage to him having his peace established with those Princes whose friendship and amitie your Majestie hath procured and deserved He would certainly love and commend those that had given him those Counsels of peace Peace and tranquillitie are by haereditarie right devolved to the most illustrious Prince in as much as he is born of the Father who hath with so much industrie procured them not onely to this Island but to the continent also esteeming them at a higher value then his kingdomes themselves Which since it is thus and that the blood of his Father which is in him and the love wherewith he is carried towards your Majestie and the experience of this your most happie Government and that great example wherewith your Majestie hath drawn and won the Christian world to an admiration and love of you did all direct the most illustrious Prince with a kind of connatural motion to the same Counsel and purpose of peace as might have heretofore been likewise hoped Certainly this Machination is very strong violent and mighty which doth suddainely labour to turn him into a clean contrarie course And questionlesse if the very entrance into a war the war it self if it want justice it will want also happie successe It cannot be unknown to your Majestie that the Duke of Buckingham carrieth himself so lofty that he would have all men perswaded that he hath and doth exercise a kind of dominion over the will of your Majestie and of his Highnesse All things shall be made manifest to your Majestie if you will have them so for there are not meanes wanting whereby you may free your vassal from fear and diffidence who will otherwise dare nothing nor say nothing which certainely appeares so far to be true that when all things standing as they do it is an easie matter to find who will speak against your Majestie yet there is none that dare speak against the Duke Let your Majestie call some certain men unto you and sist out of them the opinion of the more moderate Parliament and enquire of those that come out of Spain who did first give the first cause of falling out whether the Complaints against the King of Spain be true or no whether that foresaid King were not desirous to satisfie the desire of the Prince his Highnesse Whether he did not faithfully endeavour to effect the marriage Whether the Duke of Buckingham did not many things against the authoritie and reverence due to the most illustrious Prince Whether he was not wont to be sitting whilest the Prince stood and was in presence and also having his feet resting upon another seat after an undecent manner Whether when the Prince was uncovered whilest the Queen and Infanta looked out at the Windowes he uncovered his head or no Whether sitting at the Table with the Prince he did not behave himself unreverently Whether he were not wont to come in to the Princes Chamber with his cloathes half on so
that the doors could not be opened to them that came to visit the Prince from the King of Spain the Door-keepers refusing to go in for modesties sake Whether he did not call the Prince by ridiculous names Whether he did not dishonour and prophane the Kings Palace with base and contemptible women Whether he did not divers obscene things and used not immodest gesticulations and wanton Tricks with Players in the presence of the Prince Whether he did not violate his faith given to the Conde O livares Whether he did not presently communicate his discontents offences and complaints to the Embassadours of other Princes Whether in doing of his businesse he did not use frequent threatenings unto the Catholique Kings Ministers and to Apostolical Nuns Whether he did not affect to fit at Playes presented in the Kings Palace after the manner and example of the King and Prince being not contented with the honour that is ordinarily given to the High Steward or Major domo of the Kings house Besides all these things which have heretofore been told your Majestie there is yet this more that is new That the Duke of Buckingham with what intention let others judge hath divulged in Parliament some secret Treatie negotiated betwixt your Majestie and the King of Spain touching the affaires of Holland the secresie whereof neverthelesse your Majestie had so recommended that besides the King and the Coude of Olivares no man in Spain knew of it If the Duke do not appear guilty of all these things let him be still your Majesties most faithful servant and let your Majestie yet confer upon him greater Honours if you can For I would have these things conceived to be spoken for the securitie of your Majestie not for the hurt of him to whom I wish prosperitie if by him the Christian world might be in prosperitie It onely remaineth that your Majestie will be pleased to take in good part this my service and obedience shewed to your Commandements To the King ab ignoto Best and most excellent King YOu will wonder that he who at first protesteth to be neither Papist nor Puritan Spaniard nor Hollander or yet in any delirium fit should presume in this Libel-like way to lay down to your Majestie the strong zeal he beareth to the safetie of your Majestie and his Countrie by shewing in this dark Tablet drawn by the worst Painter the common opinion of all those which are not possessed as above They say the businesse of greatest consequence that ever your Majestie handled is now at point to go well or ill The marriage or none and as it is carried a present War or a continued Peace The match of your son they wish you may perfect in your own time and think that for the quiet of your self and Kingdomes the shortest time the best And that this already traced will far sooner piece then any new one have beginning and accomplishment They fear this suspension carried by Killegrew was brought by Buckingham not for what he pretends and plainly say It was not onely to prevent his Highnesse marriage there but any where Whereby 1. His particular greatnesse may still stand absolute 2. His Wife and Tribe still present the Princesse person 3. And your Majestie be and remain their Pupil The Parliament so much urged they say is to be a marrying his Mightinesse unto the Common Weal that as your Majestie is his good Father It may be his Mother and so he stand not only by the King but by the People and popular humour that he hath lately so earnestly courted and especially from those who are noted to be of the most troubled humour How your Majestie should gain upon a Parliament they cannot imagine seeing all are resolved to sell your Courtesies at the dearest rate both by ill words and for double as much again the humour of it being so inconstant that twenty to one but those very tongues which in the last did cry War War War will now curse him that urgeth for one poor Subsidie to raise a War And miserable is he that is to make a War or to defend against it with money that is to be given and gathered from them They say our Great Duke bath certainly a brave desire to War but in that also he hath some great end of enriching himself which he too well loveth being carried away with that