A Letter, to the King, of Sute, to succeed, in the A•turney's Place.

YOur great, and Princely, Favours towards me, in Advancing me to Place; And that, which is to me, of no less comfort, your Majesties benign, and gracious Acceptation, from time to time, of my poor Services, much above the Merit, and Valew of them; Hath, almost, brought me to an Opinion, that I may soo∣ner, (perchance,) be wanting, to my Self, in not asking; Than finde your Majesties Goodness wanting to me, in any my reasona∣ble, and modest desires. And therefore, perceiving, how at this time, Preferments of Law fly about mine Ears; To some above me, and to some below me; I did conceive, your Majesty may think it, rather a Kinde of Dulness, or want of Faith, than Mode∣sty, if I should not come, with my Pitcher, to Iacobs Well, as others doe. VVherein I shall propound to your Majesty, that which ten∣deth not so much, to the Raising of my Fortune, as to the setling of my Minde; Being sometimes assailed with this Cogitation; That by reason of my Slowness, to see, and apprehend suddain Occasions; Keeping on one plain Course of painfull Service; I may, (in fine Dierum,) be in danger, to be neglected, and forgot∣ten. And if that should be, then were it much better for me, now while I stand in your Majesties good Opinion, (though unwor∣thy,) and have some little Reputation, in the VVorld, to give o∣ver the Course I am in, and to make proof, to doe you some Ho∣nour, by my Pen, either by writing, some faithfull Narrative, of your Happy, (though not untraduced,) Times; Or by recompi∣ling your Laws, (which, I perceive, your Majesty laboureth with; And hath in your Head, as Iupiter had Pallas;) Or some other the like work: (For without some Endeavour to doe you Ho∣nour, I would not live;) Than to spend my Wits, and Time, in this laborious place, wherein I now serve; If it shall be deprived, of those outward Ornaments, which it was wont to have, in re∣spect of an Assured Succession, to some Place, of more Dignity, and Rest: which seemeth now, to be an Hope, altogether Casu∣al, if not wholly intercepted. VVherefore, (not to hold your Majesty long,) my humble Sute, to you, is that, than the which, I think, I cannot well goe lower; which is, that I may obtain, your Royal promise, to succeed, (if I live,) into the Atturneys place, whensoever it shall be void: It being, but the Natural, and •m∣mediate Step, and Rise, which the Place, I now hold, hath ever, (in sort) made claim to, and almost never failed of. In this Sute, I make no Friends to you•Majesty, but rely upon no other Motive, but your Grace; Nor any other Assurance, but your Word; where∣of Page  45 I had good Experience, when I came to the Sollicite•s Place; That it was like, to the Two great Lights, which in their Motions, are never Retro r•d•. So with my best Prayers, for your Maje∣sties Happiness, I rest.