swear it 121 Alpes when passable 186 Anchre Marshal of France 320 Archbishop of Canterbury shoots a Keeper by mischance 12. see tit James King c. for the Palsgraves accepting the Bohemian Crown 169 170 Archbishop of York against Toleration of Popery blames the Voyage into Spain 13 Argile Earl 291 Arminians chief in the Dutch State 322 Arundel Earl Marshal no friend to the Bishop of Lincoln 62 63 74 302 307 316. Ashley Sir Anthony gives the Duke of Buckingham intelligence of Plots against him 308 Aston Sir Walter will not consent that the Prince Palsgrave should be brought up in the Emperours Court 17 see Bristol Earl Concurs with the Earl of Bristol in prefixing a day for the Deposorio's without making certain the restitution of the Palatinate which is beynously taken by the Prince 35. in danger for it to be called off there 36 37. His Care to discover Plots against his Masters Crownes 49 51 53. of the Merchants 168. see Merchants Prosecutes the Marquesse of Ynoiosa in desence of the honour of England 52. sues to return home 52 54. will not see the Arch-Duke in Spain and why 166 Austrian Vsurpation 191. See tit Spain B. BAcon Viscount St. Albans Lord Chancellour declines all Justification of himself 5 6. Casts himself upon the Lords 6 Discontents the Marquesse of Buckingham 8. his wayes to make the Kingdom happy 9 advises King James concerning his revenues devises a book of his estate there-how he carried himself when a Councellour and otherwise how esteemed 10. Never took bribe to pervert Justice 11. his pardon 60 82 Barnevelt 318. factious no friend to the English an Arminian 331 Bavaria Duke offers to depend wholly on Spain 167. see Palatinate Beamont Lord fined in the Star-Chamber 16. E. 2. 58 Bergen besieged 328 Bergstrate given the Archbishop of Mentz 335 Blanvile the French Embassadour an enemy to the Duke of Buckingham holds intelligence with the Dukes English enemies 295. his Character by the French 300. See 274 296 297 302. Blundel Sir George 129 Book of Common Prayer translated into Spanish and why 73. See Spaniards Borgia Cardinal 178 Bovillon Duke 165. seeks the protection from the States united 320. weary of the Palsgrave 327 Brandenburgh Elector 317 336 Bret a Peusioner in disgrace 204 Bristol Earl first mover in the Spanish Match negotiates in it 16. Earnest to conclude it 24 25 26 306 â—hidden by the King Charles for giving the Spaniards hopes of his inclination to a change in Religion for his manage of things concerning the Match and undervaluing the Kingdome of England 16 17. Consents that the Prince Palsgrave shall be bred in the Emperors Court which the King Charles takes ill 17. Proffered by the King the favour of the general pardon or to put himself upon his tryal 18. Under restraint for his errours in Spain 19. removed from his offices forbidden the Court denyed his Parliament Writ there Justifies himself 19 20. to King James 30. Differs in opinion from the Duke of Buckingham concerning the Match 21. Seeks the Duke of Buckingham his favour 28. charged to be his enemy his wisdome and power at Court 161 162. Conde of Olivarez offers him a blank paper signed by the King bids him choose what was in his Masters power he refuses 42 Brule Peter his practises 302 Buckingham Duke his carriage and esteem in Spain 16 22. See Olivarez contemns the Earl of Bristol 21. See Bristol an enemy to him 231 The Spaniards will not put the Infanta into his hands 22 thought an enemy to the Match with Spain 32 92 159 218 219 222 237 243 248 Censured 159 160 218 219 221 222 263 210. Forgives wrongs 58 Steward of VVestminster 69 Haughty to the Prince of VVales 78 Used to sit when the Prince stood c. 221 falls from his affection to VVilliams Lord Keeper 87. See Don Francisco his power 91 King James his words of him on Don Francisco's relation 92 Mediates for the Earl of Suffolk 125 No audience of Embassadours without him 216. taxed to King James freely 218 219 220 221 223. defended 224 225 226 227. a faithful servant 229 Charge against him in Parliament 228 229 230 Procures graces for the Nobility and Gentry 231 Breaks the Spanish Designes and Party 265 for the Match with France 291 A Confederacy by Oath against him 307 308 The Queen of England had need of his friendship 303 Dares submit the judgment of his Actions to any tryal 87 Buckingham Countesse 254 302 Buckleugh Lord 327 329 Button Sir Thomas in the Voyage of Algier 143 144. C. CAlcedon a titulary Roman Bishop in England 81 Calvert Sir George 202. See 304. Carlile Earl Viscount Doncaster loves not the Bishop of Lincoln 74 89. See 180 182. perswades King James to feed his Parliament so he with some crums of the Crown 270. refuses See 288. Count Mansfelts Commission for Colonel to his son 273 Carlos Arch-Duke in Spain 165 Calderon Don Rodrigo Marquesse de las Siete Iglesias his Riches confined 208 Carleton Sir Dudley Embassadour in the Low-Countries 317. writes to reconcile Sir Horatio Vere and Sir Edward Cecyl 323. his prudence to reunite England and the States 331 332 Carone Sir Noel Embassador in England from the Low-Dutch 321-325 Cavendish 97 Cecyl Sir Edward General 128 345. sues for Command will save the King in Expences 128. a loser by his service 129. see 345. See Vere Sir Horatio Viscount Wimbledon commands in chief at Sea neglected malitiously accused examined 135 137 138 Charles Prince of Wales King of England after how entertained and honoured in Spain 14 15 16. Not to be shaken in Religion contrary to Conde Gondomar's Information to his Master 15. got the love of all men in Spain 16 22 159 Will not proceed in the Match without restitution of the Palatinate and Electoral dignity 17 35 36 Displeased with the Earl of Bristol for raising an opinion among the Spaniards of his willingnesse to become Roman Catholique and his offers of seducing that way 17 will not be bargained with for future favours 18. will not be drawn to things but freely 18 His affability patience constancy 22 his civil and wise Reply to the Popes Letter 215 No lover of women 237 Defends the Duke of Buckinghams actions as done out of politick Compliance for the Palatinate cause 228 229 230 will favour as he pleases will grant the Lords and Commons all things sair and honest 230 Ill used by delayes in Spain his Voyage thither censured 288 289 304 Chevereux Duke a servant of the Prince of Wales 277 278 230. See 300 301. Chichester Sir Arthur distrusted by the Duke 243 his conserence with the Embassadours of Spain 244 245 Chidley a Sea Captain 141 Churchman an homicide 12 55 56 Church of England Reformed 116 Church differences Judges of them 117 Clerk Edward 306 307 Cleves and Juliers the succession of them pretended to 317 Coborn a Captain of the Duke of Brunswick 283 Contracts ever before
Marriage where 106 107 Coke Sir Edward 104 122 Conde imprisoned 176 Conference betwixt Don Francisco and the Lord Keeper 86 87. betwixt Sir Arthur Chichester and the Spanish Embassadours 244. the Earl of Nithisdail and them 247 Confession of Don Pedro concerning the Armada of 88. 259 Conway Lord Secretary advises the Earl of Bristol 19 estranged from the Lord Keeper Lincoln 89 a Martial Secretary 198 enough the Dukes servant 316 Cordova Don Gonzales 328 329 Corona Regia See Libel Cottington Sir Francis 23 81 Councel Table of King James somewhat too much pressing upon the King 75 Courtenvant Marquesse 286 Coxe King Edward the sixt his Schoolmaster Master if Requests and Privie Councellour enters Orders 68 Cromwel Lord Counsels the Duke 263. D. DEnbigh Countesse 302 Denmark King his offers 190 191. Dispensation with a Lay man to hold care of soules cannot be 66 67 Dominican Fryer turns to the English Church 79 Don Francisco's Discourse to the Lord Keeper 86 87 90 91 92 93. His cunning to speak with King James 90. Accuses the Duke of Buckingham 90 91 Donato a Venetian Embassadour gives the lye to the Duke of Savoy an enemy to Paul the Father of Venice 187 banished once at Venice twice in England 192 Don Doctour 314. Presents the Duke with a book of devotions ibid. E. ELiot Sir John imprisoned 311 Elvis Sir Gervas his posterity restored in blood and estate 3 Most guilty of the death of Sir Thomas Overbury 3 Emperour Ferdinand the third deales unworthily with King James 166. and against his own Letter 234 changes the German Customes 171 his proceeding against the Palsgrave protested against 336 Elizabeth Queen of England her Speech to her Army at Tilbuty 260 Restrains the Papists and why 258 protects the Low-Countries and upon what termes 333 338 England alone happy in its Religion 112 inclined to popularity 228 229 not what it hath been 261 Episcopacy gone what will follow 117 Essex Earl commanded to fight the Spanish Ships le ts them escape 135 F. FEria Duke 168 Fiat Marquesse 293 302 288 Finch Lady created Viscountesse of Maidstone 79 Fleet of Spain 43 53 Plate-Fleet 48 49. part cast away 208 of Portugal 53. for Brasil 167 Of the Spaniards Venetians and Turks 186 207. of the Low-Countries for the West-Indies 341 346 Frenchman burnt in Spain for contempt to the host 51 Frenchmen use the English basely 149 their Contract for the English Ships 150 French King falls upon those of the Religion 164 177 France governed by the Queen Mother at the proposals of the Match with Madem which she is earnest for but will do nothing till the Treaty with Spain be broke 274 to 277. The French not much sollicitous for the English Recusants 275 284 285 Richnesse of their habits at a Masque in honour of the English 278 279 fear the Spanish greatnesse 281 desirous of the English alliance 282 283 287 articles of the Match disliked by the English 289 endeavour to break the Spanish Treaty 305 Give precedency to the English 254 G. GAbor Bethlem 335 Gage imployed about the Dispensation 233 238 Geere Sir Michael 135 Gerard Sir Thomas seized upon suspition of designes against the King 272 Gifford a Sea Captain his design upon a Gallion in the Gulph of Mexico 343 Gondomar his false relations of the Prince of Wales 15 Commanded again for England 54 Goodnesse ever most easily betrayed 270 Goring Sir George 96 200 330 316 339 Grandees of Spain severally present their King with summes of monies to relieve his wants 168 Grandmont French Mounsieur 285 Gregorie the 15. tempts the Prince of Wales to change Religion 212 213 tries to make the Duke of Buckingham 216 Greiham 316 Gresley ibid. Gelderland States have the leading voyce in the united Netherlands 323 Goring Sir George 200 Guicciardines Judgment of Venice 8 H. HAlberstat Christian Duke of Brunswick 240 Hamilton Marquesse 316 Hartford Earl's Petition 89 Harton Sir Christopher 226 Haughton Sir Gilbert complains of the Lord Keeper Williams his servants 74 Henderson Colonel slain at Bergen 328 Henderson Sir Francis 329 Henrietta Maria of France after Queen of England 253. beautiful discreet and full of respect to the Prince of Wales 270 277. See 278 290 sends privately for his picture 280 Herbert Lord of no faction his Informations to King James from France 304 305 Holland Earl Lord Kensington in France when the Treaty for the Match there was beginning for it 274 275 276 277 278 279. received by the French King 278. speaks to him concerning the Match 282. with the Queen Mother 289. with Madam 290. allowed at all times free entrance into the Louure 294 Howard Sir Robert 103 104. I. JAniville Prince for the Queen Mother 176. forwards the alliance with France 279 James King of England famous for wisedome mercy c. 7 Appoints Commissionere to inquire of the Archbishop of Canterburies Case 12. See Archbishop of Canterbury his promises to Williams Lord Keeper 56. Never breaks his word 77 Protectour of the Protestants 110 111 sought to to be declared Head and Protectour of that faith as the Spaniard would be taken to be of the Roman 305 Protectour of the Venetians owned so by them conservation of the publique tranquillity relyes upon him 179 180 Ayds the Savoyard joyns in the cause of Cleve 170 Promises not to draw his severity to Donato the Venetian Embassadour into example 192 sought to by the Spaniards to joyn against the Pyrates 207 writes to the Pope 211 aymes at the universal peace of Christendome 270 what a friend to the Low-Countries sleighted and ingratefully dealt with by them 331 The Germane Princes relye upon him 336 Infanta of Spain 15.16 21 22. her vertues and beauty she loved the Prince of Wales 26 her portion 27 Ingram 226 Inquisitor General presents a consulta to the Spanish King to procure a Jubile 51. See Jubile is the first who offere toward the Kings necessities 168 Joachim of Zealand 342 Irish raise aspersions in Spain of persecutions in England 15 practises of their Priests there 49 Isabella Clara Eugenia her Complement to the Bavarian 240. See 167 335 Jubilee from Rome to expiate for the Contempt done to the Host 51 Junto of Divines to consider of the Spanish Kings Oath by which he would undertake for the King of Englands performance of Articles 15 Jurisdiction Episcopal used in England without the Kings consent against Common Law 81 K. KEeper of the Seal where questionable 76 Killegrew 316 Kings Gods shadowes 12 yeelding to demands must deny nothing 227 L. LAken Nicholas his discoveries concerning Corona Regia 151 152 Lamb Dr. of Law favoured by the Bishop of Lincoln 56 62 Langrack Dutch Embassadour at Paris his advertisements of affaires 318 319 Landaffe Bishop sues for preferment troubled 119 120 Laud Bishop of St. Davids sues to be a Commissioner and why 113 Lawyers mischievous in Parliaments 226 Le grand professes service to the Prince of Wales 277 Laicester the Favourite
any example seen before Whereas all Provosts as well the Churchmen who came in by Election as the Lay-man recommonded by the late Queen were as the foundation exactly requires it admitted by the Bishop of Lincolne their Diocaesand and Visitor I hope iâ— was Mr. Murraies inexperience rather then neglect never deserved by me that directed them to this strange course subscription and other conformities to be acted in the presence of the Visitor are essentially to be required before he can be adinitted Provost of Eaton Lastly Mr. Murraie hath hitherto mistaken all his course He must be first dispensed withal If his Majestie in his wisedom shall hold it fit and then Elected first Fellow and then Provost of the Colledg if he will come in regularly and safely whereas now contrary to Savils president he is first Elected and then goes on with his dispensation All this I most humbly intreat your Lordship to make known to the Prince his Highnesse and as much as your Lordship thinks fit thereof to his Majestie I will only adde one note and so end It will be no more disparagement for Mr. Murray his Highnesse Schoolmaster to enter into orders then it was for Coxe King Edwards Schoolmaster a Master of Requests and Privie Counsellour to do the like who afterwards became a worthy Prelate of this Church I have discharged my duty to the King Prince and the Church of England It remains now that I should as I will religiously obey whatsoever I shall be directed in the sequel of this businesse And so I rest c. Postscript MY Lord Mr. Murray since came unto me to whom I shewed this Letter and told him I would send it unto you to be shewed unto the King and the Prince I find him willing to run all courses Priesthood onely excepted If the King will dispence with him my Letter notwithstanding I humbly beseech his Majestie to write a Letter unto me as a warrant to admit him only Ad Curam et Regimen Collegii instead of the other words Ad Curam animarum I schooled him soundly against Puritanisme which he disavowes though somewhat faintly I hope his Highnesse and the King will second it The Lord Keeper to the Duke about the Liberties of Westminster 6. May. 1621. My most Noble Lord I Humbly beseech your Lordship to be a little sensible of those injurious affronts offered without any shew of equity unto this poor Liberty of VVestminster And for Gods sake let me not want that protection which not your Lordship only but the two Cicils and the Earl of Sommerset who neither regarded the Church Learning nor Honour in any measure as you do have ever afforded every Dean of this Church When I had to my thinking given the Knight Marshal full and too much satisfaction this day a Letter was offered to the Table in my presence violently pursued by the Lord Steward and the Earl Marshal to command this liberty which had stood unquestioned these 700 years to shew reason to Mr. Attourney and Mr. Solliciter why they prescribe against the Knight Marshal A Course as my Lord President said openly not to be offered to any subject of England It is our Charter and freehold of inheritance to be shewed only in a Court of Justice and at the Kings Bench which we are very ready to do And we may as well be questioned by a Letter from the Councel for all the Land we have as for this My Lord the jurisdiction of this place brings not a penny to my purse but it hath brought much sorrow to my heart and now teares to my eyes that I should be that unfortunate Contemptible man who for all the King and your Lordships favour and the true pains I take in answer thereunto must be trampled down above all the Deans that lived in this place Nor would it ever grieve me if I had deserved it from these Lords by the least disrespect in all the world I beseech you for the Churches sake and your Honours sake to be sensible hereof and to know of the Bishop of Winchester London Duresmâ— Mr. Packer or Sir Robert Pye whether ever any question hath been made to this liberty in this kind If a Letter had been recorded to question the same when the Lord Admiral was Steward and the Lord Keeper Dean thereof judge you in your Wisdom what would become thereof in future posterity c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke Aug. 23. 1622. My most noble Lord YEsterday upon the receipt of your Lordships Letters of the 19th of this instant concerning the hastning of the businesse of the original Writs I sent presently for Mr. Attourney and Mr. Solliciter who were altogether unprovided for their parts of the dispatch and are casually forced so to be because three several Officers in whose records they are to search are now out of Town and do not return yet these 7. daies But your Lordship shall not fail to have all things concluded 3. weeks before the Tarm and I will of purpose put off all general seeling until it be effected In the mean time your Lordships Letter notwithstanding it will be nothing for your Lordships case to have Sir George Chaworth any way interested in this office of the originals but I hold it fitter to leave it as it is in Law and Equity forfeited for non-payment of rent in his Majesties hands for upon that issue I do not doubt but my Lord of St. Albons and Sir George will be content to hear reason I have received extraordinary respects and expressions from my Noble Lord the Lord Marquesse Hamilton which doth exceedingly comfort and encourage me to go on with some more alacrity through the difficulties of this restlesse place I beseech your Lordship who is Causa Causarum the first Cause that sets all these other Causes of my Comforte in Going to take notice of the same and to undertake this favour to be placed upon a poor honest hearted man who would if he were any way able requite it Gods blessings and the prayers of a poor Bishop over attend your Lordship c. Postscript THe Spanish Embassadour took the alarum very speedily of the titulary Romish Bishop and before my departure from his house at Islington whither I went privately to him did write both to Rome and Spain to prevent it Sir Tobie Mathewes But I am aftaid that Tobiâ— will prove but an Apocryphal and no Canonical intelligencer acquainting the State with this project for the Jesuites rather then for Jesus sake The Lord Keeper to the Duke about the Lord Treasurer Septemb. 9th 1622. My most Noble Lord THat I neither wrote unto your Lordship nor waited upon your Lordship sithence my intolerable scandalizing by the Lord Treasurer this is the true and only cause I was so moved to have all my diligent service pains and unspotted justice thus rewarded by a Lord who is reputed wise that I have neither slept read written or eaten any thing since that
Cabala Mysteries of State IN LETTERS of the great MINISTERS of K. James and K. Charles WHEREIN Much of the publique Manage of Affaires is related Faithfully Collected by a Noble Hand LONDON Printed for M. M. G. Bedell and T. Collins and are to be sold at their Shop at the Middle-Temple Gate in Fleetstreet 1654 The Preface to the Reader HEre is published a Piece not to be matched in Antiquity a Collection not so much of Letters as of the mysteries of Government the wisdom and manage of Publick businesses in the late Reigns where the great Ministers of State are presented naked their Consultations Designs Policies the things done by them are exposed to every mans eye as they were brought forth by themselves The most famous of all Modern Historians glories in the helps and advantages he had above all men else to write He came so he tells us prepared and furnished from the Cabinets of Princes Strada be had seriously perused and sifted their Letters and Orders the Letters of the Illustrious Persons imployed by them the private Commands Dispatches and Instructions of Embassies Debates and Resolutions of Councels without which all History must be lame and imperfect This was the way to make the causes of actions as visible as their effects and without which all Diligence and Faithfulness else will do little Much of the History of the last years of King James and beginnings of King Charles may be here read Here the height of the mighty Favourite the Duke of Buckingham may be taken The Arts and Subtleties of Spain of the Conde Gondomar and the English-Spanish Party are discovered the Journey into Spain breach of the Spanish overtures for the French Match for the renuing Leagues with the enemies of the Spanish Pride and Vniversality the carriage of the Imperialists French Netherlanders and other Concurrents of those Reigns are exactly Related with the Practises of our home Roman Catholicks and growth of those who were here called Puritans then the Secrets of the Court and State without any false glosse to writhe or streighten to deprave or extenuate with more truth and sincerity then all the Annals can show where Passion and Interest sway oftentimes too much and the cleanest hand makes blots and stains carried away with Love or Hatred to the side or man Here are no snares set to catch or inveagle any mans judgment all things are left clearly to their own worth and Reputation A TABLE OF THE LETTERS Contained In this Collection EArl of Sommerset to King James Page 1. Lord Chancellour Bacon to the King 31. July 1617. p. 8 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the King 2. Januar. 1618. 5 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the Lords 5 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the Marquesse of Buckingham 25 March 1620. 10 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the King the 25. of March 1620. p. 10 Lord Chancellour Bacon to the Duke 122 Magdibeg to the King 11 A Letter by King James to the Lord Keeper Bishops of London Winton Rochester St. Davids and Exeter Sir Henry Hubbard and others 30. Octob. 1621. 12 The Archbishop of York to King James 13 A Letter from Spain concerning the Princes arrival there 30. Septemb. 1623. Madrid 17 The Earl of Bristol to the Prince touching the Proxies Madrid 24 The Earl of Bristol to Secretary Cottington April the 15th 1623. 28. The Earl of Bristol to the Bishop of Lincoln August the 20. 1623. p. 20. The Earl of Bristol to the Bishop of Lincoln 24. Septemb 1623. Madrid 22 The Earl of Bristol to the Prince September 24. 1623. Madrid page 26. The Earl of Bristol to the Duke the 6. of December 1623. Madrid 28 The Earl of Bristol to King James the 27. of July 1624. London 30 King Charles to the Earl of Bristol Jan. 21. 1625. 17 The Earl of Bristol to the Lord Conway the 4. of March 1625. Sherborn 19 The Lord Conway to the Earl of Bristol March 21. 1625. 19 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 30 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 15. Novemb. 1623. 34 The Duke of Buckingham to Sir Walter Aston 34 The Duke of Buckingham to Sir Walter Aston 36 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke of Buckingham December 22. 1623. 37 A Memorial pressing for the Palatinate c. given to the King of Spain by Sir Walter Aston 19. Jan. 1623. 38 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 22. Jan. 1623. 40 Sir Walter Aston to Secretary Conway the 22. of January 1623. 40 Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway 44 Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway 5. June 1624. 46 Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway 17. July 1624. 58 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 20. of Octob. 1624. 52 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke the 10. of December 1624. 165 Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 10. of Decemb. 1625. 53 Dr. Williams to the Duke 54 Williams Lord Keeper to the Duke 27. July 1621. 55 The Earl of South-hamptons Letter to the Bishop of Lincoln 57 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. July 1621. 61 The Lord Keeper his answer to the Earl of South-hampton 2. August 1621. 58 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the same Earl of South-hampton 2. Aug. 1621. 59 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Lord of St. Albans Octob. 27. 1621. 60 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Earl Marshals place 1. September 1621. 62 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 16. Decemb. 1621. 65 The Lord Keeper to the Duke about Mr. Thomas Murrayes Dispensation c. 23. Febr. 1621. 66 The Lord Keeper to the Duke about the Liberties of Westminster the 6. May 1621. 68 The Lord Keeper to the Duke Aug. 23. 1622. 69 The Lord Keeper to the Duke about the Lord Treasurer September 9. 1622. 70 The Lord Keeper to the Duke of Buckingham the 14. of October 1621. 82 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 8. Aug. 1623. 83 The Lord Keeper to the Duke the 21. of September 1622. 93 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 12. Octob. 1622. 75 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 78 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 84 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 6. Jan. 1623. 86 Mr. John Packer to the Lord Keeper the 21 of January 1623. 86 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 2. Febr. 1623. 88 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 24. May 1624. 93 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. Aug. 1624. 95 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 11. Octob. 1624. 95 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Countesse of South-hampton 17. Novemb. 1624 96 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 24. Decemb. 1624. 99 The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning Dr Scot the 4. of Jan. 1624 100 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 2. March 1624. 101 The Lord Keeper to the Duke about Sir Robert Howard 11. March 1624. 103 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 13. March 1624. 104 The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. March 1624. 106 The Bishop of Lincoln to the Duke the 7. of January 1625. 107 The Bishop of Lincoln to his
226. refuses to be Admiral for the Lord Stewards place 102. no man in Parliaments durst touch him 226 Letters of Mart against the Spaniard 344 Libel against King James by the Papists called Corona Regin 151 152 Liberty of a free Subject 19 a pretence 229 Of Kings invaded by the Spaniard 191 Of Westminster impeached by the Lord Steward and Earl Marshal 68 69 where Liherties are to be impleaded 69 Liege King of Spain raises a Fort there 279 Offered protection by the French King 283 Lievtenants of Counties chosen 76 Londoners deceive the King in his Customes undo all other Townes transport silver enemies to the Duke 226 Low-Countries offers of those States to Sir Edward Cecyl 130 their proceedings in affairs 317 to 320 how much bound to England 339 Jealous of the English their courses for Religion 321. carry themselves strangely to the English 331 apt to fall into faction 324 desire the King of England's protection 337 why they haste not to conclude 339 Send Embassadours into England to treat 342 Lude Count 285 Luines the great French Favourite 176 177. M. MAconel Sir James a fugitive Scot seeks to be entertained in Spain 209 Magnus of Zealand 317 Malecontents of King James and King Charles their Reigns 225 Mansel Sir Robert before Argier Commands against the Turks 140 141 142. Mansfelt Earl hates the house of Austria entertained by the Venetians how obedient to the Palsgrave 189. In the Low Countries 328 329 Maqued a Duke a Pyrate 166 Marriages of Princes of different Faiths in what manner 106 Marshal of England his office power c. once hereditary Marshal of the Kings house 63 64 Masques in France 278 279 Master of the Horse to the King 102 Mathewes Sir Tobie 251 252 253. Match with the Infanta of Spain the proceedings 15. See Infanta Many things yeelded to for it 236 The Portion and all the temporal Articles were settled 23 25 Difficulties in it from Rome and Spain 233 234 236 238 239. The Prexie 106 107 Betwixt the Priree of Wales and Madam of France 275-279 Concluded 292 53 agitated betwixt the Emperours Son and the Infanta Donna Maria 167 Isabella Clara Engenia moves for the Prince of Poland 167 Betwixt the Emperours Daughter and Palsgraves Son 170 171 Maurice of Nassaw Prince of Orange a blunt Prince 324 331 against the Novellists 321 322 would reconcile Sir Horatio Vere and Sir Edward Cecyl 323 he and the Prince Conde differ ibid. gives away Colonel Hyndersons Regiment contrary to an act of the States 329 desires the protection and friendship of King James 331 332 337 338 Melon seeds sent out of Italie to King James by Sir Henry Wotton 195 Merchants of England denyed the free entrance of their Commodities in Spain 46 47. the order of prohibition staid 52 168 ill used there 48 Michel Sir John sues injustly in Chancery 83 84 Middlesex Earl sues to the King for grace 203 fined 204 will not consent to any diminution of the Crown revenues 266 begs time for his defence 268 Modena Dutchesse 188 Mole an Englishman in the Inquisition concerning King James his Book for Allegiance 194 Montague after Bishop of Chichester imprisoned by the House of Commons who so he had nothing to do with him 115 Requires the Papists to prove certain questions 115 116 Three Bishops defend him 116 117 118. and his Pook Appello Caesarem so much desliked by the Puritanes 116. 118 Montgomery Earl taxed 27. See 302. Murray Schoolmaster to the Prince of Wales a Puritane preferred to be Provost of Eaton 66 67 68. N. NEcessity onely drives men to Sea 102 Newburgh Duke in Spain 165 166 shares in the Palatinate 335 Nithisdail Earl his Conference with the Spanish Embassadours 247 Nove Mounsieur 319 O. OFfice of the Originals 70 Ogle Sir John gives Extracts of the Duke and Embassadours Letters 137. See 322. Olivarez Conde the Favourite of Spain his and the Duke of Bucking hams farewell 16 his protestation to the Earl of Bristol 40 saves the Marquesse of Ynoiosa from the prosecution of Sir Walter Aston 52 his Rodomontade 289 The Condessa of Olivarez prayes for the Duke of Buckingham 33 Opinions of some in the Church dangerous 117 Ornano Colonel Monsteur of Orleans his Governour 286 Ossuna Duke Vice Roy of Naples counterfeits madnesse to cover his disloyalty 182 Threatens the Venetians because they would not be robbed by him 183 Confirmed in his Government avoids the Spanish trap 184 Oxford Earl 22 imprisoned 209 secks to the Duke of Buckingam but gallantly 312 P. PAlatinate of the Rhine cause of breach in the Spanish Match 17 35 38 234 235 307. mangled by the Emperour by guists 335 difficulties in the restitution of it 171 172 346 Ever beaten upon 245. 248 the upper settled on the Bavarian 335 Pardon of the Lord of St. Albans 60 Parma Duke 186. imprisons his bastard son 188 Parliament of England House of Commons no where before Henry the 1. thwart the King their priviledges graces of Kings 65 grown in the late Reigns tumultuous and licentious 224 private grudges made publick businesse 230 what men dangerous in Parliaments 215 See 226. Of Spain grant their King 60. Millions of Duckets which the Cities will not ratifie 45 Palsgrave a disperate enemy to the Emperour 172. promised restitution conditionally 241. content to submit 337 Passages betwixt the Keeper Lincoln and Don Francisco a Spaniard concerning Peace or war betwixt England and Spain upon breach of the Match 77 Paul the Father of Venice 187 Peckius 333 Peeres Judges in Parliament 6 Pennington Sir John 141. will not deliver up the Kings Ship for the French service 147 148 his advice concerning the Contract of the French for the use of some English Vessels 150 Persian Embassadour his suit to King James 12 Philibert of Savoy Viceroy of Sicily his good affection to King James 158 at Messina 182 dares not fight the Turkish Fleet which he finds too strong for him 186 Philipa Sir Robert 264 mediates with the Duke for the Earl of Bristol 265 Pirates of Algier 142 Of the Levant seek for pardon 156 formidable â—58 infest the Coasts of Spain 206 207 Popes their arts 172 Porcheres 301 303 Portland Earl See Weston Sir Richard Presents given on both sides in Spain 16 Prisoners in the Fleet and the damned in Hell compared by the Keeper Lincoln 65 Priviledges of Parliament 65 made a colour 227 Procession upon the Jubile in Spain by the King Queen c. 51 Proclamation concerning the signature of Bills 82 Protestants of all parts beholding to King James 110 111 Provost of Eaton hath cure of soules must be in Orders 66 67 Purbeck Lady so she much affects her husband 313 Complains highly of the Duke and his Family 313 314. Puritanes see Allegiance haters of the Gavernment begun in Parliaments fall upon the Councellours of State willing to clip the King 225 Putean had a hand in Corona Regia the Libel 152 Q. Queen of Bohemia her virtues
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
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