sweet sound how Nottingham gained yearly during that ficknesse 40000 l. by his Admirals place but what his Majestie gained they find not in the Exchequer or Kingdome Somewhat also they fear this his Graces precipitate humour and change of humour hath of pride to shew his power as great here as is Olivares his there as also of revenge against him in particular For were it love to his now much beloved Countrie they say there was as much reason for breach both of the Match and Peace when the Parliament urged it as there is now They say There is a rumour of his Graces a match for his Mary with the young Palatine It is no Gorgon and will concern his Highnesse if they that are now our best friends the Hollanders should change their Copie In this his Highnesse coming off from Spain they say He hath advised him to no worse then he did himself for how many did he deflour abuse and cousen with marriage by his grace in Court and power with your Majestie In short your Subjects that have sence of your estate do most earnestly beseech your Majestie to have more especial care of your own preservation then ordinarily you have both in respect of the desperate staggering which their Priests now stand in and of your own Phaeton himself who in truth wanteth nothing of man enough but a good nature and being in custome to carry all with a high hand must be desperate if he fail in any Punto of his violent will We know your Majestie according to the sweetnesse and virtue of your Nature agreeing with Gods blessed Will hath long preserved your people in all peace and plentie And all good and sensible people pray you even for Gods sake not to be cousened of your own life and liberty Oh be not mislead to trouble your own Kingdoms quiet but that after many and many a happle year you may die happily in peace To his Sacred Majestie ab ignoto May it please his most excellent Majestie to consider THat this great opposition against the Duke of Buckingham is stirred up and maintained by such who either malitiously or ignorantly and concurrently seek the debasing of this free Monarchie which because they find not yet ripe to attempt against the King himself they endeavour it through the Dukes side These men though agreeing in one mischief yet are of divers sorts and humours viz. 1. Medling and busie persons who took their first hint at the beginning of King James when the union was treated of in Parliament That learned King gave too much way to those popular speeches
alliance and common interest of state and religion have joyned unto you 3. And last of all cast off and remove jealousies which are between your Majestie and your people Your Majestie must begin with the last for upon that foundation you may afterwards set what frame of building you please And when should you begin Sir but at this overture of your Parliament by a gracious clear and confident discovery of your intentions to your People Fear them not Sir never was there a better King that had better subjects if your Majestie would trust them Let them but see that you love them and constantly rely upon their humble advice and readie assistance and your Majestie will see how they will tear open their breasts to give you their hearts and having them your Majestie is sure of their hands and purses Cast but away some crums of your Crown amongst them and your Majestie will see those crums will make a miracle they will satisfie many thousands Give them assurance that your heart was alwayes at home though your eyes were abroad invite them to looke forward and not backward and constantly maintain that with confidence you undertake and your majestie will find admirable effects of this harmonious concord Your Majestie as the head directing and your people as the hands and feet obeying and co-operating for the honour safety and welfare of the bodie of the State This will revive and reunite your friends abroad and dismay and disappoint the hopes of your enemies secure your Majesties person assure your estate and make your memorie glorious to posterity Pardon I most humbly beseech your Majestie this licentious freedome which the zeal of your safetie and service hath extorted from a tongue-tyed man who putteth his heart into his Majesties hand and humbly prostrateth himself at your Royal feet as being Your Majesties Most humble most obedient obliged Creature Subject and Servant Carlile The Earl of Carlile to the Duke the 20. of November 1625. My most Noble dear Lord SInce my Last to your Lordship by Mr. Endimion Porter there hath not happened any matter of great moment or alteration here saving the resolution which his Majestie hath taken by the advice of his Councel for the disarming of all the Popish Lords In the execution whereof there fell out a brabble at the Lord Vaux his house in North-hamptonshire wherein there were some blowes exchanged between the said Lord and Mr. Knightly a Justice of the Peace who assisted the Deputie Lievtenant in that action Whereof complaint being made his Majestie was pleased himself in Councel to have the hearing of the businesse and upon examination to refer the judgement thereof to the Star-Chamber the next Term. But at the issuing out of the Councel Chamber the Lord Vanx taking occasion to speak to Sir William Spencer who with the rest had given information in favour of Mr. Knightly told him that though he neglectect his reputation before the Lords yet he doubted not but he would have more care of his oath when the businesse should come to Examination in the Star-Chamber Herewith Sir VVilliam Spencer finding his reputation challenged presently complained and thereupon the words being acknowledged the Lord Vaux was committed prisoner to the Fleet. In the disarming of the Lords-Recusants there was as much respect had of some who have relation to your Lordship as you your self would desire The Papists in general here do give some cause of jealousie by their Combinations and Murmurings wherein it is suspected that they are as fondly as busily encouraged by the pragmatical Mounsieurs But his Majesties temper and wisdom will be sufficient to prevent all inconveniencie which their follie or passion may contrive There is one Sir Thomas Gerrard a Recusant brought up hither out of Lancashire being accused of some treacherous design against his Majesties Person Rochel is so straightly blocked by Sea and Land as no Intelligence can be sent into the Town We have not as yet any clear Categorical answers touching the restitution of our ships As soon as any thing more worthy of your Lordships knowledge shall occur you shall not fail to be advertised from him that is eternally vowed Your Graces Most faithful friend and most humble servant Carlile The Earl of Carlile to the Duke My most Noble dear Lord I Must ever acknowledge my self infinitely obliged to your Lordship for many Noble favours but for none more then the freedome and true cordial friendship expressed in your last Letter touching my son And I shall humbly beseech your Lordship in all occasions to continue that free and friendly manner of