told he heard your Grace move his Highnesse to speake unto me to quit my place after your Graces professions of friendship to me 6. Mr. Secretarie Conwaies and my Lord Carlile's estrangednesse from me which I suspected could not be for I ever loved them both but true copies of your Graces displeasure I have opened to my truest friend all my former thoughts and being fully satisfyed by his Highnesse how false they are in every particular do humbly crave your Graces pardon that I gave a nights lodging to any of them all Although they never transported me a jott further then to look about how to defend my self being resolved as God shall be my protector to suffer all the obloquie of the world before I would be drawn to the least ingratitude against your Grace All that I beg is an assurance of your Graces former Love and I will plainely professe what I do not in the least beg or desire from your Grace 1. No Patronage of any corrupt or unjust act which shall be objected against me this Parliament 2. No defence of me if it shall appear I betrayed my King or my Religion in favour of the Papist or did them any real respect at all besides ordinary complements 3. No refuge in any of my causes or clamours against me which upon a false supposal of your Graces displeasure may be many otherwise then according to justice and fair proceeding And let this paper bear record against me at the great Parliament of all if I be not in my heart and soul your Graces most faithful and constant poor friend and Servant His Highnesse desires your Grace to move his Majestie to accept of my Lord Sayes commission and to procure me leave to send for him Also to move his Majestie that my Lord of Hartford may be in the house accepting his fathers place and making his protestation to sue for his Grandfathers according to his Majesties Lawes when the King shall give him leave His Highnesse and my Lords do hold this a modest and submissive Petition His Highnesse upon very deep reasons doubts whether it be safe to put all upon the Parliament for fear they should fall to examine particular Dispatches wherein they cannot but find many Contradictions And would have the proposition onely to ayd for the recovery of the Palatinate To draw on an engagement I propound it might be to advise his Majestie how this recovery shall be effected by reconquering the same or by a War of diversion This will draw on a breach with Spain without ripping up of private dispatches His Highnesse seemed to like well hereof and commanded me to acquaint your Grace therewith and to receive your opinion I humbly crave again two lines of assurance that I am in your Grace's opinion as I will ever be indeed c. The Heads of that Discourse which fell from Don Francisco 7. Die Aprilis 1624. at 11. of the clock at night This Relation was sent by the Lord Keeper to the Duke HOw he came to procure his accesses to the King The Marquesse putting Don Carlos upon the Prince and Duke in a discourse thrust a Letter into the Kings hand which he desired the King to read in private The King said he would thrust it into his pocket and went on with his discourse as if he had received none The effect was to procure private accesse for Don Francisco to come and speak with the King which his Majestie appointed by my Lord of Kelley and he by his secresie who designed for Don Francisco time and place At his first accesse he told the King That his Majestie was a prisoner or at leastwise besieged so as no man could be admitted to come at him And then made a complaint against the Duke that he aggravated and pretended accusations against Spain whereas its onely offence was that they refused to give unto him equal honour and observance as they did unto his Highnesse And that this was the only cause of his hatred against them At the last accesse which was some 4. dayes ago he made a long invective and remonstrance unto the King which he had put into writing in Spanish which he read unto me corrected with the hand of Don Carlos which I do know It was somewhat general and very rhetorical if not tragical for the stile The heads of what I read were these viz. 1. That the King was no more a freeman at this time then King John of France when he was prisoner in England or King Francis when he was at Madrid Being besieged and closed up with the servants and vassals of Buckingham 2. That the Embassadours knew very well and were informed 4. moneths ago that his Majestie was to be restrained and confined to his Country house and pastimes and the Government of the State to be assumed and disposed of by others and that this was not concealed by Buckinghams followers 3. That the Duke had reconciled himself to all the popular men of the State and drawn them forth out of prisons restraints and confinements to alter the Government of the State at this Parliament as Oxford South-hampton Say and others whom he met at Suppers and Ordinaries to strengthen his popularity 4. That the Duke to breed an opinion of his own greatnesse and to make the King grow lesse hath oftentimes brag'd openly in Parliament that he had made the King yield to this and that which was pleasure unto them And that he mentioned openly before the Houses his Majesties private oath which the Embassadors have never spoken of to any creature to this hour 5. That these Kingdomes are not now governed by a Monarch but by a Triumviri whereof Buckingham was the first and chiefest the Prince the second and the King the last and that all look towards Solem Orientem 6. That his Majestie should shew himself to be as he was reputed the oldest and wisest King in Europe by freeing himself from this Captivity and eminent danger wherein he was by cutting off so dangerous and ungrateful an affecter of greatnesse and popularity as the Duke was 7. That he desired his Majestie to conceal this his free dealing with him because it might breed him much peril and danger And yet if it were any way available for his service to reveal it to whom he pleased because he was ready to sacrifice his life to do him acceptable service And this was the effect of so much of the penned speech as I remember was read unto me out of the Spanish Copy His Majestie was much troubled in the time of this speech His Offer to the King for the restitution of the Palatinate TO have a Treaty for three moneths for the restitution and that money was now given in Spain to satisfie Bavaria That in the mean time because the people were so distrustful of the Spaniard the King might fortifie himself at home and assist the Hollanders with men or money at his pleasure And the King of Spain
understood the hard measure that he was there likely to suffer by the power of his enemies and that the onely crime which they could impute unto him was for labouring to effect the marriage which his Master could not but take much to heart and held himself obliged to publish to the world the good service that my Lord had done unto the King of great Brittain and therefore for the better encouragement likewise of his own and all other Ministers that should truly serve their Masters he was to offer him a blank paper signed by the King wherein his Lordship might set down his own Conditions and demands which he said he did not propound to corrupt any servant of his Majesties but for a publique declaration of what was due unto his Lordships proceedings He said further that in that offer he laid before him the Lands and Dignities that were in his Masters power to dispose of out of which he left it at his pleasure to choose what estate or honour he should think good adding thereunto some other extravagant and disproportionable offers My Lords answer was That he was very sorry to hear this language used unto him telling the Conde that his Catholique Majestie did owe him nothing but that what he had done was upon the King his Masters Commands and without any intention to serve Spain And that howsoever he might have reason to fear the power of his enemies yet he trusted much upon the innocency of his own Cause and the Justice of the King and that he could not understand himself in any danger but were he sure to lose his head at his arrival there be would go to throw down himself at his Majesties feet and mercy and rather there die upon a Scaffold then be Duke of Infantada in Spain On the 16th of this moneth there was declared here in Councel a resolution of this King to make a journey to his frontier Towns in Andaluzia with an intention to begin his journey upon the 29. of this moneth Stil Vet. And as I am informed his Majestie will there entertain himself the greatest part of these three moneths following so that his return hither will not be until the beginning of May. My Lord of Bristol hath sent divers to the Conde for leave to dispeed himself of the King but in respect of his Majesties being at the Pardo he hath been hitherto delayed and hath yet no certain day appointed for it But I conceive it will be sometime this week The Cause of the delaying of his Lordships admittance to the King as I understand is that the same day that his Lordship shall declare his revocation to the King they will here in Councel declare the revocation of the Marquesse of Ynoisa Howsoever in respect of the Kings departure at which time they use here to embarge all the mules and means of carriage in this Town I believe his Lordship will not begin his journey so soon as he intended All the relations which are lately come out of England do wish them to entertain themselves here with no farther hopes that there is any intention to proceed to the Match and this advice comes accompanied with such a report of the state of all things there that hath much irritated all these Ministers and let loose the tongues of the people against the proceedings of his Majestie and Highnesse I labour as much as I can and as far as my directions will give me latitude to give them better understandings of the real intentions of his Majestie and Highnesse but divers of them cleerly tell me That I professe one thing and the actions of his Majestie and Highnesse upon the which they must ground their belief are differing from it I shall therefore here in discharge of my duty advertize your Honour that they do here expect nothing but a War about which they have already held divers Councels and go seriously to work preparing themselves for what may happen Which I desire your Honour to advertize his Majestie being high time as far as I am able to judge that am here upon the place that his Majestie do either resolve upon some course for the allaying of these storms or that he go in hand with equal preparations Having observed in former times the strange rumours that have run in England upon small foundations I have thought it fit to prevent the credit which may be given to idle relations by advertizing your Honour that I cannot conceive how any great attempt can be made from hence this year howsoever businesses should go The Squadron of the Kings Fleet under the Command of Don Fadrique de Toledo is come into Cadiz and joyned with that which Don Juan Taxardo is Captain of And as I am credibly informed this King will have by the end of April between 50. and 60. Gallions at Sea It is true that other years the number commonly falls short of what is expected and their setting forth to Sea some moneths later then the time appointed but there is extraordinary care taken this year that there be no default in neither The chief end that I can understand of this Kings journey being to see the Fleet of Plate come in to take view of his Armado and see them put to Sea That which I understand is onely left alive of the Marriage here is that the Jewels which the Prince left with this King for the Infanta and her Ladies are not yet returned but it is intimated unto me that if the Letters which they shall receive out of England upon the answer they have given to his Majestie about the businesse of the Palatinate be no better then such as they have lately received they will return the Jewels and declare the businesse of the Match for broken I shall therefore intreat your Honour to know his Majesties pleasure how I shall carry my self if they be offered unto me being resolved in the mean time untill I shall know his Majesties pleasure if any such thing happen absolutely to refuse them The Princesse some few daies since fell sick of a Calentura of which she remaineth still in her bed though it be said she is now somewhat better I will conclude with many thanks for your friendly advertizements concerning my own particular which God willing as far as I can I will observe and do earnestly intreat you that you will please to continue the like favours unto me which I shall highly esteem of And so with a grateful acknowledgment of my obligations I rest Your Honours c. Wa. Aston Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway Right Honourable I Have advertized by former dispatches that the Parliament here had granted unto this King 60 millions of Duckats to be paid in 12 years which with 12 millions which remain yet unpaid of what was given the King at the last Session this King was to receive 72 millions in the 12 years next following I shall now acquaint your Honour that there are only 19. Cities
