with too slight a censure; therefore I would have you send to the king to put off Bristol's trial until you might wait on him; but for God's sake do not venture to come sooner than ye may with the safety of your health, and with that condition, the sooner the better. If ye will answer me, trouble not yourself, but do it by the secretary ye used last. Take care of yourself for my sake, who is and ever shall be

Your true, loving, constant friend,

CHARLES P.

Prince Charles to the Duke of Buckingham.1

Steenie,

April 26th, 1624.

I send you here inclosed interrogatories that the king thinks fit should be asked concerning the malicious accusations of the Spanish ambassador. As for the way, my father is resolved (if you do not gainsay it, and show reason to the contrary) to take the oaths himself, and to make secretary Calvert, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to take the examinations in writings under their hands that are examined; thus much is by the king's command. Now for my opinion it is this, that you can incur no danger in this, but by opposing the king's proceedings in it, to make him suspect that you have spoken somewhat you are unwilling he should hear of, for I cannot think any man is so mad as to call his own head in question, by making a lie against you,

1 MS. Harl. 6987, art. 100.

when all the world knows me to be your true friend, and if they tell but the truth, I know they can say but what the king knows, that you have avowed to all the world, which is, that you think as I do, that the continuance of these treaties with Spain might breed us much mischief; wherefore my advice to you is, that you do not oppose, or show yourself discontented at the king's course herein, for I think that it will be so far from doing you hurt, that it will make you trample under your feet those few poor rascals that are your enemies. Now, sweetheart, if you think I am mistaken in my judgment in this, let me know what I can do in this, or any thing else, to serve thee, and then thou shall see that all the world shall daily know more and more, that I am and ever will be

Your faithful, loving, constant friend,

CHARLES P.

James I. to the Duke of Buckingham.1

My only sweet and dear child,

I am now so miserable a coward, as I do nothing but weep and mourn; for I protest to God, I rode this afternoon a great way in the park without speaking to any body, and the tears trickling down my cheeks, as now they do, that I can scarcely see to write. But, alas! what shall I do at our parting? The only

1 Lansd. MS. 1236, f. 63. Buckingham's letters to the king generally commence with, "Dear dad and gossip." There is no date to this strangely worded epistle, and it is very difficult to place it in strict chronological arrangement with the others.

small comfort that I can have, will be, to pry in thy defects with the eye of an enemy, and of every mote to make a mountain; and so harden my heart against thy absence. But this little malice is like jealousy, proceeding from a sweet root; but in one point it overcometh it, for, as it proceeds from love, so it cannot but end in love.

Sweet heart! be earnest with Kate to come and meet thee at New Hall within eight or ten days after this. Cast thee to be here to-morrow, as near as about two in the afternoon as thou canst, and come galloping hither. Remember thy picture, and suffer none of the council to come here. For God's sake! write not a word again, and let no creature see this letter. The Lord of heaven and earth bless thee, and my sweet daughter, and my sweet little grandchild, and all thy blessed family, and send thee a happier turn, both now and thou knowest when, to thy dear dad and christian gossip,

JAMES R.

Prince Charles to the Duke of Buckingham.1 Steenie,

His majesty likes the last letter better than the first, only it has two faults where the other has but one. In the first it has only this, that it binds his majesty to a promise, that if any of his majesty's popish subjects offend, he must let the pope know of it before he punish them, which he ye may remember upon the

1 MS. Harl. 6987, art. 98.

inditing of the letter his majesty says he stuck upon; and the second error in the new letter is, that his majesty wishes the pope to expel the jesuits by order. Now his majesty leaves the ordinary form of doing it to the pope, by his own ordinary ways; his majesty hath nothing ado to teach him by what order to do it, he has likewise put in the last letter before the subscription, S. V. decotissimus; whereas, in his majesty's letter to the former pope, there was nothing written but his majesty's name. He likewise in one place at least of the second letter omits to put in Romanos after Catholicos. Now ye know my father has ever stood upon it, both by word and write, that he is as good a catholic as the pope himself; therefore, since they take to themselves the style of catholic Roman, let them brook it a1 God's name, he will not scant them of a syllable of it. I will speak to secretary Conway for a pass for Robert Watson, for by this ye may see, that, of necessity, the letter must be written over again before his majesty can sign it, which he prays you that it may be done with all speed possible, and as for your letter to the Cardinal, he likes very well of it. As for the request ye make his majesty to delay his journey to Royston, he says ye play the part of a crafty courtier, that where an inch is given you, ye would fain win a span3; for in earnest he says it will be far against his heart to stay at Theobald's, where he can have no reception but to doil up and down the park,

1 In.

2

4

2 Spare; to let want.

1

3 An old form of the proverb, "give an inch, and take an ell."

4 To wander confusedly.

for there is no kind of field-hawking there; and besides, while the season is yet sweet and hares of breath, his majesty can with ease begin that exercise, which he cannot do so well when it is later in the year, and as for your part, if ye shall not be ready to go with him to Theobald's, according to his many warnings of you, and your promise to him, he can take no pleasure to be there, and he says that ye absolutely promised to go with him at his back-coming. As for my part, I hope to be able to follow him quickly, howsoever I should be loth that he should stay for me; his majesty intends likewise to write to you to-morrow morning. So in haste I rest Your faithful, constant, loving friend,

CHARLES P.

James I. to the Duke of Buckingham.1

My own sweet and dear child,

Blessing, blessing, blessing on thy heart-. roots and all thine. This Tuesday morning there is a great store of game, as they say, especially partridges and stone-curlews. I know who shall get their part of them; and here is the finest company of young hounds that ever was seen. God bless the sweet master of my harriers, that made them be so well all summer—I mean Tom Badger. I assure myself thee will punctually observe the diet and journeys I set thee down in my first letter from Theobald's. God bless thee, sweet Kate, and little Mawde, to the comfort of thy dear dad.

[1624.]

1 Harl. MS., No. 6011, p. 31.

JAMES R.