proceeding which I shall ever justly esteem as the most real testimonie of your favour towards me Your Lordship will now be pleased to give me leave with the same freedom and sinceritie to give your Lordship an account that it is now 4. moneths since the Count of Mansfelt made the proposition to me to nominate my son to be one of his Colonels as he did likewise to my Lord of Holland for his Brother Sir Charles Rich which at the first I must deal plainly with your Lordship I took for a piece of art as if he knowing that next to the benefit and assistance he received from your Lordships favour and protection we were the most active instruments imployed in his businesse and therefore he sought to ingage us so much the farther by this interest But afterwards I found that under the shadow of this Complement put upon me he had a desire to gratifie Sir James Ramsey whom he designed to be my sons Lievtenant having regard to his former deserts and the courage and sufficiencie he hath found in him I professe unto your Lordship sincerely that he received no other encouragement or acceptance from me then a bare negative Insomuch as he afterwards sent a Gentleman to tell me That he perceived whatsoever he should expect from me in the furtherance of his businesse must be onely for the respect I bare to my Masters service and nothing for love of his person since I accepted not the proffer of his service My Lord of Holland can justifie the truth of this assertion who alone was acquainted with that which passed for I protest upon my salvation that I neither spake of it to any creature living not so much as to my son neither have I written one word thereof to the Count Mansfelt neither knew I any thing of his proceedings till by the last Currier Mr. Secretarie was pleased to acquaint me with the nomination of my son If I had seriously intended any such thing I want not so much judgment and discretion as not first to discover my desire to my gracious Master humbly craving his leave and allowance And I should not have failed to have recourse to your Lordships favourable assistance therein And thus my Noble Lord have I given you an account what entertainment I gave to the Count Mansfelts Complement And I will be bold also to give
then by informing his Majestie that our Prince whom he had ever so much valued would be as I conceived free and dis-ingaged from our Spanish Treatie by reason that the King could not find them answer his expectation in those things that made him principally desire their Conjunction the which your Lordship seeing you have exercised your interest and credit with the King your Master and the Prince to convert those thoughts towards his Majestie from whom you were perswaded nothing but truth and honour would be returned the which at this time more then ever would be an infinite advantage to both these Kingdoms and that I believed if his Majestie would shew a disposition as affectionate to receive Propositions to this purpose as the King my Master had to make them a long time would not passe before the effects of this might appear the which would shew the report raised here of the ends of my coming to be false and me to be free of all other designs then those which I had expressed unto him He told me that he had not heard that the Spanish Match was yet broken the which justly might give him cause to be reserved yet thus far be would assure me in the general That whatsoever should be propounded unto him from the King of Great Brittain he would most heartily and affectionately receive it but this was with such a fashion of Courtesie as shewed that he desired cause to have said more and I am fully satisfied not onely from him but the Queens and most of all of Madam her self who shewes all the sweetnesse and contentment that may be and likewise from all the Officers of the Crown and State that they can desire nothing equal with this alliance A better and more large preparation then this my instructions cannot make and I wonder to see it thus fair considering the hinderances and defacings the Spanish Embassadour desires to cast upon it who besides the Rodomontado's and threatenings of the preparations of his Master doth here take a contrary but cunning way letting them know that the Prince cannot have two Wives for their Infanta is surely his onely to create a jealousie and shienesse in them towards me that he suspects labours to do offices that are not to his liking You will therefore I hope speedily put this State out of these doubts and clearly and freely proceed with them Upon my credit and reputation they are all of that disposition that we can wish them to be and it appears by their tender care of the States and their resolution to ayd them And likewise in sending Captain Coborn that came from the Duke of Brunswick to demand a supplie of men who is returned with answer unto him that he shall have double what he required and great satisfaction to the Count Mansfelt that sent a Gentleman hither to let the King know he was not yet in such disorder but that he could assemble his Troops to such a number as might do his Majestie good service if he would be pleased to take him into his protection and favour And the King hath sent a Gentleman of the Religion a Sedanois to Leige to give information to this State of the proceedings of the Spaniards there and to be ready to receive if the Town shall seek it the protection of them But these passages I am sure you continually understand from our Embassadour the which makes me omit many particularities in this kind that I could inform you of I have sent this Bearer of purpose the which I beseech your Grace return with some speed and with him the resolutions of our dear and Sacred Master whom God ever blesse and keep to our glorie and comfort My Lord I am The humblest and most obliged of all your Graces servants Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Secretary the Lord Conway Right Honourable ACcording to his Majesties order which your last of April the 14. derived unto me I have represented such reasons to the King and his ministers of State here against the sending of any person in what quality soever to the Duke of Baviers as they acquiesce in them speciallie for that they come commanded under his Majesties desire which they professe to be very willing to comply with not only in this but in any other occasion wherein his Majestie may directly or indirectly be any way interessed I took the same opportunity of preparing the way a little farther to a formal treaty of alliance by feeling once again their pulse in matters of religion and find that it beats so temperately as promises a very good Crisis of any thing that may concern that particular I dealt plainely with the Marquesse de la Veiville touching the course that his Majestie may be driven to hold against Jesuites and Priests of banishing them the Kingdom and of quickning the lawes against the other Catholiques as well out of necessity of reducing them within the bounds of sobriety and obedience as of keeping good intelligence