a thing that sounds very harsh in the old Councels and Canons of the Church The Papists will not spare to descant upon the one and the other I leave the knot to his Majesties deep wisdom to advise and resolve upon A theume falne into mine eye together with the rumour I last wrote unto your Lordship about hath fastened me unto my bed which makes this Letter the more unhandsome But I will take nothing to heart that proceeds from his Majestie or from that King who hath raised me from the dust to all that I am If the truth were set down 1. That my self was the first mover for a temporary Keeper 2. That his Majestie hath promised me upon the relinquishing of the Seal or before one of the best places in this Church as most graciously he did 3. The year and a halfs probation left out which is to no purpose but to scare away my men and to put a disgrace upon me 4. That my assisting Judges were defired and named by my self which your Lordship knowes to be most true Such a declaration would neither shame me nor blemish his Majesties service in my person And it were fitter a great deal the penning thereof were referred to my self then to Mr. Secretarie or the Lord Treasurer who if he had his demerit deserves not to hold his staffe half a year I do verily believe they will hasten to finish this act before I shall hear from your Lordship which if they do God send me patience and as much care to serve him as I have and ever had to serve my Master And then all must needs be well I send your Lordship a Copy of that speech I have thought upon to deliver at London upon Munday next at the Commission of the Subsidies If his Majestie have leisure to cast his eye thereupon and to give direction to have any thing else delivered or any point of this suppressed I would be directed by your Lordship whom I recommend in prayers to Gods good guiding and protection And do rest c. The E. of Southhamptons Letter to the Bishop of Lincolne My Lord I Have found your Lordship already so favourable and affectionate unto me that I shall be still hereafter desirous to acquaint you with what concerns me and bold to ask your advice and councel which makes me to send this bearer to give your Lordship an account of my answer from Court which I cannot better do then by sending unto you the answer it self which you shall receive here enclosed Wherein you may see what is expected from me that I may not onely magnifie his Majesties Gracious dealing with me but cause all my friends to do the like and restrain them from making any extenuation of my errours which if they be disposed to do or not to do is impossible for me to alter that am not likely for a good time to see any other then mine own family For my self I shall ever be ready as is fit to acknowledg his Majesties favour to me but can hardly perswade my self that any errour by me committed deserved more punishment then I have had and hope that his Majestie will not expect that I should not confesse my self to have been subject to a Star-chamber sentence which God forbid I should ever do I have and shall do according to that Part of my Lord of Buckinghams advice to speak of it as little as I can and so shall I do in other things to meddle as little as I can I purpose God willing to go to morrow to Tychfield the place of mine confinement there to stay as long as the King shall please Sir William Parkhurst must go with me who hoped to have been discharged at the return of my Messenger from Court and seemes much troubled that he is not pretending that it is extream inconvenient for him in regard of his own occasions He is fearful he should be forgotten If therefore when your Lordship writes to the Court you would but put my Lord of Buckingham in remembrance of it you shall I think do him a favour For my part it is so little trouble to me and of so small moment as I meane to move no more for it When this bearer returns I beseech you return by him this inclosed Letter and beleive that whatsoever I am I will ever be Your Lordships most assured friend to do you service H. Southampton c. The Lord Keepers answer to the E. of Southhamptons Letter 2. August 1621. My Lord I Have perused your Lordships Letter and that enclosed I return back again And doubt nothing of my Lord Admirals remembring of you upon the first opportunity Great works as I hope this will be a perfect reconciling of his Majesties affections to you of your best studies and endeavours to the service of his Majestie do require some time They are but poore actions and of no continuance that are Slubbered up in an instance I know my Lord mens tongues are their own nor lieth it in your power to prescribe what shall be spoken for you or against you But to avoid that Complacentia as the Divines call it that itching and inviting of any interpretation which shall so add to your innocencie as it shall derogate from the Kings mercie which I speak as I would do before God had a great cloud of jealousies and suspitions to break through before it came to shine upon you This I take it is the effect of my Lords exhortation and I know it ever hath been your Lordships resolution How far you could be questioned in the Star-Chamber is an unseasonable time to resolve The King hath waved off all judgment and left nothing for your meditation but love and favour and the increasing of both these Yet I know upon my late occasions to peruse Presidents in that Court that small offences have been in that Court in former times deeply censured In the sixteenth of Edward the second for the Court is of great antiquity Henry Lord Beaumout running a way of his own about the invading of Scotland and dissenting from the rest of the Kings Councel because of his absenting himself from the Councel Table was fined and imprisoned though otherwies a most worthy and deserving Noble man But God be thanked your Lordship hath no cause to trouble your head about these meditations For if I have any judgment you are in a way to demean your self as you may expect rather more new additions then suspect the least diminution from his Gracious Majestie For mine own part assure your self I am your true and faithful servant and shall never cease so to continue as long as you make good your professions to this Noble Lord. Of whose extraordinary goodnesse your Lordship and my self are remarkable reflections The one of his sweetnesse in forgetting of wrongs the other of his forwardnesse in conferring of courtesies With my best respect to your Lordship and my Noble Lady and my Commendations to Sir William
his fine he is protected from all his Creditors which I dare say was neither his Majesties nor your Lordships meaning I have presumed to send your Lordship a true Copy of that speech which I made at VVestminster Hall at my entrance upon this office because somewhat was to be spoken at so great a change and alteration in so high a Court And I was never so much troubled in my life not how but what to speak I humbly crave pardon if I have failed in points of diseretion which a wiser man in such a case might easily do With my heartiest prayers unto God to continue all his blessings upon your Lordship I rest deservedly c. Postscript MY Lord I find my Lord Treasurer affectionately touched with removing from the Court of Wards and do wish with all my heart he may have contentment in that or any thing else but orderly and in a right method Let him hold it but by your Lordships favour not his own power or wilfulnesse And this must be apparent and visible Let all our greatnesse depend as it ought upon yours the true original Let the King be Pharaoh your self Joseph and let us come after as your half-brethren God blesse you c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning Sir John Michel 8. Aug. 1622. My most noble Lord IN the cause of Sir John Michel which hath so often wearied this Court vexed my Lady your Mother and now flieth as it seemeth unto your Lordship I have made an order the last day of the Tearm assisted by the Master of the Rolls and Mr. Baron Eromley in the presence and with the full consent of Sir John Michel who then objected nothing against the same but now in a dead vacation when both the adverse party and his Councel are out of Town and that I cannot possible hear otherwise then with one ear he clamours against me most uncivilly and would have me contrary to all conscience and honesty reverse the same The substance of the order is not so difficult and intricate but your Lordship will easily find out the equity or harshnesse thereof Sir Lawrence Hide makes a motion in behalf of one Strelley a party whose face I never saw that whereas Sir John Michel had put a bill into this Court against him and one Sayers five years ago for certain Lands and Woods determinable properly at the Common Law and having upon a certificate betwixt himself and Sayers without the knowledge of the said Strelley procured an injunction from the last Lord Chancellour for the possession of the same locks up the said Strelley with the said injunction and never proceeds to bring his cause to hearing within five years It was moved therefore that either Sir Johns bill might be dismissed to a tryal at the Common Law or else that he might be ordered to bring it to hearing in this Court with a direction to save all wastes of Timber trees in favour of either party that should prove the true owner until the cause should receive hearing Sir John being present in Court made choice of this last offer and so it was ordered accordingly And this is that order that this strange man hath so often of late complained of to your Mother and now as it seemeth to your Lordship God is my witnesse I have never denyed either justice or favour which was to be justified to this man or any other that had the least relation to your good and most noble Mother And I hope your Lordship is perswaded thereof If your Lordship will give me leave without your Lordships trouble to wait upon you at any time this day your Lordship shall appoint I would impart two or three words unto your Lordship concerning your Lordships own businesse Remaining ever c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke May it please your Grace NOw that I understand by Sir John Hipsley how things stand between your Grace and the Earl of Bristol I have done with that Lord and will never think of him otherwise then as your Grace shall direct Nor did I ever write one syllable to that effect but in contemplation of performing true service to your Grace I was much abused in the Lady Hennage her Vice-Counteship being made to believe it was your Grace's act or else I had stayed it finally until the Princes return as I did for a time If your Grace will give any directions in matters of that nature I can pursue them My Lord Treasurers sons Wardship is a thing of no moment at all and not worthy your Graces thinking of And in good faith as far as getting and Covetousnesse will give him leave I do not see but that Lord is since your absence very respective of your Grace especially in your own person and affairs I never received any answer from your Grace concerning the Provostship of Aeton nor was it good manners for me to presse for the same because in my Letters I did presume to name my self The place is mine to bestow for this time and not his Majesties nor the Colledges But I do very willingly reserve the Collation of the same to be disposed as your Grace shall please Yet this will be a sufficient answer to any former promise or any reasonable Competitor His Majestie as your Grace best knoweth promised me at the delivery of the Seal a better Bishoprick and intended it certainly if any such had fallen My Charge is exceeding great my Bribes are very little my Bishoprick Deanery and other Commendams do not clear unto me above one thousand pounds a year at the uppermost It hath pleased God that the casualties of my office which is all the benefit of the same and enriched my Lord Elsmor hath not been worth to me these two years past one shilling It may mend when it pleaseth God I leave all these and my self who am your Vassal at your Lordships feet and do rest c. Your Graces c. J. L. C. S. Postscript MAy it please your Grace I troubled his Highnesse with a long relation of the Consulto we had about his Majesties taking of the Oath Which I had written to your Grace and not to his Highnesse but that I was frighted by great men that I had done his Highnesse a displeasure in pressing his Majesties assent unto the same And I protest I was so poorly accompanied in my opinion that I was truly afraid I had not done well And therefore I took occasion to write my reasons at large unto the Prince Which I heard by Sir John Hipsley from your Grace was well taken I humbly thank your Grace who I know forwarded the same And so I perceive by a Letter from his Highnesse so full of sweetnesse as I am overwhelmed J. L. C. S. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 6. January 1623. May it please your Grace DOn Francisco being with me this night about a pardon for a poor Irish man whom I reprieved from execution at the suit of those
not lay down to your Majesties best judging eyes that I mean this by way of complaint For I do acknowledge the reason that your Majestie had to do what you did neither do I go about to excuse errours to have escaped me but will now and ever acknowledge your Gracious favourable dealing with me if you will be pleased now to receive me again to your favour after this just correction without which I desire not to enjoy fortune of Goods or life in this world which in the humblest manner that I can I beg at your Princely feet as Your c. T. Suffolk The E. of Suffolk to the Duke My Honourable good Lord AT the first minute of mine and my wives delivery out of the Tower I had returned such acknowledgment due for so great a favour but that Sir George Goring only desired to be the Messenger as well as he was of the other Let not my Lord my late misfortunes make me or mine more unable to serve and thank you then any hee that thus takes advantage thereby to wrong me in your belief for what I have both received in abatement of my fine and speedy libertie I must confesse to come from your Noble mediation to his Majestie whose displeasure hath been more grievous to my soul then all the rest this world can inflict upon me As your Lordships kindnesse hath begun to ease me so now let the same hand cure and preserve me from a worse relapse wherein I am like to fall if your power prevent it not The motion of his Majesties for my perswading my sons out of their places was the grievousest sound that ever entred me for thereby I still breathed under the heavy weight of all my afflictions not despairing but their Care charged upon them with my blessing might somewhat redeem my errours and assure his Majestie that my will was never tainted with offending him I know my Lord there is little benefit in serving against Masters minds but they are unworthy servants that will leave such Masters upon any conditions Such as make suit to chop or change for their own advantage are better lost then kept But as for mine my curse should follow them if ever I could think they followed his Majestie with such indifferencie My obedience to his Majestie was ever of more force with me then mine own ends any way layed nor ever joyed I more then in running to his Commands But this my Lord rends my heart to think that unfortunate I should bury my sons alive and pronounce that sentence which would make me and them Scorns to posteritie Whilest I have knee to bend eye to lift up or tongue to begg I must implore his Majesties pardon and mercy in this kind As for that more drossie part of my estate it still lies at his Majesties feet and if he now please to recal what he remitted without further condition I must obey and let his Majestie see no change of time or place can change me my love my dutie or my zeal to him My Lord here you may read me in my greatest griefs that ever did fall to me weigh them well and think that one day you may be a father and be as neerly touched as now I am The favour you shall do me herein shall prove no hidden talent for the increase shall not onely be the happinesse of a good work well done but the hearty acknowledgment of a whole family and all theirs that shall as faithfully serve and honour you as the best of those that would succeed them which I hope your Lordship will believe from me who will ever be Yours c. T. Suffolk The Earl of Suffolk to his Majestie Most Gracious Soveraign Your Princely favour in dilivering me and my wife out of the tower must and shall ever be acknowledged of us with all humble thanks And now be pleased