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Stephens's
second col-
lection,
p. 152.

Being now out of use and out of sight, I recommend myself to your lordship's love and favour, to maintain me in his majesty's grace and good intention.

CCLXVI. To the KING.

It may please your most excellent Majesty, I PERCEIVE by my noble and constant friend the marquis, that your majesty hath a gracious inclination towards me, and taketh care of me, for fifteen years the subject of your favour, now of your compassion; for which I most humbly thank your majesty. This same nova creatura is the work of God's pardon and the king's; and since I have the inward seal of the one, I hope well of the other.

Utar, saith Seneca to his master, magnis exemplis ; nec meæ fortuna sed tuæ. Demosthenes was banished for bribery of the highest nature, yet was recalled with honour; Marcus Livius was condemned for exactions, yet afterwards made consul and censor. Seneca banished for divers corruptions, yet was afterwards restored, and an instrument of that memorable Quinquennium Neronis. Many more. This, if it please your majesty, I do not say for appetite of employment, but for hope that if I do by myself as is fit, your majesty will never suffer me to die in want or dishonour. I do now feed myself upon remembrance, how when your majesty used to go a progress, what loving and confident charges you were wont to give me touching your business. For as Aristotle saith, young men may be happy by hope, so why should not old men, and sequestered men, by remembrance? God ever prosper and preserve your majesty.

Your majesty's most bounden

and devoted servant,

FR. ST. ALBAN.

16 July, 1621.

CCLXVII. To the Lord St. Alban.

My honourable Lord,

I HAVE delivered your lordship's letter of thanks to his majesty, who accepted it very graciously, and will be glad to see your book, which you promised to send very shortly, as soon as it cometh. I send your lordship his majesty's warrant for your pardon, as you desired it; but am sorry, that in the current of my service to your lordship there should be the least stop of any thing; yet having moved his majesty, upon your servant's intimation, for your stay in London till Christmas, I found his majesty, who hath in all other occasions, and even in that particular already, to the dislike of many of your own friends, shewed with great forwardness his gracious favour towards you, very unwilling to grant you any longer liberty to abide there: which being but a small advantage to you, would be a great and general distaste, as you cannot but easily conceive, to the whole state. And I am the more sorry for this refusal of his majesty's falling in a time when I was a suitor to your lordship in a particular concerning myself, wherein though your servant insisted farther than, I am sure, would ever enter into your thoughts, I cannot but take it as a part of a faithful servant in him. But if your lordship, or your lady, find it inconvenient for you to part with the house, I would rather provide myself otherwise, than any way incommodate you, but will never slack any thing of my affection to do you service; whereof if I have not given you good proof, I will desire nothing more, than the fittest occasion to shew how much I am

Your lordship's faithful servant,
G. BUCKINGHAM.

Octob. 1621.

Stephens's

second col

lection,

P. 153.

CCLXVIII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. Ibid. 154. My very good Lord,

An unexpected accident maketh me hasten this letter to your lordship, before I could dispatch Mr. Meautys;

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Stephens's second collection, P. 155.

Ibid.p.156.

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. 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,
FR. ST. ALBAN.

18 October, 1621.

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.
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.

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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 Majesty.

second col-
lection,
P. 164.

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 inastimabilis, 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. These 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,

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