the carcass of dead and rotten greatness, as out of Samson's lion, there may be honey gathered for the use of future times. God bless your persons and counsels. Your Lordships' Supplicant and Servant, Indorsed-Copy of the Petition intended for the House of To John Lord Digby. * My very good Lord, Receiving, by Mr. Johnson, your loving salutations, it made me call to mind many of your lordship's tokens, yea and pledges, of good and hearty affection in both my fortunes; for which I shall be ever yours. I pray, my lord, if occasion serve, give me your good word to the king, for the release of my confinement, which is to me a very strait kind of imprisonment. I am no Jesuit, nor no leper; but one that served his majesty these sixteen years, even from the commission of the union till this last parliament, and ever had many thanks of his majesty, and was never chidden. This his majesty, I know, will remember at one time or other; for I am his man still. God keep your Lordship. Your Lordship's most affectionate to do your service, Gorhambury, this last of FR. ST. ALBAN. December, 1621. To the Lord Viscount 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 will 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, Royston, December 16, 1621. G. BUCKINGHAM. * Created so in November, 1618, and in September, 1622, Earl of Bristol. + Harl. MSS. Vol. 7000. To the Marquis of Buckingham. My very good Lord, The reason why I was so desirous to have had conference with your lordship at London, was indeed to save you the trouble of writing: I mean the reason in the second place; for the chief was to see your lordship. But since you are pleased to give me the liberty to send to your lordship one to whom you will deliver your mind, I take that in so good part, as I think myself tied the more to use that liberty modestly. Wherefore, if your lordship will vouchsafe to send to me one of your own (except I might have leave to come to London), either Mr. Packer, my ancient friend, or Mr. Aylesbury,* of whose good affection towards me I have heard report; to me it shall be indifferent. But if your lordship will have one of my nomination, if I might presume so far, I would name, before all others, my Lord of Falkland. But because perhaps it may cost him a journey, which I may not in good manners desire, I have thought of Sir Edward Sackville, Sir Robert Mansell, my brother, Mr. Solicitor General+ (who, though he be almost a stranger to me, yet, as my case now is, I had rather employ a man of good nature than a friend), and Sir Arthur Ingram, notwithstanding he be great with my Lord Treasurer. Of these, if your lordship shall be pleased to prick one, I hope well I shall entreat him to attend your lordship, and to be sorry never a whit of the employment. Your lordship may take your own time to signify your will in regard of the present business of parliament. But my time was confined by due respect to write a present answer to a letter, which I construed to be a kind letter, and such as giveth me yet hope to shew myself to your lordship. Your Lordship's most obliged Friend Indorsed To the Lord of Buckingham, in Answer to his of the 16th of December. *Thomas Aylesbury, Esq. secretary to the Marquis of Buckingham, as Lord High Admiral. He was created a baronet in 1627. Lord Chancellor Clarendon married his daughter Frances. + Sir Robert Heath, made solicitor in January 14, 1620-1. Thomas Meautys, Esq.* to the Lord Viscount May it please your Lordship, As soon as I came to London I repaired to Sir Edward Sackville,+ whom I find very zealous, as I told your lordship. I left him to do your service, in any particular you shall command him, to my lord marquis (though it were with some adventure); and withal he imparted to me what advice he had given to my lady this afternoon, upon his visiting of her at York House, when Mr. Packer also, as it fell out, was come, at the same time, to see my lady, and seemed to concur with Sir Edward Sackville in the same ways; which were for my lady to become a suitor to my Lady Buckingham, and my lady marchioness § to work my lord marquis for obtaining of the king some bounty towards your lordship; and in particular that of the thousand pounds for the small writs. If I may speak my opinion to your lordship, it is not amiss to begin any way, or with any particular, though but small game at first, only to set a rusty clock a going, and then haply it may go right for a time, enough to bring on the rest of your lordship's requests. Yet because your lordship directed me to wish my lady, from you, by no means to act any thing, but only to open her mind in discourse unto friends, until she should receive your farther direction, it became not me to be too forward in putting it on too fast with Sir Edward; and my lady was pleased to tell me since that she hath written to your lordship at large. I inquired, even now, of Benbow, whether the proclamation for dissolving the parliament was coming forth. He tells me he knows no more certainty of it, than that Mr. Secretary commanded him yesterday to be ready for dispatching of the writs, when he should be called for; but since then he hears it sticks, and endures some qualms; * He had been secretary to the Lord Viscount St. Alban, while