to give me leave to be an humble surtor to your Majestie that out of the tender compassion of your Princely heart you will be pleased to cast your eye upon the miserable estate of your distressed afflicted and old Servant now brought into fear of never recovering of your Majesties favour and so wretced my case is as the little hope that remained in me to live in your memorie was by my two sons service to your Gracious self and the Prince It is now required of me to impose upon them the resignation of their places which with all humility I beseech you to give me leave to say I would sooner use my power over them to will them to burie themselves quick then by any other way then enforcement to give up their places of service which onely remaines to me to be either my dying comfort or my living torment Besides they are now past my government being both married and have children onely I have a Paternal Care of them which I humbly beseech your best judging Majestie to weigh respectively how unhappie I must of necessity think my self if I should be the perswader of that misfortune to my children that their children within a few years would curse me for either living or dead Upon all these just considerations most Gracious Master give me leave to turn my cruel unnatural part of perswading them to yield to that for which I should detest my self to my humblest desire upon the Knees of my heart to beg humbly of your Majestie that whatsoever favour you have ever had to me for any service done that your Majestie will be pleased to spare the ruine of these two young men whom I find so honestlie disposed in their desire of spending their fortunes and lives in your Majesties and your Princely son's service as if your displeasure be not fullie satisfyed with what I have suffered already that you lay more upon me and spare them I have written to my Lord of Buckingham to be my mediator to your Majestie in this behalf which I assure my self he will noblie perform as well as he hath formerly done in being my means to your Majestie in obtaining this great begun favour To conclude with my prayer to God that your Majestie may ever find the same zeal and Love to your person in whomsoever you shall imploy that my hearts Sole-affection did and ever shall carrie unto you which God knowes was and is more to your Majestie then to my wife and children and all other worldy things which God measure unto me according to the truth as Yours c. T. Suffolk The Lady Elizabeth Howard to the King VVHen I waited upon you at Theobalds to beseech your Majesty that my Lord of Suffolk might not come into the Star-chamber you protested that you loved the man but that you must shew cause to the world why you took the Staffe from him but for his fortune that your Majestie would not meddle with it the same my Lord of Buckingham told me with this assurance of your promise I went away secure in that poynt Sithence his
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
of Divine Grace THe authority wherein we have understood your Noblenesse to flourish in the Brittish Court is accounted not onely the reward of your merits but also the patronage of virtue certainly an excellent renown and every way so worthy that the people desire a diuturnity to be annexed unto it But it is almost ineffable what an increase of glory thoroughout the world would be annexed unto it if by Gods favour it should become the defence of Catholique Religion Certainly you have gained an opportunity by which you may insert your self into the Councels of those Princes who obtaining an immortal name have attained the Celestial Kingdom Suffer not then O Nobleman this occasion presented to you from God and commended by the Bishop of Rome to slip out of your hands You that are privie to their royal Councels cannot choose but know in what estate the affaires of Brittain at this time stand and with what voyces of the Holy Ghost speaking in them they daily sound in the ears of your Princes What Glorie would redound unto your Name if by your exhortation and perswasion the English Kings should again recover their Celestial inheritance of that Glorie left unto them by their Ancestours in those Kingdomes in abundant manner by providing for the increase of Gods Worship and by not only defending but propagating the jurisdiction of the Pontifical authority There have been many and shall be hereafter whom the bountie of Kings hath enriched with fading riches and advanced to envied titles and yet mindful posterity will not celebrate your name with eternal Prayses for having attayned these but if your Councels should reduce those most powerful Kings and people unto the bosom of the Romane Church the name of your Noblenesse would be written in the book of the living whom the torment of Death toucheth not and the Monuments of Histories shall place you amongst those wise men in whose splendor Kings walked but with what comforts in this life and what rewards in the life to come God who is rich in mercy would reward you they easily see who know the art and force by which the Kingdom of heaven is conquered It is not only our Pontifical charity to whose care the salvation of mankind pertaineth but also the piety of your Mother who as she brought you into the world so she desireth to bear you again to the Romane Church which she acknowledgeth for her mother that moved us to desire that you were made Partakers of so great felicity Therefore when our beloved son the religious man Didacus de la Fuente who hath wisely administred the affaires of your Princes in this City prepared his journie for Spain we commanded him to come unto your Noblenesse and present these our Apostolical Letters by which the Greatnesse of our Pontifical charity and the desire of your salvation may be declared Your Noblenesse may therefore heare him as the interpreter of our mind and as one indued with these virtues which have won him the love of forraign nations being a Catholique and religious priest He certainely hath reported those things of you in these parts of the world that he is worthie to be imbraced of you with singular affection and defended by your authority being a servant to the Glorie and salvation of the Brittish Kings and people This thing truly will we pray for to the father of mercies that he will open to your Noblenesse the gates of his Coelestial kingdom and afford you frequent Documents of his Clemency Given at Rome at St. Marie the Greater under the Ring of the Fisherman the 19. of May. 1623. and of our Popedom the third John Champolut To his Sacred Majestie abignoto My most Gratious King THese things which your Majestie did lately command to be spoken unto you and now to be repeated in writing are not such as they can be made bylegal and Judicial proofes both because they by whose testimony they may be confirmed do for fear of a most potent adversarie withdraw themselves And also because they think it a crime to come into the Embassadours house yea even they are afraid to do it who have commandement from your Majestie but neither was it lawful for the Embassadours themselves to speak these things especially not to such as they directed when the order of the affaires required it because they had never the freedom to speak unto your Majestie and no audience was given or granted them in the absence of tht Duke of Buckingham An example certainly unusual with other Kings and never to be taken in good part unlesse it be perhaps when the King himself wanting experience and being of weak judgment and no wisedom some one that is familiar and inward with the King a man wise and circumspect of great judgment and no lesse experience supplies the Kings place But here when all things go preposterously and the King himself being a most prudent and experienced Prince he that is familiar or favorite doth in all things shew himself a rash headie young man a Novice in managing of businesse and to the Crown of Spain most offensive Certainly by all just right this man was to be kept away from the audience of the Embassadour of the State We may also be bold to say that his presence so earnestly desired of him doth argue a great fear in him and a great distrust in him as well of his own upright conscience as also the Kings wisdom Hence therefore it is come to passe that your Majesties most faithful Vassals dare not so much as indirectly disclose their minds to the King though they take it in very ill part that a very good King should be driven into such streights And that a man pleasing himself in his own designs should use the favours of Princes so sinisterly that he doth of set purpose stir up breach of friendship and enmity between most Mighty Kings Besides who can without a discontented mind endure that the greatest affaires and of greatest moment if any in the Christian world can be so tearmed shall be ordered or concluded at the pleasure of your Parliament and from thence all things carried on with a headlong violence at his will and pleasure and a most deadly war to be preferred before a most happie Peace When as neverthelesse I am not ignorant that not so much the restitution of the Palatinate as the very claime to it will very difficultly be obtained or recovered by force of armes Let your Majestie exactly consider as it useth to do whether this be not an evident argument of that I have said that the conference or treatie about the Palatinate was taken from the Councel of State a society of most prudent men only forthis cause that almost everie one of them had with one consent approved the proposition of the most Catholique King and did not find in it any cause of dissolving that treaty Hereupon the Parliament of this Kingdom was procured by the Duke because he thought his
by the frequent proof he had of his great abilities in that kind Since the time of H. 6. these Parliamentary discoursings were never suffered as being the certain symptomes of subsequent rebellions civil Wars and the dethroning of our Kings But these last 20 years most of the Parliament men seek to improve the reputation of their wisdomes by these Declamations and no honest Patriot dare oppose them lest he incur the reputation of a Fool or a Coward in his Countries Cause 2. Covetous Landlords Inclosers Depopulators and Justices of the Peace who have got a habit of Omniregencie and an hope to extend the same against the King in Parliament as they do on his Subjects in the Countrey Hereby the King loseth 24000 l. in every whole Subsidie for Anno 1600. it was 80000 l. and now it is but 56000 l. which cometh by the decay of the yeomandry who were three and four pound men And these Gentlemen most of them of the Parliament do ease themselves to afflict those who are the true Commons and yet perswade them that the grievances are caused by the Duke and the ill government of the King 3. Recusants and Church Papists whose hatred is irreconcileable against the Duke for the breach of the Spanish Match The French Lady though as zealous a Catholique doth not please him for they were tyed to Spain by their hopes of a change of Religion that way All the Priests are sent from the Spanish Dominions and the sons and daughters of the Papists remain as hostages of their fidelities in the Colledges and Nunneries of the King of Spain And though the Papists have no place in the house of Commons yet privately they aggravate all scandals against the Duke to kindle a separation between the King and his people and avert them from enabling the King to resist or be avenged of our great enemy Remember the course held by these men in the Parliament of undertakers also Dr. Eglesham and all the Priests daily practice libelling against all great men about the King 4. Needy and indebted persons in both Houses who endeavour by these Parliamentary stirres not so much the Dukes overthrow as a rebellion which they hope will follow if it be not done This is much to be suspected as well by their Calumniations against his Majestie as for their own wants many of them being outlawed and not able to shew their heads but in Parliament time by priviledge thereof and they know that there are enough to follow them in the same mischief 5. Puritans and all other Sectaries who though scarce two of them agree in what they would have yet they all in general are haters of Government They begun in Parliament about Anno 23. Eliz. and spit their venom not only against the Bishops but also against the Lord Chancellour Hatton and others the Queens favourites and Councellours as they do now against the Clergie and the Duke But their main discontentment is against the Kings Government which they would have extinguished in matters Ecclesiastical and limited in Temporal This is a fearful and important Consideration because it pretends Conscience and Religion and they now more deadly hate the Duke because he sheweth himself to be no Puritan as they hoped he would at his return from Spain 6. Malecontents censured or decourted for their deserts as the kindred and dependants of the Earl of Suffolk and of Sir Henry Yelverton Coke Lake Middlesex though all of them the last excepted were dejected by King James without any Concurrencie of the Duke Others because they are not preferred as they do imagine that they deserve as the Lord Say Earl of Clare Sir John Eliot Selden and Glanvile Sir Dudley Diggs and the Bishops of Nerwich and Lincoln These and many others according to the nature of envy look upon every one with an evil eye especially upon the Duke who either hath or doth not prefer them to those places or retain them in them which their ambition expecteth 7. Lawyers in general for that as Sir Edward Cook could not but often expresse our Kings have upholden the power of their Prerogatives and the rights of the Clergie whereby their comings in have been abated And therefore the Lawyers are fit ever in Parliaments to second any Complaint against both Church and King and all his servants with their Cases Antiquities Records Statutes Presidents and Stories But they cannot or will not call to mind that never any Nobleman in favour with his Soveraign was questioned in Parliament except by the King himself in case of Treason or unlesse it were in the nonage and tumultuous times of Rich. 2. Hen. 6. or Edw. 6. which happened to the destruction both of the King and Kingdom And that not to exceed our own and Fathers memories in King Hen. 8. time Wolsies exorbitant power and pride and Cromwels contempt of the Nobility and the Lawes were not yet permitted to be discussed in Parliament though they were most odious and grievous to all the Kingdom And that Leicester's undeserved favour and faults Hatton's insufficiency and Rawleigh's insolence far exceeded what yet hath been though most falsly objected against the Duke yet no Lawyer durst abet nor any man else begin any Invectives against them in Parliament 8. The Merchants and Citizens of London convinced not by the Duke but by Cranfield and Ingram to have deceived the King of Imposts and Customs and deservedly fearing to be called to accompt for undoing all the other Cities and good Towns and the poor Colonie of Virginia as also for transporting of our silver into the East-Indies these vent their malice upon the Duke in the Exchange Pauls Westminster-Hall with their suggestions and therein they wound both to Subjects and strangers the honour of his Majestie and his proceedings 9. Innovators Plebicolae and King-haters At the latter end of Queen Elizabeth it was a phrase to speak yea to pray for the Queen and State This word State was learned by our neighbourhood and Commerce with the Low-Countries as if we were or affected to be governed by States This the Queen saw and hated And the old Earl of Oxford his Propositions at her death they awakened King James to prevent this humour and to oppose the conditions and limitations presented unto him by the Parliaments The Lawyers Citizens and Western men who are most hot infected with Puritanisme stood strong against him under a colour of Parliaments and Parliamentary priviledges His Majestie therefore strengthened himself ever with some Favourite as whom he might better trust then many of the Nobility tainted with this desire of Oligarchie It behoveth without doubt his Majestie to uphold the Duke against them who if he be but decourted it will be the Corner stone on which the demolishing of his Monarchie will be builded For if they prevail with this they have hatched a thousand other demands to pull the feathers of the Royalty they will appoint him Councellours Servants Alliances Limits of his expences