and my self to this effect 1. To grant a pardon of all offences past with a dispensation for those to come to all the Roman Catholiques obnoxious to any laws made against the Recusants 2. And then to issue forth two general Commands under the Great Seal the first to all the Judges and Justices of the Peace and the other to all Bishops Chancellours and Commissaries not to execute any Statute made against them Their general pardon we have passed and sent unto his Majestie from whence it is not returned in as full and ample manner as they could desire and pen it The other general and vast prohibition I prevailed with the rest of the Lords to stop as yet and gave in three dayes conference such reasons to the 2. Embassadors that although it is no easie matter to satifie the Caprichiousnesse of the Latter of them yet they were both content it should rest until the Infanta had been six Months in England My reason if it may please your Grace was this Although this general favour and connivence whereof there are 20. of the Prime Councel know nothing as yet must at last be known to all the Land yet is there a great difference between the publishing thereof A Golpe at one push as it were and that instilling of it into their knowledg by little and little by reason of favours done to particular Catholiques The former course might breed a general impression if not a mutinie This Letter will but loosen the tongues but of some few particulars who understand of their neighbours pardon and having vented their dislikes when they have not many to Sympathise with them they grow coole again so as his majestie afterwards may enlarge these favours without any danger at all Secondly to forbid Iudges against their oaths and Justices of the Peace sworn likewise to execute the law of the Land is a thing unpresidented in this Kingdom et Durus Sermo a very harsh and bitter pill to be digested upon a suddain and without some preparation But to grant a pardon even for a thing that is Malum in se and a dispensation with Penal Lawes in the profit whereof the King onely is interested is usual and full of presidents and examples And yet is this Letter onely tending to the safety the former but to the glory and insolencie of the Papists and the magnifying the service of the Embassadors ends too dearly purchased with the indangering of a tumult in three Kingdomes Thirdly and Lastly his Maiestie useth to speak to his Bishops Judges and Justices of the peace by his Chancelour or Keeper as your Grace well knoweth and by his Great Seal and I can signify his Majesties pleasure unto them with lesse noise and danger which I mean to do hereafter if the Embassadors shall presse it to this effect unlesse your Grace shall from his Highnesse or your own judgment direct otherwise That whereas his Majestie being at this time to mediate for favour to many Protestants in forraign parts with Princes of another religion and to sweeten the entertainment of the Princess into this Kingdom who is as yet a Roman Catholique doth hold a mitigation of the rigour of those lawes made against Râ—…nts to be a necessary inducement to both those purposes and hath therefore issued forth some pardons of Grace and favour to such Roman Catholiques of whose faithfulnesse and fidelity to the state he rests assured That therefore you the Lords Bishops Judges and Justices each of those to be written unto by themselves do take notice of this his Majesties pardon and dispensation with all such penal Lawes and demean your selves accordingly c. Thus have I been too tedious and troublesome unto your Grace and Crave your pardon therefore and some directions which you may cause Sir Francis Cottington or some other to write without your Graces trouble if there shall apeare any cause of alteration Doctor Bishop the new Bishop of Calcedon is come to London privately and I am much troubled thereabouts not knowing what to advise his Majestie in this posture as things stand at this present If you were shipped with the Infanta the onely Councel were to let the Judges proceed with them presently hang him out of the way and the King to Blame my Lord of Cantuar or my self for it But before you be shipped in such form and manner I dare not assent or Connive at such a course It is my gracious Lord a most insolent Part and an offence as I take it Against our common Law and not the statutes onely which are dispensed withall for an English man to take such a consecration without the Kings consent and especially to use any Episcopal Jurisdiction in this Kingdom without the royal assent and Bishops have been in this State put to their fine and ransom for doing so three hundred years ago I will cease to to be further troublesome and pray to Almighty God to blesse your Grace and in all humblenesse take my leave and rest c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 14th of October 1621. My most Noble Lord I Humbly thank your Lordship for your most sweet and loving Letter which as Sir George Goring could not but observe hath much revived me drooâ—ing under the unusual weight of so many businesses Let God suffer me no longer to be then I shall be true plain faithful and affectionately respectful of your Lordship as being most bound unto your Lordship for these so many fruits but far more for the tree that bore them your love and affection If your Lordship shall not think it inconvenient I do beseech your Lordship to present this Petition inclosed either by word or writing unto his Majestie and to procure a speedy dispatch thereof because we are to meet on Thursday next Also to acquaint his Majestie that I stumble at the Proclamation now coming to the Seal against any that shall draw or present any bill for his Majesties signature besides those Clarks which usually draw them up by virtue of their places It is most prejudicial to my place the Lord Treasurer and the Judges itinerant who are often occasioned to draw up and present to his Majestie divers matters and especially pardons of Course It is also too strong a tie upon your Lordships hands being intended by his Majestie against Projectors and Scriveners only If it shall please his Majestie therefore to make an exception of the Lords of his Councel and Judges of Assize it may passe to the contentment of all men Mr. Attourney saith he meant this exception but I find it not sufficiently expressed in the Proclamation Also I humbly beseech your Lordship to meddle with no pardon for the Lord of St. Albons until I shall have the happinesse to confer with your Lordship the pardoning of his fine is much spoken against not for the matter for no man objects to that but for the manner which is full of knavery and a wicked president For by this assignation of
answer He is extreamly commended for his closenesse and secresie by the major part of our auditors the Hee and Shee good fellowes of the town and though he refuseth to be a Confessor yet is sure to die a Martyr and most of the Ladies in town will offer at his shryne The Lady Hatton some nine dayes since was at Stoke with the good Knight her Husband for some counsel in this particular But he refused to meddle therewithal and dismist her Ladiship when she had stayed with him very lovingly half a quarter of an hour The cause of my troubling your Grace is this The French Embassador is fired with some complaints of our Recusants who I verily believe work upon him purposely finding him to be of a combustible disposition To morrow he is resolved to come upon you and our Master with Complaints for lack of performances to the Papists And because I would furnish your Grace with as much answer as I am acquainted with nothing doubting but your Grace is otherwaies better provided I make bold to present your Grace with these particulars 1. With a Letter from my Lord Archbishop of York in answer to another of mine which shews how really his Majesties promise hath been in that kind performed I beseech your Grace to keep it safe in your pocket until I shall have the honour to wait upon your Grace when you have made use of the same 2. If your Grace shall hear him complain of the Judges in their charges and of their receiving of Indictments your Grace may answer That those charges are but orations of Course opening all the penal Lawes and the Indictments being presented by the Country cannot be refused by the Judges But the Judges are ordered to execute nothing actually against the Recusants nor will they do it during the negotiation 3. Your Grace may put him in mind that my Lord Keeper doth every day when his the Lord Embassadours Secretary calls upon him grant forth Writs to remove all the persons indicted in the Country into the Kings Bench out of the power and reaches of the Justices of the Peace And that being there the King may and doth release them at his pleasure 4. That the Spanish Embassadour never had nor desired more then these favours 5. That you are informed that Copies of Letters written from the King to both the Archbishops are spread abroad in Staffordshire to his Majesties disadvantage for so it is and that thereby my Lord Embassadour may perceive the bent of the English Catholiques which is not to procure ease and quietnesse to themselves but Scandals to their neighbouring Protestants and discontentments against the King and State I humbly crave your Graces pardon for this boldnesse and tediousnesse and with my hearty prayers for your health do rest yours c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. March 1624. May it please your Grace I Send your Grace here inclosed the Kings Commission and the Prince's Proxie not fairly written which the Embassadours upon the place may procure in a frech hand but yet legibly and passably The Prince's Proxie refers the manner unto the articles and particularly to the second third and fourth Section of those Articles which gives me occasion to begg of your Grace pardon to desire your Grace to think seriously upon the third Section to advise with the Prince and to give Mr. Packer charge to inform your Grace punctually what he knoweth and may inform himself concerning those particulars That is How the Queen Margaret of France was married to Henry the fourth and how Madam his sister was married to the Prince of Lorrain For although they are both made alike in the article yet surely they were not married after the same fashion For the Dutchesse of Barr was married in a closet without a Masse by words onely of the Present tense as I believe I have read in the Historie of Thuanus A favour which will hardly be granted to your Grace And how Queen Margaret was married my Lords the Embassadours will soon learn if your Grace will be pleased to write unto them I hold it in a manner necessary that your Grace do carrie over with you in your company one Civilian to put your Grace in mind of the formalities required and if your Grace be of that mind your own Doctor Dr. Reeves is as fit as any man else who is a good Scholar and speaks that language Your Grace hath revived my Lord of Clare sithence I spake with your Grace And I beseech your Grace to follow that resolution and to let Mr. Packer draw up a warrant of 3. or 4. lines signed by the King to me to place him with the rest of the Councel of War It will be an occasion to take up more of that time which he now spends with the Lady Hatton For now I am resolved that I was of the right in my conjecture to your Grace that his Lordship had utterly refused my Lady Purbecks cause of the which the very common people begin to be ashamed but is deeply ingaged against my Lady of Richmond Dutchesse of Richmond in the businesse of that famous or rather notorious foeminine Contract and bargain of sixteen hundred pounds by the year for a house to sleep in When your Grace shall draw up your Instructions you will be pleased to use the words To Contract Espouse and marrie Our Welbeloved Son c. because they do in those parts contract alwaies before marriage And your Grace will be pleased to expresse his Majesties pleasure that this is to be done by your self and no other Because although the two Earls upon the place have some such general words in their Commission yet your Grace only is named in the Prince's Proxie and now solely imployed by the King to that purpose Although I conceived this restraint to be fitter a great deal for the instructions then the Commission I am extream sorry to hear what a grievous fit his Majestie had this last night But I hope it is a farewel of the Agues and I pray God it be the last fit And now am an humble suitor again that I may come and look upon his Majestie resolved to say nothing but that which I will never cease to say God blesse him If your Grace holds it inconvenient I beseech your Grace to excuse me and to account me as I will ever be found Yours c. The Bishop of Lincoln to the Duke 7th of January 1625. Most Gratious Lord BEing come hither according unto the dutie of my place to do my best service for the preparation to the Coronation and to wait upon his Majestie for his Royal pleasure and direction therein I do most humbly beseech your Grace to crown so many of your Grace's former favours and to revive a Creature of your own struck dead onely with your displeasure but no other discontentment in the universal world by bringing of me to kisse his Majesties hand with whom I took leave
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
the speech they did demand of me whether I was come of my self or by Commission for they professed to account me their friend I answered that I came meerly of my self and was sorrie that by their own deserving they had procured such alterations and I thought strange of such demands as they had made at Hampton Court which did both expresse much spleen and lack of good intelligence They did avow their demands were reasonable but from that time they would make visits to the Duke and love him better then before because they were in doubt before but now they know him to be an Enemie I did answer that I was sorrie for their proceeding and was their friend so long as they were friends to my Master After a few haughty words such as it was a wrong waie to deal with their Master by threatnings who gave pay daily to 300000. Souldiers that they had followed the wars a long time and had seen men killed by the Cannon Musket Pike and sword but never saw men killed with words they desired me to speak to his Majestie that they might either be dismissed or have freedome to go about their businesse with security They did desire me likewise to speak to his Majestie that the treatie for the Palatinate might continue I did demand of them how these two things did agree both to threaten and intreat whereupon they passed upon me with odd complaints I went once more of late to give them a farwel I said they proved themselves good Servants to their Master in pressing to raise jealousies in this State but they were now too well known to do harm The Marquesse swore that by this time the Infanta had been here the Palatinate restored if the blame had not been on our Part. I did intreat I might be excused not to believe that I did ask whether they did not condemn their own judgments in accusing the Duke of Buckingham of that whereof he was cleared both by the King and State Their answer was He was cleared by those who were his confiderates all as guiltie as himself I demanded why they should still expresse their malice against the Duke of Buckingham Did they not think but our Prince was a man sensible of what injuries he had received their answer was if the Duke were out of the way the Prince would be well disposed They said farther his Highnesse was an obedient son before the Duke guided him but since he was not So that when we speak of his Majestie they speak with much respect but for the Prince did not use them kindly they did make the lesse accompt of him So after I took my leave and parted Nithisdail MUch I have omitted for brevitie wherein they did expresse much respect to his Majestie much of their threatning to the Duke of Buckingham The Lord Nithisdail to the Duke 22 June 1624. My most Noble Lord FInding matters at great uncertainty when I came hither I resolved to make farther tryal before I should part from hence What thanks is due to the Embassadours for their paineful and discreet Carriage can hardly be expressed Matters now being drawn to such a conformity which I confesse I thought impossibilities though withall I found much respect alwayes to the Prince with a sensible desire of the Match expressed both by the King and those I spake withal our Embassadours seem still to be discontent that all things are not remitted to our Masters verbal promise which though it may be assurance sufficient to all Catholiques who have the sence to consider that it must be our Masters and the Princes gracious disposition must be our safety more then either word or writ yet the writ being desired privately as they pretend merely to draw the Popes consent without the which nothing is to be finished the difference is not so great their Princely promise being given already What cause of jealousie the refusing hereof should procure you may consider besides my judgment failes me if a more easie way shall be assented unto upon this side If the Embassadours have bestirred themselves to get this out of the publique Articles I can bear witnesse Thus much I dare avow that neither time nor place have been omitted by them to do good though I must confesse what intelligence I had in the proceeding hath rather been from the French then from them Their Reasons as I conceive was their doubts that did bring me hither having neither Letters from the King the Prince nor your Grace Whereupon to remove these conceits I shewed them that I did onely take this in my way intending to go see the Jubilees wherewith though his Majestie nor the Prince neither yet your Grace were acquainted with at my parting you will be pleased to make my excuse I am infinitely beholding to the Embassadours noble Courtesie which I know hath proceeded from that relation which they know I have to you My Lord let the happinesse which shall come to the Prince by matching with such a Lady as I protest before God hath those perfections to my thinking can hardly be equalled be a means to hasten a happy Conclusion And let not matter of Ceremonie draw delayes where the substance is agreed upon So shall all that belong to our Master be made happy in general and you in particular for that love which they expresse here to your self Once more I humbly begg you will consider particularly upon each one of the Articles and I hope you shall not find such unreconcileable difference as an affected Puritan may pretend Whereupon if I have looked more with eyes of a Papist then was fitting it is my lack of judgment and not of zeal to my Masters Honour which of all carthly things shall be preferred Beseeching God to give a happy successe hereunto with a sound recovery of your own health I humbly take my leave Your Graces Faithful servant Nithisdail Dated at Compion Sir Tobie Mathew to the King of Spain DOn Tobea Mathei Cavallero Ynglesy Catholico Romano beseecheth your Catholique Majestie with all humility and reverence to give him leave to speak these few words unto you He understandeth that the Theologos have persisted precisely upon the Voto which they gave before and he findeth clearly that the Prince conceiveth that he can by no means submit himself thereunto with his Honour And besides my Lord the King hath expresly required him to return with all possible speed in case that Voto should not be qualified And it is certain that he will depart for England within very few daies And whosoever shall inform your Majestie that the Treatie of this marriage may be really kept on foot after the departure of the Prince upon these terms doth deceive your Majestie through the ignorance wherein he is of the State of England So that the Prince departing thus the Catholique Subjects of all my Lord the Kings Dominions are to be in lamentable case For although the Prince did yesterday vouchsafe to have
Majestie 108 The Lord Keeper to the Viscount Annan the 17. of September 1622. 109 The Bishop of St. Davids to the Duke the 18. of November 1624. 113 The Bishop of St. Davids to the Duke 114 The Bishop of Chichester to the Duke 114 The Bishops of Rochester Oxford and St. Davids to the Duke concerning Mr. Mountague 2. Aug. 1625. 116 Dr. Field Bishop of Landaffe to the Duke 118 Bishop of Landaffe to the Duke 119 Dr. Corbet to the Duke 121 Earles of Worcester Arundel and Surrey and Montgomery to the King 121 The Earl of Suffolk to his Majestie 122 The Earl of Suffolk to the Duke 123 The Earl of Suffolk to his Majestie 124 The Lady Elizabeth Howard to the King 126 The Lady Elizabeth Norris to the Duke ibid. Sir Edward Cecyl to the Duke 128 Sir Edward Cecyl to the Duke 129 Sir Edward Cecyl to the Lord Conway Secretary 2. of June 1625. 130 Sir Edward Cecyl to the Duke 3. June 1625. 132 Sir Edward Cecyl to the Duke 19. July 1625. 134 The Lord Wimbledon to the Duke 28. April 1626. 135 The Lord Wimbledon to the Duke 137 Sir John Ogle to the Duke 3. June 1625. 138 Sir Robert Mansel to the Duke 9. June 1621. 140 Sir Robert Mansel to the Duke 10. July 1621. 143 Sir John Pennington to the Duke 27. July 1625. 144 Captain Pennington to the Duke 150 Mr. Trumbal to the Secretary 31. March 1619. 151 Mr. Trumbal to the Secretary 23. Octob. 1619. 156 Sir Thomas Roe to the Marquesse of Buckingham Lord Admiral 17. Decemb. 1621. 158 L. R. H. to the Duke of Buckingham 159 Sir George Carie to the Marquesse of Buckingham the 8. of Decem. 1619. 162 To King James ab ignoto 163 Archbishop Abbot to Secretary Nanton 12. of September 1619. 169 The Lord Brook to the Duke 11. Novemb. 1623. 170 Dr. Belcanquel to Secretary Nanton 26. March 173 Sir William Beecher to his Majestie 4. Febr. 176 To King James ab ignoto 178 Sir Isaac Wake to the Secretary the 27. of September 1619. 180 Sir Isaac Wake to the Secretary the 5th of October 1619. 184 Sir Isaac Wake to the Duke 13. Febr. 1621. 188 Sir Isaac Wake 's Proposition for the King of Denmark 190 Sir Henry Wotton to the Duke 25. Jan. 1619. 192 Sir Henry Wotton to the Duke 29. July 1622. 193 Sir Henry Wotton to the Duke the 2d. of December 1622. 194 Sir Henry Wotton to the Duke 196 Sir Henry Wotton to the Duke 197 Sir Richard Weston to the Duke 26. June 1622. 200 Sir Richard Weston to the Duke Bruxels 3. of September 1622. 201 Sir Richard Weston to the Duke 17. July 1623. 202 Sir Richard Weston to the Duke 20 May 1624. 203 Sir Richard Weston to the Duke Chelsey the 23 of July 1624. 204 Sir Richard Weston to the Duke Chelsey 12. of August 1624. 206 Sir Francis Cottington to the Duke Madrid 1. October 1616. 206 Viscount Rochfort to the Duke of Buckingham 209 King James to Pope Gregorie the 15. the 10. of September 1622. 211 Pope Gregory the 15. to the Prince of Wales Rome 20. of April 1623. 212 The Prince of Wales his Reply to the Popes Letter 214 The Pope to the Duke of Buckingham Rome the 19 of May 1623. 216 To King James ab ignoto 217 To King James ab ignoto 222 Mr. Ch. Th. to the Duke 228 To Count Gondomar 233 Conde de Gondomar to the Duke 13. Febr. 1625. 237 Padre Maestre at Rome to the Spanish Embassadour in England 12. June 1621. 238 Don Carlos to the Lord Conway 3. Septem 239 Marquesse Ynoiosa to the Lord Conway 5. of September 1623. 242 Collections of Passages and Discourses betwixt the Spanish Embassadours and Sir Arthur Chichester 18 Jan. 1623. 244 Sir Arthur Chichester to the Duke 25. Jan. 1623. 243 Passages betwixt the Lord Nithisdale and the Spanish Embassadours 22. May 1624. 247 The Lord Nithisdale to the Duke 22 June 1624. 249 Sir Tobie Mathew to the King of Spain 251 Sir Tobie Mathew to the Dutchesse of Buckingham From Bulloign 9. June 1625. 253 Dr. Sharp to King James 255 Dr. Sharp to the Duke of Buckingham 257 The Lord Cromwell to the Duke 8. Sept. 1625. 262 Sir Robert Philips to the Duke of Buckingham 21. of Aug. 1624. 264 The Earl of Middlesex to the Duke 266 The Earl of Middlesex to his Majestie the 26. April 1624. 267 The Earl of Carlile to his Majestie 14. Febr. 1623. 269 The Lord Kensington to the Duke 273 The Lord Kensington to the Prince the 26. of February 1624. 276 The Lord Kensington to the Duke 274 The Lord Kensington to the Prince 26 Febr. 1624. 276 The Lord Kensington to the Duke 278 The Lord Kensington to the Prince 280 The Lord Kensington to the Duke 4. March 1924. 282 The Lord Kensington to the Secretary Lord Conway 284 The Lord Kensington to the Duke 288 The Lord Kensington to the Duke 291 The Lord Kensington Earl of Holland to the Duke 292 The Earl of Holland to his Majestie Paris 13 March 1625. 294 The Earl of Holland to the Duke 296 Mr. Lorkin to the Duke 30. August 1625. 299 Mr. Lorkin to the Duke 17 Sept. 1625. 301 The Lord Herbert to his Majestie From Merton Castle 13 Octob. 1623. 304 Mr. Edward Clerk to the Duke Madrid 6. Sept. 1623. 306 Mr. Edward Clerk to the Duke Madrid the 1. of October 1623. 307 Sir Anthony Ashley to the Duke 12 May. 1621. 307 Sir Walter Rawleigh to the Duke 12. Aug. 308 Sir Henry Yelverton to the Duke the 15. of March 1623. 310 Sir John Eliot to the Duke 8. Novemb. 1623. 311 The Earl of Oxford to the Duke 311 The Lady Purbeck to the Duke 313 Dr. Donne to the Marquesse of Buckingham 13. September 1621. 314 Dr. Donne to the Duke 315 Sir John Hipsley to the Duke London the 1. of September 1623. 316 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Marquesse of Buckingham Hague 24. Febr. 1616. 317 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke of Buckingham Hague 10. June 1620. 322 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 31. of January 1622. 325 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 23. of August 1622. 327 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 9. of December 1623. 334 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 13. Decemb. 1623. 334 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 18 of December 1623. 337 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 24. of January 1625. 340 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 16 of February 1625. 342 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 16. of April 1624. 343 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague the 20. of June 1625. 345 Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke Hague 20. of August 1625. 346 Read the Letters according to the Order of this Table The Table of things most remarkable A. ADmiral of England his Office p. 102 of Castile takes place of the Imperial Embassadour 165 Aerseus 342 Algier Voyage 143 144 Allegiance Puritanes will not
329 337 Queen Mother of France 176. for the Match with England 390 296 young Queen shewes great respect to the English Prince and is earnest for the Match with Madam 277 not Spanish though a sister of Spain 278 R. RAwleigh Sir Walter insolent 226 his Western Voyage had described those Countries makes the Duke of Buckingham his Intercessour 308 309 Records of the Order of the Garter 221 Reformation of Justice rules for it 617. Refuges Monsieur 319 Religious life entring into it after betrothing 24 Richlieu Cardinal when first of the Cabinet Councel 287 Richmond Duke Lord Steward 100 101. See 336. Richmond Dutchesse gives 1600 l. the year for a house to sleep in 106 Rochel so streightly blocked up in November 1625. no intelligence could be had from thence 272 Rochfort Viscount his generosity 209 sues for the Earl of Oxfords Liberty 210. See 310. Rochfoulcaut Cardinal 282 Ro Sir Thomas frees 13. English from the Spanish Gallies by the favour of Philibert of Savoy 159 Roman Catholicks favoured in England because of the Spanish Match and to comply with the Articles 80 81 Bishop of Lincoln his advice concerning it ibid. titular Bishop of Calcedon in England see tit Williams Complain of persecution in England 95 238 to the Spanish Embassadour turbulent 105 King James his Clemency to them disliked what that was 110 111 112. and why 233 236 242 Jesuites stir up the French King against the Calvinists because King James executes his Lawes against the Papists 111. their practises in Parliament against the King 225 229 Imprisoned in the time of the Queen and why 258 Contrive tumults disarmed by the King their insolency 271 272 S. ST George Madam 296 302 Saine-Leger Sir William 334 335 Sandys Sir Edwin 76 Santa Croce Marquesse 178 Sarmientos Don 318 Savil Sir Henry Provost of Eaton 69 Savoyard Embassadour 275 299 30â— 301 303. Savoy Duke 168 a friend to the Palsgrave distrusted by the Spaniards 185 defeats them 208 Say Viscount a Malecontent 225 307 Saxonia Duke a friend to King James and the Palatine Family 167 Scot Doctour deseribed by the Pishop of Lincoln 99 100 101 Scotch Masters confiscated in Spain and sentenced to the Gallies 50 Scultetua at the Synod of Dort 173 Serclaus a Dutch Gentlewoman tretting on both sides betwixt the Dutch and Spanish 332 Shipwrack of the Plate Fleet 48 49 Ships attempted to be fired 135 Sibâ—andus a furious Calvinist at the Synod of Dort 174 Soissons Count a Prince of the Blood of France would marry Madont of France 282 his incivility to the Earl of Holland 289 altered 286 Sommerset Earl sues to the King for his life and estate rise upon his Fathers Merits 1 2 3 4 South hampton Earl confined to his own house 57 hardly dealt with but without the Kings Order 61. See 316. Spanish King gives precedencie to the Prince of Wales 14 Much sought to by the English Papists 252 aymes at the universal Monarchie 274 281 Spaniards committed many errours in the Match 23 forward to give any security to the accomplishing it 24 25 Cautelous in their proceeding 243 247 arm the Grandces summoned and the Battalon 51. for the Sea 166 Sleight and wrong the English 54 â—eise the Venetian Vessels in the Ports of Naples arm in all their Dominions 178 179 182 their subleties they rob the Venetians 183. their plots upon the States united 333. Complain they cannot obtain free audience 246 Spanish Rodomontades 289 248 intended with their Armada to have rooted out the English Nation 259 by the Match to have formed a party here 305. See 338 339. Get more by their policies then Swords 261. no peace can be with them there would make peace with the Dutch 327 will not believe the English had either Faith Church or Liturgie 79. See Book of Common-Prayer burn the Princesse Palatines Joynture in sight of the English Embassadour 329 Spinola 328 333 Star-Chamber an ancient Court 58 â—eld Pleas of restitution of Ships and goods 75 State when the word came first over hither 226 Steward of the house 63 Office of Lord Steward what 101 102 Successe things not to be judged by it 304 Suffolk Earl his Staffe of Treasurer taken away 126 sentenced in the Star-Chamber 122 will not perswade his sons to leave the Court delivered from the Tower 123 124 125 Synod of England 117 of Dort passages of it 173 174 175 of no authority with us 117 T. TIlley Count besleges Heidelbergh 234 329 Tilliers Count 305 Toirax 286 287 Treasurer of England accuses the Lord Keeper of Lincoln 72 73 Treasure ill managed 122 Tresham of the Powder Treason preserved his estate 3 Trugot Madamoiselle 301 Trumbal an Agent at Brussels for King James his care to find out the Authour of Corona Regia 152 153 Turkish kindnesse to the Venetians 186 Tyrconnel Page to the Queen of Spain 49 V. VAlette Marquesse 285 Vandenbergh grave Henric 328 Vaux Lord committed to the Fleet for resisting the Kings Commands 271 Venetians in danger of the Spaniard seek to King James 178 179 sue to him to forbid exportation of Artillery c. 180 refuse Turkish ayds against Christians 186. incivil to the Duke of Savoy 187 Veiville Marquesse 274 284 286 287 289. Vere Sir Horatio sleighted unreasonably by Sir Edward Cecyl as inferior in birth and worth 134 323 Viceroy of Portugal 45 Ville-â—ux Cleres 293 300 Vorstius questioned for blasphemous propositions 175 Uprores in Naples Millain c. 188 W. VVAke Sir Isaac Imployed in Savoy his prudence 180 181 186. governs himself according to his instructions 184 not supplyed with monies 189 War the most prosperous hath misfortune enough in it to make the author unhappy 33 knowledge of it the highest of humane things 133 preparation of things shewes experiencewhat war is lawful 258 Weston Sir Richard Earl of Portland 198 199. a fit Minister 234 treats for the Palatinate at Brussels cannot prevail 201 234. accused to the Duke 202 Intercedes for the Earl of Middlesex 203 Wilford Sir Thomas sinks a Turkish man of war 141 Williams Dean of Westminster Lord Keeper and Bishop of Lincoln after sues for the Bishoprick of London 54 his Ecclesiastical promotions 55 advanced by the Duke of Buckingham 62 70. his opinion of the Archbishop of Canterburies mischance where his ambition is visible 56 Will serve the Earl of Southampton while he makes good his professions to the Duke 58 loves the Earl of Bristol at this rate 23 sits in the Common Pleas. 61 Will not seal the Lord St. Albans pardon and why 61 62 81. nor Sir Richard Westons Patent 93 nor an order for a Papist Priests liberty 62. nor the Earl of Arundels Patent for the Earl Marshals place 68 An enemy to the Lord Treasurer 62 To the Earl of Arundel 62 63 64. Will not discharge a prisouer for contempt of a Decree in Chancery 65 seems to advise King Iames to dissolve the Parliament of 1621. to find out other wayes to supply his wants
and acquaint the Kingdom with the undutifulnesse and obstinacy of the Commons 66 accused by the Lord Treasurer of making injust advantages of his place vindicates himself 71 72 74. forbidden the Court 78 Will not seal the Kings Patent of honour without knowledge of the Dukes good pleasure 79 against the Councel Table 75 Dislikes prohibiting execution of Statutes against the Papists 80 His advice to hang the titulary Bishop of Calcedon 81 Would have all honours and offices derived from the Duke 83 84 Is his vassal 85 100 101 103 Lives not but in the Dukes favour 107 Loves and hates as the Duke does 84 88 94 does equal Justice 83 Wants 85 Would not be over-topped 94 charged by the Duke to run Courses dangerous to his Countrey and to the cause of Religion betrayes the Duke esteemed by him a fire brand and not worthy of trust 87 88 his Reply 89 96. Writes unworthily of King James to the Duke 94 sues to the Duke for the Countesse of Southampton 96 Would have the Duke to be Lord Steward 101 102 Mercy with Sir Edward Coke 104 advises concerning the Proxies and Marriage with France 106 107 In disgrace the Seal taken away excuses himself to King Charles 108 suspected as a Malecontent and willing to imbroil 225 Wimbledon Viscount See Cecyl Sir Edward c. Wotton Sir Henry 193 194. sends rare Pictures to the Duke 195 Complains that after his long service his Embassage should be given another and himself left naked without any rewards or provision for his subsistance 196 197 too bashful 199 Wynwood Sir Ralph Embassadour in the Netherlands how contemned there 331. Y. YElverton Sir Henry 310 Ynoiosa Marquesse Embassadour in England his ill Offices here and false informations 40 41 50. endeavours to stain the Prince of Wales his honour 52. See Olivarez for the Duke of Bavaria 's pretences 167 Young Patrickl 94 Z. ZAnten Treatie 318 Zapara Cardinal Viceroy of Naples 188 Zutenstein of Utrecht 317 Books Printed for or to be sold by M. M. G. Bedell and T. Collins at their shop at the Middle Temple Gate in Fleetstreet EAdmeri Monachi Cantuariensis Historia Novorum Joannes Seldenis Notis in Folio Mare Clausum seu Dominio Mare Joannes Seldeni in solio The History of great Brittain from the first peopling of this Island to the Reign of King James by William Slayter with the Illustrations of John Selden Esq in Folio The History of Tythes in the payment of them the Lawes made for them and touching the Right of them by John Selden Esquire in Quarto Annales or a general Chronicle of England with an Appendix or Corrollary of the foundations of the Universities of England begun by John Stowe and continued to the year 1631. by Edm. Howe 's Gent. in folio A Chronicle of the Kings of England from the Romans Government unto the Raign of King Charles Containing all passages of Church and State with all other observations proper for a Historie The second Edition enlarged with Marginal notes and large Tables by Sir Richard Baker Knight in Folio The History and Lives of the Kings of England from Wil. the Conqueror to the end of the Reign of K. Henry the eighth by Wil. Martyn Esq to which is added the Historie of K. Edward the sixt Q. Mary and Queen Elizabeth in Folio The History of the Reign of K. Henry the seventh written by the right Honourable Francis Lord Verulam Viscount St. Alban with a very useful and necessary Table annexed to it in folio The Life and Reign of K. Henry the Eight written by the Right Honourable Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury in folio Orlando Furioso in English Heroical verse by Sir John Harrington Knight now the third time revised and amended with the Addition of the Authors Epigrams in folio The Marrow of the French tongue containing rules for pronunciation an exact Grammer of the nine parts of speech and dialogues for Courtiers Citizens and Countrymen with varieties of Phrases Letters missive Proverbs c. So compiled that a mean capacity may in short time without help attain to the perfection of the Language by Mr. John Woodroephe in folio Pyrotechina or a discourse of artificial fire-works laying down the true grounds of that Art to which is annexed a treatise of Geometrie by John Babington student in the Mathematicks in folio A French-English Dictionary with another in English and French Compiled by Mr. Randal Cotgrave Whereunto are added the Animadversions and supplement of James Howel Esquire in Folio Annales veteris Testimenti à prima Mundi Origine deductis una cum Rerum Asiaticarium et Aegyptiacarum Chronico Jacobo Vsserio Armachana digestore in folio With the second Part now in presse in Latine in folio Devotionis Augustinianae Flammae or certain devout and learned Meditations upon several Festivals in the year written by the excellently accomplisht Gentleman VVilliam Austin of Lincolnes Inne Esquire in folio The Christian man or the Reparation of nature by grace written in French by John Francis Sennault and now Englished by H. Gresly Master of Arts and student of Christ Church in Oxford in quarto An Interpretation of the number 666 wherein not onely the manner how this number ought to be interpreted but it is also shewed that this number doth exactly describe that state of government to which all other Notes of Antichrist do agree by Francis Potter B.D. with Mr. Medes Judgment of this Treatise in quarto John Barclay his Argenis translated out of Latine into English the prose upon his Majesties command by Sir Robert le Gry's Knight and the verses by Thomas May Esquire with a Clavis annexed to it for the satisfaction of the Reader in Quarto The History of the Imperial state of the Grand Seigneurs their Habitations Lives Favourites Power Government and Tyranny to which is annexed the History of the Court of the King of China written in French and translated by Edward Grimston in quarto The state of France as it stood in the ninth year of this present Monarch Lewis the 14th written to a friend by J.E. in Duodecimo The Pourtract of the Politick Christian Favourite drawn from some of the Actions of the Lord Duke of St. Lucar by the Marquesse Virgillio Malvezzi to which is annexed Maximes of State and political observations on the same story of Count Olivarez D. of St. Lucar in Duodecimo The Prince written in French by Mounsiour Du Balzac now translated into English by Henry Gresly Master of Arts and Student of Christ Church in Oxford in Duodecimo The Life and Reign of King Edward the sixth with the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth both written by Sir John Hayward Knight Doctor of Law in Duodecimo Of Liberty and Servitude translated out of the French into the English tongue and dedicated to George Evelyn Esquire in duodecimo The new Planet no Planet or the earth no wandring Star Here out out of the principles of Divinity Philosophy c. the earths
