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God ever preserve and prosper your lordship, according to the faithful and fervent wishes of

Your Lordship's true friend and devoted servant, York-house, October 11, 1617.

FR. BACON.

TO THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM.

My very good Lord,

I HAVE reformed the ordinance according to his majesty's corrections, which were very material. And for the first, of phrasis non placet, I understand his majesty, nay farther, I understand myself, the better for it. I send your lordship therefore six privy seals; for every court will look to have their several warrant. I send also two bills for letters patents to the two reporters and for the persons, I send also four names, with my commendations of those two, for which I will answer upon my knowledge. The names must be filled in the blanks: and so they are to be returned.

For the business of the court of wards, your lordship's letter found me in the care of it. Therefore, according to his majesty's commandment, by you signified, I have sent a letter for his majesty's signature. And the directions themselves are also to be signed. These are not to be returned to me, lest the secret come out; but to be sent to my lord of Wallingford, as the packets used to be sent.

I do much rejoice to hear of his majesty's health and good disposition. For me, though I am incessantly in business, yet the reintegration of your love maketh me find all things easy.

God preserve and prosper you.

Your Lordship's true friend and devoted servant, York-house, October 18, 1617.

FR. BACON.

TO THE LORD KEEPER. (a)

My honourable Lord,

I HAVE delivered the judges' advice, touching the middle shires, unto his majesty, who liketh it very well. As for the point of law, his majesty will consider of it at more leisure, and then send you his opinion thereof. And so I rest

Your Lordship's faithful friend and servant,

Hinchinbroke, the 22d of Oct. 1617.

G. BUCKINGHAM.

TO THE LORD KEEPER. (b)

My honourable Lord,

His majesty hath spent some time with Sir Lionel Cranfield about his own business, wherewith he acquainted his majesty. He hath had some conference with your lordship, upon whose report to his majesty of your zeal and care of his service, which his majesty accepteth very well at your hands, he hath commanded Sir L. Cranfield to attend your lordship, to signify his farther pleasure for the furtherance of his service; unto whose relation I refer you. His majesty's farther pleasure is, you acquaint no creature living with it, he having resolved to rely upon your care and trust only.

Thus wishing you all happiness, I rest

Your Lordship's faithful friend and servant,

October 26, 1617.

G. BUCKINGHAM.

(a) Harl. MSS. Vol. 7006.

(b) Ibid.

SIR FRANCIS ENGLEFYLD (a) TO THE LORD KEEPER. Right Honourable,

GIVE me leave, I beseech your lordship, for want of other means, by this paper to let your lordship understand, that notwithstanding I rest in no contempt, nor have to my knowledge broken any order made by your lordship concerning the trust, either for the payment of money, or assignment of land; yet, by reason of my close imprisonment, and the unusual carriage of this cause against me, I can get no counsel, who will in open court deliver my case unto your lordship. I must therefore humbly leave unto your lordship's wisdom, how far your lordship will, upon my adversary's fraudulent bill, exhibited by the wife without her husband's privity, extend the most powerful arm of your authority against me, who desire nothing but the honest performance of a trust, which I know not how to leave, if I would. So, nothing doubting but your lordship will do what appertaineth to justice, and the eminent place of equity your lordship holdeth, I must, since I cannot understand from your lordship the cause of my late close restraint, rest, during your lordship's pleasure,

Your Lordship's close prisoner in the Fleet,

October 28, 1617.

FR. ENGLEFYLD.

(a) This gentleman was very unfortunate in his behaviour, with regard to those, who had the great seal; for in Hilary term of the year 1624, he was fined 30007. by the Star Chamber, for casting an imputation of bribery on the lord keeper Williams, bishop of Lincoln. MS. letter of Mr. Chamberlain to Sir Dudley Carleton, dated at London, 1624. Sir Francis had been committed to the Fleet for a contempt of a decree in Chancery; upon which he was charged, by Sir John Bennet, with having said, before sufficient witness, "that "he could prove this holy bishop judge had been bribed by some "that fared well in their causes.' A few days after the sentence in the Star Chamber, the lord keeper sent for Sir Francis, and told him, he would refute his foul aspersions, and prove upon him, that he scorned the pelf of the world, or to exact, or make lucre of any man: and that for his own part, he forgave him every penny of his fine, and would crave the same mercy towards him from the king. Bishop Hacket's Life of Archbishop Williams, Part I. pp. 83, 84.

TO THE LORD KEEPER. (a)

My honourable Lord,

I HAVE thought good to renew my motion to your lordship, in the behalf of my lord of Huntingdon, my lord Stanhope, and Sir Thomas Gerard; for that I am more particularly acquainted with their desires; they only seeking the true advancement of the charitable uses, unto which the land, given by their grandfather, was intended: which, as I am informed, was meant by way of a corporation, and by this means, that it might be settled upon the schoolmaster, usher, and poor, and the coheirs to be visitors. The tenants might be conscionably dealt withal; and so it will be out of the power of any feoffees to abuse the trust; which, it hath been lately proved, have been hitherto the hindrance of this good work. These coheirs desire only the honour of their ancestor's gift, and wish the money, misemployed and ordered to be paid into court by Sir John Harper, may rather be bestowed by your lordship's discretion for the augmentation of the foundation of their ancestors, than by the censure of any other. And so I rest

Your Lordship's servant,

Theobald's, November 12.

Indorsed, 1517.

G. BUCKINGHAM.

TO THE LORD KEEPER. (b)

My honourable Lord,

THOUGH I had resolved to give your lordship no more trouble in matters of controversy depending before you, with what importance soever my letters had been; yet the respect I bear unto this gentleman hath so far forced my resolution, as to recommend unto your lordship the suit, which, I am informed by (b) Ibid.

(a) Harl. MSS. Vol. 7006.

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him, is to receive a hearing before you on Monday next, between Barnaby Leigh and Sir Edward Dyer, plaintiffs, and Sir Thomas Thynne, (a) defendant; wherein I desire your lordship's favour on the plaintiffs so far only as the justice of their cause shall require. And so I rest

Your Lordship's faithful servant,

Newmarket, the 15th of Nov.

Indorsed, 1617.

G. BUCKINGHAM.

TO THE LORD KEEPER. (b)

My honourable Lord,

THE certificate being returned upon the commission touching Sir Richard Haughton's alum-mines, I have thought fit to desire your lordship's furtherance in the business, which his majesty, as your lordship will see by his letter, much affecteth as a bargain for his advantage, and for the present relief of Sir Richard Haughton. What favour your lordship shall do him therein, I will not fail to acknowledge, and will ever rest

Your Lordship's faithful servant,

Indorsed,

G. BUCKINGHAM.

Received November 16, 1617.

(a) Eldest son of Sir John Thynne, knight, who died November 21, 1604. This Sir Thomas's younger son by his first wife, Mary, daughter of George, lord Audley, was father of Thomas Thynne, esq. assassinated by the followers of count Coningsmark, February 12, 1682-3.

(b) Harl. MSS. Vol, 7006.

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