not how to provide, will come to three more: and God knows how my coffers are already drained. I know no remedy, except ye procure the speedy payment of that hundred and fifty thousand pounds which was once promised to be advanced, which my sweet gossip, that is now turned Spaniard with his golden key, will be fittest to labour in, who shall have a fine ship to go thither with all speed for bringing him home to his dear dad. But I pray you, my baby, take heed of being hurt if ye run at tilt. As for Steenie, I hope thou wilt come back before that time, for I hope my baby will be ready to come away before the horses can be there well rested, and all things ready for running at tilt; which must be my baby's parting blow, if he can have leisure to perform it there. I pray you, in the mean time, keep yourselves in use of dancing privately, though ye should whistle and sing one to another, like Jack and Tom, for fault of better music.

As for the main business, I hope the dispensation will come speedily and well; if other ways, ye must put the king bravely to it, as I wrote in my last unto you; for the archduchess's ambassador here says, that my son's going there in this fashion hath obliged that king, in honour, to bestow his sister upon him, whether the dispensation come or not: and there are numbers of Catholic Romans and Protestants married in the world, without the pope's dispensation. This the Baron de Boischot said to myself.

I send you, according to your desire, a letter of thanks to that king, which, my sweet Steenie, thou shalt deliver unto him in my name, with all the best compliments

thou can; and when thou wants, Carlisle can best instruct thee in that art; and I have sent a letter for the Condé d'Olivares in the last packet. And thus God keep you, my sweet boys, with my fatherly blessing: and send you a happy, successful journey, and a joyful happy return in the arms of your dear dad.

From Theobalds, the 1st of April.

JAMES R.

James I. to Prince Charles and the Duke.1

My sweet boys,

The Spanish ambassador let a word fall to Grislie, as if there would be some question made, that my baby's chaplains should not do their service in the king's palace there; but he concluded that that business would be soon accommodated. Always, in case any such difficulty should be stucken at, ye may remember 2 them that it is an ill preparation for giving the infanta free exercise of her religion here, to refuse it to my son there, since their religion is as odious to a number here, as ours is there; and if they will not yield, then, my sweet baby, show yourself not to be ashamed of your profession, but go sometimes to my ambassador's house and have your service there, that God and man may see ye are not ashamed of your religion.

But I hope in God this shall not need. And so, God bless you, my sweet boys; and after a happy success, return and light in the arms of your dear dad.

From Whitehall, the 7th of April.

JAMES R.

1 Harleian MSS., British Museum.

2 Remind.

James I. to the Prince and Duke.1

My sweet boys,

April 10, 1623. God ever bless, and thank you for your last so comfortable letters: it is an ease now that I am sure you have received some of my letters. As for the fleet that should, with God's grace, bring my baby home, they are in far greater readiness than you could have believed, for they will be ready to make sail before the 1st of May, if need were; and the smallest six, besides the two that go for Steenie, are between five and six hundred tons their names and burden Dick Grame shall bring you, who is to follow two days hence; it is therefore now your promise to advertise by the next post how soon ye would have them to make sail, for the charge and trouble will be infinite, if their equipage stay long aboard, consuming victuals, and making the ships to stink. My gossip shall come home in the George, and the Antelope wait upon him, and of their readiness Dick Grame will bring you word. The treasurer 2 likewise made that money ready, which my baby desired. I must bear him witness, he spares not to engage himself, and all he is worth, for the business.

JAMES R.

James I. to Prince Charles, and Buckingham.3

My sweet boys, I send you of our admiral's choice, who

MSS. Harl. 6987, art. 31.

VOL. II.

now the first sea-captain I hope shall ever prove

2 Cranfield earl of Middlesex.

3 MS. Harleian, 6987, art. 33.

K

worthy of such a patron. I begin now to long sore to hear more news from you, for this is the eleventh day since your last packet came to my hands: my baby shall receive his tilting stuff now bravely set forth, and fit for a wooer, but in good faith the weather will be so hot there, before you can use it, that I would wish rather to forbear it, for I fear my baby may take fever by it, and my Steenie gossip must be coming home before the horses can be ready to run. My sweet baby, for God's sake, and your dad's, put not yourself in hazard by any violent exercises, long as ye are there. I am presently to go in hand with the providing of jewels, which I hope shall save him a good deal of money in the mean time, because my gossip is to come away in this ship. I send him six jewels1 to give in presents there, at his parting, and my baby shall have his with the fleet, for sooner than at his parting he is not to give presents to any but to his mistress. How to dispose of those six I leave it to thy discretion, mySteenie, but the watch is the richest and fittest for some old lady in my opinion, but the ring is far the noblest. And thus, God bless you, my sweet boys, and after a happy success there, send you comfortably and happily back again, (every one in his own time) in the arms of your dear dad. JAMES R.

Windsor, the 18th of April, (1623 )

1 "I have even now made choice of the jewels that I am to send you, whereof my baby is to present some to his mistress, and some of the best he is to wear himself, and the next best he will lend to my bastard brat to wear."-Letter of James I. printed by Goodman. The "bastard brat" was the duke of Buckingham.

James I. to the Duke of Buckingham.1

My sweet Steenie gossip.—The bearer hereof had so great a longing to see you, as I was forced to give him leave in my former letter to tell you that the Star Chamber process being ready for Oxford, my attorney told me it was fit he should be set at liberty, how soon the process were served upon him, but the lord treasurer, coming to Newmarket, advised me rather to suspend the process, than let him out before the return of my baby, except, quoth he, ye would provide a ringleader for the mutineers, which advice I followed. Your bay Spanish! mare, with the black mane and tail, hath an exceeding fair and fine horse-foal of ten days old, just of her own colour, but he hath the far foot white, and there is another of them ready to foal. God send my sweet baby the like luck with his Spanish breed, before this time | twelvemonth. Thus hoping that ye will give a good advice to the bearer hereof to lead a good life in times coming, I pray the Lord send my sweet Steenie gossip a happy and comfortable return in the arms of his dear dad. JAMES R.

Kitte is now an earl, and hath also the patent of his land; thus was thou born in a happy hour for all thy kin.

From Windsor, the 18th of April, (1623.)

1 MS. Harl. 6987, art 32.

2 The Earl of Oxford was committed to the Tower in 1621, for suspected treason against the government.