Page images
PDF
EPUB

it is that my lord keeper hath stayed my pardon at the
seal. But it is with good respect; for he saith it shall
́be private, and then he would forthwith write to your
lordship, and would pass it if he received your pleasure;
and doth also shew his reason of stay, which is, that
he doubteth the exception of the sentence of parliament
is not well drawn, nor strong enough; which if it be
doubtful, my lord hath great reason. But sure I am,
both myself, and the king, and your lordship, and
Mr. Attorney, meant clearly, and I think Mr. At-
torney's pen hath gone well.
well. My humble request to
your lordship is, that for my lord's satisfaction Mr.
Solicitor may be joined with Mr. Attorney, and if it
be safe enough, it may go on; if not, it may be
amended. I ever rest

Your lordship's most obliged friend
and faithful servant,

18 October, 1621.

FR. ST. ALBAN:

Stephens's second col

lection, 155.

P1

Ibid.p.156.

CCLXIX. To the Lord St. Alban.

My honourable Lord,

I HAVE brought your servant along to this place, in expectation of the letter from the lord keeper,. which your lordship mentioneth in yours; but having not yet received it, I cannot make answer to the business you write of; and therefore thought fit not to detain your man here any longer, having nothing else to write, but that I always rest

Your lordship's faithful friend and servant,
G. BUCKINGHAM.

Hinchenbrook, 20 Oct. 1621.

CCLXX. To the Lord ST. ALBAN.

My noble Lord,

Now that I am provided of a house, I have thought it congruous to give your lordship notice thereof, that you may no longer hang upon the treaty, which hath

been between your lordship and me, touching Yorkhouse; in which, I assure your lordship, I never desired to put you to the least inconvenience. So I rest

Your lordship's servant,

G. BUCKINGHAM.

CCLXXI. To the Lord ST. ALBAN.

My Lord,

I AM glad your lordship understands me so rightly in my last letter. I continue still in the same mind, for, I thank God, I am settled to my contentment; and so I hope you shall enjoy yours, with the more, because I am so well pleased in mine. And, my lord, I shall be very far from taking it ill, if you part with it to any else, judging it alike unreasonableness, to desire that which is another man's, and to bind him by promise or otherwise not to let it to another.

My lord, I will move his majesty to take commiseration of your long imprisonment, which, in some respects, both you and I have reason to think harder, than the Tower; you for the help of physic, your parley with your creditors, your conference for your writings, and studies, dealing with friends about your business and I for this advantage to be sometimes happy in visiting and conversing with your lordship, whose company I am much desirous to enjoy, as being tied by ancient acquaintance to rest

Your lordship's faithful friend and servant,
G. BUCKINGHAM.

Stephens's second collection, P. 156.

CCLXXII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. From the My very good Lord,

THOUGH I returned answer to your lordship's last honourable and kind letter, by the same way by which I received it; yet I humbly pray your lordship to give me leave to add these few lines. My lord, as God above is my witness, that I ever have loved and

9 Restraint from coming within the verge of the court.

[merged small][ocr errors]

original draught.

honoured your lordship as much, I think, as any son of Adam can love or honour a subject; and continue in as hearty and strong wishes of felicity to be heaped and fixed upon you as ever; so, as low as I am, I had rather sojourn in a college in Cambridge, than recover a good fortune by any other than yourself. To recover yourself to me (if I have you not) or to ease your lordship in any thing, wherein your lordship would not so fully appear, or to be made participant of your favours, in your way; I would use any man that were your lordship's friend. Secondly, if in any of my former letters I have given your lordship any distaste, by the style of them, or any particular passage, I humbly pray your lordship's benign construction and pardon. For I confess it is my fault, though it be some happiness to me withal, that I many times forget my adversity: but I shall never forget to be, etc. 5 March, 1621.

Stephens's CCLXXIII. To the KING's most excellent

second col-
lection,
P. 164.

[ocr errors]

Majesty.

