and be a husband unto Em: a husband and a father : hundred prunds, and ADRION prazds In Corsen, alsoe, I have much manages of the wynes will pay my stemer for my soul's healthe, I beseech L pook me. When I am gonne, no doubt to by many. for the world thinks but take heed of the pretences of for they laste but in honest And no greater misery cann befall ... then to become a pray, and after to be reak God kames not to disswad you -fe that willbe best for you-both in God and the world' As for me, I am plers 207 you myne. Death hath cutt us and God hath devided me from the world, Remember y pore childe for his father's sake, that comforted` you and loved you in his happiest tymes, Gutt those letters if it bee possible) which I writt to the Lordel wherein I sued for my lief, but God knoweth that it was for you and yours that I desired but itt is true that I disdaine myself for begging And know itt deare wief) that your sonne is AMS Cell ↑ MS. Sloane, And the same God will," &c. * A Irian Gillen, bis half-brother. In MS. Sloane, the name is given in Mss. Cecil and Sloane, ** sake.” 6 MS. Cecil omits **t." ↑ Here I follow MS. Cecil MS. Sloane reads, "both in respect of How old and of G" The Rolls House copy omits the latter words. * MSS. Slane and Cecil, and many other MS. copies, read “chose you.” These clauses are wanting in Dom. Corr, xcvi. 71, and also in MS. Cecil at Hatfield. They are taken from MS. Sloane. 1 See Letters CXIX., CXX., and CXXII. MS. Cecil, “For." the childe of a true man, and who, in his own respect, despiseth Death, and all his misshapen and ouglie formes.1 I cannot wright much. God knowes howe hardlie I stole this tyme, when all sleep; and it is tyme2 to separate my thoughts from the world. Begg my dead body, which living was denyed you; and either lay itt att Sherborne | if the land continue, or in Exiter church, by my father and mother. | I can wright* noe more. Tyme and Death call me awaye. | 3 The everlasting, infinite powerfull, and inscrutable 5 God, that Almightie God that is goodnes itself, mercy itself, the true lief and light, keep you and yours, and have mercy on me, and | teach me to | forgeve my persecutors and false accusers; and send us to meete in His glorious kingdome. My true wief, farewell. Blesse my poore boye; pray for me. My true God hold you both in His armes. 8 | Written with the dyeing hand of sometyme thy husband, but now (alasse!) overthrowne. Your's that was; but nowe not my owne, | 1 MS. Sloane, "shapes." 3 See note 9 on preceding page. 4 MS. Sloane, "say." W. RALEGH. 2 Ib. "itt is alsoe high tyme." 5 Ib. "omnipotent." 6 The words " mercy itself" do not occur in MS. Sloane. 7 These words do not occur in MS. Cecil, which reads, "have mercy on me, and forgive," &c. All that follows is wanting in the copy in Domestic Correspondence, xcvi. 71, and also in MS. Cecil at Hatfield. In MS. Sloane the words "yours that was, but nowe not my owne," follow the signature, and are initialled "W. R." In MS. Cecil the "W. R." follows the word "armes." LETTER 1603. [December.] LETTER 1603. [December.] To Lord Cecil. [From Win chester.] Thanks for his friendly offices. Promises able affection. CXXIV. TO SECRETARY LORD CECIL OF ESSINGDON. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cii. § 112 (Hatfield). Holograph. MY LORD CECYLL, To geve yow thancks, to promis gratefullnis, to returne words, is all I can do; but that your Lordship will esteeme them I cannot promis my sealf; no, not so mich as hope it. To use defences for the errors of former tymes, I cannot. For I have fayled, bothe in frindshipe and in judgment. Therfore this is all that I can now say for my sealf: Vouchsaufe to esteeme me as a man raysed from the dead, though not in body, yet in mind. For neather of unalter. Fortune, which sumetyme guyded me,-or rather Vanety, for with the other I was never in love,-shall turne myne eyes from yow toward her, while I have beinge; nor the World, with all the cares or intisements belonging unto it, shall ever way down (though it be of the greatest wayght to mortall men) the memory alone of your Lordship's trew respects had of mee; respects tried by the touch; tried by the fier; trew wittnises, in trew tymes; and then only, when only availabell. And although I must first attribute unto God, who inclined; and secoundly and essentially, after God, to my deere Soverayne, who had goodnes apt to be inclyned;-goodness and mercy without cumparison and exampell; yet I must never forgett what I find was in your Lordship's desire, what in your will, what in your LETTER CXXIV. words and works, so farr as coulde becume yow as a councelor, and farr beyonnd all dew1 to me, as an 1603. offendor. Thes I have fixed to my hart inseperabelly. December. From thes, neather tyme, nor perswation, or ought elce, wonnt to chang affections or to wast them, shall beat from mee, or make old in mee; who will acknowledg your Lordship with a love without maske or cover, and follow yow to the end. W. RALEGH. [POSTSCRIPT.]-All the rest have written to His Majesty, since the receving of his grace. I hope I may presume to do the like. Addressed: To the right honorabell the Lorde CECYLL, Principall Secritorye, &c. CXXV. TO THE KING. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cii. § 109 (Hatfield). Holograpli. Without date. MOST MIGHTY AND MOST MERCIFULL KINGE, LETTER 1603. To the SEING it hath pleased your Majestye to breathe into dead yearth a new life, I amonge others do presume to offer my humblest thancks and acknowledgments, December. which (God knowes) can neather in words be exprest or presented. For wheras your Majestye hath reason to reckon mee among thos who have foolishly imagined meischeif, who have wickedly intended the greatest ill towards the greatest goodnes, and yet have pleased to for the [From Win chester. Thanks sparing of his life. LETTER spare the blowe which both exampell hath taught and law hath warranted your Majestye to strike, alas!—what 1603. December. waight have words, or vowes, or protestations, or wherwith cann so unworthy a creture make payment of so uncountabell a debt? To promis my fydellety, I know that I am bound by God both to promis and performe it, though I had never receyved any such great grace as this. To vow my service, in what sort soever, I know it to be the dewty of every vassall towards his Soverayne. To say that I will hassard my life for your Majestye,-I have done it for my frind; for my country; or even sumetyme for vayne glory. And if I should directly yeilde it up for your Majestye, what thancks can be deserved therby, seinge I shall but offer that which is none of myne, and in which I have neather right nor property? What therfore to promis, or what to pay, I know not. God only, who doth wittnes my thoughts what they have byne and ar, must speake for mee. It is trew that I have allredy suffred diversly, but deservedly. I have byn beaten with Sorrow, sed mea culpa, for it was myne own error that opened the passage to that passion. I have been beaten by Fortune, but it was myne own unthanckfullnis, who would not know when shee had dealt liberally with mec. And I have bynn beaten by God Hymesealf, but with a souft hand in respect of my greatest offences to Hym. Only my soverayne Lorde, who might justly have beaten mee and justly have distroyde mee, have vouchsaufed to spare mee; and hath pleased to geve mee every dropp of bludd in my body: to hold mee back from shame; and to stopp his ears from the voyce of publick law, and private hatred. For thes works of mercy, of manly gentelnes, of kingly magnanimity, what deeds to be performde by |