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 ...

On Tuesday the 16th. of November.

SIR,

AN express Messenger will ease us both of the trouble of a cypher: but I was in pain whe∣ther I should send another, or be that Messenger my self, being now as near you as Royston, and scant able to obtain pardon of mine own severity for not passing farther; yet this may be said for me, that the present occasion required little noise; and besides, I am newly ingaged into some business, whereof I will give you a particular account, when I shall first have discharged that part which belong∣eth to your self.

My Lord, my Brother, having been acquainted with the matter inclosed in your last to me, dis∣patched the very next day Mr. Pen down to Bough∣ton, for such writings as had passed at your mar∣riage; which having consulted with his Lawyers, he found those things to stand in several natures, according to the annexed Schedule.

For the point of your coming up, he referreth that to your own heart; and I have only charge from him to tell you, that without any such oc∣casion as this, which seemeth to imply your affe∣ctionate

respect of his Daughter, your own Person and conversation shall be ever most welcome and dear unto him.

As for my Lady, through whose knowledge, and myself, through whose hands you have passed this point of confidence, if you could behold us, and compare us with my Lord, you should see, though no difference in the reality, yet some in the fashion. For to him you must allow the sober forms of his age and place; but we on the other side are mad with gladness, at the hope we have now taken by this occasion of enjoying both you and my Niece this Winter at London; and we are contented to profess it as profusely as it is possible for a better Pen to set it down: Nay, for my part (who in this case have somewhat single) I flatter my self yet farther, that the Term (whereof not much now remaineth) will accelerate your coming; vvhich if you resolve, I pray then let me only by this Bearer know it, that I may provide you some fit Lodgings at a good distance from White-Hall, for the pre∣servation of blessed liberty, and avoidance of the comber of kindness; vvhich in troth (as vve have privately discoursed) is no small one. Novv touch∣ing my self.

It may please you, Sir, to understand, That the King, vvhen he vvas last at Hampton, called me to him, and there acquainted me vvith a general pur∣pose that he had to put me again into some use. Since vvhich time, the French Ambassador (and very lately) having at an Audience of good length besought His Majesty (I knovv not vvhether volun∣tarily, or set on by some of our own) to disincum∣ber himself of frequent accesses by the choice of some confident Servant, to vvhom the said Am∣bassador

might address himself in such occurrences as did not require the Kings immediate ear. It pleased him to nominate me for that charge, vvith more gracious commendation then it can beseem me to repeat, though I vvrite to a Friend in vvhose breast I dare depose even my vanities. But lest you should mistake, as some others have been apt to do here, in the present constitution of the Court (vvhich is very ombragious) the Kings end in this application of me, I must tell you, that it is only for the better preparing of my insufficiency and vveakness for the succeeding of Sir Thomas Edmunds in France; towards which His Majesty hath thought meet first to indue me vvith some knowledge of the French businesses, vvhich are in motu. And I think my going thither vvill be about Easter.

Thus you see (Sir) both my next remove, and the exercise of my thoughts till then; vvherewith there is joyned this comfort, besides the redemption from expence and debt at home (vvhich are the Gulfs that vvould swallovv me) that His Majesty hath promised to do something for me before I go.

I should novv, according to the promise of my last, tell you many things, vvherewith my Pen is swoln; but I vvill beg leave to defer them till the next opportunity after my coming to London: And they shall all give place novv to this one question; Whether there be any thing in this intended jour∣ney, that you vvill command? Which having said, I vvill end; ever resting

Your faithfullest poor Friend and Servant, H. WOTTON.