May it please your Majesty,

I ACKNOWLEDGE myself in all humbleness infinitely bounden to your majesty's grace and goodness, for that, at the intercession of my noble and constant friend, my lord marquis, your majesty hath been pleased to grant me that which the civilians say is res inestimabilis, my liberty. So that now, whenever God calleth me, I shall not die a prisoner. Nay, farther, your majesty hath vouchsafed to cast a second and iterate aspect of your eye of compassion upon me, in referring the consideration of my broken estate to my good lord the treasurer; which as it is a singular bounty in your majesty, so I have yet so much left of a late commissioner of your treasure, as I would be sorry to sue for any thing that might seem immodest. your majesty's great benefits, in casting your bread upon the waters (as the Scripture saith) because my thanks cannot any ways be sufficient to attain, I have raised your progenitor, of famous memory (and now,

These

[ocr errors]

I hope, of more famous memory than before) king
Henry VII, to give your majesty thanks for me; which
work, most humbly kissing your majesty's hands, I do
present. And because in the beginning of my trouble,
when in the midst of the tempest I had a kenning of the
harbour, which I hope now by your majesty's favour I
amentering into, I made a tender to your majesty of two
works, An history of England, and A digest of your
laws, as I have, by a figure of pars pro toto, performed
the one, so I have herewith sent your majesty, by way
of an epistle, a new offer of the other. But my désire
is farther, if it stand with your majesty's good pleasure,
since now my study is my exchange, and my pen my
factor, for the use of my talent; that your majesty
(who is a great master in these things) would be
pleased to appoint me some task to write, and that I
shall take for an oracle. And because my Instaura-
tion (which I esteem my great work, and do still go
on with silence) was dedicated to your majesty; and
this History of king Henry VII. to your lively and
excellent image the prince; if now your majesty will
be pleased to give me a theme to dedicate to my lord
of Buckingham, whom I have so much reason to ho-
nour, I should with more alacrity embrace your ma-
jesty's direction than my own choice. Your majesty
will pardon me for troubling you thus long. God
evermore preserve and prosper you..

Your majesty's poor beadsman most devoted,
FR. ST. ALBAN.

Gorhambury, 20 Mar. 1621.

second col

CCLXXIV. To the Right Honourable his very Stephens's good Lord, the Lord Marquis of BUCKING-lection, HAM, High Admiral of England.

My very good Lord,

THESE main and real favours which I have lately received from your good lordship, in procuring my liberty, and a reference of the consideration of my release, are such, as I now find that in building upon your lordship's noble nature and friendship, I have built

p. 157.

upon the rock, where neither winds nor waves can cause overthrow. I humbly pray your lordship to accept from me such thanks as ought to come from him whom you have much comforted in fortune, and much more

comforted in shewing your love and affection to him; of which also I have heard by my lord Falkland, Sir Edward Sackville, Mr. Matthews, and other ways.

I have written, as my duty was, to his majesty thanks touching the same, by the letter I here put into your noble hands.

I have made also, in that letter, an offer to his majesty of my service, for bringing into better order and frame the laws of England: the declaration whereof I have left with Sir Edward Sackville, because it were no good manners to clog his majesty, at this time of triumph and recreation, with a business of this nature; so as your lordship may be pleased to call for it to Sir Edward Sackville when you think the time seasonable.

I am bold likewise to present your lordship with a book of my History of king Henry the seventh. And now that, in summer was twelve months, I dedicated a book to his majesty; and this last summer, this book to the prince; your lordship's turn is next, and this summer that cometh (if I live to it) shall be yours. I have desired his majesty to appoint me the task, otherwise I shall use my own choice; for this is the best retribution I can make to your lordship. God prosper you. I rest

Your lordship's most obliged friendwood and faithful servant, di

Gorhambury, this 20th of March, 1621

FR. ST. ALBAN.
RST

16 20 prodía

-CCLXXV. To Father Redempt. BARANZAN."

Domine Baranzane,

bib Jus sudbincktslovers. LITERAS tuas legi libenter: cumque inter veritatis amatores ardor etiam candorem generet, ad ad ea, quæ

101

ingenue petiisti, ingenue respondebo.

290From Niceron, tom. III. p. 45. mpak

[ocr errors]

ority of Aris

He was a Barnabite monk at Annecy in Savoy, who in his Lectures on Philosophy, began to discard the

1622, at the age

totle. He died the 23 Dec. 1622, at the age of 33.1QO

« PreviousContinue »