260 LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 



lordship to join in it, that it might be so. God ever pre 

 serve and prosper you. 



Your Lordship s most obliged 



York House, this Friend and faithful Servant, 



18th of August, Hie. FR VERULAM, Cane. 



I have written to my Lord Chamberlain, being Chan 

 cellor of Oxford, to help in the business. 



To the Marquis of Buckingham. 

 My very good Lord, 



Looking for matter of service, I have found out a suit for 

 myself, and it is proper for me more than all men, because 

 it is within the accompt of the hamper. But I have made 

 a law to myself, that I will never beg any thing, which 

 shall not bring a gain to the king ; therefore my suit is to 

 farm the profits of the alienations, yielding a thousand 

 pounds a year more to the king than hath been yielded com- 

 munibus annis, by a medium of seven years. If the king 

 be pleased to grant me this, it will a little warm the honour 

 he hath given me ; and I shall have a new occasion to be 

 as I ever have been, and shall be 



Your Lordship s obliged Friend 



York House, and faithful Servant, 



October 9th, 1618. FR. VERULAM, Cane. 



To the Marquis of Buckingham. 

 My very good Lord, 



This morning Mr. Attorney came to me and desired of 

 me many writs of ne exeat regnum against most of the 

 D utch merchants, and withal let me understand that there 

 was a discovery of an infinite transportation of gold and 

 silver out of this realm, by the said Dutch merchants, 

 amounting to millions; and that Sir John Britten had 

 made a book thereof, and presented the same to his ma 

 jesty; and further that his majesty had directed him to 

 prosecute the same ; and had also given Sir Thomas Va- 

 visor the forfeiture of such ten of them as he should choose. 



Hereupon I thought it my duty, as in a matter of great 

 weight, to signify to his majesty, by your lordship, what I 

 conceive. 



The discovery I think very happy : for if it be true, it 

 will be a great benefit to his majesty ; it will also content 

 his people much, and it will demonstrate also that Scotland 

 is not the leech (as some discoursers say) but the Nether- 



