for good ink and paper to print it in; for that the
book deserveth it.
I beg leave to kiss your lordship’s hands.

Your Lordship's in all humbleness
BE

to honour and serve,

January 7, 1621-2.

T. MEAUTYS.

This proclamation is not yet sealed; and therefore your lordship may please, as yet, to keep it in

your own hands.

TO THE LORD VISCOUNT ST. ALBAN.

My most honoured Lord,
I Met, even now, with a piece of news so unex-
pected, and yet so certainly true, as that, howsoever
I had much ado, at first, to desire the relater to speak
probably; yet now I dare send it your lordship upon
my credit. It is my lord of Somerset's and his lady's
coming out of the Tower, on Saturday last (a), fetched
forth by my lord of Falkland, and without the usual
degrees of confinement, at first to some one place (6)
but absolute and free to go where they please. I know
not how peradventure this might occasion you to cast
your thoughts, touching yourself, into some new
mould, though not in the main, yet in something on

I beg leave to kiss your lordship's hands.
o be Your Lordship's in all humbleness,
3. Babuts for ever to honour and serve you,

the bye.

T. MEAUTYS.

(a) Jangary 6, 1621-2. Camdeni Annales Regis Jacobi I. p. 77. (6) Camden ubi supra, says,

a

LODOWIC STEWART, DUKE OF LENOX, TO THE LORD VISCOUNT ST. ALBAN.

be My Lord, It is not unknown to your lordship, that in respect I am now a married man, I have more reason than before to think of providing me some house in London, whereof I am yet destitute; and for

that purpose, I

, have resolved to intreat your lordship, that I may deal with to v

you -house; wherein I will not offer any conditions to

your

loss. And, in respect I have understood, that the consideration of your lady's wanting a house hath bred some difficulty in your lordship to part with it, I will for that make offer unto your lordship and your lady, to use the house in Cannon-row, late the Earl of Hertford's, being a very commodious and capable house, wherein I and my wife have absolute power; and whereof your lordship shall have as long time as you can challenge or desire of York-house. In this I do freelier deal with your lordship, in respect I know you are well assured of my well-wishes to you in general; and that in this particular, though I have not been without thoughts of this house before your lordship had it; yet I was willing to give way to your lordship’s more pressing use thereof then. And as I do not doubt of your lord- . ship’s endeavour to gratify me in this; so I shall esteem it as an extraordinary courtesy, which I will study to requite by all means.

So, with my best wishes to your lordship, I rest

Batering Your Lordship's most loving friend, Gouloor DOHORI

VIVS ore ISO

bió 130

Lt - In respect my lord of Buckingham was once desirous to have had this house, I would not deal for it till now, that he is otherwise provided.

Whitehall, the 29th of January, 1621. ons sortering To the right honourable my very good lord, my lord

viscount St. Alban.

I

LENOX.

Α ANSWER OF THE LORD VISCOUNT ST. ALBAN.

I AM

wit to

m

My very good Lord, I am deny your grace any thing ; but in this me. Yorkyou."

super father died, and

. and there will I yield my last breath, if so please God, and the king will give me leave; though I be now by fortune, as the old proverb is, like a bear in a monk's hood. At least no money, no value, shall make me part with it. Besides, as I never denied it to my lord marquis, so yet the difficulty I made was so like a denial, as I owe unto my great love and respect to his lordship a denial to all

my
other friends

; among whom, in a very near place next his lordship, I ever account of your grace. So, not doubting, that you will continue me in your former love and good affection, I rest Your Grace's, to do you humble service

affectionate, &c.

a

اه

E TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

no

My very good Lord, 06 As my hopes, since my misfortunes, have proceeded of your lordship’s mere motion, without any petition of mine ; so I leave the times and the ways to the same good mind of yours. True it is, a small matter for my debts would do me more good now, than double a twelvemonth hence. I have lost six thousand pounds by year, besides caps and courtesies. But now a very moderate proportion would suffice; a

; for still I bear a little of the mind of a commissioner of the treasury, not to be over-chargeable to his majesty; and two things I may assure your lordship of; the one, that I shall lead such a course of life, as whatsoever the king doth for me, shall rather sort to his majesty's and your lordship’s honour, than to envy: the other, that whatsoever men talk, I can play the good husband, and the king's bounty shall not be

a

well.

lost. If your lordship think good, the prince should come in to help; I know his highness wisheth me

if you will let me know when, and how, he may be used. But the king is the fountain, who, I know, is good. God prosper you. Your Lordship's most bounden and

and faithful

Come on nii hea Gorhambury, January 30, 1621.

FR. ST. ALBAN.

DET til blood in TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM. his

My very good Lord, Your lordship dealeth honourably with me in giv

. ing me notice, that your lordship is provided of an house (a), whereby you discontinue the treaty your lordship had with me for York-House, although I shall make no use of this notice, as to deal with any other. For I was ever resolved your lordship should have had it, or no man. But

M

your lordship doth yet more nobly, in assuring

in assuring me, you never meant it with any the least inconvenience to myself. May it please your lordship likewise to be assured from me, that I ever desired

you should have it, and do still continue of the same mind.

I humbly pray your lordship, to move his majesty to take some commiseration of my long imprisonment.

I I in the Tower, I was nearer help of physic; I could parly with my creditors; I could deal with friends about my business ; I could have helps

. at hand for my writings and studies, wherein I spend my time; all which here fail me.

Good my lord, deliver of this; me, who am his majesty's

mezouy devout , and Your Lordship's most obliged friend

and faithful servant, Gorhambury, this 3d of Feb. 1621.

ܪ

FR. ST. ALBAN.

(a) Mr. Chamberlain, in a MS. letter to Sir Dudley Carleton, dated at London, January 19, 1621-2, mentions, that the marquis of Buckingham had contracted with the lord and lady Wallingford, for their house near Whitehall, for some money.

2010 ottoo

hol 1009 On olemmin VOIT Tott JOHN SELDEN, ESQ. TO THE LORD VISCOUNT Rovirimo o ST. ALBAN IS od van

My most honoured Lord, Ar your last going to Gorhambury, you were pleased to have speech with me about some liament; touching which, I conceived ship, that I should have had farther direction by a gentleman, to whom you committed some care and

a consideration of your lordship's intentions therein. I can only give this account of it, that never was any man more willing or ready to do your lordship service, than myself; and in that you then spake of, I had been most forward to have done whatsoever I had been, by farther direction, used in. But I understood, that your lordship's pleasure that way was changed. Since, my lord, I was advised with, touching the judgments given in the late parliament. For

your lordship to hear my weak judgment expressed

freely to you, I conceive First, that admitting it were no session, but only a convention, as the proclamation calls it; yet the judg. ments given in the upper house, if no other reason be against them, are good; for they are given by the lords, or the upper house, by virtue of that ordinary authority, which they have as the supreme court of judicature ; which is easily to be conceived, without any relation to the matter of session, which consists only in the passing of acts, or not passing them, with the royal assent. And though no session of the three states together be without such acts so passed; yet every part of the parliament severally acts legally enough to continue, as the acts of other courts of justice are done. And why should any doubts be, but that a judgment out of the King's Bench, or Exchequer-Chamber, reversed there, had been good, although no session ? For there was truly a parliament, truly an upper house, which exercised by itself this power of judicature, although no session.