discern the change, for your lordship to have an importuner, instead of a friend and a suitor. Though howsoever, if your lordship should never think of me more, yet in respect of your former favours, which cannot altogether be made void, I must remain, etc. CCLXXXI. To the Lord ST. ALBAN. My Lord, I HAVE dispatched the business your lordship recommended to me, which I send your lordship here, inclosed, signed by his majesty, and have likewise moved him for your coming to kiss his hand, which he is pleased you should do at Whitehall when he returneth next thither. In the mean time I rest Your lordship's faithful friend and servant, 1 Newmarket, 13 Nov. 1622. G. BUCKINGHAM. I will give order to my secretary to wait upon Sir John Suckling about your other business. Endorsed by the Lord St. Alban's hand, 1 1 My Lord of Bucks touching my warrant and access. CCLXXXII, Stephens's second col lection, p. 174. Τo the Marquis of BUCKING- Ibid.p.175. Excellent Lord, HAM. THOUGH I have troubled your lordship with many letters, oftener than I think I should (save that affection keepeth no account) yet upon the repair of Mr. Matthew, a gentleman so much your lordship's servant, and to me another myself, as your lordship best knoweth, you would not have thought me a man alive, except I had put a letter into his hand, and withal, by so faithful and approved a man, commended my fortunes afresh unto your lordship: My lord, to speak my heart to your lordship, I never felt my misfortunes so much as now: not for that part which may concern myself, who profit (I thank God for it) both in patience, and in settling mine own courses; but when I look abroad and see the times so stirring, and so much dissimulation and falshood, baseness and envy in the world, and so many idle clocks going in mens heads, then it grieveth me much, that I am not sometimes at your lordship's elbow, that I might give you some of the fruits of the careful advice, modest liberty, and true information of a friend that loveth your lordship as I do. For though your lordship's fortunes be above the thunder and storms of inferior regions; yet nevertheless, to hear the wind and not to feel it, will make one sleep the better. My good Lord, somewhat I have been, and much I have read; so that few things that concern states or greatness, are new cases unto me: and therefore I hope I may be no unprofitable servant to your lordship. I remember the king was wont to make a character of me, far above my worth, that I was not made for small matters; and your lordship would sometimes bring me from his majesty that Latin sentence, De minimis non curat lex: and it hath so fallen out, that since my retiring, times have been fuller of great matters than before; wherein perhaps, if I had continued near his majesty, he might have found more use of my service, if my gift lay that way: but that is but a vain imagination of mine. True it is, that as I do not aspire to use my talent in the king's great affairs; yet for that which may concern your lordship, and your fortune, no man living shall give you a better account of faith, industry, and affection, than I shall. I must conclude with that which gave me occasion of this letter, which is Mr. Matthew's employment to your lordship in those parts, wherein I am verily persuaded your lordship shall find him a wise and able gentleman, and one that will bend his knowledge of the world (which is great) to serve his majesty, and the prince, and in especial your lordship. So I rest Your lordship's most obliged and faithful servant, Gray's-Inn, this 18th April, 1623. FR. ST. ALBAN. CCLXXXIII. To the Duke of BUCKINGHAM. Stephens's Excellent Lord, How much I rejoice in your grace's safe return, you will easily believe, knowing how well I love you, and how much I need you. There be many things in this journey both in the felicity and in the carriage thereof, that I do not a little admire, and wish your grace may reap more and more fruits in continuance answerable to the beginnings. Myself have ridden at anchor all your grace's absence, and my cables are now quite worn. I had from Sir Toby Matthew, out of Spain, a very comfortable message, that your grace had said, I should be the first that you would remember in any great favour after your return; and now coming from court, he telleth me he had commission from your lordship to confirm it: for which I humbly kiss your hands. My lord, do some good work upon me, that I may end my days in comfort, which nevertheless cannot be complete except you put me in some way to do your noble self service; for I must ever rest Your Grace's most obliged and faithful servant, 12 Oct. 1623. A FR. ST. ALBAN. J I have written to his highness, and had presented my duty to his highness, to kiss his hands at Yorkhouse, but that my health is scarce yet confirmed. second col qite THE assurance of your love makes me easily believe your joy at my return; and if I may be so happy, as by the credit of my place to supply the decay of your cables, I shall account it one of the special fruits there of. What Sir Toby Matthew hath delivered on my Ibid.p.178. Stephens's second collection, p. 179. Ibid. 180. behalf, I will be ready to make good, and omit no Your lordship's faithful friend and servant, Royston, Octob. 14, 1623. CCLXXXV. To the Duke of BUCKINGHAM. I SEND your grace for a parabien a book of mine, written first and dedicated to his majesty in English, and now translated into Latin and enriched. After his majesty and his highness, your grace is ever to have the third turn with me. Vouchsafe of your wonted favour to present also the king's book to his majesty. The prince's I have sent to Mr. Endimion Porter. I hope your grace, because you are wont to disable your Latin, will not send your book to the Conde d'Olivares, because he was a deacon; for I understand by one, that your grace may guess whom I mean, that the Conde is not rational, and I hold this book to be very rational. Your grace will pardon me to be merry, however the world goeth with me. I ever rest Your grace's most faithful and obliged servant, Gray's-Inn, this 22d I have added a begging postscript in the king's letter; for, as I writ before, my cables are worn out, my hope of tackling is by your lordship's means. For me and mine I pray command. CCLXXXVI. To the Lord ST. ALBAN. My Lord, I GIVE your lordship many thanks for the parabien you have sent me; which is so welcome unto me, both for the author's sake and for the worth of itself, that I cannot spare a work, of so much pains to your lordship and value to me, unto a man of so little reason and less art; who, if his skill in languages be no greater than I found it in argument, may, perhaps, have as much need of an interpreter, for all his deaconry, as myself; and whatsoever mine ignorance is in the tongue, yet this much I understand in the book, that it is a noble monument of your love, which I will entail to my pos terity, who, I hope, will both reap the fruit of the work, and honour the memory of the author. The other book I delivered to his majesty, who is tied here by the feet longer than he purposed to stay. For the business your lordship wrote of in your other letters, I am sorry I can do you no service, having engaged myself to Sir William Becher before my going into Spain, so that I cannot free myself, unless there were means to give him satisfaction. But I will ever continue 7 Your lordship's assured friend Hinchenbrook, 27 Oct. 1628. and faithful servant, G. BUCKINGHAM. CCLXXXVII. To the Lord ST. ALBAN. My honourable Lord, I HAVE delivered your lordship's letter and your book to his majesty, who hath promised to read it over : I wish I could promise as much for that which you sent me, that my understanding of that language might make me capable of those good fruits, which, I assuı myself by an implicit faith, proceed from your pen. But I will tell you in good English, with my thanks for your book, that I ever rest Your lordship's faithful friend and servant, Hinchenbrook, 29 Oct. 1623. Stephens's CCLXXXVIII. To the Duke of BUCKINGHAM. Ibi '. Excellent Lord, I SEND Mr. Parker to have ready, according to the speech I had with your grace, my two suits to his majesty, the one for a full pardon, that I may die out of a 4 |