formally from the house but enough to inform my Conscience and memory I find matter both sufficient and full to move me to desert the defence and to move your Lordships to condemn and censure me Neither will I trouble your Lordships by singling out particulars which I think may fall off Quid te exempta juvat spinis de millibus una Neither will I prompt your Lordships to observe upon the proofes where they come not home or the scruples touching the Credit of the Witnesses Neither will I present unto your Lordships how far a defence might in divers things extenuate the offence in respect of the time or manner of the gift or the like circumstances but onely leave these things to spring out of your own noble thoughts and observations of the evidence and examinations themselves and charitably to wind about the particulars of the charge here and there as God shall put in your minds and so submit my self wholly to your piety and grace And now that I have spoken to your Lordships as Judges I shall say a few words unto you as Peers and Prelates humbly commending my Cause to your noble Minds and magnanimous affections Your Lordships are not onely Judges but Parliamentary Judges you have a farther extent of arbitrary power then other Courts and if you be not tied to the ordinary course of Courts or presidents in point of strictnesse and severity much more in points of mercy and mitigation And yet if any thing I should move might be contrary to your honourable and worthy ends to introduce a reformation I should not seek it But herein I beseech your Lordships to give me leave to tell you a story Titus Manlius took his sons life for giving battail against the prohibition of his General Not many years after the like severity was pursued by Papirius Cursor the Dictator against Quintus Maximus who being upon the point to be sentenced was by the intercession of some principal persons of the Senate spared whereupon Livie maketh this grave and gracious observation Neque minus firmata est disciplina militaris periculo Quinti Maximi quam mirabili supplicio Titi Manlii The discipline of War was no lesse established by the questioning onely of Quintus Maximus then by the punishment of Titus Manlius And the same reason is of the reformation of Justice for the questioning of men of eminent place hath the same terrour though not the same rigour with the punishment But my Case stayeth not there for my humble desire is that his Majestie would take the Seal into his hands which is a great downfal and may serve I hope in it self for an expiation of my faults Therefore if mercy and mitigation be in your Lordships power and do no wayes crosse your ends why should I not hope of your favours and Commiserations Your Lordships may be pleased to behold your chief Pattern the King our Soveraign a King of incomparable Clemencie and whose heart is instructable for wisdom and goodnesse You well remember that there sate not these hundred years before in your House a Prince and never such a Prince whose presence deserveth to be made memorable by records and acts mixt of mercy and justice Your selves are either Nobles and Compassion ever beateth in the veins of noble bloud or Reverend Prelates who are the servants of him that would not break the bruised reed nor quench smoaking flaxe You all sit upon a high Stage and therefore cannot but be more fensible of the changes of humane Condition and of the fall of any from high places Neither will your Lordships forget that there are vitia tomporis as well as vitia hominis and that the beginning of reformation hath a contrary power to the pool of Bethesda for that had strength onely to cure him that was first cast in and this hath strength to hurt him onely that is first Cast in and for my part I wish it may stay there and go no further Lastly I assure my self your Lordships have a noble feeling of me as a member of your own body and one that in this very Session had some taste of your loving affection which I hope was not a lightning before the death of them but rather a spark of that grace which now in the Conclusion will more appear And therefore my humble suit to your Lordships is that my voluntary Confession be my sentence and the losse of the Seal my punishment and that your Lordships will spare any farther sentence but recommend me to his Majesties grace and pardon for all that is past And so c. Your Lordships c. Francis St. Alban Can. Five Letters more of my Lord Bacons Bacon to the King July 31. 1617. I Dare not presume any more to reply upon your Majestie Lord Keeper Bacon to his Majestie but reserve my Defence till I attend your Majestie at your happy return when I hope verily to approve my self not onely a true servant to your Majestie but a true friend to my Lord of Buckingham and for the times also I hope to give your Majestie a good account though distance of place may obscure them But there is one part of your Majesties Letter that I could be sorry to take time to answer which is that your Majestie conceives that whereas I wrote That the height of my Lords Fortune might make him secure I mean that he was turned proud or unknowing of himself Surely the opinion I have ever had of my Lord whereof your Majestie is best witnesse is far from that But my meaning was plain and simple that his Lordship might through his great fortune be the lesse apt to Cast and foresee the unfaithfulnesse of friends and the malignity of enemies and accidents of times Which is a judgment your Majestie knoweth better then I that the best Authors make of the best and best tempered spirits Vt sunt res humana Insomuch as Guicciardine maketh the same judgment not of a particular person but of the wifest state of Europe the Senate of Venice when he sayeth their prosperity had made them secure and under-weighers of perils Therefore I beseech your Majesty to deliver me in this from any the least imputation to my dear and Noble Lord and friend And so expecting that that Sun which when it went from us left us cold weather and now it is returned towards us hath brought with it a blessed harvest will when it cometh to us dispel and disperse all mists and mistakings I am c. Lord Chancellour to his Majestie 2. Jan. 1618. It may please your most excellent Majestie I Do many times with gladnesse and for a remedy of my other labours revolve in my mind the great happinesse which God of his singular goodnesse hath accumulated upon your Majesty every way and how Compleat the same would be if the state of your meanes were once rectified and well ordered your people militarie and obedient fit for war used to peace your
Church illightened with good Preachers as an heaven of Stars your Judges learned and learning from you just and just by your example your Nobility in a right distance between Crown and People no oppressors of the people no overshadowers of the Crown your Councel full of tributes of Care faith and freedom your Gentlemen and Justices of Peace willing to apply your Royal Mandates to the nature of their several Counties but ready to obey your servants in awe of your wisdome in hope of your goodnesse The fields growing every day by the improvement and recovery of grounds from the desert to the garden The City grown from wood to brick your Sea-walls or Pomerium of your Island surveyed and in edifying your Merchants imbracing the whole compasse of the World East West North and South The times give you Peace and yet offer you opportunities of action abroad And lastly your excellent Royal Issue entayleth these blessings and favours of God to descend to all posterity It resteth therefore that God having done so great things for your Majestie and you for others You would do so much for your self as to go through according to your good beginnings with the rectifying and settling of your estate and means which onely is wanting Hoc rebus defuit unum I therefore whom onely love and duty to your Majestie and your royal line hath made a Financier do intend to present unto your Majestie a perfect book of your estate like a perspective glasse to draw your estate neer to your sight beseeching your Majestie to conceive that if I have not attained to do that that I would do in this which is not proper for me nor in my element I shall make your Majestie amends in some other thing in which I am better bred God ever preserve c. The Lord Chancellour to the Marquesse of Buckingham 25. March 1620. My very good Lord YEsterday I know was no day Now I hope I shall hear from your Lordship who are my anchor in these flouds Mean while to ease my heart I have written to his Majestie the inclosed which I pray your Lordship to read advisedly and to deliver it or not to deliver it as you think Good God ever prosper your Lordship Yours ever what I am Fr. St. Alban Canc. The Lord Chancellour to the King March 25. 1620. It may please your most excellent Majestie TIme hath been when I have brought unto you Gemitum Columbae from others now I bring it from my self I flie unto your Majestie with the wings of a Dove which once within these seven daies I thought would have carrried me a higher flight When I enter into my self I find not the materials of such a tempest as is come upon me I have been as your Majestie knoweth best never authour of any immoderate Counsel but alwaies desired to have things carried suavibus modis I have been no avaritious oppressor of the people I have been no haughty or intolerable or hateful man in my conversation or carriage I have inherited no hatred from my father but am a good Patriot born Whence should this be for these are the things that use to raise dislikes abroad For the house of Commons I began my Credit there and now it must be the place of the Sepulture thereof And yet this Parliament upon the Message touching Religion the old love revived and they said I was the same man still onely honesty was turned into honour For the Upper House even within these daies before these troubles they seemed as to take me into their arms finding in me ingenuity which they took to be the true streight line of noblenesse without Crooks or angles And for the briberies and guifts wherewith I am charged when the books of hearts shall be opened I hope I shall not be found to have the troubled fountain of a corrupt heart in a depraved habit of taking rewards to pervert Justice howsoever I may be frail and partake of the abuses of the Times And therefore I am resolved when I come to my answer not to trick my innocency as I writ to the Lords by Cavillations or voidances but to speak to them the language that my heart speaketh to me in excusing extenuating or ingenuous confessing praying God to give me the grace to see to the bottom of my faults and that no hardnesse of heart do steal upon me under shew of more neatnesse of Conscience then is Cause But not to trouble your Majestie any longer craving pardon for this long mourning Letter that which I thirst after as the Hart after the streams is that I may know by my matchlesse friend that presenteth to you this letter your Majesties heart which is an abyssus of goodnesse as I am an abyssus of mercy towards me I have been ever your man and counted my self but as an usufructuary of my self the property being yours And now making my self an oblation to do with me as may best conduce to the honour of your Justice the honour of your Mercy and the use of your Service resting as Clay in your Majesties gracious hands Fr. St. Alban Canc. Magdibeg to his Majestie May it please your most excellent Majestie I Make bold after a long silence to prostrate my self before your Majestie and being the Ambassadour of a great King that counteth it an honour to stile himself your friend I do beseech you to afford me that justice which I am sure you will not refuse to the meanest of your Subjects At my first arrival into this your happy Kingdome I was informed by the general relation of all that had recourse unto me that one here who had the title of Ambassadour from my Master did vainly brag that he had married the King of Persia's Neece which kindled in me such a vehement desire to vindicate my Masters honor from so unworthy and false a report that at my first interview with him my hand being guided by my dutie I endeavoured to fasten upon him a Condigne disgrace to such an imposture But the caution that I ought to have of my own justification when I return home biddeth me the more strictly to examine the truth of that which was told me whereon my action with Sir Robert Shirley was grounded and to have it averred in the particulars as well as by a general voice Therefore I humbly beseech your Majestie that out of your Princely goodnesse you will be pleased to give such order that this point may be fully cleared Wherein for the manner of proceeding I wholly and humbly remit my self to your Majestie And this being done I shall return home with some measure of joy to ballance the grief which I have for having done ought that may have clouded your Majesties favour to me And so committing your Majestie to the protection of the greatest God whose shadowes and elect instruments Kings are on earth I humbly take my leave and rest c. The Copy of a Letter written by his Majestie
to the Lord Keeper the Bishops of London Wynton Rochester St. Davids and Excester Sir Henry Hubbert Mr. Justice Dodderidge Sir Henry Martin and Dr. Steward or any six of them whereof the Lord Keeper the Bishops of London Wynton and St. Davids to be four IT is not unknown unto you what happened the last Summer to our trusty and welbeloved Councellour the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury who shooting at a Deer with a Crossebowe in Bramzil Park did with that shoot casually give the Keeper a wound whereof he dyed Which accident though it might have happened to any other man yet because his eminent rank and function in the Church hath as we are informed ministred occasion of some doubt as making the Cause different in his person in respect of the scandal as is supposed we being desirous as it is fit we should to be satisfied therein and reposing especial trust in your learnings and judgments have made choice of you to inform Us concerning the nature of this Cause and do therefore require you to take presently into your Considerations the Scandal that may arise thereupon and to certifie Us what in your Judgements the same may amount unto either to an irregularity or otherwise And lastly what means may be found for the redresse thereof if need be of all which points we shall expect to have your Reports with what diligence and expedition you may Dated at Theobalds Octob. 3d. 1621. The Archbishop of York to King James May it please your Majestie I Have been too long silent and am afraid that by silence I have neglected the duty of the place it hath pleased God to call me unto and your Majestie to place me in But now I humbly beseech that I may discharge my Conscience towards God and my dutie towards your Majestie And therefore I beseech you Sir to give me leave freely to deliver my self and then let it please your Majestie to do with me as you please Your Majestie hath propounded a Toleration of Religion I beseech you to take into your Consideration what your Act is and what the Consequence may be By your act you labour to set up that most damnable and heretical doctrine of the Church of Rome the Whore of Babylon How hateful will it be to God and grievous to your Subjects the true professours of the Gospel that your Majestie who hath often defended and learnedly written against those wicked heresies should now shew your self a Patron of those doctrines which your Pen hath told the world and your Conscience tells your self are superstitious idolatrous and detestable Also what you have done in sending the Prince without Consent of your Councel and the privitie and approbation of your People For although Sir you have a large interest in the Prince as the Son of your flesh yet have your People a greater as the Son of the Kingdom upon whom next after your Majestie are their eyes fixed and their Welfare defends And so slenderly is his going apprehended that believe Sir how ever his return may be safe yet the drawers of him unto that action so dangerous to himself so desperate to the Kingdome will not passe away unquestioned and unpunished Besides this Tolleration you endeavour to set up by your Proclamation it cannot be done without a Parliament unlesse your Majestie will let your Subjects see that you now take unto your self a libertie to throw down the Lawes of the Land at your pleasure What dreadful Consequence these things may draw after I beseech your Majestie to Consider And above all lest by this Tolleration and discountenance of the true profession of the Gospel wherewith God hath blessed us and under which this Kingdome hath flourished these many years your Majestie doth draw upon the Kingdom in general and your self in particular Gods heavy wrath and indignation Thus in discharge of my dutie to your Majestie and the place of my Calling I have taken the humble boldnesse to deliver my Conscience And now Sir Do with me what you please Next of all in order follow the Letters that passed between the King and his Agents about the Spanish Transactions The first Letter written per anonymum brings newes of the Princes arrival The Copy of a Letter sent from Spain concerning the Princes arrival there c. I Presume his Highnesse being now returned you may by Conference have such choice and free relations of his proceedings in Spain that I may well hold my Pen it being not priviledged with that freedom that the tongue is yet to comply with that constant obligation I purpose still to owe you I will write something and point at some passages where others perhaps may not so punctually inform you The Prince's coming hither seemed not so strange as acceptable and pleasing unto all The Common sort expressed it by extraordinary shouts and acclamations of joy offering and marrying the Infanta as it were presently by publique voice as having wonne and truly deserved her by so brave an adventure The King and State studied how to do him all the honour that might be The first decree that the Councel of State made was that at all occasions of meetings he should have the precedencie of the King That he should make entrie into the Palace in the form of State as the Kings of Spain do in the first day of their Coronation That he should have one of the chief Quarters of the Kings House for his lodgings one hundred of the Guard to attend him all the Councel to obey him as the Kings own person All prisoners were released the new Proclamation against excesse in apparel revoked and sundry other arguments of joy But a wonder lasteth not but for nine daies This universal joy was grounded upon hopes that the Prince came not onely to fetch a wife but also to make himself a Catholique Say you so The Pope incited him hereunto by Letters which his Nuntio delivered He sent a charge to the inquisitor general to use all possible diligence herein Many processions and shewes were made to stirre him But they soon saw how improbable it was to win him For which God be thanked how amongst all his servants there was not one Catholique about him what slight esteem they made of the Churches and Religion here some committing irreverent and scandalous actions in the Kings own Chappel so that they began to behold the English with an ill aspect to inveigh against the Conde de Gundomar that he should inform the King and State that the Prince had a disposition easie to be wrought upon to be made a Catholique Adde hereunto the ill offices that the Irish do who to preserve themselves in the Spanish pension did prejudice the businesse by casting aspersions upon the English the mis-information of the persecution in their Country and in England notwithstanding being here and the abuse of the Ambassadours servants in London When the Prince came there wanted nothing for the final consummation of
all things but the dispensation which came two moneths after And whereas it was expected to come absolute and full it came infringed with Cautions and limitations viz. That the Infanta should not be married till matters in England were in perfect execution that in case the King of England could not give sufficient security the King of Spain himself should swear and undertake the oath for him Hereupon a Junto of Divines was appointed to determine hereof Whether the King might do this with a safe Conscience or no. These Divines went gravely and tediously to work which put the Prince upon that impatiency that he was upon point of departure When at last the businesse came to a resolution and so the Match was publiquely declared The Prince had then often though publiquely accesse to the Infanta the King being still himself present and in hearing After this a Ratification was sent for from Rome but the Pope dying in the interim and the new Pope falling suddenly sick it could not be speedily procured For want of this Ratification there was no Contract made and the Prince himself seemed not to desire it A little before his departure the King and the Councel of State with the Patriarch of the Indies the Prince-Prelate after the Bishop of Toledo who is under age swore to all the Capitulations so that the Prince seemed to depart well satisfied The King brought him to the Escurial and a little before his departure the King and he went into a close Coach and had a large discourse together my Lord of Bristol being in another Coach hard by to interpret some hard words when he was called And so they parted with many tender demonstrations of love A Trophy of Marble is erected in the place where they parted Many rich Presents were given on both sides The Prince bestowed upon the Queen the biggest Crown Pearl in the world between two Diamonds He gave the Infanta a rope of Pearl and an anchor of great Diamonds with many other Jewels He hath been very bountiful to every one of the Kings house and all the Guard Never Prince parted with such an universal love of all He left every mouth filled with his Commendations every one reporting him to be a truly Noble discreet and well deserving Prince I write what I hear and know and that without passion for all he is the Prince of my Countrey My Lord of Buckingham at first was much esteemed but it lasted little his French garb with his stout hastinesse in negotiating and over-familiarity with the Prince was not liked Moreover the Councel of Spain took it ill that a green head should come with such a superintendent power to treat of an affair of such Consequence among so many grave Ministers of State to the prejudice of so able and well-deserving a Minister as my Lord of Bristol who laid the first stone of this building Hereupon his power was called in question and found imperfect in regard it was not confirmed by the Councel Thus the businesse began to gather ill bloud between Olivarez and him and grew so far out of square that unlesse there had been good heads to peece them together again all might have fallen quite off the hinges He did not take his leave of the Countesse of Olivarez and the farewel he took of the Conde himself was harsh for he told him he would be an everlasting servant to the King of Spain the Queen and the Infants and would endeavour to do the best offices he could for the concluding of this businesse and strengthening the amity between the two Kingdomes but for himself he had so far disobliged him that he could make no profession of friendship to him at all The Conde turned about and said he accepted of what he had spoken and so parted Since his Highnesse departure my Lord of Bristol negotiates closely he is daily at the Palace to attend the Infanta and he treats by means of the Countesse of Olivarez There is a new Junto appointed for the disposing of the Infanta's affairs and we hope here that all things will be ripe against the next Spring to bring her over And so I rest c. From Madrid 30. Septemb. 1623. His Majesties to the Earl of Bristol Jan. 21. 1625. VVEE have read your Letter addressed to us by Buckingham and We cannot but wonder that you should through forgetfulnesse make such a request to us of favour as if you stood eavenly capable of it when you know what your behaviour in Spain deserved of Us which you are to examine by the observations We made and know you will remember how at our first coming into Spain taking upon you to be so wise as to foresee our intentions to change our Religion you were so far from disswading us that you offered your service and secresie to concur in it and in many other open Conferences pressing to shew how convenient it was for us to be a Roman Catholique it being impossible in your opinion to do any great action otherwise how much wrong disadvantage and disservice you did to the Treaty and to the right and interest of our dear Brother and Sister and their Children what disadvantage inconvenience and hazard you intangled us in by your artifices putting off and delaying our return home The great estimation you made of that State and the vile price you set this Kingdome at still maintaining that we under colour of friendship to Spain did what was in our power against them which you said they knew very well And last of all your approving of those Conditions that our Nephew should be brought up in the Emperours Court to which Sir Walter Aston then said he durst not give his Consent for fear of his head you replying to him that without some such great action neither marriage nor peace could be had c. Lord Conway to the Earl of Bristol March 21. 1625. My Lord I Received a Letter from your Lordship dated the 4th of this month written in answer to a former which I directed to your Lordship by his Majesties Commandment This last Letter according to my duty I have shewed unto his Majestie who hath perused it and hath commanded me to write back this unto you again That he finds himself nothing satisfied therewith the question propounded to your Lordship from his Majestie was plain and clear Whether you did rather choose to sit still without being question'd for any errours past in your negotiation in Spain and enjoy the benefit of the late gratious pardon granted in Parliament whereof you may have the benefit or whether for the clearing of your innocency whereof your self your friends and your followers are so confident you will be contented to wave the advantage of that pardon and put your self into a legal way of examination for the tryal thereof His Majesties purpose hereby is not to prevent you of any favours the Law hath given but if your assurance be such as your words and letter
import he conceiveth it stands not with that publique and resolute profession of your integrity to decline your tryal His Majestie leaves the choyce to your self and requires from you a direct answer without Circumlocution or bargaining with him for future favours before hand But if you have a desire to make use of that pardon which cannot be denyed to you nor is it any way desired to be taken from you His Majestie expects that you should at least forbear to magnifie your service and out of the opinion of your own innocency cast an aspersion upon his Majesties Justice in not affording you that present fulnesse of liberty and favour which cannot be drawn from him but in his own good time and according to his own good pleasure Thus much I have in command to write unto your Lordship and to require your answer cleerly and plainly by this Messenger sent on purpose for it And so c. The E. of Bristol to the Lord Conway 4. March 1625. My Lord I Received your Letter of the 25. of February and therein a Commandment from his Majestie and in his Majesties name to make a cleer and plain answer Whether I desire or rest in the security I am now in and to acknowledge the gratious favour of his late Majestie and of his which now is who have been pleased not to question my actions c. Hereunto I have laboured exactly to obey but find that a plain and clear answer cannot possibly be made untill there be a cleer understanding of the thing propounded so that I may crave pardon if my answer be not so cleer as I could wish it for I must freely acknowledge that I no way understand what is meant by the security I am now in whether it be by the present estate I am now in or not If it be so I conceive a man cannot be under a harder Condition for your Lordship knoweth that by order my person is restrained and you were pleased lately to send me word that you would not advise me to make use of the liberty which his late Majestie had given me of coming to London although that were onely to follow my private affairs and for the recovery of my decayed health I stand likewise problbited to come to the Court or to the Kings presence I passe by my being removed from all my places and offices and wholly depending upon his Majesties royal pleasure But being a Peer of this Realm I have not onely by Commandment been formerly stayed from the Parliament but of late my writ hath been detained as though my honour were forfeited And this is truly the Condition I am now in but I cannot imagine that this is the security intended I should rest in but am in hope that the security intended is that I may for the future enjoy the liberty of a free Subject and the priviledges of a Peer of the Kingdom Which being so I shall with all humility acknowledge his Majesties grace and favour and be ready to serve him with all fidelity even to the laying down of my life not thinking it to stand with the duty of a Subject to presse his being questioned since such being the pleasure of his Soveraign it were not in the power of any subject to avoid it But in case his Majestie shall be pleased to bring me to any legal tryal I shall most willingly and dutifully submit my self thereunto and doubt not but my innocency in the end will be my best Mediatour for his Majesties future favour And in that Case I am a suitor that my Writ of Parliament as a Peer of this Realm may be sent unto me and that my present repair to London may not displease his Majestie As for the pardon of the 21. Reg. Jacobi which you mention I should renounce but that I know that the justest and most cautious man living may through ignorance or omission offend the Lawes so that as a Subject I shall not disclaim any benefit which cometh in the general as it doth usually to all other Subjects in the Kingdom But as for any Crime in particular that may trench upon my imployments in point of Loyalty fidelity or want of affection to the King or State I know my innocency to be such that I am confident I shall not need that pardon I shall conclude with a most humble suit unto your Lordship that out of your noblenesse and that friendship that hath been betwixt us you will use your best endeavours both with his Majestie and the Duke that this unfortunate businesse may be past over by the renewing whereof I can see little use that can be made but the adding to a mans misfortunes already sufficiently humbled For I am ready to do all that a man of honour and honestie may do but rather then to do any thing that may be prejudicial to me in that kind to suffer whatsoever it shall please God to send And so with the remembrance of my humble service unto your Lordship I recommend you unto Gods holy protection And rest Your Lordships humble servant Bristol Sherborn Lodge c. Here next follow the Letters of my Lord of Bristol concerning the businesse of the Match The E. of Bristol to the Lord Bishop of Lincoln Aug. 20. 1623. My very worthy Lord I Give you many thanks for your Letter of the 23d. of July by which I understand your great care of me by seconding a former motion it pleased your Lordship to make of having me reconciled to my Lord Dukes favour A thing which I have infinitely desired and have esteemed the good offices you have been pleased to do therein as a very high obligation your Lordship puts upon me But I conceive your Lordship will find that any motion you have made in that kind unto his Grace hath been despised rather then received with any thankfulnesse or that he hath returned you any answer of his inclination thereunto For the truth is my Lord doth look down upon my poor Condition with that scorn and contempt that I conjecture the very moving of any such thing especially under the term of reconciliation hath not been pleasing unto his Lordship But thereof your Lordship can make the best judgment by the answer you received from him I do but guesse thereat by what I have heard he hath been pleased to say and the manner wherewith he hath used me Which hath been such that the Spaniards themselves which most afflicted me have out of compassion pitied me Yet I may with much truth assure your Lordship that I have not omitted towards him either any respect or service that was fit for me to perform either towards his person or the high place he holdeth in my Masters favour or unto his present imployment well knowing how undecent and scandalous a thing it is for the Ministers of a Prince to run different wayes in a strange Court but have attended him in all his publique audience and used in all kinds
