To the Duke of Buckingham. Excellent Lord, I am infinitely bound to your grace for your late favours. I send your grace a copy of your letter, signifying his majesty's pleasure, and of the petition. The course, I take it, must be, to make a warrant for the execution of the same, by way of reference to Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr. Attorney.* I most humbly pray your grace likewise, to prostrate me at his majesty's feet, with most humble thanks for the grant of my petition, whose sweet presence since I discontinued, methinks I am neither amongst the living, nor amongst the dead. I cannot but likewise gratulate his majesty on the extreme prosperous success of his business, since this time twelvemonth. I know I speak it in a dangerous time; because the die of the Low Countries is upon the throw. But yet that is all one. For if it should be a blow (which I hope in God it shall not) yet it would have been ten times worse, if former courses had not been taken. But this is the raving of an hot ague. God evermore bless his majesty's person and designs, and likewise make your grace a spectacle of prosperity, as you have hitherto been. Your Grace's most faithful and obliged, and by you revived Servant, FR. ST. ALBAN. Grey's Inn, 9th of October, 1624. To the Chancellor of the Duchy,† Sir Humphrey May. Good Mr. Chancellor, I do approve very well your forbearance to move my suits, in regard the duke's return is so near at hand, which I thought would have been a longer matter; and I imagine there is a gratiastitium till he come. I do not doubt but you shall find his grace nobly disposed. The last time. that you spake with him about me, I remember you sent me word, he thanked you for being so forward for me. Yet I could wish that you took some occasion to speak with him, generally to my advantage, before you move to him any particular suit; and to let me know how you find him. * Sir Thomas Coventry. + This letter is indorsed, 1625. From Paris, whither the Duke of Buckingham went in May, 1625, to conduct the new queen to England. My Lord Treasurer sent me a good answer touching my monies. I pray you continue to quicken him, that the king A fire of old wood needeth no I ever rest may once clear with me. blowing; but old men do. Yours to do you service. To Sir Robert Pye. Good Sir Robert Pye, Let me intreat you to dispatch that warrant of a petty sum, that it may help to bear my charge of coming up to London. The duke, you know, loveth me, and my Lord Treasurer+ standeth now towards me in very good affection and respect. You, that are the third person in these businesses, I assure myself, will not be wanting; for you have professed and shewed, ever since I lost the seal, your good will towards me. I rest Your affectionate and assured Friend, &c. Indorsed To Sir Robert Pye. Gor. 1625. To the Earl of Dorset.§ My very good Lord, This gentleman, the bearer hereof, Mr. Colles by name, is my neighbour. He is commended for a civil young man. I think he wanteth no metal, but he is peaceable. It was his hap to fall out with Mr. Matthew Francis, serjeant at arms, about a toy; the one affirming, that a hare was fair killed, and the other foul. Words multiplied, and some blows passed on either side. But since the first falling out, the serjeant hath used towards him divers threats and affronts, and, which is a point of danger, sent to him a letter of challenge: but Mr. Colles, doubting the contents of the letter, refused to receive it. Motions have been made also of reconcilement, or of reference to some gentlemen of the country not partial: but the serjeant hath refused all, and now, at last, sueth him in the Earl Marshal's court. The gentleman saith, he distrusteth not his cause upon the From Gorhambury. Sir James Lord Ley, advanced from the post of Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, on the 20th of December, 1624, to that of Lord Treasurer; and created Earl of Marlborough on the 5th of February, 1625-6. His lordship had not been always in that disposition towards the Lord Viscount St. Alban; for the latter has, among the letters printed in his works, one to this Lord Treasurer, severely expostulating with him about his unkindness and injustice. § Sir Edward Sackville succeeded to that title on the death of his brother Richard, March 28, 1624. hearing; but would be glad to avoid restraint, or long and chargeable attendance. Let me therefore pray your good lordship to move the noble earl* in that kind, to carry a favourable hand towards him, such as may stand with justice and the order of that court. I ever rest Your Lordship's faithful Friend and Servant. Sir Thomas Coventry, Attorney General, to the Lord My very good Lord, I received from your lordship two letters, the one of the 23d, the other of the 28th of this month. To the former, I do assure your lordship I have not heard any thing of any suits or motion, either touching the reversion of your honours or the rent of your farm of petty writs; and, if I had heard any thing thereof, I would not have been unmindful of that caveat, which heretofore you gave in by former letters, nor slack to do you the best service I might. The debt of Sir Nicolas Bacon resteth as it