My Lord, To the Lord St. Alban. I am glad your lordship understands me so rightly in my 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, To the Marquis of Buckingham. These main and real favours which I have lately received from your good lordship in procuring my liberty, and a reference of the consideration of my release, are such as I now find, that in building upon your lordship's noble nature and friendship, I have built upon the rock where neither winds or waves can cause overthrow. I humbly pray your lordship to accept from me such thanks as ought to come from him whom you have much comforted in fortune, and much more comforted in showing your love and affection to him, of which I have heard by my Lord of Faulkland, Sir Edward Sackville, Mr. Matthew, and otherwise. I have written, as my duty was, to his majesty, thanks, touching the same, by the letter I here put into your noble hands. I have made also, in that letter, an offer to his majesty, of my service, for bringing into better order and frame the Laws of England. The declaration whereof I have left * Restraint from coming within the verge of the Court. with Sir Edward Sackville, because it were no good manners to clog his majesty, at this time of triumph and recreation, with a business of this nature, so as your lordship may be pleased to call for it to Sir Edward Sackville, when you think the time reasonable. I am bold likewise to present your lordship with a book of my History of King Henry VII. and now that, in summer was twelve months, I dedicated a book to his majesty, and this last summer, this book to the Prince, your lordship's turn is next; and this summer that cometh, if I live to it, shall be yours. I have desired his majesty to appoint me the task, otherwise I shall use my own choice, for this is the best retribution I can make to your lordship. God prosper you. I rest Your Lordship's most obliged Friend, Gorhambury, this 20th of March, 1621 Indorsed—To the Right Honourable his very good Lord, the Lord Marquis of Buckingham, High Admiral of England. To the King. 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 inestimabilis, my liberty; so that now, whenever God calleth me, I shall not die a prisoner; nay, further, your majesty hath vouchsafed to rest a second and iterate aspect of your eye of compassion upon me, in the 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 I hope of more famous memory than before, King Henry VII. to give your majesty thanks for me; which work, most humbly kissing your majesty's hands, I do present. And because in the beginning of my trouble, when in the midst of the tempest I had a kenning of the harbour, which I hope now, by your majesty's favour, I am entering into, I made a tender to your majesty of two works, a History of England, and a Digest of your Laws, as I have by a figure of pars pro toto performed the one, so I have herewith sent your majesty, by way of an epistle, a new offer of the other; but my desire is farther, if it stand with your majesty's good pleasure, since now my study is my exchange, and my pen my factor for the use of my talent, that your majesty, who is a great master in these things, would be pleased to appoint me some task to write, and that I should take for an oracle. And because my Instauration, which I esteem my great work, and do still go on with in silence, was dedicated to your majesty, and this History of King Henry VII. to your lively and excellent image the Prince, if now your majesty will be pleased to give me a theme to dedicate to my Lord of Buckingham, whom I have so much reason to honour, I should with more alacrity embrace your majesty's direction than my own choice. Your majesty will pardon me for troubling you thus long. God evermore preserve and prosper you. Your Majesty's poor Beadsman most devoted, Gorhambury, this 20th FR. ST. ALBAN. March, 1621. To the Lord Digby. My very good Lord, I now only send my best wishes, to follow you at sea and land, with due thanks for your late great favours. God knows, whether the length of your voyage will not exceed the size of my hour-glass. But whilst I live, my affection to do you service shall remain quick under the ashes of my fortune. My Lord, To the Lord St. Alban. I have despatched the business your lordship recommended to me, which I send your Lordship here inclosed, signed by his majesty, and have likewise moved him for your coming to kiss his hand, which he is pleased you shall do at Whitehall when he returneth next thither. In the mean time I rest Newmarket, Nov. 13th, 1622. Your Lordship's faithful Friend and Servant, G. BUCKINGHAM. I will give order to my secretary to wait upon Sir John Suckling about your other business. Indorsed My Lord of Bucks touching my warrant and access. To the Marquis of Buckingham. Though I have troubled your lordship with many letters, oftener than I think I should (save that affection keepeth no account), yet upon the repair of Mr. Matthew, a gentleman so much your lordship's servant, and to me another myself, as your lordship best knoweth, you would not have thought me a man alive, except I had put a letter into his hand, and withal, by so faithful and approved a man, commended my fortunes afresh unto your lordship. My lord, to speak my heart to your lordship, I never felt my misfortunes so much as now: not for that part which may concern myself, who profit (I thank God for it) both in patience and in settling mine own courses; but when I look abroad and see the times so stirring, and so much dissimulation and falsehood, baseness and envy in the world, and so many idle clocks going in men's heads, then it grieveth me much, that I am not sometimes at your lordship's elbow, that I might give you some of the fruits of the careful advice, modest liberty, and true information of a friend that loveth your lordship as I do. For though your lordship's fortunes be above the thunder and storms of inferior regions, yet, nevertheless, to hear the wind, and not to feel it, will make one sleep the better. My good lord, somewhat I have been, and much I have read; so that few things that concern states or greatness, are new cases unto me: and therefore I hope I may be no unprofitable servant to your lordship. I remember the King was wont to make a character of me, far above my worth, that I was not made for small matters: and your lordship would sometimes bring me from his majesty that Latin sentence de minimis non curat lex; and it hath so fallen out, that since my retiring, times have been fuller of great matters than before; wherein, perhaps, if I had continued near his majesty, he might have found more use of my service, if my gift lay that way: but that is but a vain imagination of mine. True it is, that as I do not aspire to use my talent in the King's great affairs; yet for that which may concern your lordship, and your fortune, no man living shall give you a better account of faith, industry, and affection than I shall. I must conclude with that which gave me occasion of this letter, which is Mr. Mathew's employment to your lordship in those parts, wherein I am verily persuaded your lordship shall find him a wise and able gentleman, and one that will bend his knowledge of the world (which is great) to serve his majesty, and the Prince, and in especial your lordship. So I rest Your Lordship's most obliged and faithful Servant, Gray's-Inn, this 18th April, 1623. To the Duke of Buckingham. 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 Mathew, 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 hands. your 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, October 12, 1623. I have written to his highness, and had presented my duty to his highness to kiss his hands at York House, but that my health is scarce yet confirmed. My Lord, To the Lord St. Alban. 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 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, Oct. 14th, 1623. |