have been known in a young prince, of long time; I am much beholden to your highness's worthy ser- 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 CCLXI. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. 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 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 per fection 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, second col 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 parlia ment. 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, lection, 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, CCLXIV. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. Stephens's My very good Lord, I HUMBLY thank your lordship for the grace and favour you did both to the message and messenger, in bringing Mr. Meautys to kiss his majesty's hands, and to receive his pleasure from himself. My riches in my adversity have been, that I have had a good master, a good friend, and a good servant. I perceive by Mr. Meautys his majesty's inclination, that I should go first to Gorhambury; and his majesty's inclinations have ever been with me instead of directions. Wherefore I purpose, God willing, to go thither forthwith, humbly thanking his majesty, nevertheless, that he meant to have put my desire, in my petition contained, into a way, if I had insisted upon it; but I will accommodate my present occasions as I may, and leave the times, and seasons, and ways to his majesty's grace and choice. Only I desire his majesty to bear with me if I have pressed unseasonably. My letters out of the Tower were de profundis; and the world is a prison, if I may not approach his majesty, finding in my heart as I do. God preserve and prosper his majesty and your lordship. Your lordship's faithful and bounden servant, 22 June, 1621. second collection, p. 151. CCLXV. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. Ibid.p.152. My very good Lord, I THANK God I am come very well to Gorhambury, whereof I thought your lordship would be glad to hear sometimes; my lord, I wish myself by you in this stirring world, not for any love to place or business, for that is almost gone with me, but for my love to yourself, which can never cease in Your lordship's most obliged friend FR. ST. ALBAN. |