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Copy of a Letter froin Sir John Ilarrington to Prince Henry,

son to King James 1. concerning his Dogge.

Kelstone, June 14, 1608. May it please your Highnesse to accept in as goode sorte what I now offer as it hath done aforetyme; and. I may saie I pede fausto ; but having good reason to thinke your highnesse had goode will and likinge to reade what others have tolde of my rare dogge, I will even give a brief historie of his goode deedes and straunge feats, and herein will I not plaie the curr myselfe, but in goode soothe relate what is no more nor lesse than bare verity. Although I mean not to disparage the deedes of Alexander's horse, I will match my dogge against him for good carriage, for if he did not bear a great prince on his back, I am bolde to saie he did often bear the sweet wordes of a greater princesse on his necke. I did once relate to your Highnesse after what sorte his tacklinge was wherewithe he did sojourn from my howse at the bathe to Greenwiche Palace, and deliver up to the cowrte there such matters as were entrusted to his care. This he hathe often done, and came safe to the bathe, or my howse here at Kelstone, with goodlie returnes from such nobilitie as were pleasede to emploie him; nor was it ever tolde our ladie queene that this messenger did ever blab ought concerninge his highe truste, as others have done in more special matters. Neither must it be forgotten as how he once was sente withe two charges of sack wine from the bathe to my howse, by my man Combe; and on his way the cordage did slackene, but my trustie bearer did now bear himselfe so wisely as to covertly hide one flasket in the rushes, and take the other in his teethe to the howse, after whiche he wente forthe and returnede withe the other parte of his burden to dinner; hereat yr higlinesse may perchance marvele and doubte, but we have livinge testimonie of those who wroughte in the fieldes and espiede his worke, and now live to tell they did muche longe to plaie the dogge and give stowage to the wine then,selves, but they did refraine and watchede the passinge of this whole businesse. I need not saie howe muche I dide once grieve at missinge this dogge, for on my journiee towardes Londone, some idle pastimers did diverte themselves withe huntinge mallards in a ponde, and conveyed him to the Spanish anbassador's, where in a happie houre after six weekes I did heare of him; but suche was the cowrte he did pay to the

Don, that he was no lesse in good likinge there than at home. Nor did the household listen to my claim, or challenge, till I rested my suite on the dogges own proofs, and made him performe such feates before the nobles assembled, as put it past doubt that I was his master. I did send him to the hall in the time of dinner, and made him bringe thence a pheasant out the dish, which created inuch mirthe, but much more when he returnede at my commandment to the table again, and put it again in the same cover. Herewith the companie was well content to allow me my claim, and we bothe were well content to accept it, and came homewardes. I could dwell more on this matter, but jubes renovare dolorem. I will now saie in what manner he died. As we traveled towardes the bathe, he leapede on my horses necke, and was more earneste in fawninge and courtinge my notice than what I had observed for time backe, and after my chidinge his disturbing my passinge forwards, he gave me some glances of such affection as movede me to cajole him; but, alass, he crept suddenly into a thorny brake, and died in a short time. Thus I have strove to rehearse such of his deedes as maie suggest much more to y's highnesses hought of this dogge. But havinge saide so much of him in prose, I will say somewhat too in verse, as you may find hereafter at the close of this historie. Now let Ulysses praise his dogge Argus, or Tobite be led by that dogge whose name doth not appeare, yet could I say such things of my Bungey, for so was he styled, as might shame them both, either for good faith, clear wit, or wonderful deeds; to saie no more than I have said of his bearing letters to London and Greenwiche, more than an hundred miles. As I doubte not but your highnesse would love my dogge if not myself, I have been thus tedious in his storie, and againe saie that of all the dogges near your father's court not one hathe more love, more diligence to please, or

for pleasinge, than him I write of; for verily a bone would contente my servante, when some expecte greater matters, or will knavishly find out a bone of contention.

I now reste you highnesses friend in all service that maye suite him.

JOHN HARRINCTON.

less pay

P.S. The verses above spoken of are in my book of epi. grams in praise of my dogge Bungey to Momus*. And I have an excellente picture curiously limned to remain in my posterity.

1774, Fcb.

XVII. Letters from Queen Henrietta Maria to Charles I.

MY DEAR HEART, THIS bearer, Skipwith, being come from London with a passport, I have been glad to make use of him, to carry you this letter, the subject of which is, that the Lords Say, Salisbury, Manchester, Pym, and Hampden, have sent this messenger to know of me, if I will hearken to a peace, and induce you to resume the treaty, and grant the terms proposed by them at Oxford; and that he could shew so many reasons for it, that I would agree to it; and if you would hearken to the overture, they would send Manchester, with some other lords, and Hampden and Stapleton, to satisfy me; and have promised this bearer, that till his return, Essex's army should not advance ; which I have thought for your service. Send me an answer to this letter speedily, what you would have me do, with punctual directions; and let nobody know any thing of it but Culpeppert, for secrecy is recommended, and on my part, I shall keep it inviolably.