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
them I have these 10. daies had Greisly in a readinesse to depart having every day expected a resolution from the Junto First in point of the portion and since in the daies of payment and at last I have received their answer in them both in such sort as your Highnesse will see in the paper inclosed which is an extract of the heads of the temporal Articles that we have agreed although I have onely consented unto them de bene esse until I shall receive his Majesties approbation and yours In the point of the portion I have had a tough and a knotty piece of work by reason that not onely the Conde de Olivarez but all the Junto were absolutely ignorant of what had passed in the late Kings time which I foresaw and that was the cause that I moved so earnestly at the Escurial to have the Conde de Gondomar remain here They made many presidents to be searched and found that the two millions demanded was four times as much as ever was given with any daughter of Spain in money They alledged that it would be said that the King of Spain was fain to purchase the friendship and alliance of England that this would be such a president as that Spain hereafter must marrie no more daughters I onely insisted that it was a thing by the last King settled and agreed with me that this King had by several answers in writing to me undertaken to pursue the businesse as it was left by his father and to make good whatsoever he had promised And thereupon desired that the original Papers and Consultos of the last King might be seen which very honestly by the Secretary Cirica were produced and appeared to be such that I dare say there was not a man that saw them that doubteth of the last Kings real intention of making the Match And questionlesse this had been the usefullest occasion to have disavowed former proceedings and I was resolved to put them to it But both the King and his Councel upon the sight of what had been promised by his father presently took resolution to make good the two millions onely to remonstrate unto his Majestie the vastnesse of the Portion and to desire him to consider how far the King had stretched himself in this particular for his satisfaction And therefore that he would have Consideration of it in such things for the future as might be treated of betwixt them and their Kingdoms As for the daies of payment I insisted to have had half a million upon the Deposories half a million to be carried along with the Infanta and the other million at their Fleets the two next years after by equal portions But I have now received the Kings answer in this particular which your Highnesse will see in the enclosed paper as likewise what I have done therein by the Copie of the dispatch which I now write about it to Mr. Secretary So not having any thing more to add concerning this particular I recommend your highnesse to Gods holy protection c. Madrid The E of Bristol to the Duke of Buckingham Decemb. 6. 1623. May it please your Grace THe present estate of the Kings affairs requireth the concurrencie of all his servants and the Co-operation of all his Ministers which maketh me desirous to make unto your Grace this tender of my service that if there have happened any errours or misunderstandings your Grace would for that regard passe them over and for any thing that may personally concern my particular I shall labour to give you that satisfaction as may deserve your friendship And if that shall not serve the turn I shall not be found unarmed with patience against any thing that can happen unto me And so wishing that this humble offer of my service may find that acceptation as I humbly desire I rest Madrid Your Graces most humble servant Bristol The E. of Bristol to Secretary Cottington Apr. 15. 1623. Good Mr. Secretary Cottington THere is no man living knoweth better then your self how zealous I have been unto the Prince's service and whilest I thought he desired the Match I was for it against all the World Now the Treatie is ended the world shall see I never had nor will have any affections of my own but will wholly follow my Masters as I have written unto you in my former Letters and have not these four moneths spoken a word in the marriage If his Majestie and the Prince will have a war I will spend my life and fortunes in it without so much as replying in what quarrel soever it be And of thus much I intreat you let his Highnesse be informed by you And I intreat you let me know his directions what he will have me do and how to behave my self for I absolutely cast my self at his feet which I desire to do the first thing after my landing to the end that understanding his pleasure I may commit no errour I beseech you to dispatch this bearer back unto me withal possible speed though it be with not one word more but what the Prince will have me do wherewith I shall come muy Consolado I understand that I have been much bound to the Prince for the procuring the 4000 l. to be payed and for my Pension I pray present unto him my most humble thanks and I confesse I have been much more comforted with that demonstration of his favour then I can be with the money I doubt not but at this time I shall have the effects of a real friendship from you in this particular And so desiring to have my service remembred to my Lady Cottington I rest Poitiers Yours c. Bristol Postscript I Pray move the Prince that one of the Kings Ships may be presently appointed to waft me over For I have a great charge of of the Princes with me W. Greisly met me within 10. posts of Burdeaux and is passed on to Madrid I think he shall find the Blandones for his Highnesse in a readinesse for Mr. Stone taketh care of them and hath the money in his hand The E. of Bristol to his Majestie 27 July 1624. May it please your most excellent Majestie I Hope your Majestie will not be displeased that I continue unto you that most humble and just suit which I have often made unto your Majestie and your Majestie hath been often gratiously pleased to promise which was that I should be no waies lessened or diminished in your Majesties favour and good opinion until you should be first pleased gratiously to hear me and my Cause And although your Majestie for just respects hath not been pleased hitherto to admit me into your presence which I esteem an infinite misfortune to me Yet I hope that time will no way confirm those impressions of displeasure which I do no way doubt but will be fully cleared whensoever I shall be so happy as by your Majestie to be heard For I take God to record that I have
should not be offended therewith His opinion of our preparing of this Navie IT was a design of the Duke to go to the Ports of Sevil and there to burn all the Ships in the Harbour which he laught at Speeches which he said fell from his Majestie concerning the Prince 1. THat when he told the King that his greatnesse with the Duke was such as might hinder his Majestie from taking a course to represse him His Majestie replyed He doubted nothing of the Prince or his own power to sever them two when he pleased 2. His Majestie said That when his Highnesse went to Spain he was as well affected to that Nation as heart could desire and as well disposed as any son in Europe but now he was strangely carried away with rash and youthful Councels and followed the humour of Buckingham who had he knew not how many Devils within him since that journey Concerning the Duke 1. THat he could not believe yet that he affected popularity to his disadvantage Because he had tryed him of purpose and commanded him to make disaffecting motions to the houses which he performed whereby his Majestie concluded he was not popular 2. That he desired Don Francisco and the Embassadours and renewed this request unto them by Padre Maestro two dayes ago to get him any ground to charge him with popular courses or to increase a suspition of it and he would quickly take a course with him 3. That he had good cause to suspect the Duke of late but he had no servant of his own that would charge him with any particular nor knew he any himself The end as was conceived of Don Francisco's desiring this Conference HE had heard that the Duke had pusht at me in Parliament and intended to do so again when he had done with the Treasurer and therefore shewed that if I would joyn to set upon him with the King there was a fit occasion I answered that the Prince and the Duke had preferred me into my place and kept me in it and if I found them pursuing I would not keep it an hour That what favour soever I shewed the Embassadour or Catholiques I did it for their sakes and had thanks of them for it And that I would deal by way of counsel with the Duke to be temperate and moderate but to be in opposition to my friend and Patron I knew he being one that professed so much love unto me would never expect from an honest man Upon the which answer he seemed satisfied and never replyed word in that kind I made an end of writing these notes about two of the clock in the morning The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning Sir Richard Weston 24. May. 1624. May it please your Grace I Hold it my duty to give your Grace a present account of this Patent made for Sir Richard Weston Having put off the sealing of the same as fairly as I could though not without the clamour of one Lake a servant of Mr. Chancelours Mr. William Lake who very saucily prest for a dispatch this morning Mr. Chancelour spake with me himself to whom I made answer That I would seal his Patent according to his Majesties Warrant but would retain it in my hands as I was directed until I either spake with the King or received his farther Command in that behalf He told me he would write unto your Grace concerning the stay thereof and the stand of the Kings businesse until it were delivered which course I told him was very fair After I acquainted his Highnesse with my sealing and retaining of the Patent and asked him if he knew thereof His Highnesse answered he did know thereof but gave no approbation of the course and although he durst not speak to crosse it he hoped I should have directions from the King to pull off the Seals again Three houres after I went to his Highnesse the second time and asked him if he meant really as he spake or intended onely to make me believe so I desired to know his mind lest I might steer my course contrary to his intendment His Highnesse answered He meant really and would endeavour to effectuate all that he spake Which I thought very fitting for your Grace to know with all speed But for the man himself I must deliver unto your Grace my conscience For ought I ever saw in him he is a very honest and a very sufficient man and such a one as I never in all my life could observe to be any way false or unfaithful unto your Grace He was brought in by your Grace fore against my will as your Grace may call to mind what I said to your Grace at Woodstock to that effect not that I disliked the Gentleman but because I was afraid he would be wholly the Treasurers who began then to out-top me and appeared to my thoughts likely enough by his daring and boldnesse two virtues very powerful and active upon our Royal Master in time to do as much to your Grace From that time to this I never observed in VVeston any unworthinesse or ingratitude to your Grace Nay craving pardon I will proceed one step farther I know no fitter man in England for the office if he come in as a creature of the Prince and your Grace's nor unfitter if he should offer to take it without your likings I think your Grace will remember that this fortnight this hath been my constant opinion Upon the death of one Mr. Read the Secretaries place for the Latine tongue is void The Dean of Winchester and I moved the King for Patrick Young the fittest man in England for that place And the Prince did and will second the motion I Beseech your Grace to assist us or els the immodesty of his Competitor that Lake I spake of in the beginning of this Letter will bear down this most honest and bashful creature God be thanked for your Graces recovery and still preserve it And so c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. August 1624. May it please your Grace I Humbly thank your Grace for your favourable and Gratious remembrance sent by my Neighbour Sir George Goring Though I despaire to be able to make any other requital yet will I never fail to serve your Grace most faithfully and when I grow unnseful in that kind to pray for you I beseech your Grace that I may receive from the Prince's Highnesse and your Grace some directions how to demean my self to the French Embassador in matters concerning Recusants and that Mr. Secretary may either addresse himself to Mr. Atturny General in these causes or else write unto me plainely what I am to do His last letter required of me and the Judges who neither are nor will be in town these six weeks yet an account of this their supposed persecution neither so much as intimating unto me what or when I should return an answer and supposeth some directions his Majestie should give me therein the which particularly
