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CCLXVII. To the Lord ST. ALBAN.

My honourable Lord,

I HAVE delivered your lordship's letter of thanks to his majesty, who accepted it very graciously, and will be glad to see your book, which you promised to send very shortly, as soon as it cometh. I send your lordship his majesty's warrant for your pardon, as you desired it; but I am sorry, that in the current of my service to your lordship there should be the least stop of any thing; yet having moved his majesty, upon your servant's intimation, for your stay in London till Christmas, I found his majesty, who hath in all other occasions, and even in that particular already, to the dislike of many of your own friends, shewed with great forwardness his gracious favour towards you, very unwilling to grant you any longer liberty to abide there: which being but a small advantage to you, would be a great and general distaste, as you cannot but easily conceive, to the whole state. And I am the more sorry for this refusal of his majesty's falling in a time when I was a suitor to your lordship in a particular concerning myself, wherein though your servant insisted farther than, I am sure, would ever enter into your thoughts, I cannot but take it as a part of a faithful servant in him. But if your lordship, or your lady, find it inconvenient for you to part with the house, I would rather provide myself otherwise, than any way incommodate you, but will never slack any thing of my affection to do you service; whereof if I have not given you good proof, I will desire nothing more, than the fittest occasion to shew how much I am

Octob. 1621.

Your lordship's faithful servant,

G. BUCKINGHAM.

Stephens's second collection,

p. 153.

CCLXVIII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. Ibid. 154.

My very good Lord,

An unexpected accident maketh me hasten this letter to your lordship, before I could dispatch Mr. Meautys;

Stephens's second collection, p. 155.

Ibid. p. 154.

it is that my lord keeper hath stayed my pardon at the
seal. But it is with good respect; for he saith it shall
be private, and then he would forthwith write to your
lordship, and would pass it if he received your pleasure;
and doth also shew his reason of stay, which is, that
he doubteth the exception of the sentence of parliament
is not well drawn, nor strong enough; which if it be
doubtful, my lord hath great reason. But sure I am,
both myself, and the king, and your lordship, and
Mr. Attorney, meant clearly, and I think Mr. Attor-
ney's pen hath gone well. My humble request to
your lordship is, that for my lord's satisfaction Mr.
Solicitor may be joined with Mr. Attorney, and if it
be safe enough, it may go on; if not, it may be
amended. I ever rest

Your lordship's most obliged friend
and faithful servant,

18.October, 1621.

FR. ST. ALBAN.

CCLXIX. To the Lord ST. ALBAN.
My honourable Lord,

I HAVE brought your servant along to this place,
in expectation of the letter from the lord keeper,
which your lordship mentioneth in yours; but having
not yet received it, I cannot make answer to the busi-
ness you write of; and therefore thought fit not to
detain your man here any longer, having nothing
else to write, but that I always rest

Your lordship's faithful friend and servant,

Hinchenbrook, 20 Oct. 1621.

G. BUCKINGHAM.

CCLXX. To the Lord ST. ALBAN.
My noble Lord,

Now that I am provided of a house, I have thought
it congruous to give your lordship notice thereof, that
you may no longer hang upon the treaty, which hath

been between your lordship and me, touching Yorkhouse; in which, I assure your lordship, I never desired to put you to the least inconvenience. So I rest

Your lordship's servant,

G. BUCKINGHAM.

CCLXXI. To the Lord ST. ALBAN..

My Lord,

I AM glad your lordship understands me so rightly
in my last letter.
last letter. I continue still in the same mind,
for, I thank God, I am settled to my contentment; and
so I hope you shall enjoy yours, with the more, because
I am so well pleased in mine. And, my lord, I shall
be very far from taking it ill, if you part with it to any
else, judging it alike unreasonableness, to desire that
which is another man's, and to bind him by promise or
otherwise not to let it to another.