York, this 5th of May, 1643.

The same to the same.

MY DEAR HEART, Burlington, 25th Feb. 1643. As soon as I landed, I dispatched Progers to you; but having learnt to-day that he was taken by the enemy, I send this bearer to give you an account of my arrival, which has been very successful, thank God; for as rough as the sea was when I first crossed it, it was now as calm, till I came within a few leagues of Newcastle; and on the coast the

* Book ji. Epigram 21.

+ ('uipepper was a better courtier than Hvde or Falkland, and therefore more a larvarite. He was a man of a most acute penetration,

.

wind changed to N. W. and obliged us to make for Bure lington bay, where, after two days lying in the road, our cavalry arrived. I immediately landed, and the next morning the rest of the troops caine in. God who protected me at sea, has also done it at land; for this night four of the parliament ships came in without our knowledge, and at four o'clock in the morning, we had the alarm, and sent to the harbour to secure our boats of ammunition; but about an hour after, these four ships began so furious a cannonading, that they made us get out of our beds, and quit the village to them; at least us women, for the soidiers behaved very resolutely in protecting the ammunition. I must now play the Captain Bessus, and speak a little of myself. One of these ships did me the favour to flank my house, which fronted the pier, and before I was out of bed the balls whistled over me, and you may imagine I did not like the music. Every body forced me out, the balls beating down our houses ; so, dressed as I could, I went on foot some distance from the village, and got shelter in a ditch, like those we have seen about Newmarket; but before I could reach it, the balls sung merrily over our heads, and a serjeant was killed 20 paces from me. Under tbis shelter we remained two hours, the bullets flying orer us, and sometimes covering us with earth. At last the Dutch Admiral sent to tell them, that, if they did not give over, he would treat them as enemies. This was rather of the latest, but he excused himself on account of a fog. Upon this the parliament ships went off; and besides, the tide ebbed, and they would have been in shoal water. As soon as they were withdrawn, I returned to my house, not being willing that they should boast of having driven me away. About noon I set out for the town of Burlington, and all this day we have been landing our ammunition. It is said, one of the parliament captains went before, to reconnoitre my lodging; and I assure you he had marked it exactly, for he always fired at it. I can say, with truth, that by land and sea, I have been in some danger, but God has pre, served me; and I confide in his goodness, that he will not desert me in other things. I protest to you, in this confidence I would face cannon, but I know we must not tempt God. I must now go and eat a morsel; for I have taken nothing to day but three eggs, and slept very little.”

The same to the same. “ As I was closing my letter, Sir L. Dives is arrived, who has told me all that passed at Hull: do not lose courage, VOL. III.

D

and pursue the business with resolution, for you must now shew that you will 'make good what you have undertaken ; if the man who is in the place will not submit, you have already declared him a traitor. You must have him alive or dead; for there is no joke in all this. You must declare yourself; you have shewn gentleness enough, you must now shew your firmness. You see what has happened from not having followed your first resolution, when you declared the five members traitors ; let that serve you for an exaniple; dally no longer with consultations, but proceed to action. I heartily wislied myself in the place of my son James, in Hull; I would have thrown the scoundrel Hotham over the walls, or he should have thrown me. I am in such haste to dispatch this bearer, that I can write to nobody else. Go boldly to work, as I see there is no hope of accommodation, &c*."

The same to the same.

MY DEAR HEART, “ I thought to have sent you this other letter before, but the person I meant to send it by, being so useful here for your service, I could not spare him sooner. It is chiefly to remind you of your promise to me at Dover, and since, by letter, that you would never consent to an acconimodation, without my knowledge and interposition. As to myself, it is of no great consequence, perhaps ; but if you do not take care of those who suffer for you, it will be your ruin ; and believe not any who shall tell you, that with time you may bring them back again. If you do not include them in a general indemnity, they are undone : I do not say all, for assuredly some will save themselves : what I speak to you about is, for those whom the parliament would ruin, because they are too much for you; as Digby, Jermyn, Percy, and Onealt. How absurd would it be to pardon those who are in open opposition to you, and to forget those who have been for you. I know this can never proceed

a

* This is part of a letter, and has no date. The king made his atteinpt on Hull, in April, 1042 The accounts of it in Clarendoil, and Carte's L.fc of the D. of Orinond, are well worth reading.

+ These persons were particularly obuoxious to the parliainent; the first, for the active part he took in defence of Lord Stratford, against the bill of attainder; the vihers, for the share they had, at the queen's instigation, in tuc intrigue for getting the army then on fuoi, and in the north, to declare Sor the king.

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