faithfully and honestly served you and exactly pursued your ends to the best of my understanding and abilities And I do no way doubt but your Majestie will in the end protect so faithful a servant as I have been and shall appear to be to your Majestie And in the interim my most humble suit unto your Majestie is that since I am neither admitted my self nor any man else will speak any word in my defence or justification your Majestie according to your Justice will let nothing that may be said of me redound to my prejudice in your gracious opinion For it shall be found that I will in all things wholly conform my self unto your Majesties will and pleasure So wishing unto your Majestie a happy journey and a safe return with the increase of all hapinesse I humbly c. London Your Majesties c. Bristol Here next of all follow divers Dispatches and Letters from Sir Walter Aston to the Duke Sir Walter Aston to the Duke May it please your Grace I Have received so much comfort by the care which I see in your grace to take all occasions to honour and favour me that I should be glad if it were possible in my affection to your person and in my desire to serve you that your grace might see something in me above what you cold find in any other servant What an honest thankfulnesse can be I am and what an honest servant can yield you shall be ever vigilant in me to serve you Since the departure of the last post by whom I wrote lately unto your Grace my Lord of Bristol hath had audience with this King taking me along with him to whom his Lordship represented the King our Masters desire concerning the Palatinate in conformity to what his Majesty hath commanded by his late letters we are now soliciting to hasten this kings answer which we hope we shall shortly send unto his Majesty and there is no diligence omitted by my Lord of Bristol nor my self that we can think on to negotiate such an answer as may be to his majesties good liking The Dispatches from Rome are not yet come but by letters which they have lately received from the Duke of Pastrana it is advertized that all things are concluded and that he would send them away within a few dayes By my Lord of Bristols Letter to his Majesty your grace will understand the resolution which his Lordship hath taken concerning his proceedings upon the arival of of the dispaches from Rome his Lordships hath communicated with me his Majesties Letter and desired my opinion concerning the resolution which he had taken wherein I have concurred with his Lordship not understanding it any way to be differing in substance from his Majesties directions the altering of the day mentioned in his Majesties letters being onely the changing it from a time when the powers are of no force to a time when they may be of use the putting of any thing in execution in the one time or in the other depending upon his Majesties and his Highnesses further directions I have hitherto understood that his Majesty and his highnesse have really affected this match and have laboured faithfully to second their desires with my utmost endeavours There is none I am sure a better witnesse then my self of the affection which your Grace hath born unto it which I have seen remain constant through many tryals And therefore until I understand the contrary from your self I must believe that your desires are the same which I have seen them I must ever speak my heart freely unto your Grace and confess that upon the letter which I received from his Highnesse and upon the sight of his Majesties to my Lord of Bristol I have been jealous of his Majesties heart and his Highnesse that they are not that to the match which they have been but these are but distrusts of my own and not foundation sufficient to slacken or cool those diligences which I daily perform in conformity to his Majesties and his Highnesse Commands and to what remains apparent of their desires I shall therefore humbly desire your Lordship to open mine eyes and if I am out of the way to let me straight for I have no affections of mine own but what agrees with my Masters and will ever submit with all humility my self and my judgment unto his Majesties wisedome and faithfully labour to serve him accordingly to what I shall understand to be his will and pleasure But untill I know by your Graces favour by what Compasse to guide my Course I can onely follow his Majesties revealed will and will once take the boldnesse to represent unto your Grace in discharge of what I owe you these Considerations which my desire to serve you forceth from me I do look upon your Grace as a person infinitely provoked to be an enemy to this match and believe that you have had represented unto you many reasons shewing how much it concerns you to seek to break it with all the force you have But I can neither believe that the errour of one man can make you an enemy to that which brings along with it so much happinesse and content unto his Majestie and his Highnesse nor that your Graces judgment can be led by those arguments that under the colour of safety would bring you into a dangerous labyrinth Your Grace hath given noble testimonie how little you have valued your own safety in respect of his Majesties service and therefore I assure my self you would contemn all Considerations concerning your self that might hinder the advancement of his Majesties ends In the proceeding to this Match there is the same conveniency to his Majestie that ever hath been there is the same Lady the same portion the same friendship desired they professing here an exact complying with what is capitulated and a resolution to give his Majestie satisfaction in whatsoever is in their power From your Grace none can take away the honour of having been the principal means by which this great businesse hath been brought to a Conclusion And whatsoever others may suggest against your Grace the Infanta truly informed cannot but understand you the person to whom she owes most in this businesse Your Grace and the Conde Olivarez have fallen upon different waies that which concerns the honour of the King our Master being different to that which he understood concerned most his Master your ends were both one for the effecting of the Match and with the Conclusion of it he cannot but better understand you Would your Grace would commit it to my charge to inform the Infanta what you have merited and to accommodate all other mistakes here concerning the proceeding If your Grace would reconcile your heart I would not doubt but with the Conclusion of the Match to compose all things to your good satisfaction and to bring them to a truer understanding of you and of their obligation unto you In what a Sea of Confusions
that your Majestie will likewise lay hold of this occasion which you now have in your hand to give him full satisfaction in that which with so much reason he desires and therewithal a reciprocal and everlasting blessing to both your Majesties Crownes Sir Walter Aston to the Duke 22. of Jan. 1623. Stil Vet. May it please your Grace HOwsoever upon the arrival of Mr. Greisley I took the occasion of the ordinary the day following to acknowledge unto your Grace the Comfort which I had received by your Letters understanding by them the favour which you had done me in diverting from me his Majesties and his Highnesse displeasure I shall notwithstanding intreat here leave by the same means by which I received so much happinesse to renue my humble and most thankful acknowledgment unto your Grace I most earnestly intreat your Grace to look upon me here as a servant that loves you in his heart and that shall faithfully in all things Comply with what you can expect from such an one and that therefore you will be pleased to preserve me still in the way how I may serve his Majestie and his Highnesse to their Content and perform towards your Grace those offices of a servant which may be most to your satisfaction For I am now here in a dangerous time in the greatest businesses that have been treated of many years and the bitterest storms threatening betwixt these Crowns that have been these many ages I have therefore no hope to save my self without I be guided by his Highnesse and your Graces trusts and care of me The Marquesse of Ynoisa hath lately advertised hither That he hath several times desired to have private audience with his Majestie and hath not been able to procure any but what your Grace assists at It is likewise advertised unto this King and his Ministers that your Grace hath many meetings with the Sea Captains and that your Counsels are how the War is to be made against Spain For the avoiding of unnecessarie repetitions I do here inclosed send your Grace a Copie of my Letter to Mr. Secretarie Conway wherein you will find a relation of all things that are come to my hands at this present that may any way have reflection unto his Majesties service And this is the course which I intend and conceive most convenient to hold hereafter with your Grace without you command me the contrary In the said Copie your Grace will find a discourse of what hath lately passed betwixt my Lord of Bristol and the Conde of Olivarez in the Pardo Now that I may more fully discharge my dutie I have thought fit here to acquaint your Grace that since the putting off of the Deposorios at a meeting that my Lord and my self had with the Conde he did make a solemn protestation that if the Treatie of the Match did ever come on again with effect it should onely be by his Lordships hands and no other I then understood it and still do but for a frothy protestation yet have held it my dutie to advertize it having passed in my hearing the truth is that my Lords answer was in Conformitie to his last in the Pardo every way rejecting it saying That he had rather be confined to any Town in Afrique then that his person should be any hinderance to the Match Thus forbearing to trouble your Grace any farther with my hearty prayers unto God for the continuance of his blessings unto you I rest Your Graces c. W. A. Sir Walter Aston to Secretary Conway 22. Jan. 1623. Right Honourable BY the return of this Bearer Mr. Greisley you will understand of the safe coming to my hands of your dispatch of the 30th of the last moneth with his Majesties Letters therein inclosed I do now herewithal send an account unto his Majestie of my proceedings upon his Commands which I do intreat your Honour to be pleased to present unto him as also farther to acquaint his Majestie that I have already spoken with divers of these Ministers and given them such a declaration of his Majesties good intentions in the pressing at this season for the restitutions of the Palatinate and Electoral dignity unto the Prince his Son in Law as I have order to do by the said Letter but do find they are here so possessed with the ill relations they receive out of England that I with much difficultie can scarce give them any kind of satisfaction I have acquainted the Conde Olivarez with the answer which your honour and Mr. Secretarie Calvert had received from their Embassadours touching their audiences the Conde himself having formerly acquainted me with their Complaint His answer now was That he understood they had acknowledged unto your Honours to have received from his Majestie in that point all kind of satisfaction but that after you were gone the Marquesse of Ynoisa wrote a Letter to Secretarie Calvert telling him that he did not well remember himself of what had passed at his being there but had since called to mind that he had procured some audiences with the Prince with much difficultie To which I answered the Conde That it seemed the Marquesse was very light of his advertisements to give such informations as might breed ill understandings betwixt Princes and esteem them of no more Consequence then to forget what he had advertised with so much ease Concerning that malitious report here raised of the Prince's treating a marriage in France I desire your Honour to let his Majestie know that it is advertised hither out of England as a thing so certain that there is not a Minister of State excepting the Conde of Gondomar that hath not given some credit unto it I have therefore according to his Majesties directions given such declarations touching the author and believers of it as your Honour in his Majesties name hath commanded me I have likewise received by Mr. Greisly your Letter of the 31. of the last In answer of which all that I shall need to say here unto your Honour is that my Lord of Bristol hath received your former Letter acquainting him with his Majesties pleasure concerning the same businesse from whom his Majestie will receive an account thereof This is all that I have to say to your Honour at this present touching those particulars mentioned in your Letter I shall now here further acquaint you with such advertisements as I conceive may any waies have reference unto his Majesties service My Lord of Bristol and my self repairing some few daies since unto the Pardo having conference with the Conde of Olivarez his Lordship acquainted the Conde with the Letters of revocation which he had received from his Majestie and withal desired that he would procure him licence to take his leave of the King The Conde answered his Lordship That he had much to say unto him by order from his Majestie the substance of his speech was That they had received large advertisements out of England by which they
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
that have voice in this Parliament and that each of them do send hither two Provadores as they call them here but these have no power finally to conclude any thing but what is agreed on by them is to be approved of by the said Cities or the greatest number of them before it have the force of an Act of Parliament and that therefore there hath been all possible art used to procure the Cities to confirm what hath been granted by their Procuradores touching the 60. millions and it is here thought that one of the motives of this Kings journey was hoping by the authority of his presence to procure the consent unto the said gift of the 4. Cities which he is to passe by in this journey namely Cordova Sivel Joen and Granado it being here doubted that the said Cities might make great opposition to the said grant notwithstanding his Majestie hath not had such successe as was expected But Cordova which was the first City with which his Majestie began hath absolutely refused to give their Consent letting his Majestie understand though in as fair and respectful terms as they could expresse themselves That it was a demand impossible for them to Comply withal What the success of this may be is doubtful Cordova having given but an ill example to the other Cities and yet it is rather believed here that the greatest number of them being under the Command of such as are either this Kings servants or absolutely under his dispose that his Majestie will be able to overcome the businesse and they are now busie how to settle the manner of the leavie of the said sum by yearly and equal portions They having found here divers inconveniences in their new Government of Portugal by way of Governours are resolved to place Vice-Kings again there And for to gratifie the Emperour have elected for that charge his third Brother Don Carlos who is presently to make his repair thither On the 27th of the last moneth my Lord of Bristol took his leave of the Queen and the Infanta and on the Sunday following being the 29. of the said moneth his Lordship delivered unto me the Powers which his Highnesse left with him and those which have been since sent hither His Lordship is preparing for his journey and saith that he is already in such a forwardnesse as upon the arrival here of Mr. Greisley or any other from England whereby he shall receive means for the taking up of moneys here he will presently put himself upon the way The Queen here some few daies since fell suddenly ill and swooned two or three times but her indisposition lasted not above two or three dayes Her Majestie is now thanks be to God very well again The King having received advice thereof intended as it is said to come presently post hither but upon better news his Majestie proceeds in his journey and for any thing that I can understand it will be May before his return to this Town There are lately thrown abroad in this Town divers Copies of a Proclamation pretended to be published in Ireland bearing date the 27. of January last It hath made a great noise here and divers of their Ministers have spoken with me about it they conceiving it to be contrary to what hath been lately Capitulated For my part I have been able to give them no answer not having yet understood from your Honour nor any of his Majesties Ministers of any such Proclamation I have seen the Proclamation as it came printed from thence and do here inclosed send your Honour a Copy thereof desiring you that you will acquaint his Majestie therewithal that he may be pleased to Command therein what to his wisdom shall seem fit To those that have spoken with me about this Proclamation having first disclaimed the having had knowledge of any such thing I have used discourses of mine own touching the abuses of those which are called titulary Archbishops Bishops c. letting them understand here that if those kind of people have been busie there to plant secretly their Government they have far exceeded the favour which was promised them and given his Majestie just cause to give order for the reformation My last to your Honour was of the 7th of February last by Albert Rivas whom I dispatched with all diligence to you since when I have received nothing from your Honour I shall therefore c. Your Honours c. Wa. Aston Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway 5th June 1624. Right Honourable IN a former Dispatch which I lately made unto your Honour I sent unto you the Copy of a Letter which I then had newly received from the Secretarie Don Andreas de Prada by which he advertised me That the King his Master according to what I had requested by memorial had commanded that all English Commodities and Manufactures which I have long since advertized were prohibited by Prematica's published here for the reformation of abuses should enter into these Kingdoms I have long since performed divers diligences my self both with the Secretary and President of Castile for the procuring a declaration of the said order being careful to prevent such inconveniences as the King our Masters Subjects might fall into for want thereof But having been tossed up and down between the Secretarie and the President with several delayes the one remitting me to the other I repaired to the Conde of Olivarez suspecting some novelty in the businesse and acquainted him that upon the receipt of a Letter sent me from the Secretary Don Andreas de Prada concerning the free entrance of English Commodities I had given notice by a Copy of the said Letter unto the King my Master of what was therein Commanded and had likewise advertised the Merchants that reside in these Kingdomes of the said Order I also gave him account of the several diligences which I had performed with the President and the Secretary for the procuring a declaration thereof and desired that he would presently command that there might be such course taken that there should be no further delayes used therein since I should be loath to see the King my Masters Subjects encouraged by the said Order to repair hither with their Merchandizes and fall into inconveniencies for want of notice given thereof unto their Ministers in the Ports The Conde fell into discourses far from my expectation asking me whether it was not free for any King in his own Kingdom to Command his own Subjects to wear what he pleased saying further that the English were not prohibited to bring in their Commodities but that the King his Master might command his Subjects to spend the Bayes and other Commodities of his own Kingdoms and not to make use of those that came from forraign parts as to his wisdom for the good of his Kingdoms should seem best That there should be a suspension of the execution of the said Pramatica's until St. James-tide and no longer To which I answered That
Parkhurst I recommend your Lordship c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the E. of South-hampton 2. Aug. 1621. My most noble Lord I Humbly crave your pardon for often troubling your Honour with my idle Lines and beseech you to remember that amongst many miseries my sudden greatnesse comes accompanied with this is not the least that I can no otherwaies enjoy the happinesse of your presence God is my witnesse the Lord Keeper hath often not without grief of heart envied the fortunes of a poor Scholar one Dr. VVilliams late Dean of VVestminster who was so much blessed in the free accesses in that kind as his Lordship without a great quantity of goodnesse in your self may scarse hope for This inclosed will let your Lordship understand that somewhat is to be finished in that excellent piece of meacy which his Majestie your hand guiding the Pencil is about to expresse in the E. of Southhampton It is full time his Attendant were revoked in my poor opinion and himself left to the Custody of his own good Angel There is no readier way to stop the mouthes of idle men nor to draw their eyes from this remainder of an object of Justice to behold nothing but goodnesse and mercy And the more breathing time you shall carve out between this total enlargement and the next accesse of the Parliament the better it will be for his Majesties service Onely remember this that now you are left to be your own Remembrancer Of all actions forget not those of mercy and Goodnesse wherein men draw nighest to God himself Nor of all Persons prisoners and afflicted Josephs Celerity doth redouble an act of mercy But why do I turn a Preacher of goodnesse unto him who in my own particular hath shewed himself to be composed of nothing else Remember your Noble Self and forget the aggravations of malice and envy and then forget if you can the E. of Southhampton God blesse you and your royal Guest and bring you both after many years yet most happily run over here upon earth to be his blessed guests in the Kingdom of Heaven The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Lord of St. Albons October 27th 1621. My most noble Lord I Have received your Lordships expression concerning the Pause I made upon the two Patents The Proclamation of writing to the Kings hand and my Lord of St. Albons pardon The former I have sealed this morning in duty and obedience to your Lordships intimation The latter I have not yet sealed but do represent in all lowlinesse and humility these few Considerations by your Lordship to his sacred Majestie wherein let your Lordship make no question but I have advised with the best Lawyers in the Kingdom And after this representation I will perform whatsoever your Lordship shall direct His Majestie and your Lordship do conceive that my Lord of St. Albons pardon and grant of his fine came both together to my hands and so your Lordship directs me to passe the one and the other But his Lordship was too cunning for me He passed his fine whereby he hath deceived his Creditors ten dayes before he presented his pardon to the Seal So as now in his pardon I find his Parliament fine excepted which he hath before the sealing of the same obtained and procured And whether the house of Parliament will not hold themselves mocked and derided with such an exception I leave to your Lordships wisdom These two Grants are opposite and contradictory in this point the one to the other The King pardons in particular words All sums of money and rewards taken for false judgments or decrees And therefore the exception of the Parliamentary Censure being inflicted but for the same taking of moneys and rewards coming a good way after falleth too late in Law and is of no force to satisfie the Lords as I am informed and I believe this clause was never seen in any other pardon The King pardoneth in my Lord of St. Albon the stealing away altering raising and interlining of his Majesties Rowles Records Briefs c. which are more in a Lord Chancellors pardon then the imbezeling of his Majesties jewels in a Lord Chamberlains And yet the Lord Chancellour Elsmore could not indure that clause in my Lord of Sommersets Pardon unlesse he would name the jewels in particular I will not meddle or touch upon those mistakings which may fall between the Parliament and his Majestie or the mis interpretation that enemies may make hereof to your Lordships prejudice because I see in his Majesties great wisdom these are not regarded Onely I could have wished the Pardon had been referred to the Councel board and so passed I have now discharged my self of those poor scruples which in respect onely to his Majesties service and your Lordships honour have wrought this short stay of my Lord of St. Albons Pardon Whatsoever your Lordship shall now direct I will most readily craving pardon for this not undutiful boldnesse put in execution Because some speech may fall of this dayes speech which I had occasion to make in the Common Pleas where a Bishop was never seen sitting there these 70. years I have presumed to inclose a Copy thereof because it was a very short one Your Lordship shall not need to take that great pains which your Lordship to my unexpressible comfort hath so often done in writing What Command soever your Lordship shall impose upon me as touching this pardon your Lordships expression to Mr. Packer or the bearer shall deliver it sufficiently God from heaven continue the showring and heaping of his blessings upon your Lordship c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. July 1621. My noble Lord VVIth my truest affections and thankfulnesse premised I do not doubt but his Majestie and your Lordship do now enjoy the general applause of your goodnesse to the Earl of South-hampton Saturday last he came and dined with me and I find him more cordially affected to the service of the King and your Lordships love and friendship then ever he was when he lay a prisoner in my house Yet the Sunshine of his Majesties favour though most bright upon others more open offenders is noted to be somewhat eclipsed towards him What directions soever his Majestie gave the order is somewhat tart upon the Earl The word of Confinement spread about the City though I observed not one syllable so quick to fall from his Majestie his Keeper much wondred at The act of the Councel published in our names who were neither present thereat or heard one word of the same yet upon my credit the Earl takes all things patiently and thankfully though others wonder at the same Mr. Secretary signed a Petition of one Rookwood a Papist and prisoner in the Fleet upon five several executions that I should grant him his liberty The Kings name is used and the mediation of the Spanish Embassadour If I breaking rules so fouly in favour of a Papist which I am
resolved to keep straight against all men whatsoever I shall infame my self in the very beginning If his Majestie will have any special indulgence in this kind I expect intimation immediately from the King or your Lordship and no third Person Your Lordship will not expect from me any account of Councel businesse nor the setting at liberty of the late prisoners Mr. Secretary is secret enough for imparting any thing unto me so as I must remain in a necessary ignorance There is a Country man of mine one Griffith a suiter unto the Court for the reversion of an Auditors place recommended thereunto by his Master the Lord Treasurer The place is of great Consequence for the disposing of his Majesties revenewes The man is unfit for this as presumptuous and daring for any place Sir Robert Pye saith he hath already written to your Lordship and I doubt not of your care thereof Doctour Lamb the bearer is a very sufficient and for ought I ever heard of him an honest man The King hath imployed him in discovery of counterfeit Witchcrafts in reforming of no ounterfeit but hearty Puritanes and he hath done good service therein If his Majestie now in our pure ayr of Northhamptoushire do not shew him some favor or grace either by Knighting or by using him courteously The Brethren having gotten out their Yelverton again will neglect and molest him too unsufferably God from Heaven blesse you Remember your Deanerie and Dean of Westminster c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Earl Marshals place 1. Septemb. 1621. My most Noble Lord I Beseech your Lordship to interpret this Letter well and fairly which no malice though never so provoked but my duty to his Majestie and love to your Lordship hath drawn from me both which respects as long as I keep inviolably I will not omit for the fear of any man or the losse of any thing in this world to do any act which my Conscience shall inform me to belong unto that place wherein the King by your favour hath intrusted me I received this morning two Commands from his Majestie the one about a Pension of 2000 l. yearly and the other concerning the office of the Earle Marshal both conferred on the Right Honourable the Earle of Arundel For the former although this is a very unseasonable time to receive such large Pensions from so bountiful a King and that the Parliament so soon approaching is very like to take notice thereof and that this pension might under the correction of your better judgment have been conveniently deferred until that Assembly had been over Yet who am I that should question the wisedom and bounty of my Master I have therefore sealed the same praying secretly unto God to make his Majestie as abounding in wealth as he is in goodnesse But the latter I dare not seale my good Lord until I heare your Lordships resolution to these few Questions Whether his Majestie by expressing himself in the delivery of the staffe to my Lord of Arundel that he was moved thereunto for the easing of the rest of the Comissioners who had before the execution of that office did not imply that his Majestie intended to impart unto my Lord no greater power then was formerly granted to the Lords Comissioners If it were so this Pattent should not have exceeded their Pattent whereas it doth inlarge it self beyond that by many dimensions Whether it is his Majesties meaning that the Pattent leaping over the powers of the three last Earles Essex Shrewsbery and Sommerset should refer onely to my Lords own Ancestors Howards and Mowbrayes Dukes of Norfolk who clamed this place by a way of inheritance The usual reference of Pattents being unto the last and immediate predecessour and not unto the remote whose powers in those unsettled and troublesome times are vage uncertain and unpossible to be limited Whether it is his Majesties meaning that this great Lord should bestow those offices settled of a long time in the Crown Sir Edward Zouch his in the Court Sir George Reinel's in the Kings Bench and divers others All which this new Pattent doth sweep away being places of great worth and dignity Whether that his Majesties meaning and your Lordships that my Lord Stewards place shall be for all his power of Judicature in the Verge either altogether extinguished or at leastwise subordinated unto this new Office A point considerable because of the greatnesse of that person and his neernesse in bloud to his Majestie and the Prince his Highnesse Lastly Whether it be intended that the offices of the Earl Marshal of England and the Marshal of the Kings house which seem in former times to have been distinct offices shall be now united in this great Lord A power limited by no Law or Record but to be searcht out from Chronicles Antiquaries Heralds and such obsolete Monuments and thereupon held these 60 years for my Lord of Essex his power was clearly bounded and limited unfit to be revived by the policy of this State These Questions if his Majestie intended onely the renewing of this Commission of the Earl Marshals in my Lord of Arundel are material and to the purpose But if his Majestie aymed withal at the reviving of this old office A la ventura whose face is unknown to the people of this age upon the least intimation from your Lordship I will seal the Patent And I beseech your Lordship to pardon my discretion in this doubt and irresolution It is my place to be wary what innovation passeth the Seal I may offend that great Lord in this small stay but your Lordship cannot but know how little I lose when I lose but him whom without the least cause in the world I have irreconcileably lost already All that I desire is that you may know what is done and I will ever do what your Lordship being once informed shall direct as becometh c. That there is a difference betwixt the Earl Marshal and the Marshall of the Kings house See Lamberts Archiron or of the High Courts of Justice in England Circa Medium The Marshal of England and the Constable are united in a Court which handleth onely Duels out of the Realm matters within the Realm as Combats Blazon Armorie c. but it may meddle with nothing tryable by the Lawes of the Land The Marshal of the Kings Houshold is united in a Court with the Seneschal or Steward which holds plea of Trespasses Contracts and Covenants made within the Verge and that according to the Lawes of the Land Vid. Artic. Super Cart. C. 3.4.5 We do all of us conceive the King intended the first place only for this great Lord and the second to remain in the Lord Stewards managing But this new Patent hath comprehended them both This was fit to be presented to your Lordship The Lord Keeper to the Duke 16. Decemb. 1621. Most Noble Lord I Have seen many expressions of your love in other mens Letters where
it doth most naturally and purely declare it self since I received any of mine own It is much your Lordship should spare me those thoughts which pour out themselves in my occasions But to have me and my assaires in a kind of affectionate remembrance when your Lordship is saluting of other Noble men is more then ever I shall be able otherwaies to requite then with true prayers and best wishes I received this afternoon by Sir John Brook a most loving Letter from your Lordship but dated the 26th of Novemb. imparting your care over me for the committing of one Beeston for breach of a Decree My Noble Lord Decrees once made must be put in execution or else I will confesse this Court to be the greatest imposture and Grievance in this Kingdom The damned in Hell do never cease repining at the Justice of God nor the prisoners in the Fleet at the Decrees in Chancery of the which hell of prisoners this one for antiquity and obstinacy may passe for a Lucifer I neither know him nor his cause but as long as he stands in Contempt he is not like to have any more liberty His Majesties last Letter though never so full of honey as I find by passages reported out of the same being as yet not so happy as to have a sight thereof hath notwithstanding afforded those Spiders which infest that noble House of Commons some poyson and ill constructions to feed upon and to induce a new diversion or plain Cessation of weightier businesses His Majestie infers and that most truly for where were the Commons before Henry the first gave them authority to meet in Parliaments that their priviledges are but Graces and favours of former Kings which they claim to be their inheritance and natural birthrights Both these assertions if men were peaceably disposed and affected the dispatch of the common bufinesses might be easily reconciled These priviledges were originally the favours of Princes and are now inherent in their persons Nor doth his Majestie go about to impair or diminish them If his Majestie will be pleased to qualifie that passage with some mild and noble exposition and require them strictly to prepare things for a Session and to leave this needlesse dispute his Majestie shall thereby make it appear to all wise and just men that these persons are opposite to those common ends whereof they vaunthemselves the onely Patâ—â—ns But do his Maiestie what he please I am afraid although herein the Lord Treasurer and others do differ from me they do not affect a Sessions nor intend to give at this time any Subsidie at all Will the King be pleased therefore to add in this Letter which must be here necessarily upon Munday morning that if they will not prepare bills for a Session his Majesty will break up this Parliament without any longer Prorogation and acquainting the Kingdom with their undutifulnesse and obstinacy supply the present wants by some other meanes Or will his Majesty upon their refusal presently rejourn the the Assembly until the appointed 8th of Feburary This course is fittest for further advice but the other to expresse a just indignation I dare advise nothing in so high a point but humbly beseech almighty God to illuminate his Majesties understanding to insist upon that course which shall be most behoveful for the advancement of his service In our house his Majesties servants are very strong and increase every day nor is there the least fear of any Malignant opposition God reward all your Lordships goodnesse and affection towards c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke about Mr. Thomas Murrayes Dispensation c. 23. Febr. 1621. My most Noble Lord. I Should fail very much of my duty to his Majestie if before the sealing of Mr. Thomas Murrayes Dispensation I should not acquaint his Majestie explicitely and freely with the nature of this act fâ—r differing from any dispensation in this kind ever granted by his Majestie since his happie coming to the Crown of England For to say nothing of the right of the election of this Provost which being originally not in the King but in the fellowes and now by their neglect devolved unto me shall be fully and absolutely at his Majesties command the place is a living with cure of souls and I am to institute and admit him to the cure of souls of the Parish of Eaten by the expresse Letter of the Statute without admission it is impossible he should receive any real or rightful possession of the same Now that his Majestie or any of his Predecessors did ever dispence with a Lay-man to hold cure of souls I think will be hard for any man to shew by any warrantable president or record whatsoever And I know his Majestie to he as much averse from giving any such president as any Prince in Christendome living this day This is altogether differing a Deanery or an Hospital which being livings without cure have been and may be justly conserred by his Majestie upon Lay-men with dispensations de non promovendo If Sir Henry Savil's example be objected I answer besides that the Queen made Clayme to the guift of the place by Iapse occasioned through the promotion of the Provost to the Bishoprick of Chichester whereas his Majestie hath no such Clayme thereunto at this time That Savil never durst take true possession of the place but was onely slipt in by the Bishop who for fear of the Earl of Essex made bold with the conscience Ad Curam et regimen Collegii that is to the care and government of the Colledge Whereas by the expresse words of the foundation he is to be admitted Ad Curam annimarum Parechianor 〈◊〉 Ecclesia Aetonianae to the Cure of the souls of all the people of the Parish of Eaton Secondly I hold it no Disparagement to Mr. Murray nor do find him all together averse from the same to enter into orders in the raign of a King so favourable to our Coat as Gods name be praised for it raigns now over us This will give satisfaction to all the Church bring him into this place according to statute and the foundation of that dead King prevent such a dangerous president for a Lay-man to possesse cure of souls in the Eye and Center of all the Realm and by an everlasting testimony of his Majesties Piety to the Church of England Thirdly what opinion this Gentleman hath of our Church government is better known to his Majestle then to me If he should be averse thereunto it were such a blow unto the Church the number of the Fellowes and Students there considered as the like were never given by publique authority these 50 Years Fourthly howsoever his Majestie and the Prince his Highnesse shall resolve thereof at whose feet I lie to be wholly disposed I hope it is neither of their royal intendments to transfer the Bishopprick of Lincolne upon the Fellowes of that house who have rashly usurped a Power of admitting their Provost by