with his Parliament without which he could not possibly go thorough with such a weighty work as he is now to undertake He approved of the course for the ends sake under hope notwithstanding that his Majestie would not tie his own hands from some moderate favour hereafter which is all they pretend unto and desire it may flow from the mediation of this State upon an alliance here for the saving of their honour who otherwise will be hardly reputed Catholiques In representing a facility in these things I leave no other difficulties to be imagined Their good inclination to the match in general they are willing to demonstrate as by many other evidences so by the care they are now under of lodging and defraying my Lord of Carlile and my self in a more splendid and Magnifique manner then ever yet they did any Embassadour whatsoever for such is the language that Ville-aux Cleres holds to me upon that subject The Count of Soissons sees it and stormes and manifests his discontent towards me who am the instrument more fellie then discreetly I encountred him the other day and gave him the due that belonged to his rank but instead of returning me my salute he disdainfullie turned back his head I was somewhat sensible thereof and I told Mounsieur de Grandmont of it and as he and I were discoursing of it the day following Soissons offered himself full butt upon us a second time I again repeated my courtesie and he is childish in civility Grandmont found it strange and intimated to the Marquesse de la Valette a familiar and confident of the Counts both my observation and his own distaste of such an uncivil kind of proceeding Valette conveyes the same to Soissons himself who answered that he could not afford me a better countenance not for any ill will he bore unto my person but to my errand and negotiation which were it not in the behalf of so great a Prince went so near his heart as he
in all shortly But assuredly the latter advice comes from a heart that is affectionately devoted to your Graces service This Bearer will kisse your Graces hands from the Authour and thereby you will know his name which he stipulated might not come in writing The Lord Herbert to his Majestie My most Gracious Soveraign NOw that I thank God for it his Highnesse according to my continual prayers hath made a safe and happie return unto your Sacred Majesties presence I think my self bound by way of Compleat obedience to these Commandements I received from your Majestie both by Mr. Secretary Calvert and my Brother Henry to give your Majestie an account of that sense which the general sort of people doth entertain here concerning the whole frame and Context of his Highnesse voyage It is agreed on all parts that his Highnesse must have received much contentment in seeing two great Kingdomes and consequently in enjoyning that satisfaction which Princes but rarely and not without great peril obtain His Highnesse discretion diligence and Princely behaviour every where likewise is much praised Lastly since his Highnesse journey hath fallen out so well that his Highnesse is come back without any prejudice to his person or dignity they say the successe hath sufficiently commended the Councel This is the most common censure even of the biggest party as I am informed which I approve in all but in the last point in the delivery whereof I find something to dislike and therefore tell them that things are not to be judged alone by the successe and that when they would not look so high as Gods providence without which no place is secure they might find even in reason of State so much as might sufficiently warrant his Highnesse person and liberty to return I will come from the ordinary voice to the selecter judgement of the Ministers of State and more intelligent people in this Kingdom who though they nothing vary from the above recited opinion yet as more profoundly looking into the state of this long treated of Alliance betwixt your Sacred Majestie and Spain in the persons of his Highnesse and the Infanta they comprehended their sentence thereof as I am informed in three Propositions First that the protestation which the King of Spain made to his Highnesse upon his departure whereby he promised to chase away and disfavour all those who should oppose this marriage doth extend no further then to the said Kings Servants or at furthest not beyond the temporal Princes his Neighbours so that the Pope being not included herein it is though his consent must be yet obtained and consequently that the businesse is in little more forwardnesse then when it first began Secondly that the Pope will never yield his consent unlesse your Sacred Majestie grant some notable priviledges and advantage to to the Roman Catholique religion in your Sacred Majesties Kingdomes Thirdly that the said King of Spain would never insist upon obtaining those priviledges but that he more desires to form a party in your Sacred Majesties Kingdomes which he may keep alwaies obsequious to his will then to maintain a friendly correspondence between your Sacred Majestie and himself I must not in the last place omit to acquaint your Sacred Majestie very particularly with the sense which was expressed by the bons Francois and bodie of those of the Religion who heartily wish that the same Greatnesse which the King of Spain doth so affect over all the world and still maintaines even in this country which is to be Protector of the Jesuited and Bigott partie your Sacred Majestie would imbrace in being defender of our faith The direct answer to which though I evade and therefore reply little more then that this Counsel was much fitter when the union in Germany did subsist then at this time Yet do I think my self obliged to represent the affection they bear unto your Sacred Majestie This is as much as is come to my notice concerning that point your Sacred Majestie gave me in charge which therefore I have plainely layd open before your Sacred Majesties eyes as understanding well that Princes never receive greater wrong then when the Ministers they put in trust do palliate and disguise those things which it concerns them to know For the avoiding whereof let me take the boldnesse to assure your Sacred Majestie that those of this Kings Councel here will use all meanes they can both to the King of Spain and to the Pope In whom they pretend to have very particular interest not only to interupt but if it be possible to break off you Sacred Majesties Alliance with Spain For which purpose the Count de Tilliers hath strict command to give al punctual advice that accordingly they may proceed It rests that I most humbly beseech your Sacred Majestie to take my free relation of these particulars in good part since I am of no faction nor have any passion or interest but faithfullie to perform that service and dutie which I owe to your Sacred Majestie for whose perfect health and happinesse I pray with the devotion of From Merton Castle the 31. of October 1623. Stil No. Your Sacred Majesties most obedient most Loyal and most affectionate Subject and Servant