An account of the gaines of the late speaker William Lenthall, in answer to a letter:

SIR,

THere is now again the Report of the great gaines of your friend the late Speaker, so fresh in every ones Mouth, and so much related to his preju∣dice, and danger, that 'tis most necessary that the truth of it should come to publique view. And because I have heard you so rationally discourse the contrary, and assuring me that never any one in any great imployments made so little, nay nothing of advantage by them; I there∣fore earnestly desire you to relate to me under your hand what you then assur'd me, for I am very unwilling that that which is not, should be a cause of his ruine. Let me desire you to hasten this to me, for if I can judge, it concerns your friend very much to be vindicated in this particular, so expecting your answer, I remain

From Your assured friend and servant, G. G.

the 14. June 1660.

SIR,

I Am very glad you have given me the op∣portunity to vindicate my old friend the late Speaker in those reports of his great gains, in the hazardous, and troublesome imploy∣ments he hath undergone. 'Tis not easy to rectifie a great mistake when it is spread in almost every ones opinion, which is commonly believed without Examining the probability of it. I have been very strict in the informing my self of the particulars, and would not have put my hand to them, if I had not been an Eye witnesse of the truth of what I affirme from the first time he enter'd the House as Speaker, to the last that he sate there. You cannot be unacquainted with the greatnesse of his practice before he was call'd to that imployment; for I having seen his accounts, 'twas more then two thousand pounds per an. which now for twenty years he hath lost. In the first two years of his Speaker∣ship he kept a publique table, and every day entertained severall Eminent Persons, as well belonging to the Court, as the Members of Parliament. The King take∣ing this Expence of his into consideration, gave him six thousand pounds, of which there is not to this day the one halfe of it paid. Immediately after the unhappy warre broke out, and it was his chance to have his fortunes lye in the activest part of it, so that his Estate for five years yielded him nothing. The Office of Master of the Rolls falling by the death of Sir Charles Caesar, it was confer∣red on him; but for some years he did not clear his

charges, there being but little proceedings in the Courts of Justice, and there being great diminutions of the pro∣fits of that place which his predecessors injoy'd, but he did not by reason that Wardships were taken away, the pro∣fit accruing by them to eight hundred prounds per an. at the least, and also the Bishops who on every Creation, or Translation paid a considerable fee to him, which was al∣ways esteemed worth five hundred pounds per an. and the Fines on Orginall writs, which were the most advan∣tageous fees that belong'd to it; so that Wardships, Bi∣shops, and the Fines on Originalls being taken away, there was a losse to the Office in its profits, two thousand pounds per an. at the least: yet notwithstanding he per∣form'd a greater duty to the dispatch of businesse then has been done by any in that imployment before him, and this I think his greatest Detractors will acknowledge. But that which occasions most the Report of his gaines, proceeds from the fee of five pounds, which was given him by both Houses upon Compositions; and considering how much that is in Opinion, and how inconsiderable in the reality of it, makes me as much wonder at the con∣fident Report, as the readinesse it has in finding a beliefe. What he received by them is so certainly to be known, that if any wil but examin the Journal Books of the House, there they will find every fee for Pardons that he recei∣ved; and besides there is the Clerks, and the Serjeant that attend the House have their fees as well on the Pardons as the private Bills, and is a check to him, so that he cannot deceive any one that will but enquire, and with the strictest enquiry that I can make, both by the Books, and the attendance on the House, I cannot find that ever there could be more coming to him then two thousand two hundred and twenty pounds, and this is the utmost

that ever he made on Pardons and private Bills. There was due to him, as there is to every Speaker a fee of five pound per diem, which from his first sitting to the last he never received one farthing of; Nor did he ever take any summe of Money, any gift of land, or any other Re∣compence or Reward. What other imployment he has had, the labour was so great, and the requitall so small, that whosoever succeeded him had a salary for his pains; yet he perform'd his duty to the place with great Expe∣dition to all, without any. You have now the reality of what he has or could gaine, there being no other way whereby one peny could be supposed to come to him; and I hope it will give you, and all such as you shall thinke fit to communicate it to, full satisfaction, as is doth me, that I can affirme this for a truth, and also that I am

Your most humble servant, J. N.

London, this 19. June, 1660.

FINIS.