did; for in the latter end of King James's time, it exhibited a quo warranto in the Exchequer, touching that liberty, against St. Nicolas, which abated by his death; then another against Sir Edmund, which by the demise of the king, and by reason of the adjournment of the late term, hath had no farther proceeding, but that day is given to plead. Concerning your other letter, I humbly thank your lordship for your favourable and good wishes to me; though I, knowing my own unaptness to so great an employment,† should be most heartily glad, if his majesty had, or yet would choose, a man of more merit. But, if otherwise, humbleness and submission becomes the servant, and to stand in that station where his majesty will have him. But as for the request you make for your servant, though I protest I am not yet engaged by promise to any, because I hold it too much boldness towards my master, and discourtesy towards my Lord Keeper, to dispose of places, while he had the seal: yet in respect I have some servants, and some of my kindred, apt for the place you write of, and Arundel, Earl Marshal. Bishop Williams, who had resigned the great seal, on the 25th of October, 1625, to Sir John Suckling, who brought his majesty's warrant to receive it, dated at Salisbury on the 23d of that month. That of the great seal, of which Sir Thomas Coventry was three days after made Lord Keeper, on the 1st of November, 1625. have been already so much importuned by noble persons, when I lately was with his majesty at Salisbury, as it will be hard for me to give them all denial; I am not able to discern, how I can accommodate your servant; though for your sake, and in respect of the former knowledge myself have had of the merit and worth of the gentleman, I should be most ready and willing to perform your desire, if it were in my power. And so, with remembrance of my service to your lordship, I remain Kingsbury, Oct. 29, 1625. At your Lordship's commandment, THO. COVENTRY. To the Right Honourable, and my very good Lord, the Viscount St. Alban. To Mr. Roger Palmer. Good Mr. Roger Palmer, I thank God, by means of the sweet air of the country, I have obtained some degree of health. Sending to the court, I thought I would salute you: and I would be glad, in this solitary time and place, to hear a little from you how the world goeth, according to your friendly manner heretofore. Fare ye well most heartily. Gorhambury, Oct. 29, 1625. Your very affectionate and assured Friend, To the Duke of Buckingham. Excellent Lord, * I could not but signify unto your grace my rejoicing, that God hath sent your grace a son and heir, and that you are fortunate as well in your house, as in the state of the kingdom. These blessings come from God, as I do not doubt but your grace doth, with all thankfulness, acknowledge, vowing to him your service. Myself, I praise his divine Majesty, have gotten some step into health. My wants are great; but yet I want not a desire to do your grace service; and I marvel, that your grace should think to pull down the monarchy of Spain without my good help. Your grace will give me leave to be merry, however the world goeth with me. I ever rest Your Grace's most faithful and obliged Servant, &c. I wish your grace a good new year. Born November 17, 1625, and named Charles.-Diary of the Life of Archbishop Laud, published by Mr. Wharton, p. 24. This son of the duke died the 16th of March, 1626-7. Ibid. p. 40. To Sir Humphrey May, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Good Mr. Chancellor, I did wonder what was become of you, and was very glad to hear you were come to court; which, methinks, as the times go, should miss you as well as I. I send you another letter, which I wrote to you of an old date, to avoid repetition; and I continue my request then to you, to sound the Duke of Buckingham's good affection towards me, before you do move him in the particular petition. Only the present occasion doth invite me to desire, that his grace would procure me a pardon of the king of the whole sentence. My writ for parliament I have now had twice before the time, and that without any express restraint not to use it. It is true, that I shall not be able, in respect of my health, to attend in parliament; `but yet I might make a proxy. Time hath turned envy to pity; and I have a long cleansing week of five years expectation and more. Sir John Bennet hath his pardon; and my Lord of Somerset hath his pardon, and, they say, shall sit in parliament. My Lord of Suffolk cometh to parliament, though not to council. I hope I deserve not to be the only outcast. God keep you. I ever rest Your most affectionate Friend, I wish you a good new year. Vous scavez que le commencement est la moitié du fait. Voyla pourquoy je vous ay escrit ce petit mot de lettre, vous priant de vous souvenir de vostre noble promesse de me mettre en la bonne grâce de nostre très-excellente reyne, et m'en faire recevoir quelque gracieuse demonstration. Vostre excellence prendra aussi, s'il vous plaist, quelque occasion de prescher un peu, à mon advantage en l'oreille du Duc de Buckingham en général. Dieu vous ayt en sa saincte garde. Vostre très-affectionné et très-humble serviteur, Jan. 18, 1625. |