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 ...

1626. The Copy of my Letter to the Queen of Bohemia.

Most Resplendent Queen, even is the darkness of Fortune,

I Most humbly salute Your Majesty again, after the longest silence that I have ever held with You, since I first took into my heart an image of Your excellent Vertues. My thoughts indeed have from the exercise of outward duties been confined within my self, and deeply wounded with mine own private griefs and losles; which I was afraid, if I had written sooner to Your Majesty, before time had dryed them up, would have freshly bled again. And with what shall I now entertain Your sweet Spirits? It becomes not my weakness, to speak of deep and weighty Counsels, nor my pri∣vateness, of great Personages: Yet because I know Your Majesty cannot but expect, I should say somewhat of the Duke of Buckingham, whom all contemplate, I will begin there; and end in such comforts as I can suggest to Your present Estate: which shall be ever the Subject both of my Letters and of my prayers. But before I deliver my con∣ceit

of the said Duke, I must use a little Preface. I am two wayes tyed unto him: First, for his sin∣gular love to my never forgotten Albertus; there∣in likewise concurring with Your Majesties inesti∣mable affection. Next, for mine own particular, I hold by his mediation this poor place, as indeed, for the benefit, I may well call it, though not for the contentment: But if it were worth Millions, or Worlds, I protest unto Your Majesty (to whom I owe the bottome of my heart) I would not speak otherwise of him, then I conceive. There∣fore, setting aside both fears of Parliament, and hopes of Court, I will spend my opinion, which is all my freehold.

And truly (my most gracious and Royal Mi∣stress) I cannot weigh his Case without much wonder: being one of the strangest (all consider∣ed) that I ever yet took into my fancy. Not, that the Commons assembled should sift and win∣now the actions even of the highest of the Nobility: Not, that an obscure Physician then among them (ambitious of some glory out of his own professi∣on) should dare to give the first onset on so emi∣nent a Personage: Not, that such a popular pur∣suit once begun by one, and seconded by a few other, should quickly kindle a greater Party. These are in their nature no marvels, nor Novel∣ties. Neither can I greatly muse, that in a young Gentleman, during thirteen years of such prospe∣rity and power, the heighth of his place exposing him to much observation and curiosity; the Lower House l•…•…kewise opening the way to all kind of com∣plaints, (as they did;) and examining nothing upon Oath, (as they never do;) there should be matter enough gleaned to make up thirteen Ob∣jections,

and none of heinous degree: For after such boltings to the quick, even among men of far meaner managements, I think there would be found every where some Bran. Therefore I can pass all this over with easie belief. But there is a consideration or two, which do much confound my judgement. First, for the matter it self: That this very Noble man, who at the Parliament of 1623. was so universally applauded and celebrated in every corner, as a great Instrument of the Pub∣lick good, (in so much as for my part, I conceived him then to be that which few or none had been before in all ages, No less Favorite, I mean, to the People, then to the King) should now be persued with these dislikes, when for the most part the very same Objectors were in the foresaid Parliament, and the very same Objections (except one or two) might as well then have been alledged: This is, I must confess to my understanding a Labyrinth. Again, When (from the matter turning to the Person) I view the fairness and equality of his temper and carriage, I can in truth descry in his own nature, no original excitement of such di∣staste, which commonly ariseth, not so much from high fortune, as from high looks. For I most in∣geniously avow unto your Majesty, that among all the Favorites which mine eyes have beheld in di∣vers Courts, and times, I never saw before a strong heart, and eminent condition, so clearly void of all pride and swelling arrogancy, either in his face or in his fashion.

These are partly the Reasons that make me vvon∣der, hovv such offence should grovv like a mush∣rome in a night. But there is one thing above all other that hath strucken deepest into my mind,

and made me see, hovv the greatest men have this unfortunate adjunct in their felicity, to be some∣times obnoxious to the foulest and falsest reports; vvhereof in the person of this very Duke himself, I shall lay a monstrous example before your Majesty, out of mine own particular knowledge and em∣ployment.

