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Stephens's
second col-
lection,
p. 145.

making my humble suit to the house for that purpose, joined with the delivery of the seal into your majesty's hands.

This is the last suit I shall make to your majesty in this business, prostrating myself at your mercy-seat, after fifteen years service, wherein I have served your majesty in my poor endeavours with an entire heart, and, as I presumed to say unto your majesty, am still a virgin for matters which concern your person or crown; and now only craving, that after eight steps of honour I be not precipitated altogether.

But because he that hath taken bribes is apt to give bribes, I will go farther, and present your majesty with a bribe. For if your majesty give me peace and leisure, and God give me life, I will present your majesty with a good history of England, and a better digest of your laws. And so concluding with my prayers, I rest Your majesty's afflicted, but ever devoted servant, 21 April, 1621. FR. ST. ALBAN, Canc.

CCLIX. To the Prince of WALES.

It may please your Highness,

WHEN I call to mind, how infinitely I am bound to your highness, that stretched forth your arm to save me from a sentence; that took hold of me to keep me from being plunged deep in a sentence; that hath kept me alive in your gracious memory and mention since the sentence; pitying me as, I hope, I deserve, and valuing me far above that I can deserve: I find my words almost as barren as my fortunes, to express unto your highness the thankfulness I owe. Therefore I can but resort to prayers to Almighty God to clothe you with his most rich and precious blessings, and likewise joyfully to meditate upon those he hath conferred upon you already; in that he hath made you to the king your father, a principal part of his safety, contentment and continuance: in yourself so judicious, accomplished, and graceful in all your doings, with more virtues in the buds (which are the sweetest) than

have been known in a young prince, of long time; with the realm so well beloved, so much honoured, as it is mens daily observation how nearly you approach to his majesty's perfections; how every day you exceed yourself; how, compared with other princes, which God hath ordained to be young at this time, you shine amongst them; they rather setting off your religious, moral, and natural excellencies, than matching them, though you be but a second person. These and such like meditations I feed upon, since I can yield your highness no other retribution. And for myself, I hope by the assistance of God above, of whose grace and favour I have had extraordinary signs and effects during my afflictions, to lead such a life in the last acts thereof, as whether his majesty employ me, or whether I live to myself, I shall make the world say that I was not unworthy such a patron.

I am much beholden to your highness's worthy servant Sir John Vaughan, the sweet air, and loving usage of whose house hath already much revived my languishing spirits; I beseech your highness, thank him for me. God ever preserve and prosper your highness. Your highness's most humble

and most bounden servant,

1 June, 1621.

FR. ST. ALBAN.

CCLX. To the KING.

It may please your most excellent Majesty,

I HUMBLY thank your majesty for my liberty, without which timely grant, any farther grace would have come too late. But your majesty that did shed tears in the beginning of my trouble, will, I hope, shed the dew of your grace and goodness upon me in the end. Let me live to serve you, else life is but the shadow of death to

Your majesty's most devoted servant,

4 June, 1621.

FR. ST. ALBAN.

Stephens's second col

lection, p. 146,

Stephens's second collcction, P. 147.

CCLXI. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM.
My very good Lord,

I HEARTILY thank your lordship for getting me out of prison: and now my body is out, my mind nevertheless will be still in prison, till I may be on my feet to do his majesty and your lordship faithful service. Wherein your lordship, by the grace of God, shall find that my adversity hath neither spent, nor pent my spirits. God prosper you.

Your lordship's most obliged friend
and faithful servant,

FR. ST. ALBAN.

Ibid.

4 June, 1621.

CCLXII. A Memorial for his MAJESTY'S service.

FOR that your majesty is pleased to call for my opinion, concerning the sacred intention you have to go on with the reformation of your courts of justice, and relieving the grievances of your people, which the parliament hath entered into; I shall never be a recusant, though I be confined, to do you service.

Your majesty's star-chamber, next your court of parliament, is your highest chair. You never came upon that mount, but your garments did shine before you went off. It is the supreme court of judicature ordinary, it is an open council; nothing I would think can be more seasonable, if your other appointments permit it, than if your majesty will be pleased to come thither in person, the morrow after this term (which is the time anniversary, before the circuits and the long vacation) and there make an open declaration :

That you purpose to pursue the reformation, which the parliament hath begun. That all things go well, in all affairs, when the ordinary and extraordinary are well mingled and tempered together. That in matters of your treasure you did rely upon your parliament for the extraordinary, but you were ever desirous to

do what you could, by improvements, retrenchments, and the like, to set the ordinary in good frame and establishment. That you are in the same mind in matter of reformation of justice, and grievance, to assist yourself with the advice and authority of parliament at times; but mean while to go on with the same intentions, by your own regal power and care. That it doth well in church-music when the greatest part of the hymn is sung by one voice, and then the choir at all times falls in sweetly and solemnly, and that the same harmony sorteth well in monarchy between the king and his parliament.

That all great reformations are best brought to perfection by a good correspondence between the king and his parliament, and by well sorting the matters and the times; for in that which the king doth in his ordinary administration, and proceedings, neither can the information be so universal, nor the complaint so well encouraged, nor the references so many times free from private affection, as when the king proceedeth by parliament; on the other side, that the parliament wanteth time to go through with many things; besides, some things are of that nature, as they are better discerned and resolved by a few than by many. Again, some things are so merely regal, as it is not fit to transfer them; and many things, whereof it is fit for the king to have the principal honour and thanks.

Therefore, that according to these differences and distributions, your majesty meaneth to go on, where the parliament hath left, and to call for the memorials, and inchoations of those things, which have passed in both houses, and to have them pass the file of your council, and such other assistance as shall be thought fit to be called respectively, according to the nature of the business, and to have your learned counsel search precedents what the king hath done for matter of reformation, as the parliament hath informed themselves by precedents what the parliament hath done: and thereupon that the clock be set, and resolutions taken, what is to be holpen by commission, what by act of council,

what by proclamation, what to be prepared for parliament, what to be left wholly for parliament.

That if your majesty had done this before a parliament, it might have been thought to be done to prevent a parliament, whereas, now it is to pursue a parliament; and that by this means many grievances shall be answered by deed, and not by word; and your majesty's care shall be better than any standing committee in this interim between the meetings of parliament.

For the particulars, your majesty in your grace and wisdom will consider, how unproper and how unwarranted a thing it is for me, as I now stand, to send for entries of parliament, or for searchers for precedents, whereupon to ground an advice; and besides what I should now say may be thought by your majesty (how good an opinion soever you have of me) much more by others, to be busy or officious, or relating to my present fortunes.

Stephens's CCLXIII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. My very good Lord,

second collection, p. 150.

YOUR lordship, I know, and the king both, mought think me very unworthy of that I have been, or that I am, if I should not by all means desire to be freed from the restraint which debarreth me from approach to his majesty's person, which I ever so much loved, and admired; and severeth me likewise from all conference with your lordship, which is my second comfort. Nevertheless, if it be conceived that it may be matter of inconvenience, or envy, my particular respects must give place: only in regard of my present urgent occasions, to take some present order for the debts that press me most, I have petitioned his majesty to give me leave to stay at London till the last of July, and then I will dispose of my abode according to the sentence. I have sent to the prince to join with you in it, for though the matter seem small, yet it importeth me much. God prosper you.

20 June, 1621.

Your lordship's true servant,
FR. ST. ALBAN.

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