time until the last night that the Ladies sent for me I believe of purpose to VVâ—llingfâ—â—d house and put me out of my humour I have lost the love and affection of my men by seizing upon their Papers perusing all their answers to Petitions casting up their moneys received by way of sees even to half Crowns and two shillings and finding them all to be poor honest Gentlemen that have maintained themselves in my service by the greatnesse of my pains and not the greatnesse of their fees They are most of them randed men that do not serve me for gain but for experience and reputation And desire to be brought to the Test to shew their several books and to be confronted by any one man with whom they contracted or from whom they demanded any Fee at all The greatest summe in their books is five pounds and those very few and sent unto them from Earls and Barons All the rest are some 20 s. 10 s. 5 s. 2 s. 6 d. and 2 s. And this is the oppression in my house that the Kingdom of the Common Lawyers peradventure who have lost I confesse hereby 20000 l. at the least saved in the parses of the Subjects doth now groan under Now I humbly beseech your Lordship to peruse this paper here inclosed and the issue I do joyn with the Lord Treasurer and to acquaint at the least the King and the Prince how unworthily I am used by this Lord who in my soul and conscience I believe it either invents these things out of his own head and ignorance of this Court or hath taken them up from base unworthy and most unexperienced people Lastly because no act of mine who am so much indebted for all my frugality could in the thoughts of a devil inearnate breed any suspition that I gained by this office excepting the purchase of my Grandfathers Lands whereunto my Lord Chamberlains noblenesse and your Lordships encouragement gave the invitation I do make your Lordship as your Lordship hath been often pleased to honour me my saithful Confessor in that businesse and do send your Lordship a note enclosed what money I paid what I borrowed and what is still owing for the purchase I beseech your Lordship to cast your eye upon the paper and say it aside that it be not lost And having now poured out my soul and forrow unto your Lordships breast I find my heart much eased and humbly beseech your Lordship to compassâ—onate the wrong of Your most humble and honest servant J. L. C. S. The Fair and Familiar Conference which the Lord Treasurer had with the Lord Keeper after some Expostulations of his own and the issue joyned thereupon at White-Hall Septemb. 7. 1622. THere is taken 40000 l. Object 1 for Petitions in your house this year Sol. Not much above the fortieth part of the money for all the dispatches of the Chancery Star-Chamber Councel-Table Parliament the great Diocesse of Lincoln the jurisdiction of VVestminster and St. Martius le Graund All which have resort to my house by Petitions You have your self a share in the money Ob. 2 Then let me have no share in Gods Kingdom Sol. it is such a basenesse as never came within the compasse of my thoughts Ob. 3 It is commonly reported you pay to my Lord Admiral 1000 l. per mensem As true as the other Sol. The means of my place will reach to no more then two moneths You never receive any Petitions with your own hands Ob. 4 but turn them to your Secretaries who take double Fees one for receiving and the other for delivering Let the Cloysters at Westminster answer for me Sol. I never to this day received any Petition from my Secretaries which I had formerly delivered unto them with my own hands This is a new fashion which my Lord hath found in some other Courts Ob. 5 You sell dayes of hearing at higher rates then ever they were at I never disposed of any since I came to this place Sol. but leave them wholly to the Six Clarks and Registers to be set down in their Antiquity Unlesse his Lordship means hearing of motions in the paper of Peremptories which I seldom deny upon any Petition and which are worth no money at all You usually reverse Decrees upon Petitions Ob. 6 I have never reversed Sol. altered explained or endured a motion or Petition that touched upon a decree once pronounced but have sometimes made orders in pursuance of the same You have 3. Ob. 7 Door-keepers and are so locked up that no man can have accesse unto you I have no such officer in all my house Sol. unlesse his Lordship meanes the Colledge Porters nor no locks at all but his Majesties businesse which I must respect above Ceremonies and Complements Object 8 You are cryed out against over all the Kingdom for an unsufferable oppression and grievance His Lordship if he have any friends may hear of such a Cry Sol. and yet be pleased to mistake the person cryed out against All the Lords of the Councel cry out upon you Ob. 9 and you are a wretched and a friendlesse man if no man acquaints you with it I am a wretched man indeed if it be so Sol. And your Lordship at the least a very bold man if it be otherwise I will produce particular witnesses Ob. 10 and make all these Charges good I know your Lordship cannot and I do call upon you to do it Sol. as suspecting all to be but your Lordships envie and malice to that service of the Kings and ease of his Subjects which God hath enabled me to accomplish and perform in this troublesome Office J. L. C. S. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 21. of September 1622. My most noble Lord MY Lord Brook diswarning me from his Majestie from coming to Theobalds this day I was enforced to trouble your Lordship with these few lines My most humble thanks for your Lordships most free and most loving Letter I do willingly confesse my errour yet still of the mind that your Lordship only who justly taxed it hath made it to be an errour If your love to me had not exceeded all reason and desert of mine my complaints were not effects of melancholy but of a real suffering and misery I do confesse and rest satisfied withal that his Majesties Justice and your Lordships love are anchors strong enough for a mind more tossed then mine is to ride at Yet pardon me my Noble Lord upon this Consideration if I exceeded a little in passion the natural effect of honesty and innocency A Church-man and a woman have no greater Idol under heaven then their good name And yet they cannot fight at all Nor with credit scold and least of all recriminate to protect and defend the same Their onely revenge left them is to grieve and complain My misery I took to be this I am one of those that labour in his Majesties Cole-mines under the earth and out of sight My pains
from five a clock in the morning to 10. or 12. at night are restlesse and endlesse but under earth and out of his Majesties sight What other men do or but seem to do it is ever before the Kings face and if his Majestie will not look on it if he hath eares about him he shall be told of it so often by the parties themselves that he must hear of it whether he will or no. And as my service by this remotenesse is hidden from the King so is it liable to be traduced to the King and my relief as in dispatching the motions of poor men by Petitions allowable to my orders made to be a Grievance to the Common Wealth But in all these fourteen dayes wherein by the voice of the City I have remained a prisoner in my house where is that one party grieved that hath troubled his Majestie with Complaints against me Onely my Lord Marshal hath dealt with my noble Lord Marquesse Hamilton my Lord of Carlile my Lord Treasurer as your Lordship may soon know by asking the question to make a faction to disgrace the poor Lord Keeper who never dreamt thereof Sir Gilbert Haughton hath complained to my Lord Treasurer of my men for taking Hugh Holland was by and heard him If your Lordship do but ask him his reason I think it will appear how well grounded their complaints be Upon those two former Anchors I will therefore rest and that so far from Cowardlinesse that I will either challenge them before his Majestie to make good their suggestions or else which I hold the greater valour of all and which I confesse I wanted before this check of your Lordships go on in my Course and scorn all these base and unworthy scandals as your Lordship shall direct me I have sent a Copy of a Letter of mine to my Lord Anan which his Majestie hath seen and given his assent it should not be kept private yet I would humbly crave your Lordships opinion thereof by Mr. Packer before any Copy goeth from me I am ever c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 12th Octob. 1622. My most Noble Lord I Will speak with the Jesuit to morrow and deliver him his admonition from the King but do send your Lordship here inclosed a Copie of the Conference which I procured from him without his privity onely to make his Majestie and your Lordship merrie I have also received a Letter concerning the French Embassador which I will be ready to put in execution as your Lordships servant and Deputy but not otherwise Yet your Lordship will give me out of that freedom which was wont to be well interpreted by your Lordship to let your Lordship understand that I find all businesses of restitution of ships and goods thus taken to have been handled before the Councel in Star-chamâ—â—â— all the reigns of Henry 7th and H. 8th without any contradiction of the Lord Admiral for the time being But this to your Lordship in secret I will be very careful of the Earl of Desmond that neither his cause nor your Lordships reputation shall suffer thereby And this is the account I can yet give of your Lordships Letter save that I humbly expect that answer which your Lordships own Luckie hand hath promised in the postscript of one of them I would ease your Lordship in this place but to prevent complaint that peradventure may be first invented and then presented Your Lordship shall heare of a long narrative of our Councel Table dispatches That passage of our letter which as it now goeth doth hope that his Majestie will spare to confer any suites of moment in Ireland until the return of the Irish Committee was a blunt request to the King to grant no suites there without our advice Against this concluded in my absence the first day of the Tearm I spake first to the Prince privately who allowed of my reasons then when the President would not mend it at the Table openly that I did utterly dislike we should tutour his Majesty how to grant suits especially in Letters that are to remain upon record My Lord of Cantuar and the Earle Marshal said they had many Presidents in that kind I answered I knew they had none but in the Kings time and that I wished them as I do all torn out of the book and cast into the fire I concealed my reasons which now I will reveal unto your Lordship because this is the third time I have expressed unto your Lordship under my hand my dislike of this kind of Limiting his Majestie otherwise then by word of mouth First if his Majestie which we see so often done shall dispose of these suites otherwise here are so many records remaining to malitious litious men to observe his Majesties aversenesse from following the advice of the Councel board Secondly if your Lordship shall procure any suit in this kind here are records also in time to come that you crosse and thwart the government of the Kingdom And I pray God this be but mine own jealousie The passage in the Letter with my Prating and his Highnesse help was altered and for fear of misreporting I make bold to relate the truth hereof to your Lordship My Lords proceeded very resolutely in those reformations which concerned other men The Commission of fees enables the Committees to call before them all the Judges as well as their under Officers which was more then the King exprest at Hampton Court amongst whom the Lord Keeper is one who from the Conquest to this day was never subjected to 〈◊〉 call of any power in the Kingdom but the King and the Parliament And although I have not one Pennie of Fee which hath not continued above one hundred years yet for the honour of the Prime place in the state though now disgraced by the contemptiblenesse of the Officer I am an humble suiter unto your Lordship that my Person may be exempted from the command of Sr. Edwin Sandys or indeed any man els besides the King my Master Otherwise I shall very patiently endure it but the King hereafter may dislike it The Justices of the Peace are also appointed but if the Judges and my-self be not utterly deceived to no purpose in the world nor service to his Majestie But when their Lordships came to surrender the under Leivtenantships to his Majesties hands whom the Lord President and I held fit to be created henceforward by several Commissions under the Great Seal it was stiffly opposed and stood upon that the King should name them in their Lordships Commissions onely according to a President in the late Queens time that is the King shall have the naming but they still the appointing of them And now it was pressed that his Majestie intended not to disgrace his Lords c and your Lordship is to have a Letter from Mr. Secretarie to know his Majesties mind herein If his Majestie shall not ordain them to be created by several Pattents it were
better a great deal they should continue as they do I am very tedious in the manner and peradventure in the matter of this Letter I humbly crave pardon c. Passages between the Lord Keeper and Don Francisco HE was very inquisitive if I had already or intended to impart what he had told me the night before in secret to any man to the which he did adde a desire of secresie Because 1. The King had charged him and the Frier to be very secret 2. The Embassadours did not know that he had imparted these things unto me 3. The Popes were secret instructions which they gave to the Fryer to urge and presse the same points which himself had done to the King He confessed that the greatest part of the Friers instructions were to do all the worst offices he could against the Duke and to lay the breach of the marriage and disturbance of the peace upon him He excused the bringing the Copy of that paper unto me because the Marquesse had it yet in his custody but said he would procure it with all speed I desired him to do it the rather because besides my approbation of the form and manner of the writing I might be by it instructed how to apply my self to do his Majestie service therein as I found by that Conference his Majesties bent and inclination He having understood that there was though a close yet an indissoluble friendship betwixt the Duke and my self desired me to shew some way how the Duke might be won unto them and to continue the peace I answered I would pursue any fair course that should be proposed that way but for my self that I never meddled with matters of State or of this nature but was onely imployed before this journey of the Prince's in matters of mine own Court and in the Pulpit He desired to know if they might rely upon the King whom onely they found peaceably addicted otherwise they would cease all mediation and prepare for War I answered That he was a King that never broke his word and he knew what he had said unto them He commended much the courage and resolution of the Lord Treasurer which I told him we all did as a probable sign of his innocency He said that the Marquesse had dispatched three Curreos and expected large Propositions from Spain to be made unto his Majestie concerning the present restitution of the Palatinate And that if this failed they were at an end of Treaty and the Embassadours would forthwith return home 11th April 1622. The Lord Keeper to the Duke May it please your Grace I Received your Graces Letter by Mr. Killegrew so full of that sweetnesse as could never issue from any other Fountain then that one breast so fraught with all goodnesse and virtue Dick Winne may write freely as he talks but alas what can my wretched self perform that should deserve the least acknowledgment from him to whom I owe so infinitely much more then the sacrificing of my life amounts to onely my love makes me sometimes write and many times fear fondly and foolishly for the which I hope your Grace will pardon me I have been frighted more about three weeks since about quarrels and jarres which now Dick Greyhams hath related in part unto the King then at this present I am For Gods sake be not offended with me if I exhort you to do that which I know you do to observe his Highnesse with all lowlinesse humility and dutiful obedience and to piece up any the least seam-rent that heat and earnestnesse might peradventure seem to produce I know by looking into my self these are the symptomes of good natures And for Gods sake I beg it as you regard the prayers of a poor friend if the great negotiation be well concluded let all private disagreements be wrapped up in the same and never accompany your Lordships into England to the joy and exultation of your enemies if any such ingrateful Divels are here to be found I am in good earnest and your Lordship would believe it if your Grace saw but the tears that accompany these lines I beseech you in your Letter to the Marquesse Hamilton intimate unto him your confidence and reliance upon his watchfulnesse and fidelity in all turns which may concern your Grace I have often lied unto his Lordship that your Grace hath in many of my Letters expressed as much and so have pacified him for the time If we did know but upon whom to keep a watchful eye for disaffected reports concerning your service it is all the intelligence he and I do expect His Majestie as we conceive is resolved to take certain oaths which you have sent hither and I pray God afterward no farther difficulties be objected I have had an hours discourse with his Majestie yesterday morning and do find him so disposed towards your Lordship as my heart desireth yet hath been informed of the discontentments both with the Conde de Olivarez and the Earl of Bristol Here is a strange Creation passed of late of a Vice-Counteship of Maidenhead passed to the Heires Males who must be called hereafter Vice-Countesse Fynch But my Lady Dutchesse hath the Land and as they say hath already sold it to my Lord Treasurer or shared it with him I stayed the Patent until I was assured your Lordship gave way thereunto My good Lord because I have heard that they have in those parts a conceipt of our church as that they will not believe we have any Liturgie or Book of common prayer at all I have at mine own cost caused the Liturgy to be translated into Spanish and fairely Printed and do send you by this bearer a Couple of the Books one for his Highnesse the other for your Grace Not sending any more unlesse your Grace will give directions His Majestie was acquainted therewith and alloweth of the businesse exceedingly The Translator is a Dominican a zealous Protestant and a good Scholer and I have secured him to our Church with a Benefice and a good Prebend Because we expect every day the dispatching of Sr. Francis Cottington thitherward I will not trouble your Grace farther at this time but do earnestly pray unto God to blesse your Grace both now and ever hereafter with all his favours and blessings spiritual and temporal And rest c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 30. Aug. 1623. My it please your Grace I Have no businesse of the least Consideration to trouble your Grace withal at this time but that I would not suffer Mr. Greyham to return without an expression of my respect and obligation I would advertize your Grace at large of the course held with our Recusants but that I know Mr. Secretary is injoyned to do so who best can His Majestie at Salisbury having referred the suit of these Embassadors to the Earl of Carlile and Mr. Secretary Conway sent by their resolutions some articles unto us the Lord Treasurer Secretary Calvert Sir Richard VVeston
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
had been asked my opinion I should have advised it without the least haesitation His Majestie was so Popishly addicted at this time that to the incredible exhaustments of this Treasurie he was a most zealous interceder for some ease and refreshment to all the Protestants in Europe his own Dominions and Denmarks onely excepted Those of Swithland having lately provoked the Pole had no other hope of peace those of France of the exercise of their Religion those of the Palatinate and adjoyning Countries of the least connivencie to say their prayers then by the earnest mediation of our gracious Master And advised by the late Assembly of Parliament to insist a while longer in this milkie way of intercession and Treatie What a preposterous argument would this have been to desire those mighty Princes armed and victorious to grant some liberty and clemencie to the Protestants because himself did now imprison and execute the rigour of his lawes against the Roman Catholiques I must deal plainely with your Lordship Our viperous countrymen the English Jesuits in France to frustrate these Pious endeavours of his Majesties had many months before this favour granted retorted that argument upon us by writing a most malitious book which I have seen and read over to the French King inciting him and the three Estates to put all those statutes in execution against the Protestants in those parts which are here enacted and as they falsely informed severally executed upon the Papists I would therefore see the most subtile State-monger in the world chalk out a way for his Majestie to mediate for Grace and favour for the Protestants by executing at this time the severity of the Lawes upon the Papists And that this favour should mount to a Toleration is a most dull and yet a most divelish misconstruction A Toleration looks forward to the time to come This favour backward onely to the offences past If any Papist now set at liberty shall offend the lawes again the Justices may nay must recommit him and leave favour and mercy to the King to whom onely it properly belongeth Nay let those 2. writs directed to the Judges be as diligently perused by those rash Censures as they were by those grave and learned to whom his Majestie referred the penning of the same and they shall find that these Papists are no other-otherwise out of prison then with their shackles about their heels sufficient sureties and good recognisances to present themselves again at the next assises As therefore that Lacedemonian posed the Oracle of Apollo by asking his opinion of the bird which he grasped in his hand whether he were alive or dead so it is a matter yet controversed and undecided whether those Papists closed up and grasped in the hands of the law be still in prison or at libertie Their own demeanours and the successe of his Majesties negotiations are Oracles that must deside the same If the Lay-papists do wax insolent with this mercy insulting upon the Protestants and translating this favour from the person to the cause I am verily of opinion his Majestie will remand them to their former state and condition and renew his writ no more But if they shall use these graces modestly by admitting Conference with learned Preachers demeaning themselves neighbourly and peaceably praying for his Majestie and the prosperous successe of his pious endeavours and relieving him bountifully which they are as well able to do as any of his Subjects if he shall be forced and constrained to take his sword in hand then it cannot be denied but our Master is a Prince that hath as one said plus humanitatis penè quam hominis and will at that time leave to be merciful when he leaves to be himself In the mean while this argument fetcht from the Devils topicks which concludes a Concreto ad abstractum from a favour done to the English Papists that the King favoureth the Romish Religion is such a composition of follie and malice as is little deserved by that gracious Prince who by word writing exercise of Religion acts of Parliament late directions for catechizing and preaching and all professions and endeavours in the world hath demonstrated himself so resolved a Protestant God by his holy Spirit open the eyes of the people that these aierie representations of ungrounded fancies set aside they may clearly discern and see how by the goodnesse of God and the wisdom of their King this Island of all the Countries in Europe is the sole nest of peace and true Religion and the inhabitants thereof unhappie onely in this one thing that they never look up to heaven to give God thanks for so great a happinesse Lastly for mine own Letter to the Judges which did onely declare not operate the favour it was either much mis-penned or much misconstrued It recited four kinds of recusancies onely capable of his Majesties clemencie not so much to include these as to exclude many other crimes bearing amongst the Papists the name of Recusancies as using the function of a Romish Priest seducing the Kings liege people from the Religion established scandalizing and aspersing our King Church State or present Government All which offences being outward practises and no secret motions of the conscience are adjudged by the Lawes of England to be merely civil and political and excluded by my Letter from the benefit of those Writs which the bearer was imployed to deliver unto the Judges And thus I have given your Lordship a plain account of the carriage of this businesse and that the more suddenly that your Lordship might perceive it is not Aurea Fabula or prepared tale but a bare Narration which I have sent unto your Lordship I beseech your Lordship to let his Majestie know that the Letters to the Justices of Peace concerning those four heads recommended by his Majestie shall be sent away as fast as they can be exscribed I will trouble your Lordship no more at this time but shall rest ever Your Lordships servant and true friend Jo. Lincoln C. S. The Bishop of Menevensis to the Duke Dr. Laud. My most Gratious Lord I May not be absent and not write And since your Grace is pleased with the trouble I must professe my self much content with the performance of the dutie I am not unmindful of the last businesse your Grace committed to me but I have as yet done the lesse in it because I fell into a relaps of my infirmitie but I thank God I am once more free if I can look better to my self as I hope I shall My Lord I must become an humble suitor to your Grace I hear by good hand that my Lord of Canterbury intends shortly to renew the High Commission Now I am to acquaint your Grace that there is never a Bishop that lives about London left out of the Commission but my self and many that live quite absent are in and many inferiours to Bishops The Commission is a place of great experience for
any man that is a Governour in the Church And since by his Majesties gratious goodnesse and your Grace's sole procurement I am made a Governour I would be loath to be excluded from that which might give me experience and so enable me to perform my dutie I am sure my Lord of Canterbury will leave me out as hitherto he hath done if his Majestie be not pleased to Command that I shall be in This I submit to your Grace but humbly desire even against my own ease and quiet that I may not be deprived of that experience which is necessary for my place I most humbly beseech your Grace to pardon this boldnesse and to know that in my daily prayers for your Grace's happinesse I shall ever rest Novemb. 18. 1624. Your Grace's most devoted and affectionate servant Guil. Menevensis The Bishop of Menevensis to the Duke Dr. Laud. My most Gracious Lord I Am heartily glad to hear your Lordship is so well returned and so happily as to meet so great joy God hath among many others his great blessings and I know your Grace so esteems them sent you now this extraordinarie one a son to inherit his fathers honours and the rest of Gods blessings upon both So soon as I came to any end of my journey I met the happie news of Gods blessing upon your Grace and it seasoned all the hard journey I have had out of Wales through the Snow When I had rested my self a little at my friend's house in the Forrest Mr. Windebank a servant of your Grace's whom I made bold to make known to your Honour I came to Windsor in hope to have been so happie as to meet your Grace at the great solemnitie but when I came I found that which I suspected that your Grace's greater joy would carrie you farther Which journey and the cause and the end of it I heartily wish and pray may be full of joy and all contentment to your Grace I made bold to trouble your Grace with a Letter or two out of VVales which I hope Mr. VVindebank took the best care he could to see delivered I have no means to do your Grace any service but by my prayers and they do daily attend and shall ever while I breathe to utter them I hope though I have missed this opportunitie yet I shall be so happie as to see and wait upon your Grace at London In the mean time and ever I leave your Grace and all your home-blessings to the protection of the Almightie and shall ever be found VVindsor 13. Decemb 1625. Your Graces most devoted and affectionate servant Guil. Meneven Doctor Mountague Bishop of Chichester to the Duke May it please your Grace YOur Highnesse vouchsafed at VVindsor to let me understand that his Majestie my gracious Master and Soveraign had taken me off from that trouble and vexation which by some mens procurement I was put unto in the House of Commons They as I understand think not so but intend to proceed against me so far as they can as having returned his Majestie no other answer but that I was freed from imprisonment It is true that besides 20 l. which the Scrieant had of me by exaction for fees they bound me unto him in a bond of 2000 l. to appear before them the first day of the next Sessions I beseech your Grace that as you have been pleased to tie me unto your excellent not onely self but also most honourable Sister in that bond of obligation as never was poor Scholar to such Worthies so you would be pleased to let his Majestie understand the case that by your means I may be absolutely discharged with the redeliverie of my bond from them whom I never offended who under correction have nothing to do with me and as his Majesties servant be left unto himself especially for that which was authorised by himself and commanded by his Father my late Master of ever blessed memorie If his Majestie will be pleased to call for their accusations against me if I do not really and thoroughly answer whatsoever is or can be imputed to me out of my books I will no further desire favour and protection of his Majestie and your Gracious self but be willingly left unto my enemies I must crave pardon for presuming thus to trouble your Grace the rather because through a grievous affliction of the Collick and Stone I am not able personally to attend your Grace whom according unto my most bounden dutie I daily recommend unto the Almightie being more obliged unto your noble self then ever to any one So remaining Petwerth 29. July Most humbly at your Graces service ever Ri. Mountague 1. IF any or all the Papists living can prove that the Roman Church as it now stands in opposition to the Church of England is either the Catholique Church of Christ or a sound member of the Catholique Church I will subscribe 2. If any or all the Papists living can prove unto me that the Church of England as it standeth at this day is not a true member of the Catholique Church I will subscribe 3. If any or all the Papists living can prove unto me that any one point at this day maintained by the Church of Rome against the Church of England was the received Doctrine of the Catholique Church or concluded by any general Councel or particular approved Councel or resolved of by any one Father of Credit to be such for 500. years at least after Christ I will subscribe Ri. Mountague The Bishops of Rochester Oxford and St. Davids to the Duke concerning Mr. Mountague May it please your Grace VVEE are bold to be suitors to you in the behalf of the Church of England and a poor member of it Mr. Mountague at this time not a little distressed We are not strangers to his person but it is the Cause which we are bound to be tender of The cause we conceive under correction of better judgment concerns the Church of England merely for that Church when it was reformed from the superstitious opinions broached or maintained by the Church of Rome refused the apparant and dangerous errours and would not be too busie with every particular School point The cause why she held this moderation was because she could not be able to preserve any unitie amongst Christians if men were forced to subscribe to curious particulars disputed in Schooles Now may it please your Grace the opinions which at this time trouble many men in the late Book of Mr. Mountague are some of them such as are expresly the resolved doctrine of the Church of England and those he is bound to maintain Some of them such as are fit onely for Schooles and to be left at more liberty for learned men to abound in their own sense so they keep themselves peaceable and distract not the Church And therefore to make any man subscribe to Schoole opinions may justly seeme hard in the Church of Christ and was one great
