come to ask my advice, before ye undertake a new work; assuring you that, with whatsomever success ye shall come to me, ye shall be ever welcome, one of my greatest griefs being that I have not been with you in this time of suffering, for I know we would have much eased each other's grief. I cannot stay much longer on this subject, for fear of losing myself in it. To conclude, you cannot come so soon as you are welcome, and, unfeignedly in my mind, ye have gained as much repu tation, with wise and honest men, in this action, as if ye had performed all your desires. I have no more to say at this time, but conjure thee, for my sake, to have a care of thy health, for every day I find new reasons to confirm me in being Your loving, &c. CHARLES R. Charles I. to the Duke of Buckingham.1 Steenie, February 23rd, 1627-8. I have written to you by Will Murray and Montgomery, having sent them to Plymouth, thinking you would have landed there; but understanding of your coming to Portsmouth, I have sent Porter to assure 1 MS. Harl. 6988, orig. Lingard, vol. ix. p. 273, says that Charles "had even the generosity to transfer the blame from Buckingham to himself, and to give out that the failure was owing to the want of supplies, which it was his own duty to have provided." This can scarcely be quite correct. The complaint had been made by Buckingham, and the circumstance regretted by Charles, before the failure of the expedition was known to the latter. you, our misfortune has been not to send you supplies in time, that all honest men cannot but judge that you have done past expectation, and (if a man may) say it beyond possibility. Your letter, and my Lord of Westmeath's relation, has much comforted me (the first news of your retreat being far worse than I thank God it is) but principally to see how nobly thou carriest it, answering the rest of thy actions. As for your design upon Calais, I much approve of it; let me but know what is necessary for it, and I shall see it provided with all diligence; and for secrecy, I shall speak of it to no living soul, but to Jack Epslie, whom I have sent for. So referring myself to the bearer, I rest You cannot come before you are welcome, which I leave to you; the sooner, I think, the better, at least best pleasing to me. Steenie, Charles I. to the Duke of Buckingham.1 23rd February, 1627-8. This day I have received two letters from you, but much after the order of our times, for the first was last, which made me at first much blame the messenger, but when I saw it was a lord, I readily excused his laziness, for you can make no Somer. As for answer to your letters, not differing with you in opinion, (as I do but seldom) it is needless to make any. 1 MS. Harl. 6988, art. 35. I have sent you here inclosed a letter to my wife, in answer to one that Ludovic brought me, which was only a dry ceremonious complaint, and answered accordingly; by which I see, that my last denial is not digested yet, which you would do well to find out (of yourself, without taking any notice of knowledge from me), to set her in tune against my returning to London; for if I shall find her reserved, froward, and not kind, at my return, we shall not agree, which I am sure cannot fall out between you and Your loving, &c. CHARLES R. Charles I. to the Duke of Buckingham to assemble his army Buckingham, at Portsmouth.1 I command you to draw my army together to Portsmouth, to the end I may send them speedily to Rochelle. I shall send after your directions how and where to billet them,2 until the time that ye will be able to ship them; for the doing whereof this shall be your sufficient warrant, it being the command of Your loving, faithful, constant friend, Whitehall, the 6th of June, 1628. CHARLES R. 1 MS. Harl. 6988, No. 50. 66 2 The system of billeting soldiers was one of the grievances brought forward in the session now concluding; that in many places soldiers had been billeted in the private houses of the inhabitants, to their great grievance and molestation." James, Charles I. to the Marquis of Hamilton.1 Since you went, I have not written to you of Mackay's business, because I neither desire to prophecy, nor write half-news; but now, seeing (by the grace of God) what shall be the end of it, I have thought fit to be the first advertiser of it to you. I doubt not but you have heard that (after long seeking of proofs for clearing the business as much as could be, and formalities which could not be eschewed), the combat was awarded, day set, weapons appointed. But, having seen and considered all that can be said on either side, as likewise the carriage of both the men, upon mature deliberation I have resolved not to suffer them to fight;-first, for Mackay, he has failed so much in his circumstantial probations, especially concerning Muschamp, upon whom he built as a chief witness, that nobody now is any way satisfied with his accusations. Then, for David Ramsay, though we cannot condemn him for that that is not, yet he has so much and so often offended by his virulent tongue, that we can no ways think him innocent; albeit not that way guilty whereof he is accused. Wherefore, I have commanded the court shall be dismissed, and combat discharged, with a declaration to this purpose that though upon want of full proof, the combat was necessarily awarded, yet upon the whole matter I 1 Harleian MS. 841. 2 The relation of this business may be seen at length in Burnet, p. 12. The accusations brought by Reay were not entertained by the king, who exhibited every kind of affectionate confidence in the duke of Hamilton. am fully satisfied that here was no such treason as Mackay fancied. And for David Ramsay, though we must clear him of that treason in particular, yet not so far in the general, but that he might give occasion enough by his tongue of great accusation, if it had been rightly placed, as by his foolish presumptuous carriage did appear, This is the substance, and so short, that it is rather a direction how to believe others, than a narration itself; one of my chief ends being, that you may so know David Ramsay, that you may not have to do with such a pest as he is, suspecting he may seek to insinuate himself to you upon this occasion. Wherefore I must desire you, love me, to have nothing to do with him. as you To conclude, now I dare say that you shall have no dishonour in this business; and for myself, I am not ashamed that herein I have showed myself to be, Your faithful friend and loving cousin, London, May 8, 1632. CHARLES R. James, Charles I. to the Marquis of Hamilton.1 I have received three letters from you by James Lesley, about the 25th of July; all which, I assure you, 1 Harleian MSS. No. 841. All this summer, says Burnet, the Marquis followed the king of Sweden in the quality of a volunteer, of which he was sufficiently weary; but he found that the king was so jealous o him, that he was not to expect any trust in or near the Palatinate, where he desired most earnestly to be employed, and that he did put him daily |