I have told; fiat, but under the rose; I likewise told him you reproached to me, where is your glorious match with France, and your royal Frank monsieur? I told him, also, I had order to set a short day for assembling of the Parliament, and that you had commanded me, if the Spanish agent came to visit me, that I should, upon pain of your displeasure, not only use him civilly but kindly. He answered me impatiently and confusedly, What, cannot one make a trial of gaining of better and more advantageous conditions, without an intention to break? Whereupon I told him I did not think they did intend to break; nay, that I did not think there [was] one occasion besides the ties of honour and honesty, would give them leave; but I was sorry and ashamed that so unseasonably, after all things was performed to their desire, nay, more than they could have imagined-witness the assistance of shipping, the hearty professions of my master, as well by letter as those verbal compliments he sent by Monsieur la Riviere, and now at the time when acknowledgments at the least, if not requitals, should have come with greedy, gluttonous appetites to seek to surfeit on the forbidden tree, can receive no cleanlier an interpretation than to have come from an unreasonable, unjust, false, and unmanly appetite, and thus you have ended avec bonne bouche, but I thought in my mind, I pray you, sir, do not kiss that word, nor bewray for want of bold and absolute language a good business. I ended with monsieur thus: Your master acknowledges he hath already the substance of what he desires, though I know the contrary; the

pope is to receive satisfaction not from my master, but yours; now then, let every man act his own natural proper part. Spain must really be cozened; let the pope do that, since he can as well pardon himself as all the world: the pope seemingly must be cozened; let France do that, who hath the title of the most Christian king, and so may the easelier obtain a pardon: my master will neither be cozened nor cozen, wherefore the most Christian king must most conscionably undertake to his holiness for as much as may cozen Spain, France, and Rome, who may not for their union be called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Sir, I will weary your patience with one word more, if you please, treat as little as may be, and roundly let the ambassador know you so much prize your honour, that neither in a circumstance nor form will you make any alteration, and set your ambassadors a settled, short, peremptory day for an answer. If it prove good, I shall be as soon ready to go from hence as it can be to come hither; if ill, then let your ambassadors as speedily come away; for never admit of new journeys to Rome, neither doth it need. I will end with Mal's compliment to me: Lord Father, I love you well-Lord Father, I will die for you. So I crave your blessing as

Your majesty's most humble slave and dog,
STEENIE.

The Duke of Buckingham to James I.

Dear dad and gossip,

I do not know what fault I have made of late, should take so cruel a revenge of me as to put

me in the fear your last but one letter did. I am too far behindhand to let the quarrel rest so, though, in your last, you made a proposition full of affection, if I may call it by so saucy a name. You are now in the place I love; therefore, for that respect, I will now forbear you; but when you are off that ground, look to yourself. I hope to have the happiness to-morrow to kiss your hands; therefore, I will not send you the letter you writ to the pope, which I have got from secretary Calvert. When he delivered it to me, he made this request, that he hoped your majesty would as well trust him in the letter you were now to write, as you had heretofore in the former. I did what I could to dissemble it; but when there was no means to do it, I thought best to seem to trust him absolutely, thereby the better to tie him to secrecy. If this be a lie, as I am sure it is, then you may begin to think that, with a little more study, I may cry quittance. So I crave your blessing.

Your majesty's most humble slave and dog,

STEENIE.

A million of thanks for your good melons and pears.

The Duke of Buckingham to James I.

Dear dad and gossip,

The cause of my troubling you so soon with a letter is, that there is a jealousy raised in the Lower

1 An agent of the Romish court. Wilson commends the ingenuity of James in matching him with Sir Robert Naunton, "like contrary elements, to find a medium betwixt them." One was a violent papist; the other equally as violent a protestant.

House how that yet the two treaties are not absolutely broken off. The prince, Hamilton, Pembroke, Lancaster, and myself, who have all seen your despatch to the king of Spain, think if that was showed to them, that it would fully content them. We all likewise think there is nothing in it but what they may well see; and because on Thursday they pass the bills of subsidy, I think it will not be amiss it be read to them, which if your majesty like and allow of, I will call for it of the secretary, and to-morrow morning read it to them. So, craving your blessing, I kiss your dirty hands, and end

Your majesty's most humble slave and dog,

STEENIE.

The Duke of Buckingham to James I.1

Dear dad and gossip,

To be short, I send you as many thanks for the good news of your health, as you sent me blessings. I commend loving baby Charles' desire to lose no time in fixing something on his mistress, in which he shows his intent is honourable; I likewise think your majesty hath yielded to reason in giving way to it; but if you will at my request let him send the anchor jewel with Thom Caire, you may do me a greater pleasure than the stones are worth, for to tell the truth, if he should send a lesser value than the duke of Savoy's son did in the same place, it would expose you both to mean censures. To conclude, I received this day in one paper a gift, in another bless

1 This letter was perhaps written during the sitting of the first Parliament in 1623.

ings and good wishes, and by a message a promise ever to be the honest old master to me. If I should say I will also be the same servant to you, it would be but a very unequal return, for what I am hath been your act, but my acts back again make me implore God's help to make me a new servant. Then might I hope before I die to be reckoned by you, according to my ambition, amongst or in the fore rank of your thankful, and not only as your favours alone makes me, your beloved servant. Your majesty's slave and dog,

STEENIE.

The Duke of Buckingham to James I.

Dear dad and gossip,

I have eased you of the importunity of the ambassador, but have thought it fit to send this gentleman to receive your own directions. I shall take the boldness to stay here till his return, wherefore, and for the business sake, I pray you let it be speedy, and my opinion is, the plainer and directer you make your answer and demand, the clearer and sooner you will see through this business, wherein there hath been but too much time lost already. I spent some time in Theobald's park today, and though it was enough to give directions, yet not to satisfy my longing and desire to stay longer, it is grown so beautiful already, with the alteration already made. Thus loth to hold you longer than needs, I crave your blessing, as

Your majesty's most humble slave and dog,

STEENIE.