fault of the Councel of Trent And to affright them from those opinions in which they have as they are bound subscribed to the Church as it is worse in it self so it may be the Mother of greater danger May it please your Grace farther to consider that when the Clergie submited themselves in the time of Henry the 8th the submission was so that if any difference doctrinal or other fell in the Church the King and the Bishops were to be Judges of it in a national Synode or Convocation The King first giving leave under his broad Seale to handle the points in difference But the Church never submitted to any other Judge neither indeed can Shee though Shee would And we humbly desire your Grace to consider and then to move his most Gracious Majestie if you shall think fit what dangerous Consequences may follow upon it For first if any other Judge be allowed in matter of Doctrine we shall depart from the ordinance of Christ and the continual course and practise of the Church 2. Secondly if the Church be once brought down beneath her self we cannot but fear what may be next Strook at 3. Thirdly it will some way touch the honour of his majesties dear Father and our most dread Soveraign of Glorious and ever blessed memorie King James who saw and approved all the opinions in this Book and he in his rare wisdom and judgment would never have allowed them if they had Crossed with truth and the Church of England 4. Fourthly we must be bold to say that we cannot conceive what use there can be of Civil Government in the common Wealth or of preaching and external ministrie in the Church if such fatall opinions as some which are opposite and contrarie to these delivered by Mr. Mountague are shall be Publiquely taught and maintained 5. Fiftly we are certain that all or most of the contrarie opinions were treated of at Lambeth and ready to be published but then Queen Elizabeth of famous memorie upon notice given how little they agreed with the Practice of pietie and obedience to all Government caused them to be suppressed and so they have continued ever since till of late some of them have received countenance at the Synod of Dort Now this was a Synod of that nation and can be of no authority in any other National Church till it be received there by Publique authority And our hope is that the Church of England will be well advised and more then once over before Shee admit a forraign Synod especiallie of such a Church as condemneth her discipline and manner of Government to say no more And further we are bold to commend to your Graces wisdom this one particular His Majestie as we have been informed hath already taken this businesse into his own care and most worthily referred it in a right course to Church-consideration And we well hoped that without further trouble to the state or breach of unity in the Church it might so have been well and orderly composed as we still pray it may These things considered we have little to say for Mr. Mountagues person onely thus much we know He is a very good Scholler and a right honest man A man every way able to do God his Majestie and the Church of England great service We fear he may receive great discouragement and which is far worse we have some cause to doubt this may bred a great backwardnesse in able men to write in the defence of the Church of England against either home or forraign adversaries if they shall see him sink in fortunes reputation or health upon his book occasion And this we most humbly submit to your Graces judgment and care of the Churches peace and welfare So recommending your Grace to the protection of Almighty God We shall ever rest At your Graces service Jo. Roffens Jo. Oxon. Guil Meneven 2. August 1625. Doctor Field Bishop of Landaffe to the Duke My Gracious Good Lord IN the great Library of men that I have studied these many yeares your Grace is the best Book and most Classick authour that I have read in whom I find so much goodnesse sweetnesse and noblenesse of nature such an Heroick spirit for boundlesse bounty as I never did in any I could instance in many some of whom you have made Deanes some Bishops some Lords and Privy Councellours None that ever looked toward your Grace did ever go empty away I need go no farther then my self a gum of the Earth whom some 8. years ago you raised out of the dust for raysing but a thought so high as to serve your Highnesse Since that I have not played the Truant but more diligently studied you then ever before And yet Dunce that I am I stand at a stay and am a Non-proficient the book being the same that ever it was as may appear by the great proficiencie of others This wonderfully poseth me and sure there is some guile some wile in some of my fellow Students who hide my book from me or some part of it All the fault is not in mine own blockishnesse that I thrive no better I once feared this before that some did me ill offices Your Grace was pleased to protest no man had and to assure me no man could My heart tels me it hath been alwaies upright and is still most faithful unto you I have examined my actions my words and my very thoughts and found all of them ever since most sound unto your Grace Give me leave after so long Patience for which vertue you were once pleased to commend me to my old Master King James and I have not yet lost it now that for these 12 Months almost I have been not onely upon the Stage but upon the rack of expectations even distracted between hope and fear to comfort my self with recordation of your Loving kindnesses of old when on that great feast day of your being inaugured our Chancellour my look was your booke wherein you read sadnesse to which I was bold to answer I trusted your Grace would give me no cause You replyed with losse of blood rather that was your noble expression But God forbid so precious an effusion I would emptie all my veins rather then you should bleed one drop when as one blast of your breath is able to bring me to the haven where I would be My Lord I am grown an old man and am like old Househouldstuffe apt to be broke upon often removing I desire it therefore but once for all be it Eli or Bathe and Wells and I will spend the remainder of my dayes in writing an History of your good deeds to me and others whereby I may vindicate you from the envie and obloquy of this present wicked age wherein we live and whilest I live in praying for your Grace Whose I am totallie and finallie Theophilus Landaven The Bishop of Landaffe to the Duke My most honourable good Lord IT is meet before I beg a new that I
should first acknowledge those benefits and more specially give thanks for the last noble favour your Lordship did me in standing up the last day of Parliament and pleading my cause Never was poor man more bound to a gracious Lord for protecting his innocencie and it came seasonable like a showr of rain in the time of drouth My very heart was parched with grief till it came and it had ere this been broken had not your Lordships speech then dropt comfort in strength whereof it yet lives For an abortive thought which never came into act some 2. or 3. years ago conceived and that tending to a work of mercy and charitie a deed of justice and due thankfulnesse how far how foulie have I been traduced your Honour cannot imagine how deeply I have been wounded in my good name as if I had deserved deprivation degradation yea to be hanged drawn and quartered This can none cure but God or the King Deus in monte God hath done his part in providing an occasion Besides London which is too high for me to look after and the removes which may be thereby Hereford the next Seat to mine whither my Predecessors have oft been removed is said to be now void Now good my Lord speak once more seasonably It is a doubled and redoubled an infinitely multiplied benefit which is so given Never had I more need of the Cordial his Majestie gave me at my going into Wales which was that I should not stay long there It would be a restorative too not onely of my Credit so cruelly crackt with the sharp teeth of the wide mouth of vulgar lying fame but of my estate also alwaies poor but lately much more impoverished and made crazie by occasions of the Church which drew me to London a place of great expences as the busie times were to little purpose And the Parliament overtaking me which have held me long and longer yet are like to hold me here even to the undoing of my self my wife and six children from whom I have now lived 6. or 7. moneths And what shall I carry home with me but disgrace and infamie Yet my good Lord at least procure me of my Lord the King a Nunc dimittis leave to depart I shall be further out of the reach of pursuing malice there in the Countrie do his Majestie better service in gathering up his Subsidies praying and teaching my children whilest I read a Lecture to them my self was never yet able to get by heart of parcimony which must be to them instead of a patrimonie to pray for his Majesties long life health and happinesse In which prayer shall your Lordship ever be duly remembred by Your Lordships daily devote Beadsman Theophilus Landavensis Dr. Corbet to the Duke May it please your Grace TO consider my two great losses this week one in respect of his Majestie to whom I was to preach the other in respect of my Patron whom I was to visit If this be not the way to repair the latter of my losses I fear I am in danger to be utterly undone To presse too near a great man is a means to be put by and to stand too far off is the way to be forgotten so Ecclesiasticus In which mediocrity could I hit it would I live and die My Lord I would neither presse near nor stand far off choosing rather the name of an ill Courtier then a saucie Scholar From your Graces most humble servant Rich. Corbet Postscript HEre is news my noble Lord about us that in the point of Allegiance now in hand all the Papists are exceeding Orthodox the onely Recusants are the Puritanes The E. of Worcester Arundel and Surrey Montgomery to the King May it please your most excellent Majestie ACcording to the Orders and Constitutions made and established by your Majestie and all the Companions of the Order at the last general Chapter held at White-Hall the 21. of May last past we are bold to inform your Majestie that we having diligently viewed divers of the Records of the said Order do in the black book find that the keeping of the little Park at VVindsor next adjoyning unto the Castle is in direct words annexed for ever to the Office of the Usher for the said Order So humbly kissing your Royal hands We rest Your Majesties most humble and faithful Subjects and servants E. Worcester Arundel and Surrey Montgomery White-Hall 1. July 1622. The Lord Chancellour Bacon to the Duke My very good Lord MY Lord of Suffolk's cause is this day sentenced My Lord and his Lady fined at 30000 l. with imprisonment in the Tower at their own charges Bingley at 2000 l. and committed to the Fleet. Sir Edward Cook did his part I have not heard him do better and began with a fine of an 100000 l. But the Judges first and most of the rest reduced it as before I do not dislike that things passe moderately and all things considered it is not amisse and might easily have been worse There was much speaking of interceding for the Kings mercie which in my opinion was not so proper for a sentence I said in conclusion that mercy was to come ex mero motu and so left it I took some other occasion pertinent to do the King honour by shewing how happy he was in all other parts of his Government save only in the manage of his treasure by these Officers I have sent the King a new Bill for Sussex for my Lord of Nottingham's Certificate was true and I told the Judges of it before but they neglected it I conceive the first man which is newly set down is the fittest God ever preserve and keep you c. The Earl of Suffolk to his Majestie Gratious Soveraign IN this grievous time of my being barred from your presence which to me is the greatest affliction that can lie upon me and knowing by my former service to you the sweet and Princely disposition that is in you naturally together with that unmatchable judgement which the world knoweth you have is the occasion that I presume at this time to lay before your Majestie my most humble suit which is that you would be pleased to look upon the Case of your poor servant who after so many faithful desires of mine to do you service I do not say that successe hath fallen out as I wished should now not only have suffered for my weaknesse and errours but must be further questioned to my disgrace I would to God your Majestie did truly understand the thoughts of my heart and if there you could find one the least of ill affections to you I wish it pulled out of my body Now to adde to my miseries give me leave to let your Majestie know the hard estate I am in for I do owe at this present I dare avow upon my fidelitie to you little lesse then 40000 l. which I well know will make me and mine poor and miserable for ever All this I do
used and without example to any man that had such a charge And whereas there is no Commission of any force or validitie without the assistance of the State and Prince he serveth for he that Commandeth is but one man and the rest are many thousands which are great oddes yet I have been publiquely heard before the whole body of the Councel my adversaries standing by so curiously as no inquisition could have done more For first I was examined upon mine instructions then upon my acts of Councel then upon my journal then upon a journal compounded of by ten sundry persons which were under my Command both Landmen and Seamen which was never heard of before and I did not only answer in particular to all points that were demanded but by writing which is extant yet cannot I get any judgment or report made to his Majestie but rather time is given to my enemies as I hear to make an ill report of me and my actions to the King But when I was to be accused there was no time delayed nordeferred and such men as I have proved guilty and failed in the principal point of the service to have fired and destroyed the Shipping are neither examined or any thing said against them which is strange especially Sir Michael Geere So that I know not how my Lord of Essex can take any thing ill from your Excellencie unlesse it be to have you do injustice or against all reason He may rather give your Excellencie many thanks that his Lordship is not called into question for letting passe the King of Spain's ships that offered him fight which would have been the chief service having instructions not to let any flie or break out without fighting with them Now my Lord I humbly beseech your Excellencie to consider my Case that hath been so severely examined and no body else and that after my Examination I have lingred so long in my wrongs and disgraces and by the ill offices your Grace doth see are done me to his Majestie which will rather increase then diminish so long as I shall be kept from the presence of his Majestie that is I know of himself the justest Prince in the world and yet to be in your Excellencies favour And I hold my self clear of all imputations in despight of all malice and practice that hath been against me to obscure all my endeavours which my adversaries in their consciences can best witnesse that when they slept I waked when they made good chear I fasted and when they rested I toyled And besides when they went about to hinder the journey at Plimouth by railing on the beggerlinesse of it and discrediting of it I was content to take it upon me though against my judgment as I did secretly deliver both to his Majestie and your Grace before I departed from the Coast Nominating in my Letter to his Majestie all the inconveniencies that did after happen unto the Fleet for had it not been in my obedience to his Majestie and my good affection to your Excellencie that I did see so much affect it and was so far ingaged I would have been rather torn in pieces then to have gone with so many ignorant and malicious people that did shew so little affection or courage to his Majesties service or any affection at all to your Excellencie Yet for all this all hath been laid upon me having had rather hard courses taken against me then any way maintained in my Commission which was given me which no State that I have ever heard of did before I pray God his Majesties future service do not suffer for it for where his Majesties Officers are not obeyed he can never be served Wherefore my suit is that if I have any ill offices done me to his Majestie that I may clear my self before him by your favour which I have so long attended after or by way of Petition which the meanest Subject is not to be hindred in for as I continue now I have not onely wrong done to me but I suffer as much punishment without any fault as if I had been condemned And that your Excellencie will do me the favour to deal plainly with me to let me know why I am deferred from his Majesties presence which is not denied to any having received so much wrong If my suffering be to adde any service to your affaires in these troublesome times let but this honest friend of mine know so much and I will suffer any inconvenience as I have misery danger and decay of my fortunes for your Excellencies sake And so I rest Your Excellencies most devoted and faithful and thankful servant and Creature Wimbledon 28th Apr. 1626. My Lord Wimbledon to the Duke My Gracious Lord I Understand that it pleased the Lords to grant the Colonels leave to accuse me anew and they have taken to them the most discontented Seamen they could get to help their malice forward I had thought that before my coming they should have had time and advantage sufficiently to have shewen all their envie And I was perswaded that they could not have desired more then to have been present when I should be examined and my journal read At the reading whereof they took all the exceptions that might be and I did answer them all in your Excellencies presence as I thought fully whereupon they seemed to be so content as they had no more to say neither did they at that time desire to make a journal or to say any more Then the Lords resolutions were only to hear the Seamen speak upon whom all the businesse did lie If they may be suffered upon new Combinations to bring new slanders upon me I cannot tell what to think of it But this I can say that if this course be taken his Majestie will never be without a mutinous Armie which all States in policy do shun For when the Common Souldiers shall see their Chiefs give them such examples they will soon follow being that all Armies are subject to it especially a new Armie I had thought that one Trial had been sufficient being it was before such an Assembly But if I should be accused I should desire to have new accusers and not the same that have already accused me for so there would be no end that upon their Petition I might have been heard what I could justly say why they should not have leave to make a journal and not to give them leave before I were heard I am afraid there was never any such president before and what inconveniencies may come of it time will shew I have sought to none of the Lords as I fear my enemies have done I know not whether I shall suffer for it or no but my trust hath only been in your Excellencie and the justnesse of my Cause I have been your Excellencies Officer in as difficult and as miserable an action as ever any one hath undertaken and with as little assistance as ever any one had
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
that he had not able men in her to manage her Sailes Also in imploying the most choice men in his Ship under the command of his Nephew for the firing of the Pyrates ships within the Moale of Algier And lastly in his joyning with Sir Richard Hawkins in the towing off one of the Prizes when she was becalmed within musquet shot of the Moale My Lord I must protest unto your Lordship that I had no ends of mine own for the injuries done to Sir Thomas Button and therefore your Lordship cannot cast a greater honour upon your poor servant then in repairing him which I humbly begg of your Lordship If Sir Richard Hawkins do return unto me then I shall be an humble suitor unto your Lordship in the behalf of Sir Thomas Button that he may return to his imployment in Ireland from whence in my earnest desires to enjoy his company and assistance I was the only means to withdraw him and that he may receive such allowance and entertainment as was formerly usually paid unto him by which means your Lordship will take away the Curses of his children whose blouds are neer unto me and oblige me with my continual prayers for your Lordships increase of honour ever to remain From aboard the Vantguard the 10. of July 1621. Your Lordships most humble and faithful servant Robert Mansell Captain John Pennington to the Duke May it please your Grace MY last to your Lordship was of the 18. of this present from Stokes Bay since which time I have received two from your Grace at Deep one by your Secretarie Mr. Nicholas whereby your Grace commands me to deliver up his Majesties Ship and the rest under my Command to the hands of such Frenchmen as his Christian Majestie shall appoint according to his Majesties pleasure signified by my Lord Conway And that I and the rest of the Masters take securitie of them for our ships severally according to the true valuation And to see this put in execution you sent your Secretarie Mr. Nicholas And the other by Mr. Ingham in answer of mine written from Stokes Bay The former part whereof being only a command to put your former in practice and the latter a denial of my humble suit for my being called home from this Service Which said part confirms absolutely that it was not your Graces pleasure that I should yield up the ships into their hands and disposesse my self and companie of them for I trust your Grace had no such unjust thought as to continue me here alone after The French had possession of her to be their slave as I am sure they would have made me if they had their wills To give your Grace an account of what I have done since I came to Deep which was the 21th at this instant about nine of the clock at night would be too tedious for this time The 22th in the morning Earlie I sent my boat ashoare with my Lievetenant to find out your Graces Secretarie to receive my Letters whereby I might know your Graces pleasure and to kisse my Lord Embassadours hands from me and to let him know I was come with his Majesties ship to do him service but could not command the rest to come along with me their Masters not being there and all their companies in a mutiny But his jelousie was such that he would not suffer your Graces Secretary to come aboard or to send me your Letters or that my Lievtenant should speak to him but in his presence but presently sent a Gentleman aboard to me commanding me to come ashoar to him which I confesse I was very loath to do in regard my people were much discontented and readie daily to mutiny being all wonderous unwilling to go against Rochel or those of their religion And besides I never having been a shoare since I came into my command neither on our own Coast or else where It being not my use yet notwithstanding these particulars knowing his Greatnesse and your Graces pleasure for the giving him all due respect I presently went to him where he taking me into a roome apart with your Graces Secretary he first delivered me my Lord Conwaies Letter or rather a warrant for so he tearms it himself for the delivery of the ship into their hands as they interpreted it and then your Graces Letter commanding me to see his Majesties pleasure signifyed by my Lord Conwaie put in execution And lastly a letter from the King of France thereby willing me to receive his Souldiers aboard that he had provided and his Cousin the D. de Mommorencie and to go presently and to joyn with his Great Fleet against his rebellious subjects This is the effect of that Letter Having read all these letters he would presently have possession of the ship that night for that he could not stay longer I told him that I did not understand it so but that I was to render all service to his most Christian Majestie but nothing would serve him save the present possession which because I would not yield unto he grew into a strange furie telling me that your Grace had sent your Secretary to see her delivered and security to be taken for her My answer was that I was ready to obey according as I understood the warrant which was to do his Christian Majestie service and to receive a convenient number of Souldiers aboard me But to dispossesse my self of my command I had no such order but still nothing wold satsfie him but the shipe telling me he would not entertain at the most if they were willing above 60. or 80. of our people My answer was I had no order to discharge a man of them neither could I but if they were discharged what they should do or how they should get home having neither meat mony nor clothes I know not To the first of these he told me that Mr. Nicholas had order by word of mouth from your Grace to discharge us which Mr. Nicholas confirmed as also to see the ship delivered which he commanded me to do But with your Graces pardon I durst not do it upon words it being a businesse of too high consequence neither if I had been willing would my companie ever have condescended to it To the second for our passage he promised to have provided barques for us but to conclude this and not to insist upon the rest of the particulars they being too tedious his rage and fury was such that I must of necessity give a little way thereto or else I think he would have kept me ashoare so as I told him I was content if my company would yield thereunto and therefore desired to go aboard to speak with them and to give order for the drawing up of the inventorie And upon this he suffered me to depart but not without promises of a large summe of mony which should be given me at the surrender besides a royal pension during my life he sending his Secretarie and many
occasion of offence against his Majestie or his Ministers seeing one of them is not their Vassal and both are out of their Dominions It may for these Considerations please your Honour to advise with his Majestie whether it be fitter to proceed herein Via facti or Via Juris to send Laken to seek out the Author and others to apprehend him or the Printer or upon promise of a reasonable recompence for his pains to deal with him effectually to declare their names and habitations and afterwards leave it to his Majesties gracious and Princely pleasure to prosecute or let fall his action In either of which kind I will yield humble obedience to his Majesties Commands and your Honours directions as things to my self indifferent But I am doubtful that by continuing of the course formerly holden in the carriage of this businesse we shall never attain our desired ends I am not so slight as to give credit to all reports nor so prodigal as to part with money for nothing My most humble and earnest suit is that his Majestie and your Honour after mature deliberation upon the several points of this Letter will vouchsafe to send me by my servant Marsham who is now at London particular and distinct answers for my better direction I have been the more prolixe upon this subject in hope that this I have written shall serve once for all In that matter concerning the Countesse of Argile which it pleased your Honour to recommend unto my Care I have done as much already as I can for the present We must of necessitie with a little patience expect the successe whereof your Honour shall in due time be punctually advertized In the mean while I do with all reverence desire your Honour to excuse the tediousnesse of this Letter And so take my leave Bruxels 21 31. of March 1618 1619. Your Honours very humble and ready to be commanded W. Trumball Mr. Trumball to the Secretarie Right Honourable THose that are employed in such place as I am must admit all manner of men into their company And the Oath I have taken to his Majestie will not permit me to conceal any thing from his knowledge that cometh to mine and may in any sort have relation to his Royal service For these Considerations I assume the boldnesse so soon to renew your Honours trouble after the dispatch of those Volumes of Letters which I sent you yesterday by one of my servants This Bearer de la Forrest is better known to your Honour then to my self although I remember many years ago to have seen him in England During his stay in this Town he brought unto me a certain French Gentleman calling himself the Viscount of L'orme and Sir De la Pommeraye who hath by his own relation been a great Navigator and been authorized by 18. of the chief Pyrats in the Levant to search for their pardon and retreat into some Christian Countrey being sorry for the ill they have done and desirous to spend the rest of their daies in peace With this Commission he came into France and there travelled so far with the King and his Ministers as he obtained a general abolition for the said Pyrates a safe Conduct to bring them into his Dominions and a procuration which I have seen under the great Seal of France to treat and conclude with them upon certain conditions But he being envied by some Grandees of that Kingdom and by misfortune happening to kill a man he was forced as he pretendeth for the safety of his life to flie into these Countries before he could bring that work to perfection And being now disinabled to return thither again he desireth to make a tryal whether his Majestie will vouchsafe to lend his ear to that Treatie and grant unto the said Pyrates a general Pardon To which effect he sendeth over La Forrest and hath intreated me to accompany him with my Letters to my Lord Admiral your Honour and Mr. Secretarie Calvert For retribution of this grace the said Pyrates offer to give 45000 l sterling to be shared amongst you three or to be disposed of as his Majestie shall appoint But your Honour may see the Conditions proposed to the French King were more advantagious For they were to give him their Ships Artillerie and Munition and to furnish means to set out some men of War for his service And I see no reason in case his Majestie should encline to such capital offenders and common enemies why he should not have as much or more benefit then another Prince the greatest part of them being his Vassals Your Honour if you please may peruse these adjoyned Papers and impart the contents of them to my Lord Admiral They agree with their Originals and if his Majestie do not taste this overture there is no more harm done for any thing I can perceive then the losse of my labour to peruse and subscribe them There remaineth onely two points wherein I should speak to your Honour the one is that this matter may be concealed from the French Embassadour Mounsieur le Count de Tilliers for fear of ruining de L'Orme The other with gratifying La Forrest with the pay of a Pacquet if your Honour shall think it meet for the carrying of these Letters who saith your Honour is his great Patron and hath promised him a good turn Mounsieur de L'Orme hath given him power to sollicite this businesse and procure him an answer wherein I joyn my humble prayer that the poor man may not here languish in hopes and spend his money to no purpose When I shall know whether his Majestie will rellish this overture or not I will write thereof more largely if there be cause otherwise let it remain as it was before In the mean while I humbly take my leave And rest Your Honours In all humblenesse to be commanded W. Trumball Bruxels 23. of Octob. 1619. Sir Thomas Roe to the Marquesse of Buckingham Lord Admiral My Lord I Can give your Lordship no great account of any thing that hath occurred since my departure I was bold to write to Mr. Secretarie Calvert from Maliga of the great increase of the Pyrates in those Seas and of the danger of the Merchants with my own thoughts if his Majestie have any farther purpose to attempt their destruction which is both honourable and necessarie if these Trades or the other of Spain to the South of the North-Cape be of any consequence to his Majesties Kingdomes if they be suffered to increase they will brave the Armies of Kings at Sea in a few years and attempt even the Coasts and Shoares with peril And because they carry the name only of Thieves they are yet contemned or neglected but they will become a dangerous enemie when they shall rob with Fleets and therefore would be in time considered The Spaniards now make great offers to continue the Contract though their performance be slow and their own Estates chiefly interessed yet besides
the danger and ruine of the Merchant it is considerable that this Army increasing is at the obedience of the Grand Seignior the common Enemy who hath no strength but Gallies I know your Lordship will collect enough out of this without further pressure The Armado's of Spain Naples and Sicily have been in the Archipelago the Turks Forces absent in the black Sea Yet they have done nothing of consequence taken a few Carmisales and slaves and are returned to the Port where Don Philibert of Savoy Generalissimo is present who is made Viceroy of Sicily with absolute power to dispose of all offices without attendance from Spain which is more then Vice-Re He hath used me for his Majesties honour with very great respect as I have in particular advised Mr. Secretarie Among many courtesies finding 13. English Captives in the Gallies I thought it my duty to succour them His Highnesse at the first instance to expresse his good affection to my Master gave them to me all free which I think is a good work and not ordinary I beseech your Lordship that his Majestie may be pleased to take knowledge of it into Spain for the Princes honour that he may in the like occasion not think himself neglected The advice from Constantinople is seconded of the overthrow of the Turk God grant it be true and yet the pride of the Grand Seignior is not asswaged but he threatens a new attempt in the spring I hope I have hitherto done his Majestie no dishonour nor can I boast of services but being under your Lordships protection I will hope for a good interpretation beseeching you to present my name to his Majestie that I be not forgotten in these great distances wherein my humble fortune hath kept me and as I have observed your Lordship to be the Amparo of those that pretend to virtue and honour and not to desert them till they have forsaken themselves So I beseech you take me upon those conditions which cannot shame you and leave me when I am other then Your Lordships faithful and honest servant Tho. Roe Messina 7 17. Decemb 1621. L. R. H. to the Duke of Buckingham My dear Lord I Have since my departure from you used all diligence in the Princes service and punctually observed all his Commands Onely with the King I have dealt so freely in my relation of the Prince his carriage and your extraordinary care of working his content in all points that I did move him to shed tears in expressing his happinesse for such a son and likewise his good fortune in having a Favourite who is framed according to his own heart in all points Neither have I pressed any thing to injure any farther then my dutie bound me and my faithful love to your service which shall alwaies have a prime place in my heart My Lord there are contrary opinions in Court and City by the one you are much admired for your noble expressions of true honor and love to your King Prince and Country with many observations of your special care and zeal to Religion and your immovable resolution to Contest with all oppositions to the contrary By the other you are maligned and they give it out That you have with your wilfulnesse occasioned these delayes by diverting and changing their waies wherein they had begun to treat but the falsenesse hereof hath been shewen and it appears malice without ground the which though heretofore I have told you not out of any other end then to do you service yet have you so slightly regarded me for it and so much respected those ill-deserving Great ones as if you had intended to receive your enemies into your bosome and to cast off your faithfullest friends yet shall not any usage discourage me from discharging the office of a most loving and zealous affected friend and servant yea insomuch that I will rather displease you in doing you that faithful service that both my honour and love obligeth me to then be silent and they let you run into apparent danger My Lord amongst the protestants your are divulged as much as ill disposed ones dare a Papist Among the Papists it is avowed you are the greatest enemy they have For which reports I am not troubled for they have made you the much more pittyed and as highly esteemd and honoured amongst the most juditious and best deserving subjects as any thing could do And I dare assure you that since your being at Madrid you are much better beloved of all people who have not ends then you were before Noble Lord I find the King both resolute and couragious but wise and secret to my own hearts joy and not to be won upon by the subtil and false policie of any I made it my humble suit upon my knees that he would consent to no proposition of this Spanish Embassadour concerning peace or war till the Princes return Which suite he tooke well at my hands and granted I have told him freely what I observed in Spain both of their manners usage and honestie and left it to his wisedom to make what use he pleased His Majestie longs to see the Prince and you and so do all the subjects and will not be satisfyed with any thing but your speedy return Except you have jelousies put into the Spaniards heads and prevent the danger which will be by hasting the marriage with all possible speed for there are some whose buttons break with venom that you have got so much honour and so well deserved of the King and Prince But you believe me not but think I speak of Spleen when God knowes I never bore any to any man but for your sake Your most vertuous lady mourns for your absence and will not be comforted Your fair Daughter deserves your staying withall and your faithful friends and the good of the Kingdom want you most of all And for your greater comfort the King is so reserved in the Princes affaires as that he neither imparts the businesses of Spain nor his intents therein to any of hit privie Councel Since your pattent the Earl Marshal is become a great stranger at the Court But all men find you so fast revited into the Kings heart that they see it is an impossibility to work you any way displeasure in your absence and therefore forbear to expresse what willingly they would effect but find it in vain to go about it But let not the Kings love to you or their small ability to do you harm make you too carelesse or too credulous of those your enemies last it give too great incouragement to them and too great dishartning to your faithful friends I am sorrie at my being with you at Madrid that you durst not impart those secrets wherein I am sure my faithfulnesse and love unto you would have done you all service as the thing I most desire but I see the zeale of my heart to you is not rightly considered yet am I confident that time will