Herbert Mr. Edward Clark to the Duke May it please your Grace I Have been hitherto very unfit by reason of my sicknesse to give your Lordship any account of my time at Madrid So that without your Lordships favourable construction I may be thought forgetful of the trust committed to my charge and the rather in that as yet your Lordship hath only heard what I have done but not why I presume I have faithfullie followed the Princes direction and on such probable inducements as will I hope both in your Highnesses and your Lordships opinion plead my excuse at least The verie day the Prince arrived at St. Anderas my Lord of Bristol seeing me verie weak told me he was verie sorrie I was not able to perform the journie for England for that now there was an extraordinary occasion of a dispatch not only in respect of the ratification come the night before but because also they were almost come to a final conclusion of all articles which were to be engrossed and signed the next day Hereupon I was inquisitive to know what assurance he had the Ratification was come He answered that that verie day he had been summoned to attend the Junto and that there they had earnestlie pressed him that the Articles might be speedilie drawn up and signed since they had now received full warrant to authorize them to proceed And that the next day was appointed accordingly Thereupon unwilling to omit the present opportunitie conceiving withal the purpose of the Princes Letter to be either to expresse his Highnesse further pleasure before the meeting of the Junto or to prevent the concluding of some other particular Article they might otherwise fall upon I delivered his Letter to his Lordship pretending it came to
at Court since the death of his son I fear the newes that Charles Gleman did shew you was true For I can assure you Marquesse Hamilton was much troubled till I had spoken with him There be some have done no good offices betwixt you Pray have a care of the Letter I mean the man Mr. Gleman did shew you and keep as many friends as you may I have spoken with no man but my Lord Keeper who is yours or not his own as he sweares And Mr. secretarie Conway is yours bodie and soul I never heard of the like of him for he flies at all men that be not yours Here is much admiration that they hear not from you but I thank God the King is not troubled at it for I do assure him that it is the better that he heares not from you for now he may be confident that you keep your day in comming away which doth much please him I will write nothing of my own businesse though there be nothing done in it but do hope that you will not see your Servant perish If I be too tedious I pray pardon mee it is my love that makes me so and yet I have an humble suite unto you which is to begg at your hands for patience for now is the time to shew it or never for all the eyes of the world are upon you and this is the time to win Honour and fame and for Gods-sake carrie the businesse with patience betwixt my Lord of Bristol and you for here be those that do laugh in their sleeves at you both I beseech you let me hear from you what you will command me for I will do nothing as near as I can but what will give content For you have that power in me that you need but say and it is done if it lie in my power so shall you ever command Your faithful and obedient Servant till death Jo. Hipsley London 1. Septemb. 1623. Sir Dudley Carleton to the Marquesse of Buckingham Right Honourable BY the dispatch of the fourteenth of this present which I sent by Jonson the Post I advertised your Honour at large in the two several Letters of the occurrents of these parts and therewith sent a copie of my second proposition which I made the day before in the Assemblie of the States General touching the businesse of Cleves and Juliers in conformitie to your Honours Letters of the 30th of the last The answer thereunto was deferred until yesterday and then brought me only by word of mouth from the States by Mounsieur Magnus of Zealand and Mounsieur Zulestein of Vtrecht and was to this effect That the States having sent my former proposition of the third of December to their several provinces from which this latter did differ in substance save onely in respect of the time for the restitution of the Townes which was prolonged for the space of a month all they could do according to the constitution of their government was to send this my second proposition likewise unto their provinces which they had done the day after I made the same and until they receive more expresse order from their principals they were to rest upon their former answer Wherein they declared their good intentions to accommodate this businesse so it might be with safetie to themselves and satisfaction of their neighbours And herein they were to expect the resolution of the Elector of Brandenbergh from whom the time did not yet serve to know his mind Mean while they humbly beseech his Majestie to make a gracious construction of their proceedings I was the day before with Mounsieur Barnevelt who is President this week to sollicite their answer who excused himself upon the smalnesse of their number many of the States being absent and of two Provinces all the Deputies So as to give a determinate resolution according as was required they could not And to make answer in general terms since his Majestie rested not satisfied with the former he doubted another of the same kind would not please him So as it seems this Message in place of an answer in writing proceeded of his Councel By discourse both with him and those which came unto me upon this subject I find their diffidence of the purpose of the Spaniard rather increased then otherwise upon the news of Leavies intended on the Arch-Dukes side to the number of 9000 foot and 1000 or 1200 horse and their delay in taking a determinate resolution no way disswaded but rather counselled by all other Princes who have interest in this businesse Their Embassadour at Paris having advertised them by reiterated Letters That Don Pedro di Sarmientos his offer to his Majestie touching the execution of the Treatie of Zanten is absolutely disavowed by both the Kings of France and Spain And this French Embassadour Mounsieur du Maurier having made it appear unto them that at Brussels they have the same conceit of it as a thing done without authoritie Besides the Princes of the Union have written lately expresse Letters to the States wherein they perswade them to extraordinarie vigilance upon the Spaniards and particularly in this businesse of Cleves and Juliers the translated Copies of which Letters I send your Honour herewith And the Prince of Brandenbergh being young himself and having his Councel divided in opinion doth nothing absolutely without reference to this State and he when I put them in mind how they themselves were the authors and framers of the Treatie of Zanten they stick not to say plainly Temporamutantur et nos so as I am daily more and more confirmed in my former opinion That there is no way left to accommodate this