cast in their shares And Hungarie as I hope being in that same cause will run the same fortune for the meanes to support the war I hope Providebit Deus The Parliament is the old and honourable way but how assured at this time I know not yet I will hope the best certainly if countenance be given to the action many brave spirits will voluntarily go Our great Master in sufficient want of mony gave some ayde to the Duke Savoy and furnished out a prettie army in the cause of Cleve We must trie once again what can be done in this businesse of a higher nature and all the mony that may be spared is to be turned that way And perhaps God provided the Jewels that were layd up in the Tower to be gathered by the Mother for the preservation of her Daughter who like a noble Princesse hath professed to her Husband not to leave her self one Jewel rather then not to maintain so religious and righteous a cause You see that lying on my bed I have gone too far but if I were with you this should be my language which I pray you humbly and heartily to represent to the King my Master telling him that when I can stand I hope to do his Majestie some service herein So commending me unto you I remain Your very loving friend Geo. Cant. The Lord Brook to the Duke 11. November 1623. May it please your Grace OUt of Spain we hear the world comes so fast after you since your departure as we assure our selves this great work is at a good end with contentment to our blessed Prince and like a Princely treaty with addition of honour to the Monarchie he intends to match with But Sir we hear of a new treaty sprung up between the Palsegraves Eldest son and the Emperours youngest Daughter A Labrynth into which what hope soever leades us I fear no one thread will be able to guide us well out Because in the passages between these far distant Princes education of children seemes like to be demanded Ballancing of Councels to the jelousie of friends Question whether the Palatinate shall be delivered in the Nonage before marriage or after Then whether sequestred into a Catholique or Protestants hands If into a Catholique a probable argument that both it and the Valtoline are equally reserved free to fall with associated forces upon our antient Bulwark the Nether-Lands at pleasure Lastly whether the Myter and these Scepters thus united with their advantage in number of swords and Deskes abroad their new springing partie at home strengthes by sea and land Constant ambition of adding Crown to Crown and perfect Auditt of their neighbours powers and humors even while the second Heire male of this Kingdom shall live in the hands of enemies and strangers I say whether these will not prove fearful in equalities casual to the lives of our King and Prince dangerous to the Crown by changing successive rights into tenures of Courtesie and charging of the peoples consciences with visions of confusion or bondage Again Sir admit this new project should vanish into smoak as undigested vapours use to do yet give me leave to question whether to your Grace you have overtlie protested against the intricate Courses of the Spaniard even the specious issue of the Palatinates delivery before consummation of marraiage but not like to prove Mother of many Colourable and unavoydable delayes Because suppose the proposition should be granted yet who sees not that the effecting of it will prove an act of so many parts Viz the Pope Emperour King of Spain Duke of of Bavaria c. and of so great consequence joyntlie and severally to them all and must of necessity require divers assemblies commissions perchance Dietts c. And then what time the execution of the Minutes under these Heads will demand he that knowes the divers natures of Nations in treating may easily conceive To begin with the least what mony or other conditions can be offered like to satisfie the honour humour and huge expence of the Bavarian for quitting his Conquest to so unreconcileable a neighbour and if there be possibility yet out of whose estate or treasury are these conditions or large proportions of Dowrie probably to be expected touching the Emperour Is there any forraign alliance able to perswade this Prince who having by an untimely war changed all tenures of Election into succession and thereby shaken the antient freedom of our Germany Princes what I say can in likelihood winn him to restore these dead forces of his Enemies to the prejudice of all he injoyes or aspires Besides what shall move this Emperour to take away the Bann from the Palsegraves person who hath so desparately hazarded not only his own private Kingdomes and Provinces but by his undertaking waved the main ambition of of the Austrian familie For the Spanish King if he be prest his answer will be ready and fair that he hath no right in him but mediation as appeares by the divisions already made Notwithstanding how little right soever pretends yet his Councel his instruments his charge by diversion Overt Ayde insensible succours the world sees have been used in all these wars so as this together with his right by strong hand gotten and kept by arts of depositing upon the Voltaline may lead us to discern clearly that he finds the passage of his forces through them equal and so resolves both to over-run the Low countries when he please Against which little State whether out of revenge or ambition of greater conquests by them he will constantly carry a warchfull and Griping enemies hand Concerning the Pope who knowes not that his universal affected supremacie howsoever dissembled yet hath doth and ever will urge his Holinesse to stir up colourable Warres of Religion Since Warres Contentions and tumults among Princes have been his old way of adding more wealth and power to his sanctified Sea How I say this new fashion'd Monarch shall be won to suffer Heidelberg the most dangerous nest of Heretiques after Geneva to return to her former strength is a poynt beyond my Capacity By these short hastie and imperfect images your Grace may yet judg that except the restitution of the Palatinate be instantly pressed and like a work of Faeries either furnished or broken off at once we may easily be over-shot in our own bowes by having the strengths and free Councels of England Scotland and Ireland during this treaty kept under a kind of Covert-baron and so long made a forge for other Princes ends as my Blessed Soveraigns trust may perchance find it self compelled to play an After-Game amongst discouraged friends and combination of powerful enemies such as under characters of Allyance will think they have won one great Step towards their inveterate Ambition of a Westerne Monarchie Noble Duke If you find me lifted above my earth in handling a subject to which I am utterly a stranger yet bear with a Monks humour in a man that is
me one of the Junta as they called it of the selected Councellours and his imployment given me the last year as his Extraordinary Embassadour into Germany I told them I had been bred a Souldier as their Excellencies had been but that I wanted the capacity and abilities which they had and that for want of Language not affecting to speak by an Interpreter I had forborn to wait on their Excellencies as otherwise I would have done To that they returned the like Complement and then said Their Master had sent a good answer touching the Palatinate and they assured me that he would perform what he had promised with advantage I said if it were so I then hoped all things would sort to a good end They then asked me how his Majestie and the Lords were affected and whether therewith they were satisfied or no I answered That I conceived their Excellencies knew his Majesties mind as well as the Lords for that they had so lately audience of him They said It was true they had so but not a private audience nor could they obtain any though they had much desired the same but that others were still present I said merely that they were two and I believed that the King their Master had sent as able and experienced Ministers as he had any and therefore his Majestie might peradventure think fit not to hear them alone They said his Majestie might alone hear a thousand Ministers of any Kings but if he should be otherwise pleased they well liked of the Princes being present but they said there were also other great Ministers of the Kings who wished not well to their Masters affairs I said There might therein be a mistaking or misunderstanding on their part for if the King their Master mean so really as they said I conceived that no body would be willing to remove his Majestie from those purposes and that good affection which he bore unto his dear Brother the King of Spain The Marquesse said in English The King was a good King and the Prince a good Prince but some of their Ministers they doubted were ill willers to them I asked if greater demonstrations of reality could be devised then had been given on the part of the King and Prince instancing in the Prince his going in Person into Spain They confessed it but as the times now were they said ill offices were done them I assured them That I neither knew nor understood of any neither did I ever hear them spoken of but with due respect had unto them as to the Ministers of a great King and his Majesties dear Brother They said their meaning was not that the ill offices were done to their Persons but to the great Businesses which a certain Person had shewed a willingnesse to disturb but they hoped that the intended amity between our Masters would hold and proceed neverthelesse I professed that I knew nothing to the contrary neither understood I the particular at which they aymed The Marquesse swore as he was a Christian he knew that the King his Master did so truly and really esteem his dear Brother the King of England and the Prince of Wales that if they needed part of his blood they should have it for their good But he complained that they could not have their Messages delivered nor returned from the King of late but qualified according to the pleasures of others I said They misconceived it for I thought they had no cause to complain seeing they now had or might have as I supposed the Kings Ear when they craved it in due and befitting times They seemed to deny it alledging That they could not get their Messages and Papers answered as aforetime I said When the Prince was in Spain they had free accesse to his Majestie whensoever they desired it Yea said the Marquesse in Latine Tune but now he said the ease was altered I said the King had given many testimonies to the world of his willingnesse to comply with their Master and Them And if either his Majestie or the Prince seemed now more reserved and deliberate in their actions then heretofore it might be that his Highnesse had learned that wary and circumspect proceeding in Spain where they are said to use it in matters of far lesse moment They smiled hereat and prayed me to continue my good intentions and respects towards them and to the joynt affairs of both our Masters I said I would alwaies serve the King my Master with a true and faithful heart and so far as should be agreeable to his desires and good liking I would to my small power be ready to serve them In Conclusion they said They came but to visit me but being come they could not choose but say something and touch upon businesse Arthur Chichester 22. of May 1624. Having made visits at sundry times to the Spanish Embassadours I do here under my hand declare what passed betwixt them and me so neer as my memory serveth lest in my absence any such maâ—ter should fall in question I now intending to travel for a space VVHen his Highnesse was in Spain being upon my journy in Scotland I went to Elis-House to take my leave of Don Carles where Vanvail was present I expressing much joy of the march which in my mind would without all question be perfected did find no such humour nor inclination on their part which did much astonish me for they grumblingly did alleadge that the King my Master did perform nothing that he promised or how could any thing be expected the Infanta being here whereas nothing was per formed the Prince being in Spain I besought them to do better offices then without reason to put jealousies betwixt my Master and theirs who would never have sent his son to Spain without a real intention Which onely act was reason sufficient to remove all doubts Yet did they still continue their challenge of divers Bracks specially anent the sending of ships to Scotland to bring away the two Dunkirkers and not perfecting such conditions as were promised to Catholiques I did intreat them again that such conceits of my Master might be removed for they might be confident of full performance of what he had promised by reason he had never broke his promise to any I desired them likewise to consider with what love our Prince was gone and what a stain it should be to the State of Spain if uncourteously he should return with distast Besides it might fall out to be the worst act that ever they committed where anent if they had love to their Master they would prove good Instruments What was spoke by me in English was related in Spanish to Don Carlo so was it to me what they spoke in Spanish Sometimes Don Carlo spoke in French so that not a word passed which each man did not know I went again after the Treaties were given up and did remember Don Carlo of what I had forespoke when the Marquesse was present and took