his lordship had the great seal, and was afterwards clerk of the council, and knighted. He succeeded his patron in the manor of Gorhambury, which, after the death of Sir Thomas, came to his cousin and heir, Sir Thomas Meautys, who married Anne, daughter of Sir Nathaniel Bacon, of Culford Hall, in Suffolk, knight; which lady married a second husband, Sir Harbottle Grimstone, baronet, and Master of the Rolls, who purchased the reversion of Gorhambury from Sir Hercules Meautys, nephew of the second Sir Thomas. + Afterwards Earl of Dorset, well known for his duel, in 1613, with the Lord Kinloss, in which the latter was killed. Mary, Countess of Buckingham, mother of the marquis. Catharine, Marchioness of Buckingham, wife of the marquis, and only daughter and heir of Francis, Earl of Rutland. but they speak it still aloud at court that the king is resolved of it. Benbow tells me likewise, that he hath attended these two days upon a committee of the lords, with the book of the commission of peace; and that their work is to empty the commission in some counties by the score, and many of them parliament men; which course sure helps to ring the passing bell to the parliament. Mr. Borough tells me, he is at this present fain to attend some service for the king, but about Saturday he hopes to be at liberty to wait upon your lordship. I humbly rest Your Lordship's for ever to honour and serve, To the Right Honourable my most honoured To the Lord Viscount St. Alban. May it please your Lordship, This afternoon my lady found access to my lord marquis, procured for her by my Lord of Montgomery+ and Sir Edward Sackville, who seemed to contend which of them should shew most patience in waiting (which they did a whole afternoon) the opportunity to bring my lord to his chamber, where my lady attended him. But when he was come, she found time enough to speak at large: and though my lord spake so loud as that what passed was no secret to me and some others that were within hearing, yet, because my lady told me she purposeth to write to your lordship the whole passage, it becomes not me to anticipate, by these, any part of her ladyship's relation. I send your lordship herewith the proclamation for dissolving the parliament, wherein there is nothing forgotten that we have done amiss; but for most of those things that we have well done, we must be fain, I see, to commend ourselves. I delivered your lordship's to my Lord of Montgomery and Mr. Matthew, who was even then come to York House to visit my lady, when I received the letter; and, as soon John Borough, educated in common law at Gray's Inn, Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London, Secretary to the Earl Marshal, in 1623 made Norroy; in July the year following knighted, and on the 23d of December, the same year, made Garter King at Arms, in the place of Sir William Segar. He died October 21, 1643. + Philip, afterwards Earl or Pembroke. Mr. Meautys was member in this parliament for the town of Cambridge. VOL. XII. E E as he had read it, he said, that he had rather your lordship had sent him a challenge; and that it had been easier to answer than so noble and kind a letter. He intends to see your lordship some time this week, and so doth Sir Edward Sackville, who is forward to make my lady a way by the prince, if your lordship advise it. There are packets newly come out of Spain; and the king, they say, seems well pleased with the contents; wherein there is an absolute promise and undertaking for the restitution of the palatinate; the dispensation returned already from the pope, and the match hastened on their parts. My Lord Digby goes shortly; and Mr. Matthew tells me he means, before his going, to write by him to your lordship. The king goes not till Wednesday, and the prince certainly goes with him. My lord marquis, in person, christens my Lord of Falkland's child to-morrow, at his house by Watford. Mr. Murray tells me the king hath given your book+ to my Lord Brooke, ‡ and enjoined him to read it, recommending it much to him; and then my Lord Brooke is to return it to your lordship; and so it may go to the press when your lordship pleases, with such amendments as the king hath made, which I have seen, and are very few, and those rather words, as epidemic, and mild, instead of debonnaire, &c. Only that of persons attainted, enabled to serve in parliament by a bare reversal of their attainder, the king by all means will have left out. I met with my Lord Brooke, and told him, that Mr. Murray had directed me to wait upon him for the book, when he had done with it. He desired to be spared this week, as being to him a week of much business, and the next week I should have it; and he ended in a compliment, that care should be taken, by all means, for good ink and paper to print it in, for that the book deserveth it. I beg leave to kiss your lordship's hands. January 7, 1621-2. This proclamation is not yet sealed; and therefore your lordship may please as yet to keep it in your own hands. *Thomas Murray, tutor and secretary to the prince, made provost of Eton College, in the room of Sir Henry Savile, who died February 19, 1621-2. Mr. Murray died likewise, April 1, 1623. The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh. |