businesse but by a private agreement between the Princes Pretendents But Strickius the Agent of Brandenbergh being absent at Cleves I do not hear how this Negotiation proceeds Amongst the particularities which passed in discourse between Mounsiour Maguns and my self I insisting upon restitution of the Townes as the meanes to prevent an imminent war upon the quarrel He asked to whom they should restore them unlesse the Princes were agreed and that they might know which of the Princes should receive him and whom they should have for their neighbour Whereby it appeares this course will on this side remove all difficulties It is advertised hither by Mounsieur Langrack the States Embassadour at Paris that the apprehension they had in the Court to have this businesse ended without the French Kings intervention caused Mounsieur de Refuges to be summoned to make an other journey expressely hither in regard he had formerly the managing thereof Notwithstanding that Mounsieur de la Nove was already named for this extraordinarie Embassage But Refuges excusing himself upon his indisposition sent all his memorial of what passed when he was here in the treatie of Zanten with his private opinion upon the whole matter to serve as an instruction to la Nove. By the other Letters of the 28. of this present Stil
of June 1620. Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Most Honourable NOt to give your Lordship the trouble of often Letters I render an account of his Majesties Commandments by the same hand I usually receive them One I had lately by an expresse Letter from his Majestie accompanied with another from your Lordship touching my Lord of Buckleugh to demand full satisfaction of the States for all his Lordships pretentions and to that effect to procure Instructions and Commission to be sent to Sir Noel Carone to end this businesse To which effect I have moved both his Excellencie and the States and whilest they were treating thereof Colonel Brogue arrived here out of Scotland with whom they are now handling to put him to Pension and to give my Lord the Command of his Regiment in lieu of his Pretensions Which when they come to calculate my Lord will find a short reckoning of them and to send accounts out of their accountants hands and refer them to others they will never be moved Wherefore if the course they now take can be gone thorough with which Colonel Brogue doth most unwillingly hear of it will be then in my Lords choice whether he will remain satisfied or not And within few daies I hope to return my Lords Secretarie with advertisement of what is done Mean time I assure your Lordship nothing is omitted in my endeavours to procure him that which may be most to his contentment In the present condition of publique affaires your Lordship knoweth well how at this instant we have all buone Parolle out of Spain and Cattivi-fatti of all the rest of the House of Austria In so much as these Low-Countrie Troops under the governance of the Infanta assist in the blocking up of a poor town all which remaines of his Majesties only Daughters Jointure in the Palatinate And the Emperour not content with having chased her Husband out of the Empire in the Proposition of the Diett of Ratisbone makes this one Article to make war upon these Provinces because amongst other quarrels they give refuge to the Prince Palatine Where will this persecution cease And what place in the world to which they are driven from hence and is easily guessed in all their extreamitie whither they will be forced to flie is not subject to the same quarrel within this week that I now write betwixt Sunday and Sunday we were here in that state if God had not prevented it this Countrie had been too hot for them to remain in and it had been a happinesse for them if they could have got a poore skeveling boat to have transported them else-where This Bearer my Nephew will inform your Lordship more particularly thereof Now de agendis there rests no more then question of maintaining the Army of Mansfelt and Brunswick which is lodged at the present in a place out of which it can hardly match and more hardly be removed If it have pay and countenance it may do good service in Germany if not I will tell your Lordship what I conceive may be the consequence It will be hedged into East-Friseland by Tillie whose Troops alreadie draw that way Cordova and Anholt against which keeping it self within that Countrie it will be able to make resistance as the poore Peasants thereof did heretofore against the Spanish Armie by reason of the difficultie of accesse From this State it will have all assistance and though it be kept in by land it will have the Sea open betwixt Griett and Norden both which places are in Mans-felts possession a Haven fit for a Fleet of Gallions If by that meanes they with correspondencie with this State may support themselves it will be very ill for many important consequences If they and this State which will be forced to run a fortune together be overcome much worse for what can keep the rest of Europe from subjection to the Austriaci Wee see how in Terra firma the Walloons joyned to Spaniards both make and maintain their Conquests Joyn the Hollanders to them by Sea they will reap the like service by them The fruit we have reaped heretofore of the shiping of these Provinces both for defence in the year 88. and offence in the Cadiz journey sheweth what a strong addition this is to a greater power My most honourable Lord I am so full of such like speculations that these have broken out ex Plentitudine Cordis surcharged with grief to see in Plenitudine temporis that to come to effect in the publique affaires which was discovered long since by the Emperours in tercepted letters sent by the Capuchin into Spain and to hear the judgment made every where that the publique opposition of the Spanish Embassadour D'Ognates words to the Emperours proceeding de facto is but a patelinage with secret understanding to abuse his Majesties goodnesse Of which it lyeth yet in his Majesties power to vindicate himself but there is no time to spare I humbly crave pardon for this libertie of discourse I use with your Lordship who am Hague 31. Jan. 1622. Your Lordships most humble and most faithful Servant Dudley Carleton Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Most Honourable I Observe in such Letters from the Prince Electour to her Highnesse with the sight of which she is pleased sometimes to favour me a mis-understanding betwixt him and his Uncle the Duke of Bovillon who groweth wearie of his Guest doubting least in his Consideration some danger may be drawn upon his Town of Sedan And the jealousie the Prince conceiveth what may be done with him in case of a Siege against which that is no place to make long resistance besides the discomforts of living in another mans house and being ill looked on makes him wish himself any where else but chiefly here where he is as much desired as missed by her Highnesse his children and Familie And where the Prince of Orange and the States apprehending very well his present danger and incommoditie will give him very willingly his wonted welcome Your Lordship may be pleased to make thus much known to his Majestie And if your Lordship can so dispose of the matter that with his Majesties good liking he may return hither again I know nothing your Lordship can do more agreeable to her Highnesse though she doth whollie submit her affections and desires to his Majesties pleasure The wars were never warmer then they are alreadie and now likely more and more to kindle in these parts The Siege of Ostend by those which were present there and are now in Berghem being esteemed sport in comparison of the furie is used in disputing the out-works of that Town Where on Munday last in the night an assault was given and maintained six hours by the Spaniards upon a half Moon kept by the Dutch on the North side out of which they were three several times repulsed with the losse of betwixt 3. and 400 men of their best and on this side under 40. All that they gained being