you may all noble thoughts forsake me Because I seldom am honoured with your Ear I thus make bold with your all-discerning eye which I pray God may be inabled with power and strength daily to see into them that desire your ruine Which if it once be I will never believe but so good a King will constantly inable you daily with power to confound them Many men would not be thus bold and saucie If I find you distaste me for my respect to you I will respect my poor self who ever hath honoured you so much as hereafter to be silent So I kisse the noble hands of your Grace Your Lordships servant during life Tho. Cromwell Sir Robert Philips to the Duke of Buckingham 21. August 1624. May it please your Grace BEfore the receipt of that Dispatch with which you were pleased to honour me from Apthorp dated the last of July I was fully determined at your return to Woodstock to have presented your Grace my most humble and faithful service and by that means to have obtained the knowledge in what state and condition of health you had passed this part of the progresse Your former weaknesse together with the dangerous temper of the season giving me cause both to doubt and pray against the worst But I found my self then to be more strictly obliged to the performance of this dutie when I received from your Grace so clear and abundant a testimonie as well of your good opinion as of the trust you reposed in me Obligations certainly of that nature and of so large an extent as do with reason deprive me of all degree of libertie and justly subject me to a perpetual state of servitude and obedience to all your Graces Commandements I have diligently perused my Lord of Bristols answer which it pleased your Grace to communicate unto me And although it become me not neither will I presume to give my opinion of the strength or weaknesse thereof yet will I take the liberty to say thus much That I find in his case that to be verified which I have observed at other times to wit That when able and prudent men come to act their own Parts they are then for the most part not of the clearest sight and do commonly commit such errours as are both discernable and avoidable even by men of mean abilities Being now fallen to speak of this Lord I humbly beseech your Lordship to give me leave plainly and briefly to set before you some Cogitations of mine own touching his present occasion First that it may be maturely considered Whether the tendring him any further charge unto which he may be able to frame a probable satisfactorie answer will not rather serve to declare his innocencie then to prepare his Condemnation and so instead of pressing him reflect back with disadvantage upon the proceeding against him Secondly That your Grace would be pleased to consult with your self whether you may not desist from having him further questioned without either blemish to your Honour or manifest prejudice to the service Considering that you have to your perpetual glory already dissolved and broken the Spanish partie and rendred them without either the means or the hope of ever conjoyning in such sort together again as may probably give the least disturbance or impediment to your Graces waies and designs And lastly Although his Lordship in sundry places of his answer especially in the latter part doth seem directly to violate the rule of the * Provident prudent Marriner who in foul weather and in a storm is accustomed to prevent shipwrack rather to pull down then to set up his sailes Neverthelesse as this case stands it deserves to be thorowly pondered which of the two waies will most conduce to your Graces purpose and is likely to receive the best interpretation and success either to have him dealt with after a quick and round manner or otherwise to proceed slowly and moderately with him permiting him for a time to remain where he is as a man laid aside and in the way to be forgotten A state of being if I mistake not his complexion which will be by him apprehended equivalent to the severest and sharpest censure that possibly can be inflicted on him Thus have I over-boldly adventured to present unto your Grace these few Queries and Proposals which they might be both inlarged and more forcibly urged yet to avoid the being too tedious I have chosen to omit the further insisting upon them till such time as I may have the honour and felicitie of being neer your person At this present it shall suffice humbly to beseech your Grace to be assuredly perswaded that what I have now delivered in this subject doth not proceed from any over indulgent respect I bear either to the person or fortune of my Lord of Bristol though I should not be sorry that like a prudent man he might by his discreet application to your Grace render himself capable to be again readmitted to your love and favour But the motive which hath induced me principally to use this plainnesse and libertie is the Consideration how importantly as I conceive the well ordering and disposing this particular doth concern your Graces service Unto the advancement and furtherance whereof if I may be able now or at any time to contribute the least proportion I shall esteem my self most happie and more then abundantly rewarded in case that my right humble endeavours in that kind may receive from your Grace a favourable and acceptable construction I will conclude this Letter with a twofold prayer first to you for my self that your Grace will be pleased to pardon this boldnesse Next to God for you that he will give you health and length of daies for his Majesties service and the good and honour of this Common-wealth I humbly crave leave to remain Your Graces Most obedient and devoted servant Rob. Philips The Earl of Middlesex to the Duke Right Noble and my most honoured Lord I Have received divers Letters from your Lordship since your going from Theobalds which though they concern several men and in sundry kinds yet they all conclude upon diminution of his Majesties estate contrary to your general ground when his Majestie delivered me the Staffe and contrary to your Lordships private directions given me at Theobalds with which I did your Lordship the right to acquaint the King I have of late had cause to take into consideration the miserable condition of my present estate who since I received the staffe have led such a life as my very enemies pity me which I foresaw the distraction of the Kings estate and burthen of that place would of necessitie throw upon me Yet my dutie love and thankfulnesse to his Majestie and my love and thankfulnesse to you contrary to my own judgment and advice of my friends made me undertake it little expecting these Crosse accidents which have lyen heavy upon me and more troubled me then the continual cares
and vexations of my place I do most freely and willingly acknowledge one man cannot be more bound unto another then I am to your Lordship and if I do not make a thankful return let me be held an ungrateful Monster which is the worst of Villains I have been so ambitious as to desire to extend my gratitude so far as that the King may have cause to thank you for preferring me and that your Lordship may blesse the time you did it To effect that I shall delight to live a miserable life for a time The course which must of necessitie be held to do it I will acquaint your Lordship with very shortly which I hope you will be pleased to approve and assist me in And then I will expresse my thankfulnesse to you that way If that course shall not like you I will not onely deliver you up my places but whatsoever I hold from the King and live privately upon mine own estate For I will never fell so good and gracious a Master nor so noble and constant a friend ruined and undone God blesse you and send you your hearts desire As for my self I never desired to quit the World and all the fooleries in it till now Your Lordships Faithfullest servant and Kinsman Middlesex The Earl of Middlesex to his Majestie 26. April 1624. Sacred Majestie and my most gracious Master YOur goodnesse is such to me your oppressed servant in this my time of persecution as I know not how to expresse my thankfulnesse otherwise then by pouring forth my humble and heartie prayers to the great God of heaven and earth to grant your Majestie all happinesse here and everlasting happinesse hereafter Between 5. and 6. of the clock upon Saturday in the evening I received my Charge from the Lords assembled in Parliament with an Order by which I am commanded to make my appearance at the Bar upon Thursday next by 9. of the clock in the morning with my answer And in the mean time to examine my witnesses This Charge of mine hath been in preparing by examining of witnesses upon oath and otherwise 23. daies And hath been weighed by the Wisdom of both Houses and doth concern me so neerly in point of honour and faith to your Majestie to answer well as I value my life at nothing in comparison of it I may grieve though I will not complain of any thing my Lords shall be pleased to Command but do hope that upon a second consideration they will not think three daies a fitting time for me to make my Answer and to examine witnesses in a cause of such importance and so neerly concerning me when twenty three daies hath been spent almost from morning until night in preparing my Charge I know the House whose Judgment I shall never desire to wave is the proper place for me to move to be resolved herein and therefore shall upon Wednesday morning make my humble motion there to have 7. daies longer time as well to make my answer and appearance as to examine my witnesses which are many and upon several heads But because the Prince his Highnesse and many of the Principal Lords are now with your Majestie at VVindsor my most humble suit to your Majestie is That you would be pleased to move them on my behalf to yield me so much further time that my Cause may not suffer prejudice for want of time to make my just defence that which I have propounded being as moderate as is possible With my most humble and heartie prayer to Almightie God for continuance of your health with all happinesse I humbly kisse your Royal hands and will ever rest Your Majesties most humble c. Middelsex The Earl of Carlile to his Majestie 14. February 1623. May it please your most Excellent Majestie THough my present indisposition deprives me of the Honour to attend your Majestie with the rest of the Commissioners with whom your Majesty was pleased to associate me yet I most humbly beseech your Majestie to give me leave in all humility to represent unto your Majestie what my heart conceiveth to be most for your Majesties service in the present conjuncture of your affaires During this time of my distemper I have been visited by divers Gentlemen of quality who are Parliament-men none of those popular and plausible Oratours but solid and judicious good patriots who fear God and honour the King Out of their discourses I collect That there are three things which do chiefly trouble your people The first that for the subsidies granted the two last Parliaments they have received no retribution by any bills of Grace The second that some of their Burgesses were proceeded against after the Parliament were dissolved And the third that they misdoubt that when they shall have satisfied your Majesties demands and desires you will neverthelesse proceed to the conclusion of the Spanish match It would be too much importunity to trouble your Majestie with the several answers which I made to their objections and would be too great presumption in mee to advise your Majesties incomparable wisdome what should be fittest to be done for your Majesties honour and the contentment of the people yet if it would please my Lord the King to give his humblest Creature leave to give vent to the loyal fervour of his heart restlesse and indefatigable in continual meditation of his Gracious Masters honour and service I would thus with all humble submission explain my self That there is nothing which either the enemies of this State or the perverse industry of false-hearted servants could invent more mischievous then the misunderstanding which have grown between your Majestie and your people nothing that will more dishearten the envious Maligners of your Majesties felicity and incourage your true hearted friends and Servants then the removing of those false feares and jealousies which are meer imaginarie Phantasmes and bodies of ayr easily dissipated whensoever it shall please the sun of your Majestie to shew it self clearly in its native brightnesse lustre and goodnesse God and the World do know the scope and the end of all your Majesties pious affections and endeavours to have been no other then the setling of an universal peace in Christendom a felicity only proper for your Majesties time and only possible to be procured by your incomparable goodnesse and wisdom but since the malice of the Divel and deceitful men have crossed those fair wayes wherein your Majestie was proceeding abusing your trust and goodnesse as Innocencie and goodnesse are alwayes more easily betrayed then wilinesse and malice you must now cast about again and sail by another point of the compasse and I am confident your Majestie will more securely and easily attain your Noble and pious end though the way be different The meanes are briefly these three First let your Majesties enemies see that the Lion hath teeth and clawes 2. Next imbrace and invite a strict and sincere friendship and association with those whom neighbourhood and
your Lordship this further assurance that no particular interest or consideration of mine own shall have power to alter my constant course of serving my gracious Master faithfully and industriously And so humbly submitting all to his Majesties good pleasure and your Lordships wisdom I remain eternally Your Graces most faithful friend and humble servant Carlile Postscript I Most humbly beseech your Lordship that this unfortunate Complement put upon my son may be no prejudice to the deserts of Sir James Ramsey The Lord Kensington to the Duke My Noblest Lord I Find the Queen Mother hath the onely power of governing in this State and I am glad to find it so since she promises and professes to use it to do careful and good offices in the way of increasing the friendship that is between us and this State and likewise to relieve and assist the united provinces the which they are preparing to do fullie and bravely for she hath now a clear sight of the pretentions of the King of Spain unto the Monarchie of Christendom during the absence of the King who went out of this town earlie the next day after I arrived here before I was prepared to attend him I have been often at the Lonure where I had the honour to entertain the Queen Mother She was willing to know upon what terms stood our Spanish alliance I told her that their delayes had been so tedious that they had somewhat discouraged the King and had so wearied the Prince and State which the dilatorie proceedings in it as that Treatie I thought would soon have an end She streight said of marriage taking it that way I told her I believed the contrarie and I did so the rather because the Spanish Embassad our hath given it out since my comming that the Alliance is fully concluded and that my journey had no other end then to hasten his Master unto it only to give them Jealousies of me because he at this time feares their dispositions stand too well prepared to desire and affect a conjunction with us And truly his report and instruments have given some jealousies to the persons of power in this State especially since they find I can say nothing directly unto them yet thus much I have directly from them Mounsieur de Vievielle and others but he is the chief guider of all affaires here That never was the affection of any State so prepared to accept all offers of amitie and alliance so we will cleerly and as disingaged persons seek it as is this but as a wise minister he saies that until we have whollie and truly abandoned the treatie with Spaiu they may lose the friendship of a brother in law that is alreadie so in hope of gaining another that they may fail of But when we shall see it reallie by a publique Commission that may declare all dissolved that touches upon the way of Spain we shall then understand their hearts not to be capable of more joy then that will bring them And the Queen Mother told me she had not lost those inclinations that she hath heretofore expressed to desire her Daughter may be given to the Prince with many words of value unto the King and person of the Prince and more then this she could not she thought well say it being most natural for the woman to be demanded