and the least I can say is this, that I naturally so love your person, and upon so good experience and knowledge adore all your other parts, which are more than ever one man had, that were not only all your people, but all the world besides, set together on one side, and you alone on the other, I should, to obey and please you, displease—nay, despise all them—and this shall be ever my popularity. Give me leave here to use your one proverb, for this the devil con me thanks; the reasons of my going to Newhall are these:-first, I find business, and the sight of busy folks, does me much harm, and though your extraordinary care and watchful eye over me would keep them from speaking with me, yet in a court I must needs look many of them in the face. Then Theobald's house is now very hot, and hath but few change of rooms-both inconvenient to a sick body; then my lord of Warwick tells me, that by experience he hath found Newhall air as good a one to ride away an ague as any in England, and that lately he lost one by the benefit of that air, I mean near hand,1 which I think will be all one. By this time I fear I have troubled you, and were it not that I write to you, I am sure I should have wearied myself. I have now only one request to you, as you first planted me in your Baby Charles's good opinion, if you think it fit for your service in my absence continue me in it, and so give me your blessing.

Your majesty's most humble slave and dog,

STEENIE,

1 Near at hand.

The Duke of Buckingham to James I.

Dear dad and gossip,

Because the sense and thankfulness of my heart for your excellent melons, pears, sugared beans, and assurance of better fruit planted in your bosom than ever grew in Paradise, will best appear in my humble obedience of your commands, I thought it fittest to delay the answer of your kind letter till I might give you a full account of all it contained. By this time I hope Mr. Secretary hath told you I mistook not the ambassador but by his own language; but, before I could despatch with him, the day was so far spent, that night accompanied me into Newhall. But this morning I have first agreed with Mr. Jennings, who is the fittest man we could have chosen for this business, and hath assured me that what is projected, I dare not say in this, but as in all other things resolved of till you say content, will be soon done easy, cheap, and without hindering deer, sow, or man, of free passage. The particulars I reserve till I may demonstrate it upon the map or place; but in the mean time Mr. Jennings will be preparing the ground, the trees, and all other necessary things, so that there shall be no time lost till you be acquainted with all, and pleased with it. Now for my own park. I have found this morning another fine wood that must in with the rest, and two hundred acres of meadows, with broom closes and plentiful springs running through them, so that I hope Newhall Park shall be nothing inferior to Burleigh. My stags are all lusty, my calf bold, and

others are so too; my Spanish colts are fat, and so is my jovial filly. Mall, Great Mall, Kate, Sue, and Steenie, shall all wait of you on Saturday, and kiss both James and Charles's feet. To conclude, let this paper assure you that the last words I spoke to you are so true, that I will not only give my word, swear you the holy

1

Evangile, but take the blessed sacrament upon them. So, craving your blessing, I rest

Your majesty's most humble slave and dog,

STEENIE.

Baby Charles, I kiss thy warty hands.

The Duke and Duchess of Buckingham to James 1.
Dear dad and gossip,

Though you commanded me to write no answer, yet, since I should not a slept well this night except I had done it, I hope you will excuse my disobeying of you at this time. I have been the longer a-doing of it, because I might send you the certainer news of my health, which at this time is so good, what with your sweet cordial and my seasonable drawing of blood, that I hope to-morrow to wait of you a perfect man. I hope you will not be put to much pains to read this hand, since you have received so many love-letters from her who joins with me in humble thanks for your kindness, and care of us both. So, craving your blessing, we end Your majesty's most humble slaves, KATE. STEENIE,

The Duchess of Buckingham to James I.

May it please your majesty,

My lord hath commanded me to give your majesty humble thanks for the pains you took to send him word of your removes under your own hand; he likewises much rejoices at the seasonableness of the weather, hoping the next day's hunting will be more honour to your majesty's hounds, and contentment to yourself, than the last. He beseeches your majesty to send him word how you speed, and whether your ableness to ride continues answerable to the former day, which news will be the best cordial your majesty can send him in his sickness. My lord's grudgings are but small; he gains strength upon them, and is all day long as stirring in his parks here as your majesty is at any time in your park of Theobald's: thus, with your majesty's leave, since my lord craves a blessing, I crave one too for myself and little Malle. So I end

Your majesty's most humble servant,
K. BUCKINGHAM.

For his majesty.

The Duchess of Buckingham to James I. May it please your majesty,

I have received the two boxes of dried plums and grapes, and the box of violet cakes, and chickens, for all which I most humbly thank your majesty. I hope my Lord Annan has told your majesty that I did mean to wean Mall very shortly. I would not by any means

a done it, till I had first made your majesty acquainted with it, and by reason my cousin Bret's boy has been ill of late, for fear she should grieve and spoil her milk, makes me very desirous to wean her, and I think she is old enough, and I hope will endure her weaning very well; for I think there was never child cared less for the breast than she does, so I do intend to make trial this night how she will endure it; this day praying for your majesty's health and long life, I humbly take my leave, your majesty's most humble servant,

K. BUCKINGHAM.

For his majesty.

The Duke of Buckingham to James I. Dear dad and gossip,

Though I writ last night, yet I think it not amiss to add one word more to express myself more particularly. My Lord Maxwell is arrived, and hath assured me, having had it out of the pope's own mouth, that the dispensation is granted free and unclogged ;1 he farther adds, that after he had in a rough manner spoke with the nuncio at Paris, insomuch that he told him he would complain of him presently in a letter to his holiness, he answered him calmly thus, and with some expression of fear, that he should do it; that if he would but have a little patience, he should quickly see through the business, and have no cause to complain. All this

1 See some previous letters on this subject. The present requires little or no annotation after a perusal of the documents already printed in the preceding pages.