answer He is extreamly commended for his closenesse and secresie by the major part of our auditors the Hee and Shee good fellowes of the town and though he refuseth to be a Confessor yet is sure to die a Martyr and most of the Ladies in town will offer at his shryne The Lady Hatton some nine dayes since was at Stoke with the good Knight her Husband for some counsel in this particular But he refused to meddle therewithal and dismist her Ladiship when she had stayed with him very lovingly half a quarter of an hour The cause of my troubling your Grace is this The French Embassador is fired with some complaints of our Recusants who I verily believe work upon him purposely finding him to be of a combustible disposition To morrow he is resolved to come upon you and our Master with Complaints for lack of performances to the Papists And because I would furnish your Grace with as much answer as I am acquainted with nothing doubting but your Grace is otherwaies better provided I make bold to present your Grace with these particulars 1. With a Letter from my Lord Archbishop of York in answer to another of mine which shews how really his Majesties promise hath been in that kind performed I beseech your Grace to keep it safe in your pocket until I shall have the honour to wait upon your Grace when you have made use of the same 2. If your Grace shall hear him complain of the Judges in their charges and of their receiving of Indictments your Grace may answer That those charges are but orations of Course opening all the penal Lawes and the Indictments being presented by the Country cannot be refused by the Judges But the Judges are ordered to execute nothing actually against the Recusants nor will they do it during the negotiation 3. Your Grace may put him in mind that my Lord Keeper doth every day when his the Lord Embassadours Secretary calls upon him grant forth Writs to remove all the persons indicted in the Country into the Kings Bench out of the power and reaches of the Justices of the Peace And that being there the King may and doth release them at his pleasure 4. That the Spanish Embassadour never had nor desired more then these favours 5. That you are informed that Copies of Letters written from the King to both the Archbishops are spread abroad in Staffordshire to his Majesties disadvantage for so it is and that thereby my Lord Embassadour may perceive the bent of the English Catholiques which is not to procure ease and quietnesse to themselves but Scandals to their neighbouring Protestants and discontentments against the King and State I humbly crave your Graces pardon for this boldnesse and tediousnesse and with my hearty prayers for your health do rest yours c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. March 1624. May it please your Grace I Send your Grace here inclosed the Kings Commission and the Prince's Proxie not fairly written which the Embassadours upon the place may procure in a frech hand but yet legibly and passably The Prince's Proxie refers the manner unto the articles and particularly to the second third and fourth Section of those Articles which gives me occasion to begg of your Grace pardon to desire your Grace to think seriously upon the third Section to advise with the Prince and to give Mr. Packer charge to inform your Grace punctually what he knoweth and may inform himself concerning those particulars That is How the Queen Margaret of France was married to Henry the fourth and how Madam his sister was married to the Prince of Lorrain For although they are both made alike in the article yet surely they were not married after the same fashion For the Dutchesse of Barr was married in a closet without a Masse by words onely of the Present tense as I believe I have read in the Historie of Thuanus A favour which will hardly be granted to your Grace And how Queen Margaret was married my Lords the Embassadours will soon learn if your Grace will be pleased to write unto them I hold it in a manner necessary that your Grace do carrie over with you in your company one Civilian to put your Grace in mind of the formalities required and if your Grace be of that mind your own Doctor Dr. Reeves is as fit as any man else who is a good Scholar and speaks that language Your Grace hath revived my Lord of Clare sithence I spake with your Grace And I beseech your Grace to follow that resolution and to let Mr. Packer draw up a warrant of 3. or 4. lines signed by the King to me to place him with the rest of the Councel of War It will be an occasion to take up more of that time which he now spends with the Lady Hatton For now I am resolved that I was of the right in my conjecture to your Grace that his Lordship had utterly refused my Lady Purbecks cause of the which the very common people begin to be ashamed but is deeply ingaged against my Lady of Richmond Dutchesse of Richmond in the businesse of that famous or rather notorious foeminine Contract and bargain of sixteen hundred pounds by the year for a house to sleep in When your Grace shall draw up your Instructions you will be pleased to use the words To Contract Espouse and marrie Our Welbeloved Son c. because they do in those parts contract alwaies before marriage And your Grace will be pleased to expresse his Majesties pleasure that this is to be done by your self and no other Because although the two Earls upon the place have some such general words in their Commission yet your Grace only is named in the Prince's Proxie and now solely imployed by the King to that purpose Although I conceived this restraint to be fitter a great deal for the instructions then the Commission I am extream sorry to hear what a grievous fit his Majestie had this last night But I hope it is a farewel of the Agues and I pray God it be the last fit And now am an humble suitor again that I may come and look upon his Majestie resolved to say nothing but that which I will never cease to say God blesse him If your Grace holds it inconvenient I beseech your Grace to excuse me and to account me as I will ever be found Yours c. The Bishop of Lincoln to the Duke 7th of January 1625. Most Gratious Lord BEing come hither according unto the dutie of my place to do my best service for the preparation to the Coronation and to wait upon his Majestie for his Royal pleasure and direction therein I do most humbly beseech your Grace to crown so many of your Grace's former favours and to revive a Creature of your own struck dead onely with your displeasure but no other discontentment in the universal world by bringing of me to kisse his Majesties hand with whom I took leave
