LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 243 



To the King. 

 It may please your most Excellent Majesty, 



Mr. Vicechamberlain hath acquainted myself and the 

 rest of the commissioners for the marriage with Spain, which 

 are here, with your majesty s instructions, signed by your 

 royal hands, touching that point of the suppressing of 

 pirates as it hath relation to his negotiation; whereupon 

 we met yesterday at my Lord Admiral s at Chelsea, because 

 we were loath to draw my lord into the air, being but newly 

 upon his recovery. 



We conceive the parts of the business are four: the 

 charge ; the confederations, and who shall be solicited or 

 retained to come in; the forces and the distributions of 

 them ; and the enterprise. We had only at this time con 

 ference amongst ourselves, and shall appoint (after the 

 holidays) times for the calling before us such as are fit, 

 and thereupon perform all the parts of your royal com 

 mandments. 



In this conference, I met with somewhat, which I must 

 confess was altogether new to me, and opened but darkly 

 neither ; whereof I think Mr. Vicechamberlain will give 

 your majesty some light, for so we wished. By occasion 

 whereof I hold it my duty in respect of the great place 

 wherein your majesty hath set me (being only made worthy 

 by your grace), which maketh it decent for me to counsel 

 you ad summas rerum to intimate or represent to your 

 majesty thus much. 



I do foresee, in my simple j udgment, much inconvenience 

 to insue, if your majesty proceed to this treaty with Spain, 

 and that your counsel draw not all one way. I saw the 

 bitter fruits of a divided counsel the last parliament ; I saw 

 no very pleasant fruits thereof in the matter of the cloth. 

 This will be of equal, if not more inconvenience ; for where 

 soever the opinion of your people is material (as in many 

 cases it is not) there, if your counsel be united, they shall 

 be able almost to give law to opinion and rumour ; but if 

 they be divided, the infusion will not be according to the 

 strength and virtue of the votes of your counsel, but ac 

 cording to the aptness and inclination of the popular. This 

 I leave to your majesty in your high wisdom to remedy. 

 Only I could wish that when Sir John Digby s instruc 

 tions are perfected, and that he is ready to go, your ma 

 jesty would be pleased to write some formal letter to the 

 body of your counsel (if it shall be in your absence), signi 

 fying to them your resolution in general, to the end that, 



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