LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 259 



For the antedate, I must present his majesty with my 

 caution and with my obedience. 



For the statute tieth me from antedates ; and indeed the 

 mischief is infinite : for by that means the king may grant 

 any land, &c. and take it away a month hence, and grant 

 it another by an antedate. And surely were it land or the 

 like I would not say absit, or your majesty cannot do it 

 for the world ; or your majesty is sworn, and I am sworn ; 

 or such brave phrases : but surely (I say) I would in hum 

 bleness represent it to his majesty. 



But the case of honour differeth : for therein his majesty s 

 prerogative and declaration is absolute ; and he may make 

 him that is last to be first. And, therefore, upon his ma 

 jesty s signification of his pleasure upon the indorsement of 

 the bill signed, I take it I may lawfully do it. 



I am here rejoicing with my neighbours, the townsmen 

 of St. Albans, for this happy day, the 5th of August, 1618. 

 Your Lordship s most obliged 



Friend and faithful Servant, 



Gorhambury. F R . VERULAM, CanC. 



To the Marquis of Buckingham. 

 My very good Lord, 



I thank your lordship for your last loving letter. I now 

 write to give the king an account of a patent I have stayed 

 at the seal. It is of licence to give in mortmain eight hun 

 dred pounds land, though it be in tenure in chief to Allen, 

 that was the player, for an hospital. 



I like well that Allen playeth the last act of his life so 

 well; but if his majesty give way thus to amortize his 

 tenures, his courts of wards will decay, which I had well 

 hoped should improve. 



But that which moved me chiefly is, that his majesty 

 now lately did absolutely deny Sir Henry Savile for two 

 hundred pounds, and Sir Edwin Sandys for one hundred 

 pounds, to the perpetuating of two lectures, the one in 

 Oxford, the other in Cambridge, foundations of singular 

 honour to his majesty, (the best learned of kings) and of 

 which there is great want ; whereas hospitals abound, and 

 beggars abound never a whit the less. 



If his majesty do like to pass the book at all; yet if he 

 would be pleased to abridge the eight hundred pounds to 

 five hundred pounds, and then give way to the other two 

 books for the University, it were a princely work. And I 

 would make an humble suit to the king, and desire your 



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