and sought It is most certain that under-hand Spain hath done all that is possible to procure this State to listen to a crosse-marriage but here they are now so well understood as this baite will not be swallowed by them This I have from a grave and honest man that would not be brought to justifie it therefore he must not hear of it It is the Savoy Embassadour that is resident here a wise and a Gallant Gentleman who vowes this to be most true So general a desire was never expressed as is here for alliance with us and if the King and Prince have as many reasons of State at this time besides their infinite affection here to have it so continued let it be roundly and clearly pursued and then I dare promise as respective and satisfactorie a reception as can be imagined or desired And if it were not too much saucinesse for me to advise I could wish that the propositions of a league and marriage may not come together but may be treated apart For I doubt whether it may not be thought a little dishonourable for this King to give his sister conditionallie that if he will make war upon the King of Spain his brother we will make the alliance with him on the other part if the league should be propounded here with all those reasons of State that are now pressing for them to make it they have causes to doubt and so have we too that we may both be interrupted in that for certainly the King of Spain will if he can possibly please one side the which they think here may be us with the restitution of the Palatinate and we may likewise fear may be them with the rendring of the Valtoline these being the only open quarrels we must ground upon Now as long as these doubts may possesse us both this will prove a tedious and jealous work of both sides But if we fall speedily upon a treatie and conclusion of a marriage the which will find I am perswaded no long delayes here neither will they strain us to any unreasonablenesse in conditions for our Catholiques as far as I can find then will it be a fit time for to conclude a league the which they will then for certain do when all doubts and feares of fallings off are by this conjunction taken away and the necessity of their own affaires and safety will then make them more desire it then we and so would they now if they could think it so sure and so honourable for them For the King of Spain hath so imbraced them of all sides as they fear and justly that he will one day crush them to their destruction My Lord I do not presume to say any thing immediately to the King thorough your hands this I know will passe unto him and if he should find any weaknesse in this that I have presumed to say let the strength of your favour exercise those accustomed Noblenesses that you have alwayes expressed unto Your Graces most humble and obliged Servant Kensington Postscript VVIthin these few dayes your Grace shall hear again from me for as yet I have not seen the King no otherwise then the first night I arrived here This night he is come unto the Town again The Lord Kensington to the Prince 26. February 1624. May it please your Highnesse I Find here so infinite a value of your Person and virtue as what Instrument so ever my self the very weakest having some commands as they imagine from you shall receive excesse of honours from them They will not conceive me scarce receive me but as a publique Instrument for the service
of an Alliance that above all the things in this world they do so earnestly desire The Queen Mother hath expressed as far as she thinks is fit for the honour of her Daughter great favour and good will in it I took the boldnesse to tell her the which she took extreamly well that if such a proposition should be made your Highnesse could not believe that she had lost her former inclinations and desires in it She said your trust of her should find great respect there is no preparation I find towards this businesse but by her and all perswasions of amitie made light that look not towards this end And Sir if your intentions proceed this way as by many reasons of State and wisdom there is cause now rather to presse it then slacken it you will find a Ladie of as much Lovelinesse and Sweetnesse to deserve your affection as any creature under Heaven can do And Sir by all her fashions since my being here and by what I hear from the Ladies it is most visible to me her infinite value and respect unto you Sir I say not this to betray your belief but from a true observation and knowledge of this to be so I tell you this and must somewhat more in way of admiration of the person of Madam for the impressions I had of her were but ordinary but the amazement extraordinary to find her as I protest to God I did the sweetest Creature in France Her growth is very little short of her age and her wisdom infinitely beyond it I heard her discourse with her Mother and the Ladies about her with extraordinary discretion and quicknesse She dances the which I am a witnesse of as well as ever I saw any Creature They say she sings most sweetly I am sure she looks so Sir you have thousands of servants here that desire to be commanded by you but most particularly the D. of Chevereux and Mounsieur Le Grand who seek all opportunities to do you service and have Credit and power to do so Sir if these that are strangers are thus ambitious of your Commands with what infinite passion have I cause to beg them that am your Vassal and have no other glory but to serve you as your Highnesse c. Kensington Postscript SIr The obligations you have unto this young Queen are strange for with that same affection that the Queen your sister would do she asks of you with all the expressions that are possible of joy for your safe return out of Spain and told me that she durst say you were wearie with being there and so should she though she be a Spaniard yet I find she gives over all thought of your Alliance with her sister Sir you have the fortune to have respects put upon you unlookt for for as in Spain the Queen there did you good offices so I find will this sweet Qeeen do Who said She was sorry when you saw them practise their Masques that Madam her sister whom she dearly loves was seen at so much disadvantage by you to be seen afar off and in a dark room whose person and face hath most lovelinesse to be considered neerly She made me shew her your Picture the which she let the Ladies see with infinite Commendations of your Person saying She hoped some good occasion might bring you hither that they might see you like your self The Lord Kensington to the Duke My Lord YEsternight being Sunday I arrived safe here at Paris I was informed as soon as I came that the King was resolved after sight of the Queens Masque that was to be performed that same night that he would go a private journey for 5. or 6. daies to Shautâ—lie a house of Mounsieur de Memorancies Being desirous therefore to kisse his hands before his going and to see the Court in that glory and lustre as must for certain be found upon such an extraordinary occasion I went to the Louure to the D. of Chevereux Chamber where I found him and his Ladie apparrelling themselves for the Masque and in such infinite riches of Jewels as I shall never be a beholder of the like worn by Subjects I had not been there above an hour but the Queen and Madam came thither where they staid a great while And it was observed that Madam hath seldom put on a more cheerful then that night There were some that told me I might guesse at the cause of it My Lord I protest to God she is a lovely sweet young Creature Her growth is not great yet but her shape is perfect and they all swear that her sister the Princesse of Piemount who is now grown a tall and a goodly Ladie was not taller then she is at her age I thought the Queen would have put a fashion of reservation upon me as not pleased with the breach and disorder of the Spanish Treatie but I found it far otherwise She is so truly French as it is imagined she rather wishes this alliance then with her own sister The King that was so early to go out of the Town took his rest while the Ladies were making themselves ready but as soon as he waked he sent for me and purposed to have received me as an Embassadour But I intreated the D. of Chevereux before I went to let him understand that I came as an humble and thankful servant onely to kisse his Majesties hands and had no other end then to do him service He then received me with much freedom and cheerfulnesse with many questions how the King is satisfied with his Present by Mounsieur de Bonevan who when I related the Kings liking and value of it he was infinitely pleased He commanded me to attend him to the Masque which was danced by 16. of the greatest Princesses of France St. Luke only being by the Queen received amongst them to put a singular honour and value upon her The King with his Brother had danced a Masque the last Tuesday with the same number of persons of the best quality who this night were to cast Lots who should dance with the sixteen Ladies they onely being allowed to dance with them And all those were so infinitely rich in Jewels embroiderie of gold and silver being here forbidden as they had almost all imbroidered their cloathes as thick with Diamonds as usually with purle I cannot give your Lordship any particular account of my service in any thing yesternight being an unproper time for any such thing But I am advised by the Prince Jenvile to stay here till the Kings return and I shall understand how all things stand and that no mans affection is so straight and true for the service of the King and Prince as his is who of himself falls into passionate wishes for an Alliance but tells me in much libertie they have been informed the cause and plot of my journey was to set an edge upon Spain rather to cut off their delaies then to cut the throat of the
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
and as it were a necessitie to destroy you But I hope he and the whole world here will fall before any misfortunes should fall upon so generous and so noble a deserver of his Master and so excellent a friend and Patron unto Your Graces Most humble and most obedient servant Holland Postscript THough the Embassadour deserves nothing but contempt and disgrace as Blanvile yet I hope as Embassadour he shall receive for publique Honours and accustomed respect to Embassadours all possible satisfaction and it will be conceived a generous action My dearest Lord ALL the joy I have hath such a flatnesse set upon it by your absence from hence as I protest to God I cannot rellish it as I ought for though beautie and love I find in all perfection and fulnesse yet I vex and languish to find impediments in our designs and services for you first in the businesse for I find our mediation must have no place with this King concerning a Peace We must only use our power with those of the Religion to humble them to reasonable Conditions and that done they would as far as I can guesse have us gone not being willing that we should be so much as in the Kingdom when the Peace is made for fear the Protestants may imagine we have had a hand in it For our Confederation made by you at the Hague they speak so of it as they will do something in it but not so really or friendly as we could wish But for these things you allow me I trust to refer you to the general Dispatch I come now to other particulars I have been a careful Spie how to observe intentions and affections towards you I find many things to be feared and none to be assured of a safe and real welcome For the king continues in his suspects making as they say very often discourses of it and is willing to hear Villanes say That the heart hath infinite affections you imagine which way They say there is whispered amongst the foolish young Bravado's of the Court That he is not a good Frenchman that suffers anchor to return out of France considering the reports that are raised many such bruits flie up and down I have since my coming given Queen Mother by way of discourse occasion to say somewhat concerning your coming as the other night when she complained to me That things were carried harshly in England towards France I then said That the greatest unkindnesse and harshnesse came from hence even to forbid your coming hither a thing so strange and so unjust as our Master had cause and was infinitely sensible of it She fell into discourse of you desiring you would respect and love her daughter and likewise that she had and would ever command her to respect you above all men and follow all your Councels the matter of her Religion excepted with many professions of value and respect unto your Person but would never either excuse what I complained of or invite you to come upon that occasion But though neither the businesse gives me cause to perswade your coming nor my reason for the matter of your safetie yet know you are the most happie unhappie man alive for the heart is beyond imagination right and would do things to destroy her fortune rather then want satisfaction in her mind I dare not speak as I would I have ventured I fear too much considering what practises accompany the malice of the people here I tremble to think whether this will find a safe conveyance unto you Do what you will I dare not advise you to come is dangerous not to come is unfortunate As I have lived with you and only in that enjoy my happinesse so I will die with you and I protest to God for you to do you the least service c. Postscript HAve no doubt of the partie that accompanied me for he is yours with his soul and dares not now as things go advise your coming Mr. Lorkin to the Duke the 30. of August 1625. May it please your Grace FRom an honest and truly devoted heart to receive the sacrifice of most humble thanks which come here offered for that excesse of favour which I behold in those gracious lines that you are so nobly pleased to honour me withal and which derive unto me farther the height of all contentment his Majesties gracious acceptance of my poor endeavours which howsoever they cannot shoot up to any high matter from so low an earth yet in their greatest force are eternally vowed with the price of my dearest blood as to his Masters faithful service in the first place so to your Graces in the next who have received I doubt not ere this what my former promised in the Savoyard Embassadours behalf and that as well from his own pen as mine But this State is very Euripus that flowes and reflowes 7. times a day and in whose waies is neither constancie nor truth The changes your Grace will find in my Letters to my Lord Conway whereunto I therefore make reference because I suppose there will be but one Lecture thereof to his Majestie and your self There in likewise your Grace will see a suddain comandement laid upon Mounsieur de Blanvile premire Gentilhome de la chambre du Roy speedily to provide himself to go extraordinary Embassadour into England The cause thereof I rove at in my dispatch taking my aime from two darke speeches to Queen Mother and the Cardinal I have since learned the interpretation of the riddle not from the Cardinals lips who yet being sounded by me pretended a further end then Ville-aux-cleres had done viz to entertain good intelligence betwixt the Queen of England and your Grace and to do you all the best offices and services that are possible but from the Duke de Chevereux who whatsoever pretexts may be taken makes the true ends of that Voyage to be first to try whether this man can mend what they conceive here the Duke hath marred in shewing himself more a servant to the King of England then to his own King and Master Secondly to spie and discover what he can and according as he shall find cause to frame Cabals and factions whereunto he is esteemed very proper being charactarized with the marks of a most subtile prying penetrating and dangerous man And therefore as an Antidote against the poison he brings the Duke gives this Caveat aforehand That every one keep close and covert towards him and avoid familiaritie with him though otherwise he wishes a kind and honourable entertainment Thus much I received from the Dukes own lips yesternight Bonocil being witnesse perhaps Counsellour of all that passed he promised a memorial in writing this day which I have attended till this evening and even now receive it I have not touched the least syllable hereof to my Lord Conway because I think both your Graces and the Duke de Chevereux's will may concur in this that these things be
