274 LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 



received it, yet I humbly pray your lordship to give me 

 leave to add these few lines. My lord, as God above is my 

 witness, that I ever have loved and honoured your lordship 

 as much, I think, as any son of Adam can love or honour 

 any thing that is a subject; and do still continue in as 

 hearty and strong wishes of felicity to be heaped and fixed 

 upon you as ever: so yet I protest, that at this time, as 

 low as I am, I had rather sojourn the rest of my life in a 

 college in Cambridge, than recover a good fortune by any- 

 other than yourself. But now, to recover yourself to me (if 

 I have you not already) or to ease your lordship in any 

 business of mine, wherein your lordship would not so fully 

 appear, or to be made partaker of your favours in the way 

 that you like best, I would use any man who were your 

 lordship s friend. Secondly, If in any thing of my former 

 letters I have given your lordship any distaste, either by 

 the style of them or any particular passage in them, I hum 

 bly pray your lordship s benign construction and pardon. 

 I confess it is my fault, though yet it be some happiness 

 to me withal, that I many times forget my adversity : but 

 I shall never forget to be, &c. 



To the Earl of Arundel and Surrey. 

 My very good Lord, 



I was likely to have had the fortune of Cajus Plinius 

 the elder, who lost his life by trying an experiment about 

 the burning of the Mountain Vesuvius. For I was also 

 desirous to try an experiment or two, touching the conser 

 vation and induration of bodies. As for the experiment 

 itself, it succeeded excellently well ; but in the journey 

 (between London and Highgate) I was taken with such a 

 fit of casting, as I knew not whether it were the stone, or 

 some surfeit, or cold, or indeed a touch of them all three. 

 But when I came to your lordship s house, I was not able 

 to go back, and therefore was forced to take up my lodging 

 here, where your housekeeper is very careful and diligent 

 about me, which I assure myself your lordship will not 

 only pardon towards him, but think the better of him for 

 it. For indeed your lordship s house was happy to me ; 

 and I kiss your noble hands for the welcome which I am 

 sure you give me to it, &c. 



I know how unfit it is for me to write to your lordship 

 with any other hand than my own ; but by my troth, my 

 fingers are so disjointed with this fit of sickness, that I 

 cannot steadily hold a pen. 