It pleased my Sovereign novv being, to direct unto me hither a Commission to examine my Lord of Oldebares Daughter, by name Mistress Anne Lion (I think sometimes not unknown unto your Ma∣jesty) then resident at Windsor, about an abo∣minable Pamphlet published and printed towards the time of the last Parliament, in divers Lan∣guages, by one Doctor Eglisham, a Scottish Physi∣tian, vvho therein chargeth the Duke of Buckingham vvith such trifles as these: The death of the Mar∣quess Hamilton, his near Friend and Ally; the death of our late King, of ever blessed memory, his most dear Master; the intended deaths of divers Counsellors of Estate, his Associates: painting, in effect, a nature far beyond that of Richard the Third, vvhen he vvas Duke of Glocester. And for a Wit∣ness hereof he traduceth the foresaid Gentlewo∣man, or rather as the main ground of his vvhole Book: vvhich occasioned her examination, at the Dukes pursuit against himself; whereof I send your Majesty a Copy herewith, as I took it from her own free delivery; vvherein you shall see a bare Note of a few Counsellors Names, found at first, not in the Dukes Cabinet, but in the very kennel of King-street by a Car-man, Servant to a Wood∣monger: Secondly, by him brought to a Foot-man; by which honourable degrees it came to the Gentlewoman all dirty. And at last, it is turned

by this Doctor into Bill of Personages to be poy∣soned, out of a very charitable interpretation then reigning in him. I am doubtful, what passion it will most stir in your Majesty, when you read the Circumstances; whether meer laughter at such a ridiculous slander, or a noble indignation at so desperate impudency. And so not to stay any longer upon this Cobweb, I will end with such comforts as I propound to my self in contempla∣tion of your present being.

The first shall be a general impression which we have taken of his Majesties Nature: And it is this, That he is not only (to consider him absolutely in his own composition) of singular virtue and piety, and resolution in good; but likewise (to consider him relatively) he is an excellent Husband, Bro∣ther, and Friend. I call Favorites the Friends of Kings, as your Majesty (who is so well versed in the best of Books) knows I may do with very good warrant: For was not Hushai the Archite so styled to David, and after him Zahud to Solomon? Nay, had not the Highest of all Examples, in the time of his Humane lowness, both among the living a Beloved that lay on his bosome, and another also whom he calls his Friend, even when he called him from the dead? Thus much I could not abstain to let fall from my pen, by the way, against all mur∣murers at any singularity of affection, which a∣bound both in States and Families. But of these three Relations, I will now only contemplate that which respecteth your Majesty; which indeed is as clear and visible as the rest: For surely all the Parlia∣ments that our most Gracious Sovereign hath hi∣therto assembled, and all the Actions that he hath undertaken abroad, either of himself or by com∣binations,

and his private Counsels at home, have principally levelled at your support and restore∣ment; as the Deliberations likewise that went before, in the latter time of your most blessed Fa∣ther. So as your Majesty, in the justness of your Cause, and in the sweetness of your Nature, doth stand firmly invested in both the titles of as be∣loved a Sister as you were a Daughter. And I am confident, that our living and loving God, who did accept the zeal of your Royal Brother, and bless his own and the publick devotions at home, with almost a miraculous conversion of the infirmi∣ty which raged, into health, and of the sterility which was feared, into plenty; will likewise find his own good time to favour our pursuits a∣broad.

Your Majesties second comfort, is the universal love of all good Minds. To which I may justly add, a particular zeal in him who is nearest his Majesty, to foment his best desires towards you; which he hath expressed sundry times within my hear∣ing.

The last and inwardest consolation that I can re∣present unto your Majesty, is your self, your own soul, your own vertues, your own Christian constancy and magnanimity: Whereby your Ma∣jesty hath exalted the glory of your sex, conquered your affections, and trampled upon your adversi∣ties. To conclude, you have shewed the World, that though you were born within the chance, yet without the power of fortune.

And so having sought to redeem so long a silence, I tear. with too long a trouble; I will promise your Majesty to commit no more of the former

fault, and humbly beg your pardon for the other: ever and ever remaining,

Your Majesties poor Servant with all humble and hearty devotion, HENRY WOTTON.