make me best known and better esteemed by you as one whose true heart is alwayes watchful of taking all opportunities to do you service My Lord you shall find me not only a word-friend but an active who never am better pleased then when I find most opposition And for conclusion I am so far from shunning dangers to do you service as that I would willingly wade in blood at any time to manifest my self yours And therefore I should receive great content if you knew how truly I were yours because then I am sure in the Noblenesse of your nature it would be impossible for any to be able to do me wrong in your Honourable thoughts My dear Lord pray suffer no longer delayes in Spain but either dispatch what you went for quickly or else return speedily for assure your self their desire to have you continue there is for no love to you but to further thereby their own designs elsewhere Nay I dare justifie it out of my own weak judgment that the longer you stay the farther off you shall be from obtaining what you desire And if you resolutely purpose your return with speed you will force them out of their dull pace and put them upon the rock from which they cannot escape except they fulfil your desires Besides your presence is most necessary here for home-affairs for your absence hath caused too great insolencie in the Court by such as bear themselves very loftily and insult very much over yours especially your poore servant Mewtis is much threatned as being yours and must suffer till you come back Some other things likewise are otherwise carried in your absence then would be in your presence therefore for Gods sake return but with the Prince and count delayes denyals And the longer you stay there the stronger you make them and your selves the weaker My Lord of Bristol hath a great and more powerful party in Court then you imagine in so much that I am confident were the King a newter he would prevail and I do not much marvail at it for you trust upon the honour and justification of all your actions desirous to make no friends because you need none but he deales with a great deal of cautelous wisedom and as he hath wrought into the Kings opinion by reason of some pleasing services so hath he into all those who are about the King or powerful that they may better his good services and smother his bad Besides the man who is suspitious as he must needs be hath far greater care of after-reckonings how to make fair glosses then he who doth all things with the avowment of all honour and the only intent of service to his King and Country It grieves me I am not thought worthie to hear from you any word by these last messengers especially being promised the imployment from which I was put Farewell dear Lord and the Almightes protection be upon our unmatchable Prince upon whose worth and brave atchievements all eyes are fixed and the same protection light upon you his right hand and give you the good fortune to make as brave a return as you did voyage thither to the eternal praise of your future memories And upon these hopes I rest happie to think my self Yours H. R. Sir George Carie to the Marquesse of Buckingham 8. December 1619. Your Lordship VVIll be satisfied before this of mine will have the happinesse to kisse your noble hands that the great Mysterie of iniquity in the Star-chamber is now revealed and as many as could be discerned to have the mark of the beast upon them have undergone their censure Some I must confesse and great fishes too have broken out of the nett But that escape must be objected to the errours of some of the pursuers whose courses in some things were not enough direct to warrant what otherwise might have been done And your Lordship who is a good Woodman well knowes unlesse the Wind-lace be well carried the Bowes which stand up can never shoot Notwithstanding all the defaults of the meaner Agents the Court maintaining the honour of their own uprightnesse and integritie hath with moderation too yet such as leaves subject to his Majesties mercy to work upon some particulars raised in Fine some 130000 l. or thereabouts If no errours had been committed whereupon those Defendants which escaped took advantage to be safe by this which is done you may imagine what it would have amounted to For my part I rejoyce to conceive how with the shortest of the daies we are at the worst of our estate hoping by this means with the return of the Sun to see some such return of the money the riches of his Majesties Treasurie and bloud of the Common-Wealth as that the Exchequer may flow and the Veins of the State may fill again and both with the Spring renew their strength lustre and complexion I have now stayed here so long attending this businesse that I hold it too late to wait upon you at Newmarket That gives me cause to crave your pardon for this presuming imperfect Accompt of this daies action and withal to desire the assurance that I live in your estimation the same I will ever be Your Lordships Most sincerely honest and humble servant G. Cary. To King James ab ignoto Your Majestie BOth in the eminencie of your regal dignitie and in the excellencie of your judgment doth truly represent the common sense whose part it is to judge and discern of all things whereas the other senses do but report their particular objects And in that manner do I humbly offer to your Majesties Consideration in this importune Chrisis of the affairs of Christendom so much as I have observed in France that may now concern your service in which place I have been heretofore imployed in your affaires And first considering the present estate of things in France and weighing against it the seizure made of the Valtoline by the King of Spain the late invasion of the Palatinate and now this new defeat arrived in Bohemia I do put this for an infallible ground that either the King of France will resolve out of jealousie of the progressions of the house of Austria effectually to succour the Palatinate or else abandoning the affairs of Germany to their own successe and neglecting the increase of the house of Austria on that side he will think more then to recompence himself by taking this opportunity to extinguish the body of those of the Religion in France And as undoubtedly he will resolve on one of those two points so on both of them for sundry reasons he cannot To move him to the succour of the Palatinate the main motive will be the jealousie between those two Monarchies which can never die so long as they do both subsist in no greater a disproportion of strength and power As also that France shall by their usurpation of the Palatinate be on all sides Circled by the house of Austria and particularly on that
Accompts of his Revenue chiefly if they can as they mainly desire they will now dazle him in the beginning of his reign 10. King James and King Charles lastly are the Dukes Accusers my meaning is with all humble reverence to their Honours and Memories and to speak in the sence of the House of Commons both their Majesties are Conjuncta Persona in all the aspersions that are laid upon the Duke For instance The Parliaments money destined for the Wars spent in the Treaties Messages Embassadours and Entertainments of the Kings marriage and the burial of his Father and the War in the name of the Count Palatine the Breach of both the Treaties which then Canonized the Duke but now is made evidence against him the Honours and Offices conferred upon him by King James That his Majestie might with his own Councels direct their managing the setting forth of the Navy though to the Duke 's great charge by both their Commandments the Match with France and generally whatsoever hath not been successeful to mens expectations All these though the Acts of the Kings are imputed to the Duke who if he suffer for obeying his Soveraigns the next attempt will be to call the King to accompt for any thing he undertakes which doth not prosperously succeed as all men would desire it If it please his Majestie to remove and set aside all these disadvantages He shall find the Charge laid against the Duke will prove very empty and of small moment And for them if his Majestie and the Duke's Grace think it no impeachment to their Honors all that the Parliament hath objected against the Duke is pardoned at the Kings Coronation which benefit every poor Subject enjoyeth Three things onely excepted which may most easily be answered Mr. Ch. Th. to the Duke of Buckingham My Lord IT is intimated to your Lordship first that you would procure his Majestie to desire the Lords to choose six or so many as you shall think fit of whom they have most confidence to attend him to morrow morning to whom his Majestie may be pleased to declare That he hath endeavoured to divert the charges against your Lordship because his Majestie hath had sound knowledge and experience of the service and fidelity though in outward shew the contrarie might justly appear and because also he saw it was urged with a great deal of private spleen and perhaps not without some Papisticall device of troubling his Majesties businesse in Parliament but seeing no suite or perswasion could prevail to appease the distempered course his Majestie is now forced and so pleased to reveal some secrets and Arcana of State which otherwise in the wisedom of Kings were unfit to be opened Here his Majestie may let them know that the King his Father finding the Palatinate more then in danger to be lost and after his Majestie being in Spain and there deluded and his abode and return both unsafe It was a necessity of State to sweeten and content the Spaniards with a hope of any thing that might satisife and redeem those ingagements and therefore willed your Lordship to yield discreetlie to what you should find they most desired and this was chiefly the point of religion so as in this and all of the like kind your Lordship upon his Majesties knowledge was commanded and but the instrument trusted by your Master in this exigent or if you will extremitie And this with other more Potent overtures such as your Lordship best understands may Cancel all those objections of that nature Upon this same ground though not in so high a degree the sending of the ships to Rochel may be excused and this is not the least fault objected in the opinion of the wisest Touching the vast creation of Nobility his Majestie may ask those six Lords whereof perchance some of them may be concerned in this article whether they conceive any reason of King James his doing herein to which I suppose they will stand mute Then his Majestie may say I will tell you and therein discover a truth and a secret of State My Father who was born a King and had long experience of that Regiment especiallie more traversed in this point then perhaps ever any King found that this State inclined much to Popularitie a thing apparent universallie in all the Courts viz. in that of Star-chamber which was at first erected to restrain the insolence of Great men in great outrages but now for every pettie offence the meanest Tennant may be bold to call thither his Lord. A thing also appearing in the sawcie approaches of the Puritans upon the Bishops and plainely in the boldnesse of the house of Commons against the Kings pattents and edicts which in all good times out of their necessity have been powerful And especiallie this humour hath been comforted by the sturdie example of the Neighbour States of the Low-countries as in their insolencies in the East-Indies c. From this place an inticing voice hath sounded in our eares of libertie and freedom though indeed a feigned voyce and but in sound unsound I say when the king my Father had well beheld these things he could not foresee a remedie more proper or easier as being unserviceable and in his own gripe then to inlarge the number of his Nobles that these being dispersed into several Counties might as lambs of Soveraigntie in protection of their own degrees and at their own charge inure the people with respect and obedience to greatnesse and yet not to amate and discourage them he thought good to raise some neer or of their own rank whereby they might see themselves in possibility of the like honour if either by virtue wealth or honestie they make themselves worthie This I protest was a child of my Fathers best judgment in this poynt and the Duke but the instrument thereof And if you say that there was mony many times given for these Honours nay if you say that mony hath been given for places of Clergie and Judicature I pray take this of me that this is so in all other Countries as in France and Spain And those Councels seem a little to smile at our dulnesse that we have so lately apprehended their soundnesse herein for say they when men pay well for such places it is the best kind of security for their honesties especially when sayling in their dutie they shall be sure to be as much punished as they were advanced Howbeit I am not satisfied in this opinion And if it be said that the King should have had the mony which the Duke took to his own use I believe this last is more then any can prove neither will I deliver what I know therein Howsoever it matters not much being no popular disbursment Only this I will say that I know the Dukes particular service and affection to me and that he and his will lay down themselves and all they have at my Feet Neither is this bare opinion since the Duke alone
hath dibursed and stands engaged more for my affaires and the States then any Number of Noblemen of England whatsoever and therefore there is reason that from a King he would receive his own and more And now my Lords since I have thus far opened a Kings Cabinet unto you at least by the measure of this foot of answer you may discover what may be said concerning that great bodie and bulk of accusations of the Highest kind made against the Duke I desire you would take it to heart remembring that it is your King that speaketh this who therefore expects your service and love herein and who will requite the same assuredly hoping you will believe me indeed and do accordingly indeed and that you will also rest assured that my spirit is not so young though a young King as that I would bring this testimony in mine own wrong were not that I say true in my own knowledge And being so you also will grant that it is not for a King to use his Servant and Instrument as he doth his Horses which being by hard riding in his service foundred and lamed to turn them off to grasse or to the Cart. I must therefore in right of the King my Fathers Honour and my own protect a man though I have said justly seeming guiltie yet in mine own knowledge innocent and free as I have delivered it will you then deny the King to favour whom he please which the King hath never denyed you that are his subjects will you controle me your Head and Governor in things wherein your selves have taken liberty uncontroled would you that I should require accompt of your liberalitie nay of all your failings which are liable to my authority well commend me to my Lords and tell them that if any thing had been formerly done amisse by others I have power and will to redresse it and to prevent the like I speak it in the word of a King neither Lords nor Commons can desire of me any thing that is honest which I am not ready to give them Let not therefore the world by these mistakings make Table-talk any longer of your King and his negotiations nay of his secrets and necessities for alas what great wrong or indignity can the Glorie of the State receive then that the private grudges of subjects accusing to the ignorant when in their consciences they could excuse should be the businesse of our Parliament and that the King himself should be forced to appear as a partie No doubt this is a Cocatrice egge that craftie heads of our enemies seek to hatch whilest the weightie affaires that in present concern the Honour and welfare of the King and State and the peace of all Christendome are by us utterly neglected I end hoping your Lordship now privy to these things will be tender of your Soveraigns honour and will so satisfie and treat with the rest that those particular janglings may be by some other course and in some other place and time discussed and determined that so our minds and time may be employed in the care of better things which earnestly invoke our ayd at this instant Thus much spoken or written or the like for I seek but to awaken your Lordships higher spirit and invention I conceive it may get this effect That these 6. Lords won by these reasons and by other the Kings invitations may deliver to the House that for their parts they have received unexpected satisfaction in those greatest points of the accusation against your Lordship and of such secret nature as are not fit to be published without further deliberation Wherefore since it pleased their Lordships to have made choyce of them to be trusted in this imployment they have faithfully served accordingly and do upon their Honours freely and without any ingagement or respect protest the fame And therefore humbly desire their Lordships that they would intreat his Majestie to be President in advice with their Lordships What further were to be done in this private Contention betwixt your Lordship and the Lord Digbie which obtained something may then follow for your Lordships good by yeelding up that Cause into the Kings hands And his Majestie hath great reason to bend it that way because it is conceived that the Lords will be loath to admit the King to be supream Judge and Accuser which point will much touch his Majestie And his Majestie were better give some ease to the Lord Digbie then permit that dispute And now for my self I beseech your Lordship to pardon my strange boldnesse I know I am a mere stranger to you and if ever you have heard of me it must be as of a friend of such you then did not love I know it shewes me a medler in businesse or an insinuator which are suspitions that may distast you and make you suspect my pretences though they were not altogether witlesse I know this disadvantage and am in my own nature offended for putting my self thus into your notions But yet I resolved to undergo all this First because you made my Brother a Captain in Ireland who had otherwise perished Next for the favour you did to my Lord of Northumberland and the retiring of disfavour from my Lord of Sommerset And lastly for your firm hand that advanced the now Lord Treasurer To all which Lords I am familiarly known and bound But neerest to you your Lordship may hear of me from the Lord Treasurer I am confident of your Lordships noble interpretation since I seek no ends no acquaintance no other thanks being one that have no Court-suits to your Lordship but being one that loves not ruines which my friends have tasted nor that the publique should wrestle with a private Inturn of Spleen And I offer it but as a simplicity yet with good will enough for what can a man that is not privy to the Elements of State demonstrate any conclusion thereof yet I hear sometimes how the world goes as other men do I conceive I have said something to your Lordship and though perhaps short yet enough to occasion and stir up your deeper thoughts I also may have deeper but also I know that little pinnes of wood do sustain the whole building More I could have said touching the other points but these greatest elided the fall of the others may be easily directed What I have said against those objections I touched doth arise from grounds of truth and they must win and prevail and my conceit is fitted to the Kings part and to the occasions now on foot I humbly cease your Lordship further trouble and wish you all good desiring your Lordship also to pardon my tedious and hasty scribled hand Your Lordships unknown servant Ch. Th. Postscript YOur Lordship shall be pleased to take off some part of my boldnesse and impute it to the obligation and service I owe this worthy Lady the Bearer To Count Gondomar My Lord I Thought my hands bound that I could no sooner have
deceived You know Sir that I treat in truth and freedom and do therefore hope you will impute my excuses to that and will not call this libertie of my discourse rashnesse but an immortal desire in me in all things to procure the service of our Kings laying aside all occasions of misunderstandings now we treat of nothing els but uniting our selves more by the strickt bonds of love over and above those of our Alliance I do humbly beseech you to say thus much to his Majestie and to assure him from me that when he shall be pleased to imploy me in this matter as in all other he shall ever find me faithful and real as I have offered my self and alwayes continue being well assured that even in that I shall serve my Master And I pray you to believe in your particular that I am and will be eternallie Yours c. The Marquesse Yuoiosa to the Lord Conway 5. September 1623. I Answered not long since to both your Letters and now I will add this that only the sport and pleasure that Don Carlos and I consider his Majestie hath in his progresse may make tollerable the deferring by reason of that and not hearing the newes we expect to hear of his Majesties good health For by that meanes we might not onely satisfie more often our desires in this point having his Majestie neerer but also our desire to bring these businesses to an end which are ordinarily more delayed and lesse well executed when they are to passe through the hands of Ministers though they be very zealous and well affected to it as these Lords are with whom we treat here who are desirous that the King should be known for just though unnecessarily when nothing is pretended contrarie to that which is agreed upon This knowledge whereupon I ground my reasons may perhaps make me Sin Embargo incurre the Censure of an impatient man But I am perswaded that if that which hath been done here had been setled there by your Honour and the Lord Count of Carleil whose good disposition and proceeding is as much to be esteemed as it is praysed by Don Carlos and my self we would have made an end and those things which I have seen and observed here had not happened unto us For in the conference in which my Lord Keeper did assist it was agreed as we thought that his Majestie should give order to the Judges and Justices of Peace Arch-bishops and Bishops signed with his royal hand under the little Seale within three months or at the Princesse her arival He hath persisted afterwards as also Sir George Calvert in that though it was plain that his Majestie would give the said warrant afterwards there being no tearm nor day appointed Neverthelesse at last we have condescended that it should be within six months or at her Highnesse arrival if she comes afore that time that we may shew how happie we think our selves in being Servants to his Majestie whom God save The dispatches that we are to have are contained in the relation here enclosed I pray you to take order that those that are to be sent back to that effect may be subscribed and Sealed for I have differred the dispatching of a Currier with an evident danger that he will now arrive too late and put in hazard a businesse of mine of consideration which obligeth me to dispatch him that he may not go without them And that it may not be an occasion to doubt of the assurance we have given of his Majesties good will and intention whose Royal hands I and Don Carlos do intreat your Honour to kisse in our name and to continue us in his Majesties good Favour and your Honour likewise in yours for we deserve it with a particular affection and equal desire to serve you God save your Honour as I desire Your Honours servant The Marquesse Yuoiosa Sir Arthur Chichester to the Duke the 25. January 1623. May it please your Grace VVHen you went last from White-Hall I waited on the Prince and you into the Gallery where your Lordship spake something unto me which I understood not to wit Are you turned too As I knew not the ground of the Demand I could make no present answer nor now but by Conjecture When I turn from the Prince whom I know to be the worthiest of Princes or from you who by your favours have so bound me to serve you or from the truth as I conceive it God I know will turn from me until then I humbly pray your Lordship to believe that I am your honest servant The Sunday after your Lordships departure the Embassadours of the King of Spain came unto me under the pretext of a visit I have herewith sent your Grace a brief of what passed between us I judge some man hath done me an ill office by insinuating me into their good opinions of me sure I am I never spake of them nor of the affaires they have to manage but what I have said when the selected Councel were assembled I cannot be so dull but to know that they meant your Grace to be the Interposer of their desires and the Man whom they wished to be absent when they have their private audience They are exceeding Cautelous and I conceive the late Dispatch from Spain is like a gilded bayt to allure and deceive your Lordship perceiving their Malice will be warie to avoid their Venom I am Your Graces Humble and faithful Servant Arthur Chichester The Collections of the Passages and Discourses between the Embassadours of the King of Spain and Sir Arthur Chichester 18. Jannary 1623. These Passages were sent to the Duke inclosed in the last foregoing Letter ON Sunday the 18. of this present January the two Embassadors of Spain came to visit me at my House in Drury-Lane At their first entrance they took occasion to speak of the profession of Souldiers and of the Spanish Nation affirming them to be the bravest Friends and the bravest Enemies I approved it in the Souldier and contradicted it not in the Nation When they were come into an Inner Room looking upon the Company as if they desired to be private I caused them to withdraw but noting that they had brought an Interpreter with them I prayed Sir James Blount and Nathaniel Tomkins Clark of the Princes Councel who doth well understand the Spanish tongue to abide with me Being private they said they came to visit me because of the good intention and well-wishing they understood I had to the accommodation of businesses and because I stood named by his Majestie for the imployment into Germanie I acknowledged their coming to visit me as a particular Favour professing my self to be one of those who was able to do least but that I must and would in all things conform my self to the will and good pleasure of the King my Master They were pleased to remember and to take for argument of his Majesties good opinion of me to make
Compassion of me in respect of the grief wherein he saw I had upon these occasions and to say That although the marriage were broken yet he would procure that his Catholique Subjects should not fare the worse for that yet I know that it is morally impossible for that honourable design of his to take place in respect of the People and the importunitie and malice of the Puritans and especially because it will now be a case of meer necessitie for my Lord the King to run in a course of very straight Conjunction with them of his Parliament that he may be able the better to serve himself of them in other occasions from which Parliament as now the case will stand what Catholique can expect any other then the extreamitie of rigour In consideration whereof I cast my self with a sad heart at the feet of your Majestie beseeching you that you will take into your royal remembrance the love which you owe and procure to paie to our holy Mother the Church and that some course may be taken and with speed for otherwise it will be too late to give the Prince some foot of ground upon which he may be able to stand in such sort as that without losse of honour and breach of that word which he hath given to the world and without prejudice to that obedience which he oweth to the least commandement of the King his Father his Highnesse may be inabled to comply with the incomparable affection which he beareth the Infanta your Majesties Sister And that by meanes hereof the two Crowns may be kindly in perfect union and the Catholique religion may be highly advantaged not only in the Dominions of my Lord the King but in many other parts of Christendom into which the Authority of these Dominions doth flow For my part I take the eternall God to witnesse whom I procure to serve and who hath given me a heart which disclaimeth from all other interesses then to serve God and my King that I conceive my self not to comply with a good conscience without laying this protestation under the Eye of your Majestie that if the Catholique subjects of the King my Lord shall grow liable to persecution or affliction by occasion of breaking this Match through the disgust of the King my Lord and his Councel or through the power which infallibly the Puritans assembled in Parliament will have with him upon this occasion that blood or miserie whatsoever it may partly be required at their hands who have advised your Majestie not to accept of those large conditions for Catholiques which my Lord the King and the Prince have condescended to and of that more then moral Securitie which they have offered for the performance thereof And on the other side I undertake to your Majestie under the pain of infamie in case that be not made good which here I affirm that if your Majestie will be pleased to give some such ground to the Prince as whereupon he may with Honour stay and perfect the Treatie of the Marriage by any such way or means as may occur to your Majesties royal wisdom the whole bodies of the Catholiques in England both religious and secular shall acknowledge it as a great blessing of God and shall oblige themselves to pray incessantly for your happie Estate c. Sir Tobie Mathew to the Dutchesse of Buckingham 9. June 1625. Madam THere was no cause till now why I should trouble your Ladyship with presenting my unprofitable service to you but now I shall venture to do it by reason of the good newes I shall send with it For our Queen arrived here yesterday and I was glad at the heart to see her such as she had seemed she is more grown then I had thought being higher by half the head then my Ladie Marquesse And whatsoever they say believe me she sits already upon the very skirts of womanhood Madam upon my faith she is a most sweet lovely Creature and hath a countenance which opens a window into her heart where a man may see all Noblenesse and Goodnesse and I dare venture my head upon the little skill I have in Physiognomie that she will be extraordinarily beloved by our Nation and deserve to be so and that the actions of her self which are to be her own will be excellent Me thought I discerned in her countenance a little remnant of sadnesse which the fresh wound of parting from the Queen Mother might have made yet perhaps I was deceived Her Aattyre was very plain for so Great a Queen can be thought to have nothing mean about her But I hope that amongst many other blessings which God will have provided for us by her means her example will be able to teach our Countrie wit in this kind I had the happinesse to see and hear her at a short distance by the Commandement which my Lady of Buckingham laid upon me to interpret for her and believe me she is full of wit and hath a lovely manner in expressing it But I confesse I was sorrie with all my heart to hear that her courage was so great as to carry her instantly after my Ladie of Buckingham had taken her leave for that time to Sea in a poore little boate in the company of her brother whom yet I have not had the honour to see I dare give my word for her that she is not afraid of her own shadow who could find in her heart to put her self at the first sight upon an element of that danger and disease for meer pastime Unlesse it were perhaps that she might carrie some Steel about her and that there is some Adamant at Dover which already might begin to draw her that way I am extreamly sorrie that we have lost the hope of seeing the two other Queens for if they had come we might have had beautie here as well in the preterperfect and in the present tense as now we have in the future But the Queen Mothers indisposition hath arrested her at Amiens in punishment of that malice wherewith she dissembled it too long at the first through the extream desire she had of coming hither Our Queen received my Lady of Buckingham with strange courtesie and favour and now there is no remedy but that the King will needs defray and treat her after a high manner And I have been told that Mounsieur will needs descend so much as to visit her in her lodging and the Dutchesse of Chevereux being that great Princesse as she is both by match and bloud will perforce give precedence not onely to my Ladie of Buckingham but to my Ladies her daughters also And I assure my self that a lesse puissant example then this will serve to convert our Great Ladies even to exceed in England towards the Ladies which are strangers and do but come and go But the while this Court doth so apply it self to do my Lady of Buckingham all imaginable honour I look on it so as that I