this time we did not think he could live till May or the enemy break into the borders of this State as this last Summer if the Imperialists had joyned with the Spaniards they had undoubtedly done and unlesse some Change or Alteration happen as is feared will do this next year the best link we have for a bond of friendship would fail and as much difference be betwixt this State as it now is and what it is like to be upon any such ill accident as was now feared and still hangs over them as betwixt a strong Staffe and a broken Reed So I cease to give your Grace any further trouble Hague 9. Decemb. 1623. Your Graces Most humble and most faithful servant Dudley Carleton Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke May it please your Grace VVHat Comfort and Contentment the Queen of Bohemia receives in your Graces Message and Letter by my Nephew I leave to her own expression which never failes her when her heart goeth with her hand as I can assure your Grace it doth in this subject And this I will say more who can say nothing but truth I never knew your Grace ill with this good and gracious Princesse but now you are so well settled in her good opinion and favour that I know none hath more interest therein And this use your Grace may make thereof to his Majesties service that now this King and Queen are both of them no lesse confident of your affection then they are of your sinceritie what you advise them in their affairs will be of much weight to sway them in the ballance of their judgment Which now a Proposition is made unto them on which their whole estate doth depend as well for themselves as their posteritie full of doubtful circumstances on both sides the choice not being as they conceive betwixt one thing certain and another uncertain but betwixt two unequal uncertainties it is hard to say which way they incline but if they be left to themselves I perceive they will rather stand to the hazard of the latter with preservation of their honour and lawful pretensions then submit themselves to the former with shame and disgrace and no assurance of better dealing then was used to the deported House of Saxe by a better Emperour then this accounted of which we have the Heir one of the worthiest Princes in Germanie here in hard Conditions amongst us And he serves as a spectacle to these Princes of their fortunes by the same way as his Predecessors took of submission Yet other things being before agreed of and settled in that sort as his Majestie hath alwaies assured these Princes to be his full intention of restitution to their Patrimonial Honours and estate This King I find will conform himself to what his Majestie shall think fit touching a due submission But this being a matter of ceremony the other of substance he judgeth that if this precede that is the Submission the other of restitution will never follow Neither can it be well seen how in possibility it may be effected considering that whilest things have been held sometimes in terms alwaies in talk of accommodation the Electoral is given to Bavier by the Emperour and avowed by a Congratulatory Embassage from Bruxels the upper Palatinate setled in his possession with some portion to Newburgh for his Contentation and ingagement A principal part of the lower Palatinate the Bergstrate given to the Elector of Mentz with the consent of those of Bruxels where he was lately in person to obtain it though they grossely dissemble it and promises of parts of the rest made to other Princes So as what is now pretended I must deal plainly with your Grace is no otherwaies interpreted then as experience doth teach of these three former years proceedings Ever new Overtures in Winter and new Ruptures in the Summer And as of two former Treaties with this Prince which passed my hands one a Consent to a Submission sent to Vienna the other a Ratification of a Suspension oftentimes sent to Bruxels no other use was made but with the first to accelerate Bethlem Gabor in his Treatie of Peace with the Emperour as then on foot and with the second to intimidate both the Electours Saxe and Brandenburgh with the Princes of the Nethes Saxe and Creyes from entring into Armes to which they were well disposed upon the discontentment they received of the preposterous courses that were taken in the Diet at Ratisbone and to this effect Copies of the very projects of the said Treaties were dispersed by the Imperialists before the Instruments themselves were perfected so it is here believed that now Gabor is again in armes and other Princes ready to imbrace any good occasion of redresse of affaires time is onely sought to be gained by this new Overture and the King of Bohemia's Credit with his friends and well wishers in Germanie to be weakned if not lost for if once he submit himself allowing the translation of the Electoral he shall thereby avow the Emperours undue procedings in that cause which have been protested against by Saxe and Brandenbergh and all the other Germane Princes excepting those onely of the Catholique league and by whom afterwards upon any ill dealing can he expect to be befriended who forsakes himself and his own cause This is the discourse of these Princes upon this occasion but when they are asked What then can you trust unto their recourse is to his Majestie who they hope knoweth the meanes to effect in their behalf what he hath so long and so constantly undertaken for them And though for these three or four years past affaires on this side have gone in a continual decadence and now threaten a final ruine unlesse it be withstood by some Princelie Resolution not of pettie but of great Princes yet here is no such discouragement but that it is thought there is yet strength and vigour enough left in the good Party not onely to subsist but to rise and flourish again as well as ever And in this cogitation the King and Queen remain not prescribing any thing to his Majestie nor willing to submit themselves anew to the same rod with which they have been so often scourged Your Grace was lately invited with my Lord of Richmond to christen their young Son which being excused by my Lord of Richmond in both your names And the King of France undertaking that office it was performed by that King and the King of Swede yesterday was seven-night represented by the French Embassadour here resident and the Prince of Orange in the same manner and the same Church as the Princesse Louise bearing the same name was christned the last year when the Duke Christien of Brunswick being invited to be Godfather though absent and for some respects of precedence could not have a Deputie was understood notwithstanding to be one of the Parrins and so do the King and Queen hold both your Grace and my Lord of Richmond I
order to proceed in their journey Twenty ships of war and 4000. land Souldiers which is the force of that Fleet being here held sufficient for that enterprize The Armado in Cadiz is not yet departed but hath her men aboard and there is daily expectation of newes that it is gone to Sea The Duke of Saxonie having received letters from the King our Master and the King of Denmark sent presently coppies of them unto the Emperour with his answers unto their Majesties and accompanied them with a letter of his own unto the Emperour All which the Emperour sent unto the King The carriage of the Duke is much esteemed here for having given as I am informed by his Letters unto the King our Master and the King of Denmark such an answer as they are here much satisfied withal Nothwithstanding in this Letter to the Emperour with many reasons and much instance he advises him to apply himself to the setling of the peace in Germany and expressing much affection to the composing of the affaires of the Prince Palatine doth earnestly intreat his Majestie not to destroy that ancient house In the mean time the Duke of Bavaria uses all diligence to combine himself with this Crown and now doth offer to cast off all other thoughts of leagues and to depend wholly upon Spain so that this King will protect him in his Electoral dignity and what he hath lately possessed himself of in those parts This offer of the Dukes hath been several dayes debated in Councel where the Marquesse Ynoiosa hath been busie in the behalf of the Duke but the wiser part of this Councel seeing how prejudicial the increase of the Dukes greatnesse may prove to the Empire do no way favour his pretentions They likewise hold fit to continue the state of things in a possibility of an accommodation without our Master The Arch-Duke Don Carlos hath brought power from the Emperour to proceed to the consummation of a marriage betwixt the Emperours son and the Infanta Donna Maria wherein he sayes he hath nothing to Capitulate but brings them a blanck paper and hath power and order to confirm what conditions they shall here set down The Emperour's Embassadour doth much presse to proceed to the Capitulations but there is yet nothing done The Infanta of Brussels hath lately written hither importing this King to admit of a treaty of marriage betwixt the Prince of Polonia and the Infanta his Sister extolling with many expressions the worth and parts of that Prince There hath been some moneths a general stop of their proceedings here in all suites of English Merchants depending in this Court but I have at last procured a Junto to be assigned for the hearing of all English Causes wherein I am promised there shall be a speedy Resolution taken of whatsoever is at present in Question The Duke of Feria hath lately advertised hither from Millain that the French King and the Duke of Savoy do minister much occasion of jealousie that they intend to attempt some novelty in those parts and doth therefore desire that his Troops may be augmented whereupon above the ordinary charge there was instantly remitted unto him 2000. Duckets The great annual Assiento which this King makes with the Genoueses is newly concluded it is for 7. millions whereof 4. are remitted for Flanders to be paid by monethly portions In a late meeting of the Councel of State upon a discourse that passed amongst them taking into consideration this Kings wants and the present distemper of his affairs the Inquisidor General expressing how necessary a time it was for his Majesties Subjects to assist his present occasions made offer of 100 Duckets for his part which the Conde of Olivares followed with a tender of 300 the Conde of Monterrey of 100 all the rest of the Councel of State following their example gave according to their quality Notice being taken of this abroad the Condestable wrote a Letter unto this King wherein he made tender of 200 Duckets the Marquesse of Castel Rodrigo of 100 the Marquesse of Carpio of the like summe Divers others have likewise declared themselves in this donative and it is hoped that it will go over the whole Kingdome and bring in an extraordinary Treasure into the Kings purse Thus with the remembrance of my duty I rest Your Graces c. W. A. Archbishop Abbots to Secretarie Nanton 12. Septemb. 1619. Good Mr. Secretarie I Have never more desired to be present at any Consultation then that which is this day to be handled for my heart and all my heart goeth with it But my Foot is worse then it was on Friday so that by advice of my Physitian I have sweat this whole night past and am directed to keep my bed this day But for the matter my humble advice is That there is no going back but a countenancing of it against all the world yea so far as with ringing of Bells and making of Bon-fires in London so soon as it shall be certainly understood that the Coronation is past I am satisfied in my Conscience that the Cause is just wherefore they have rejected that proud and bloody man and so much the rather because he hath taken a course to make that Kingdom not elective but to take it from the donation of another man And when God hath set up the Prince that is chosen to be a mark of honor through all Christendom to propagate his Gospel and to protect the oppressed I dare not for my part give advice but to follow where God leads It is a great honour to the King our Master that he hath such a Son whose virtues have made him thought fit to be made a King And me thinks I do in this and that of Hungary foresee the work of God that by piece and piece the Kings of the earth that gave their power unto the beast all the Word of God must be fulfilled shall now tear the Whore and make her desolate as St. John in his Revelation hath foretold I pray you therefore with all the spirits you have to put life into this businesse and let a return be made into Germany with speed and with comfort and let it really be prosecuted that it may appear to the World that we are awake when God in this sort calleth us If I had time to expresse it I could be very angry at the shuffling which was used toward my Lord of Doncaster and the slighting of his Embassage so which cannot but touch upon our Great Master who did send him and therefore I would never have a Noble Sonne forsaken for respect of them who truly aym at nothing but their own purposes Our striking in will comfort the Bohemiant will honour the Palsgrave will strengthen the Union will bring on the States of the Low Countries will stirre up the King of Denmark and will move his two uncles the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Bovillon to-together with Tremoville a rich Prince in France to