here that love him which are many are very sorrie to part with him for there is no melancholy where he goes And therefore considering the condition of this place we shall be great losers being upon a melancholy place and service ill payed sick of all diseases in the world in a place that is next neighbour to hell if the book printed say true which saith that the Low-Countriemen are next neighbours to the devil And I am sure we are now seated lower then any part of these Countries for the waters are above us and about us and we live in more fear of them then of the enemy for we may be drowned at an hours warning if we do not continually work against it and yet and it shall please your Excellencie this is the Seat for a Winter War Many more inconveniencies we are daily sensible of of which I have endured so much as I dare say without vanitie that few of my rank and fortune have suffered more or longer then I have done in these Countries having served these 27. years together without intermission and all this for no other end for I am 900 l. a year the worse for the Wars then to make me able to serve my Prince and Countrie when occasion should be offered But since the time is come that opinion doth so govern as strangers get the Command and new Souldiers imployed which was never heard of before amongst men of our occupation It is high time for me to retire and wish I had been of any other profession then this For if long service can get no honour nor reward nor imployment but the contrary it would touch a mans discretion to be more and more unfortunate All my comfort is that I shall have the honour and good fortune in my retreat to draw neerer to your Excellencies service if not in my profession which I desire above all yet in something whereof your Excellencie may make use of me For I am ambitious of nothing more then to prove my self by action and not by recommendation Your Excellencies most faithful devoted and humble servant Ed. Cecyl From our Army at Wallike the 4th of Decemb. Sir Edward Cecil to Mr. Secretary Conway My very good Lord IT hath pleased your Lordship to write me three Letters lately the one a particular list of officers that should be sent from hence the second for Mr. Hopton the third an acknowledgement onely of the receipt of my Letter to your Lordship The first I have put in execution and have written to your son Sir Edward Conway to give them all notice of your Lordships Care of them And to let them know how welcome any one shall be to me that you think fit to be imployed For one of them called Ensign Rainesford I had set him down because I received your Lordships direction from himself For Mr. Hopton I have written unto him according to your desire with your Letter inclosed concerning the last I give your Lordship many humble thanks for having expressed the acceptance by your answer Touching your businesse here the State hath ben as contrary to us as the wind For though they see a great action likely to be performed to their own good with little cost to themselves yet they desire to be so wise as to make benefit both wayes and not to balk any advantage which makes them stand so stiff upon the denying of us Officers and Soulders by election and will yield to send none but whole companies onely to abate so much upon the repartitions But Sir William St. Leiger and I have utterly refused their offer as a proposition against his Majesties service for by this ignorant winter war our Companies are grown half new men having lost most of our old and of those new men the half are sick besides So that his Majestie should be beholden to them rather for names then men And again for the Officers and Soulders it is like they should be most of them the worst in the regiment from whence they are to come Whereas if we might have had those Officers we made choice of which were but ten Captaines and other inferiour Officers to the number of thirty they might have been fit for imployment upon a double enemy And I could wish that whensoever his Majestie shall be once furnished with Good Officers it would please him to make account of them as these men do who have had long experience and known their Value It pleased my Lord the Duke to write to me a Letter and to let me know he had chosen me his Officer to attend and obey him this journy an honour too great for me because I did never expect it but nothing shall excuse my faults saving my life And among many other directions he commanded me to provide for the Army such necessary things as cannot be had in England Whereof I have thought of many which I fear I shall not have the time to get In my care belonging to these provisions I have considered the use of our small pieces of Ordinance here which they call Drakes that shoot 70. Musket bullets They will be of great use in this service both in regard of the quick landing and of the passing of such mountainous places as perhaps we may meet withal and likewise in respect of the little hope we have to get any good musquetiers or at least any great store of them But they are in such favour here as we can obtain none from hence and so are forced by a general consent to buy ten of them here that were provided for the King of France And the reputation they carrie is such as they are readie mony every where They cost not much more then 400. sterling and I hope they will prove the profitablest pieces that were ever used in the quarrel of his Maiesties Friends We have likewise considered of what service a company of Firelocks would be to the action but the time is so short we cannot raise them Howsoever we are promised of the States to have leave for a companie of Harquebussiers which are of such use upon all occasions that we cannot misse them And we have chose a brave and worthie Gentleman his Majesties Servant and Subject who is willing to leave any service for this being the service of the King If they should have been raised in England his Majestie must have payed for the horses armes saddles and pistols and yet not find any able to have served in that kind The wind as yet holds contrary which hath made me send this by Sir Henry Vane who goes a way that I dare not passe But I hope if the wind serve not to be many dayes behind him to receive your Lordships command more particularly which I will obey as Your Lordships most humble Servant Ed Ceoyl Hagh 2. June 1625. Postscript MY Lord now in this time of necessity for the getting of good Musquetiers there are many hundred to be found in England