to Coupe up all false-hearted Subjects that are known and provision to meet with the secret and open practises of such forraign Enemies as are like to abet them The good policies of the former reign in such times is the best president for this at this time The heads were then committed liberali Custodiae divided from their inferiour parts the Papists disarmed their clawes pared that they might not hurt us the lawes executed upon the Jesuites and Priests fire-brands of sedition and rebellion withal Or if not blood drawn of them yet close imprisonment or banishment enjoyned them Large subsidies granted to prepare the Navie and pay the armies And a great while no war proclaimed but brave Adventurers sent forth as to Portugal the Groine to the West-Indies c. And before Letters of reprisal granted to the Marchants to make up their losses a Rowland for an Oliver because they had granted Letters of Mart against us By this meanes Carricks were brought in the treasure of their West-Indian mines laid for at their return so to make war upon them with their own mony till they had made the enemie bankerout Ausbrug and to break with their banquers of Auspurg and Genua that he was not able to pay his Souldiers and garrisons and still the Low-countries strongly assisted and war made upon the enemie there or at home at his own doores which was more Noble gainful and safe for us for we still had peace and plenty at home though war abroad I know not how the case stands now between us and the Spaniards but me thinks it should not be very well when nothing will satisfie him but the head of him that spake the truth for the good of the King and kingdom Certainly if we break with him as they which sit at the Helm know what is best to do he is readie to strike and will peradventure strike quickly before we be fully prepared therefore our preparations had need to be more speedie thorough lest we fall into the snare While they were treating of peace in 88. they did even then invade us I pray God they have not used this treatie of marriage to as bad a purpose for it seemes they never did intend it but for delayes and to make it serve their turn they have plainly abused us in the Palatinate therereby But I can say nothing for the present yet what is to be done it is proper to an higher judgment onely I tell what was then when we were enemies I remember in 88. waiting upon the Earl of Leicester at Tilbury Camp and in 89. going into Portugal with my Noble Master the Earl of Essex I learned somewhat fit to be imparted to your Grace The Queen lying in the Campe one night guarded with her armie the old Lord Treasurer Burleigh came thither and delivered to the Earl the examination of Don Pedro who was taken and brought in by Sir Francis Drake which examination the Earl of Leicester delivered unto me to publish to the armie in my next sermon The sum of it was this Don Pedro being asked what was the intent of their coming Don Pedro's Confession stoutly answered the Lords What But to subdue your Nation and root it out Good said the Lords and what meant you then to do with the Catholiques He answered We meant to send them good men directly unto Heaven as all you that are Heretiques to hell Yea but said the Lords what meant you to do with your whips of cord and wyer whereof they had great store in their ships What said he We meant to whip you Heretiques to death that have assisted my Masters Rebels and done such dishonours to our Catholique King and people Yea but what would you have done said they with their young Children They said he which were above seven yeares old should have gone the way their fathers went the rest should have lived branded in the forehead with the Letter L. for Lutheran to perpetual bondage This I take God to witnesse I received of those great Lords upon examination taken by the Councel and by commandement delivered it to the armie The Queen the next morning rode through all the Squadrons of her armie as Armed Pallas attended by Noble Footmen Leicester Essex and Norris then Lord Marshal and divers other great Lords Where she made an excellent Oration to her armie which the next day after her departure I was commanded to redeliver to all the Armie together to keep a Publique Fast Her words were these MY loving people we have been perswaded by some that are careful of our safety to take heed how we commit our self to armed multitudes for fear of treachery but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people Let Tyrants fear I have alwayes so behaved my self that under God I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subiects And therefore I am come amongst you as you see at this time not for my recreation and disport but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battaile to live or die amongst you all to lay down for my God and for my kingdom and for my people my Honour and my blood even in the dust I know I have the bodie but of a weak and feeble woman but I have the heart and Stomach of a King and of a King of England too and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain or any Prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my Realm to which rather then any dishonour shall grow by me I my self will take up arms I my self will be your General Judge and Rewarder of everie one of your virtues in the field I know alreadie for your forwardnesse you have deserved rewards and crownes and we do assure you in the word of a Prince they shall be duly paid you In the mean time my Lievetenant General shall be in my stead then whom never Prince commanded a more Noble or worthie subject not doubting but by your obedience to my General by your Concord in the Camp and your valour in the field we shall shortly have a famous victorie over those enemies of my God of my Kingdomes and of my People This I thought would delight your Grace and no man hath it but my self and such as I have given it to and therefore I made bold to send it unto you if you have it not already I would I could perswade your Grace either to read your self or to command your Secretarie to gather out of the Historie of Spain translated into English towards the end five or six leaves which hath matter of great importance fit for the Parliament especiallie for two points the one concerning the setled intention of the State of Spain against England whensoever they can get an opportunity the other concerning the main reasons of state which moved the Queen and Councel then to take upon her the
protection of the Low-countries They were of two sorts the first inherent in the Person of the Prince then being which died with her as some think the Quarrel being then between the Queen and King of Spain Philip the second which are said to be buried in their graves the other inherent in their estates which live with them and remain in the heart of the State of Spain against us whosoever is their King And this appeareth by a large Disputation of State had before the King of Spain and blab'd out by their Chronicler in many words wherein pro et contra two do argue The one who proves that the Netherlands their Rebels are first to be conquered that it may serve them as a rise to the Conquest of England and the reasons for that project The other who proves that the English are first to be conquered the supporters of those their Rebels and for a rise to the Empire of Christendome and the reasons for the project and specially for that it is more easie now for the disuse of armes in England for that England is not now that England which it hath been c. And the mean how they may win themselves into us by a Treatie of Marriage as Mariana blabs it out in general that which the Prince hath tryed and your Grace hath uttered in Parliament in special that Colloquia de Contractibus are with them Mera ludibria parata tantum Regum animis Ne noceant distinendis dum ea quae ipsi intendunt perficiantur Which Guicciardine also doth in general affirm That the Spaniards bring more things to passe by Treaties and subtilties then by force of Armes And that you may truly understand the full intention of the Spaniard to the state of this Kingdom and Church I would your Grace would read a notable Discourse of the late most Noble Earl of Essex made by the Commandment of Queen Elizabeth and debated before her Majestie and her Councel concerning this point Whether Peace or War was to be treated with Spain The Lord Buckhurst speaking for a Treatie of Peace to the which the Noble Queen and her old Lord Treasurer inclined The Earl speaking for War because no safe peace could be made with that State for 3. special Reasons which are in that Treatise set down at large which is not fit for me yet to deliver by writing but there you shall find them Your Grace may have the book of divers Noblemen your friends If you have it not if I may understand your pleasure I will get it for you It was of that effect that it brought the Queen and Treasurer contrary to their purpose to his side for the very necessity of the common safetie Your Lordship having angred them and endeared your self to us you had need to look to your self you are as odious to them as ever the Earl of Essex was The Jesuite Walpool set on one of the stable Squire one well affected to my Lord to poyson the rests of his Chair And seeing they strike at the Ministers which deal effectually for his Church witnesse worthy Doctor White what will they do to such Pillars of State as you are The Lord preserve your Grace and watch over you And thus I rest Your Grace his most humble at Commandment Leonel Sharp The Lord Cromwell to the Duke 8. Septemb. 1625. May it please your Grace I Am now returned from mine own home and am here at Fulham neer Mr. Burlemachi making my self ready to attend your Command in the best manner my poor fortunes will give me leave and with what speed I may Some things I have sent to Plymouth and some Gentlemen so as when I come there I hope to find that your Lordship hath appointed me a good sailing ship and one that shall be able to play her part with the best and proudest enemy that dare look danger in the face Though your Grace hath placed a Noble Gentleman in the Regiment was intended to my Lord of Essex yet I will not despair of your favour or that you will not give me some taste of it as well as to any other I will study to be a deserving Creature and whether you will please to look on me with an affectionate eye or no I will love honour and serve you with no lesse truth and faith then those you have most obliged What concerns me I will not here speak of for fear I offend My prayers shall ever attend you and my curses those that wish you worse then their own soules Divers I do meet that say your Grace hath parted with your place of the Mastership of the Horse which makes the world suspect that some disfavour your Lordship is growing into And that this prime feather of yours being lost or parted with be it as it will it will not be long ere the rest follow They offer to lay wagers the Fleet goes not this year and that of necessitie shortly a Parliament must be which when it comes sure it will much discontent you It is wondered at that since the King did give such great gifts to the Dutchesse of Chevereux and those that then went how now a small summe in the Parliament should be called for at such an unseasonable time And let the Parliament sit when it will begin they will where they ended They say the best Lords of the Councel knew nothing of Count Mansfelts journey or this Fleet which discontents even the best sort if not all They say it is a very great burthen your Grace takes upon you since none knowes any thing but you It is conceived that not letting others bears part of the burthen you now bear it may ruine you which heaven forbid Much discourse there is of your Lordship here and there as I passed home and back and nothing is more wondered at then that one Grave man is not known to have your Ear except my good and Noble Lord Conway All men say if you go not with the Fleet you will suffer in it because if it prosper it will be thought no act of yours and if it succeed ill they say it might have been better had not you guided the King They say your undertakings in the Kingdom and your Engagements for the Kingdome will much prejudice your Grace And if God blesse you not with goodnesse as to accept kindly what in dutie and love I here offer questionlesse my freedom in letting you know the discourse of the world may much prejudice me But if I must lose your favour I had rather lose it for striving to do you good in letting you know the talk of the wicked world then for any thing else so much I heartily desire your prosperitie and to see you trample the ignorant multitude under foot All I have said is the discourse of the world and when I am able to judge of your actions I will freely tell your Lordship my mind Which when it shall not be alwaies really inclined to serve
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
told her That if the intentions of your Majestie were no better considered by the King here your Majestie commanding us for the good and happinesse of his Kingdom to endeavour to bring and give him the which we have done the greatest blessing in this World Peace in his Countrie then to be ballanced with a person that in requital hath stirred up and dailie desires to do it disputes and jarres even between your Majestie and the Queen we had reason to believe your Majestie most unjustly and most unworthily requited And it might take away upon any such occasion the care that otherwise you would have had to do the like And for my part it took from me all desire ever to be imployed upon any occasion hither where our Actions that their acknowledgments have been acceptable but a few daies past are now of so little consideration as we are of no more weight then the unworthiest Minister that ever was imployed Upon that I found she was sorrie for having expressed so much But this day we had from her a more favourable audience and from the King the effects and circumstances of that which we have in our Dispatch presented unto my Lord Conway Sir the malice of this Blanvile is so great unto your worthie servant my Lord Duke as he hath written a private Letter unto the King the which I saw by the favour of a friend that he is in a condition of danger to be ruined by the furie and power of the Parliament And to confirm him in that opinion hath sent all the passages amongst them that concern my Lord Duke adding to that of great factions against him at the Councel Table and naming some Lords the which makes me see he hath intelligence with all those that he believes may contribute any thing towards the mischieving of him But those that know the magnanimitie and noblenesse of your Majesties heart know that so noble a vessel of honour and service as he is shall never be in danger for all the storms that can threaten him when it is in your Majesties hands not onely to calm all these tempests but to make the Sun and beams of your favour to shine more clearly upon his deservings then ever the which upon this occasion your courage and virtue will no doubt do to the encouragement of all deserving and excellent servants and to his honour and comfort that is the most worthie that ever Prince had And so affectionate that the world hath no greater admirations then the fortunes that the Master and servant have run together And certainly our good God will ever preserve that affection that in so many accidents and one may say afflictions hath preserved your Persons Sir this boldnesse that I take proceeds not from the least doubt these foolish rumours give me of changes but out of a passionate meditation of those accidents that your courage and fortune hath carried you through blessing God for your prosperitie the which will be by his grace most glorious and lasting according to the prayers of Your Majesties Most humble and most obedient Subject and servant Holland Paris 1 13. March 1625. The Earl of Holland to the Duke My dear Lord THis Messenger is so rigid and such an enemie to all Jantileise as by him I will not send any news in that kind but when the little Mercurie comes you shall know that which shall make you joy and grieve that you cannot injoy what your fate and merit hath so justly destined unto you We have such daily alarums here out of England from Blanvile of the beating of his servant and at the last the danger that of late he himself hath been in of being assassinated in his own house for the first word that his servant said unto the King and the whole Court was The Embassadour had run such a bazard of his life as no man that heard him believed he had escaped with lesse then 5. or 6. wounds Insomuch as your friend Bouteve asked Fait vn belle fine And this hath so animated this Court being as your Lordship knowes apt upon all occasions to be fired and ftirred up as the King hath been moved to forbid us our entries and liberties here And yesterday Madam de Blanvile did openly petition the King to imprison us for the wrongs and injuries done unto her husband and his Embassadour that she feared was by this time dead But that had no other effect but to be laught at I never I confesse saw the Queen Mother in so much distraction and passion for she never speaks of her Daughter but with tears and yesterday with some heat and bitternesse to me about it the Circumstances I have taken the boldnesse to present unto his Majestie That which distracts me infinitely is to hear that they do traduce you as the cause of all these misfortunes and that you stirre up the King to these displeasures And so much impression it hath made into the Queen Mother as this day at the audience she told me That you had made the marriage and were now as she imagined and was informed resolved to destroy your work I asked her what particularitie could make her say and believe so against the general and continual actions and endeavours that the whole world ought to be satisfied of your infinite care and affection to fasten and tye together a good and constant intelligence and friendship between these Crowns She told me that you intreated Madam de St. George to do some service for you to the Queen the which she did and instead of giving her thanks you threatned the sending of her away I told her Though I had as yet heard nothing of this particularitie yet I knew your nature to be so generous as you would never do any action unjust I told her that she must distinguish between what you say as Commanded by the King and what you say of your self for if it be his pleasure to make the instrument to convey his will upon any occasion of his displeasure you are not to dispute but to obey his Command in that and in all other things I told her farther that I saw the continual malice of the Embassadour that invents daily injuries and falshoods of your Lordship to unload himself from his insolencies and faults but I hoped that nothing should light upon your Lordship but what you deserved the which to my knowledge was more value and esteem then any man in the world could or can ever merit from this Kingdome And I desired her not to entertain the belief of these things too hastily until we had newes out of England that we knew would contradict all these malitious discourses And I must tell your Grace that by a friend whom I am tyed not to name I was shewed the private Lettter that Blanvile wrote to the King in the which he sent him the whole proceedings of the Parliament and concludes they will ruine you naming great factions against you
not subject to many eyes Even now the Savoyard Embassadour sends an expresse Messenger unto me to hasten to Fountain Bleau Perhaps it may be to facilitate the Treatie with Rochel by either some Letter or Journey of mine thither But upon the conference I have had with the Duke de Chevereux I shall temporise till I hear his Majesties pleasure or see good evidences of generous effects like to ensue Being desirous to shape my course so as may be most acceptable to his Majestie and pleasing to your Grace whose virtues I adore in qualitie of Your Graces Most humble most faithful and most obedient servant Tho. Lorkin Postscript THe Duke de Chevereux expects the Cypher from your Grace if I be not deceived Mr. Lorkin to the Duke 17. September 1625. May it please your Grace TO read and consider two contrary advertisements the one given me on Munday evening by des Porches who repeating what he had told me before D'avoir destrompé la Royne mere en mil et mil choses assured me that her thoughts were now so far changed from what they were as she remitted every thing to his Majesties pleasure to do what he list provided that he attempted not upon the conscience of the Queen her Daughter which was the only point she was tender in and scrupulous that she had written a very sharp Letter full of good lessons and instructions to her that she had as clear a heart to your Grace as was possible had sent for Blanvil expressely to alter his instructions and that howsoever he like a hollow-hearted man had uttered in confidence to a friend of his That he would perswade the Queen of England to put on a reconciled countenance for a time till the way should be better prepared to give your Grace a dead lift yet the Queen Mothers intentions were assuredly sincere and good The Savoyards Embassadours voyage was not then resolved but his Secretarie prepared to make it in his room Of whom Pocheres by the way gave this touch That there was a great correspondence between Madamoiselle de Truges and him contracted upon occasions of frequent visits that had passed betwixt her Mother and the Embassadour and that therefore a careful eye was to be had of him Another who must be namelesse sent for me yesterday in the forenoone to tell me that Pere Berule's errand hither was only to make out-cries against the decree or proclamation against the Catholiques and to accuse your Grace as the Principal if not the only author who was now of a seeming friend become a deadly foe That the Earl of Arundel had out of his respect unto this State purposely absented himself that he might not be guilty of so pernicious a Councel That your Grace and my Lord of Holland had both but very slippery hold in his Majesties affections that if this King would imploy his credit as he might it would be no hard matter to root you both out thence that there were good preparatives for it alreadie and that my Lords Arundel and Pembroke would joyn hands and heads together to accomplish the effect Whereupon Blainville was sent for back to be more particularly instructed in the waies how to compasse it and would speedily post away in diligence The same party added that the propositions which the Marquesse de Fiatt had made bout the League and Fleet were before Brule's arrival somewhat well tasted but since slighted as those that became cheap by their offer to divers others as well as them that the said Marquesse should have visited Blainville at Paris and sounded him about his errand after this manner First whether he had order to disnestle Madam de St. George Whereto the answer was No and that it was against all reason of State so to do and when the other replyed that the world was come to a bad passe if reason of State descended as low as her Blainville remained silent Secondly whether he had commission to introduce the Dutchesse of Buckingham and the Countesse of Denbigh into the Queenes bed-chamber Answer was made that it was a nice and tender point and if that were once condescended to they would be continually whispering in the Queenes ear how dear she would be to the King her Husband how plausible and powerful among the people how beloved of all if she would change her religion against which they were in conscience here bound to provide and therefore conclude with a refusal of that likewise Thirdly whether he carried any good instructions about an offensive or defensive league whereunto the negative was still repeated but that he carried brave offers for the entertainment of Mausfelt And when the Marquesse replied that if that were all the contentment he carried he feared she would find but a very cold welcome the other added that perhaps he might be an Instrument to make the Queen and Duke friends This were good quoth the Marquesse if the Queen had not as much need of the Dukes friendship as the Duke of hers and upon these terms they parted The same lips that utterred all this gave caution likewise against the Savoyard Embassadour as a cunning deep hollow-hearted man And being felt by me how his pulse beat towards Porcheres told me he was a mercenarie man and no wayes to be trusted In the issue of all this his Councel was That your Grace would consider well your own strength and what ground you have in his Majesties favour If it be solid and good then a Bravado will not do amisse may be powerful here to make them to see their own errour and to walk upright so it end with a good close but if your station be not sure then he Counsels to prevent the storm for to break with all Spain France Puritanes Papists were not wisdom And desires that by any meanes you instantly dispatch a Currier to me to represent the true state of things at home and how you desire matters should be ordered for your service here abroad so that there may be fabriqued a more solid contentment to your Grace whose hands I most humbly kisse in quality of Your Graces Most humble most faithful most obeent and most obliged Servant Tho. Lorkin Postscript IF my stay be intended long it will be necessary that I use a Cypher which I humbly beseech your Grace to send me or to give me leave to frame one as I can As I was closing up my Letter Mr. Gerbier arrived who hath been somewhat indisposed in his health by the way but now is reasonably well God be thanked His coming is very seasonable and I assure my self will be useful By the discourse I have had with Mr. Gerbier I see a little clearer into the state of things here and think Porcheres his advertisement may be truer as being perhaps grounded upon knowledge the other springing only upon conjecture built upon Berult's clamours and overtures and the suddain sending for Mounsieur Blanville back Your Grace will see day
misfortune greater then this that still sailing after you in all humble desires of dutie I was still cast behind you I excuse nothing wherein your Grace may judge me faultie but will be glad to expiate my errours at any price Your noble heart I hope harbours no memorie of what did then distaste you Your own merits which have so much ennobled you will be the more compleat if I may but merit your forgetfulnesse of wrongs past If I seek your Grace before I deserve it enable me I beseech you to Deserve that I may seek If any on whom you have cast your eye most endear himself more to your service then I shall let me not follow the vintage at all Till this day I feared the rellish of sowr Grapes though I have sought you with many broken sleeps But this Noble Earl whose honour for this work shall ever with me be second to yours hath revived me with the assurance of your gracious pardon and libertie to hope I may be deemed your servant I protest to God it is not the affluence of your honour makes me joy in it nor the power of your Grace that trains me on to seek it but let the trial of all your fortunes speak thus much for me that I will follow you not as Cyrus his Captains and Souldiers followed him the one for spoil the other for place but if with safetie to your Grace though with peril to my self I may serve you let me die if I do it not rather then want any longer what my humble love ever led me to and I still affect the honour To be yours Henry Yelverton Sir John Eliot to the Dake 8. Novemb. 1623. Right Honourable VVIth what affection I have served your Grace I desire rather it should be read in my actions then my words which made me sparing in my last relation to touch those difficulties wherewith my Letters have been checkt that they might the more fully speak themselves I shall not seek to glosse them now but as they have been leave them to your Graces acceptance which I presume so noble that scandal or detraction cannot decline it It were an injurie of your worth which I dare not attempt to insinuate the opinion of any merit by false colours or pretences or with hard circumstances to endear my labours and might beget suspition sooner then assurance in your credit which I may not hazard My innocence I hope needs not these nor would I shadow the least errour under your protection But where my services have been faithful and not altogether vain directed truly to the honour and benefit of your place onely suffering upon the disadvantage of your absence I must importune your Grace to support my weaknesse that it may cause no prejudice of your rights and liberties which I have studied to preserve though with the losse of mine own My insistance therein hath exposed me to a long imprisonment and great charge which still increaseth and threatens the ruine of my poor fortunes if they be not speedily prevented For which as my endeavours have been wholly yours I most humbly ceave your Graces favour both to my self and them In which I am devoted Your Graces thrice-humble Servant J. Eliot The Earl of Oxford to the Duke My Lord I Cannot but believe that I have had some undeserved ill offices done me unto your Lordship otherwise I should not find this difficultie in being preferred if not afore at least equally in ballance with my Accusers It is common unto all mens understanding that it is not the guilt of the accused but the legal and just proceeding which cleares the Kings honour and this I do and ever will acknowledge to have been held towards me Neither was it ever known that the Kings Grace the more it came sweetned with his favour did lessen or diminish his honour but rather seemed as a lustre to make his goodnesse shine brighter and oblige the Receiver in a more strict Tye of gratitude My Lord it cannot wrong you to oblige me to your service nor add reputation to you throw me upon Rocks I appeal to the King and your own Conscience whether ever I have harboured any treasonable thoughts either against his Majestie or his issue that should make me uncapable of receiving his grace without imputation to those faithful and dutiful respects with which I have ever served his Majestie If it shall please him to line me out my path to death the period whither we must all travel to by imprisonment I shall be far from repining at the sentence but with all humblenesse will undergo it and employ my heartiest prayers for the long continuance of his honour and happinesse I beseech your Lordship receive my Character of what I am and have ever been towards you not from Conjectures and reports of others but from my own mouth and actions For yet I have reason to suspect your opinion of me else sure I should have found better fruits of your power I was alwaies as much as lay in me desirous to outstrip rather then come short of any in doing you service and the same affections still remain with me of the truth of which I pray you be confident To this onely I will add one request more which is That since your Lordship is pleased to mediate with his Majestie for my freedom you will procure it so free from rubs as that my obligation may be the greater which I will ever willingly and faithfully pay unto your Lordship in all respects like him who truly is Your Lordships c. H. O. The Lady Purbeck to the Duke My Lord THough you may judge what pleasure there is in the conversation of a man in the distemper you see your Brother in yet the dutie I owe to a husband and the affection I bear him which sicknesse shall not diminish makes me much desire to be with him to adde what comfort I can to his afflicted mind since his onely desire is my Companie Which if it please you to satisfie him in I shall with a very good will suffer with him and think all but my dutie though I think every wife would not do so But if you can so far dispense with the Lawes of God as to keep me from my Husband yet aggravate it not by restraining from me his means and all other contentments but which I think is rather the part of a Christian you especially ought much rather to studie comforts for me then to adde ills to ills since it is the marriage of your Brother makes me thus miserable For if you please but to consider not only the lamentable estate I am in deprived of all Comforts of a husband and having no means to live of besides falling from the hopes my fortune then did promise me for you know very well I came no beggar to you though I am like so to be turned off For your own honor and Conscience sake take some course to give me
satisfaction to tye my tongue from crying to God and the world for vengeance for the unworthy dealing I have received And think not to send me again to my Mothers where I have stayed this quarter of a year hoping for that my Mother said you promised order should be taken for me but I never received pennie from you Her confidence of your Noblenesse made me so long silent but now believe me I will sooner begg my bread in the streets to all your dishonours then any more trouble my friends and especially my Mother who was not onely content to afford us part of the little means she hath left her but whilest I was with her was continually distempered with devised Tales which came from your Familie and withal lost your good opinion which before she either had or you made shew of it but had it been real I cannot think her words would have been so translated nor in the power of discontented servants Tales to have ended it My Lord if the great honour you are in can suffer you to have so mean a thought as of so miserable a creature as I am so made by too much Credulitie of your fair promises which I have waited for performance of almost these five years And now it were time to despair but that I hope you will one day be your self and be governed by your own noble thoughts and then I am assured to obtain what I desire since my desires be so reasonable and but for mine own Which whether you grant or no the affliction my poor husband is in if it continue will keep my mind in a continual purgatorie for him and will suffer me to sign my self no other but Your unfortunate Sister F. Purbeck Dr. Donne to the Marquesse of Buckingham 13th Septemb. 1621. My most honoured Lord I Most humbly beseech your Lordship to afford this ragg of paper a room amongst your evidences It is your evidence not for a Mannour but for a man As I am a Priest it is my sacrifice of prayer to God for your Lordship and as I am a Priest made able to subsist and appear in Gods service by your Lordship it is a sacrifice of my self to you I deliver this paper as my Image and I assist the power of any Conjurer with this imprecation upon my self that as he shall tear this paper this picture of mine so I may be torn in my fortune and in my same if ever I have any corner in my heart dispossessed of a zeal to your Lordships service His Majestie hath given me a royal Key into your Chamber leave to stand in your presence and your Lordship hath already such a fortune as that you shall not need to be afraid of a suitor when I appear there So that I protest to your Lordship I know not what I want since I cannot suspect nor fear my self for ever doing or leaving undone any thing by which I might forfeit that title of being alwaies Your Lordships c. J. D. Dr. Donne to the Duke My Honoured Lord ONce I adventured to say to the Prince his Highnesse That I was sure he would receive a book from me the more gratiously because it was dedicated to your Grace I proceed justlie upon the same confidence that your Grace will accept this because it is his by the same title If I had not overcome that reluctation which I had in my self of representing devotions and mortifications to a young and active Prince I should not have put them into your presence who have done so much and have so much to do in this world as that it might seem enough to think seriously of that No man in the bodie of storie is a full president to you nor may any future man promise himself and adaequation to his precedent if he make you his Kings have discerned the seeds of high virtues in many men and upon that Gold they have put their stamp their favours upon those persons But then those persons have laboured under the jealousie of the future Heire And some few have had the love of Prince and King but not of the Kingdom and some of that too and not of the Church God hath united your Grace so to them all that as you have received obligations from the King and Prince so you have laid obligations upon the Church and state They above love you out of their judgement because they have loved you and we below love you out of our thankfulnesse because you have loved us Gods privie Seal is the testimonie of a good conscience and his broad-Seal is the outward bessings of this life But since his Pillar of fire was seconded with a Pillar of Cloud and that all his temporal blessings have some partial Eclipses and the purest consciences some remorses so though he have made your way to Glorie Glorie and brought you in the armes and bosome of his Vicegerent into his own arms and bosome yet there must come a minute of twilight in a natural death And as the reading of the actions of great men may assist you for great actions so for this one necessarie descent of dying which I hope shall be the onely step of Lownes that ever you shall passe by and by that late you may receive some Remembrances from the Meditations and Devotions of Your Graces Devoutest Servant J. Donne Sir John Hipsley to the Duke My Noble Lord I Find that all my Lord of Bristols actions are so much extolled that what you command me to say is hardly believed I will say no more in it but leave the rest to Mr Greihams only this that you have written much to the King in some mans behalf and Mr. Gresley hath a 100. a year given him during his life all which I think is without your knowledge And Mr. Killegrew hath the like that came for your sake after the other was granted Mr. Greihams can tell you how that came My Lord of Southampton hath offered his son to marrie with my Lord Treasurers Daughter and tells him this reason that now is the time he may have need of friends but it is refused as yet the event I know not what that will be I have spoken to the King of all that you gave me in command and he doth protest that what he hath done was meerly for your sake and indeed he is very careful of all your businesse as if you were here your self but yet for Gods-sake make what haste you may home for fear of the worst For the carriage of Captain Hall I will not trouble you till you come home only this by the way that my Lord Treasurer hath it but upon what tearms I know not nor indeed desire you should be troubled with it Sir George Goring came home but this last night and is gone to the Court and desires to be excused for writing to you My Ladie Hatton and my Ladie Purbeck came home with him from the Hague My Lord of Arundel hath not been
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