My lord, I will move his majesty to take commiseration of your long (e) imprisonment, which, in some respects, both you and I have reason to think harder, than the Tower; you for the help of physic, your parley with your creditors, your conference for your writings, and studies, dealing with friends about your business and I for this advantage to be sometimes happy in visiting and conversing with your lordship, whose company I am much desirous to enjoy, as being tied by ancient acquaintance to rest

Your lordship's faithful friend and servant,

G. BUCKINGHAM.

Stephens's

second collection,

p. 156.

CCLXXII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. From the

My very good Lord,

THOUGH I returned answer to your lordship's last honourable and kind letter, by the same way by which I received it; yet I humbly pray your lordship to give me leave to add these few lines. My lord, as God above is my witness, that I ever have loved and

(e) Restraint from coming within the verge of the court.

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original draught.

honoured your lordship
your lordship as much, I think, as any son
of Adam can love or honour a subject; and continue
in as hearty and strong wishes of felicity to be heaped
and fixed upon you as ever; so, as low as I am, I had
rather sojourn in a college in Cambridge, than recover
a good fortune by any other than yourself. To recover
yourself to me (if I have you not) or to ease your lord-
ship in any thing, wherein your lordship would not so
fully appear, or to be made participant of your favours,
in your way; I would use any man that were your
lordship's friend. Secondly, if in any of my former
letters I have given your lordship any distaste, by the
style of them, or any particular passage, I humbly pray
your lordship's benign construction and pardon. For
I confess it is my fault, though it be some happiness
to me withal, that I many times forget my adversity:
but I shall never forget to be, etc.

5 March, 1621.

Stephens's CCLXXIII. To the KING's most excellent Majesty.

second col-
lection,
P. 164.

May it please your Majesty,

I ACKNOWLEDGE myself in all humbleness infi-
nitely bounded to your majesty's grace and goodness
for that, at the intercession of my noble and constant
friend, my lord marquis, your majesty hath been
pleased to grant me that which the civilians say is res
inestimabilis, my liberty. So that now, whenever God
calleth me, I shall not die a prisoner. Nay, farther.
your majesty hath vouchsafed to cast a second and
iterate aspect of your eye of compassion upon me, it
referring the consideration of my broken estate to my
good lord the treasurer; which as it is a singular bounty
in your majesty, so I have yet so much left of a late
commissioner of your treasure, as I would be sorry t
sue for any thing that might seem immodest.
your majesty's great benefits, in casting your bread
upon the waters (as the Scripture saith) because my
thanks cannot any ways be sufficient to attain, I have
raised your progenitor, of famous memory (and now.
I hope, of more famous memory than before) king

These

Henry VII. to give your majesty thanks for me; which work, most humbly kissing your majesty's hands, I do present. And because in the beginning of my trouble, when in the midst of the tempest I had a kenning of the harbour, which I hope now by your majesty's favour I am entering into, I made a tender to your majesty of two works, An history of England, and A digest of your laws; as I have, by a figure of pars pro toto, performed the one, so I have herewith sent your majesty, by way of an epistle, a new offer of the other. But my desire is farther, if it stand with your majesty's good pleasure, since now my study is my exchange, and my pen my factor, for the use of my talent; that your majesty (who is a great master in these things) would be pleased to appoint me some task to write, and that I shall take for an oracle. And because my Instauration which I esteem my great work, and do still go on with silence) was dedicated to your majesty: and this History of king Henry VII. to your lively and excellent image the prince; if now your majesty will be pleased to give me a theme to dedicate to my lord of Buckingham, whom I have so much reason to honour, I should with more alacrity embrace your majesty's direction than my own choice. Your majesty will pardon me for troubling you thus long. God evermore preserve and prosper you.

Your majesty's poor beadsman most devoted,

Gorhambury, 20 Mar. 1621.

FR. ST. ALBAN.

second col

CCLXXIV. To the Right Honourable his very Stephens's good Lord, the Lord Marquis of BUCKING-lection, HAM, High Admiral of England.

My very good Lord,

THESE main and real favours which I have lately received from your good lordship, in procuring my liberty, and a reference of the consideration of my release, are such, as I now find that in building upon your lordship's noble nature and friendship, I have built upon the rock, where neither winds nor waves can cause

p. 157.

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