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CCLXXXIII. To the Duke of BUCKINGHAM. Stephens'

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,
FR. ST. ALBAN.

12 Oct. 1623.

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.

CCLXXXIV. To the Lord St. ALBAN.
My Lord,

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 thereof. What Sir Toby Matthew hath delivered on my

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second col lection, p. 177.

Ibid.p.178.

Stephens's
second col-
lection,
P. 179.

Ibid. 180.

behalf, I will be ready to make good, and omit no
opportunity that may serve for the endeavours of

Your lordship's faithful friend and servant,
Royston, Octob. 14, 1623.
G. BUCKINGHAM.

CCLXXXV. To the Duke of BUCKINGHAM.

Excellent Lord,

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
FR. ST. ALBAN.

October, 1623.

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.

mine I pray command.

For me and

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 of her 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

Your lordship's assured friend
and faithful servant,

Hinchenbrook, 27 Oct. 1628.

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 assure
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,
G. BUCKINGHAM.

Hinchenbrook, 29 Oct. 1623.

Stephens's
second col-
lection,
p. 181.

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

Stephens's
second col-
lection,
p. 184.

ibid. 185.

cloud; the other for a translation of my honours after my decease. I hope his majesty will have compassion on me, as he promised me he would. My heart telleth me that no man hath loved his majesty and his service more entirely, and love is the law and the prophets. I

ever rest

Your grace's most obliged and faithful servant,
FR. ST. ALBAN.

25 Nov. 1623.

CCLXXXIX. To the Lord ST. ALBAN.

My honourable Lord,

I HAVE received your lordship's letter, and have been long thinking upon it, and the longer the less able to make answer unto it. Therefore if your lordship would be pleased to send any understanding man unto me, to whom I may in discourse open myself, I will by that means so discover my heart with all freedom, which were too long to do by letter, especially in this time of parliament business, that your lordship shall receive satisfaction. In the mean time I rest Your lordship's faithful servant, G. BUCKINGHAM.

Royston, 16 December.

CCXC. To the Lord ST. Alban.

My Lord,

I HAVE moved his majesty in your suit, and find him very gracious inclined to grant it; but he desireth first to know from my lord treasurer his opinion and the value of it: to whom I have written to that purpose this inclosed letter, and would wish your lordship to speak with him yourself for his favour and furtherance therein; and for my part I will omit nothing that appertaineth to

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

Newmarket, the 28th of Jan. 1623.

CCXCI. To the Duke of BUCKINGHAM.

Excellent Lord,

I HAVE received the warrant, not for land but for the money, which if it may be speedily served, is sure the better; for this I humbly kiss your grace's hands. But because the exchequer is thought to be somewhat barren, although I have good affiance of Mr. Chancellor, yet I hold it very essential, and therein I most humbly pray your grace's favour, that you would be pleased by your letter to recommend to Mr. Chancellor the speedy issuing of the money by this warrant, as a business whereof your grace hath an especial care; the rather for that I understand from him, there be some other warrants for money to private suitors at this time on foot. But your grace may be pleased to remember this difference: that the other are mere gifts; this of mine is a bargain, with an advance only.

I most humbly pray your grace likewise to present my most humble thanks to his majesty. God ever guide you by the hand. I always rest

Your faithful and more and more obliged servant,
Gray's-Inn, this 17th of

November, 1624.

FR. ST. ALBAN.

I most humbly thank your grace for your grace's favour to my honest deserving servant.

CCXCII. To the Lord ST. ALBAN.
My noble Lord,

THE hearty affection I have borne to your person and service, hath made me ever ambitious to be a messenger of good news to you, and an eschewer of ill; this hath been the true reason why I have been thus long in answering you, not any negligence in your discreet modest servant, you sent with your letter, nor his who now returns you this answer, oft-times given me by your master and mine, who though by this may seem not to satisfy your desert and expectation, yet, take the word of a friend who will never fail you,

Stephens's second collection, p. 185,

Ibid. 186.

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