Reliquiae Wottonianae, or, A collection of lives, letters, poems with characters of sundry personages : and other incomparable pieces of language and art : also additional letters to several persons, not before printed / by the curious pencil of the ever memorable Sir Henry Wottan ...

SIR,

I Send you by this Bearer (to keep you in mirth) a piping Shepherd, done by Cavalier Bassaw, and so well, as may merit some place in your Chamber, which I hear is the Center of good Mu∣sick; to which, out of my pieces at home, I have commanded James to add a Messara playing upon a Timbril, done by Allessandro Padovano, a rising Titian as we esteemed him.

Good Sir, let us know some true passages of the plight of the Court. I have laid about for some constant intelligence from forraign parts, being strangely relapsed into that humour in my old age. Shall I tell you why? In good faith, for no other use that I mean to make of news, but only that when God shall call me to a better, I may know in what state I leave this World.

Your affectionate Friend to serve you, H. WOTTON.