284 LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 



I hope your majesty will pardon my liberty of writing. 

 I know these things are major a quam pro jortuna : but 

 they are minora quam pro studio et voluntate. I assure 

 myself your majesty taketh not me for one of a busy nature; 

 for my state being free from all difficulties, and I having 

 such a large field for contemplations, as I have partly, and 

 shall much more make manifest to your majesty and the 

 world, to occupy my thoughts, nothing could make me active 

 but love and affection. So praying my God to bless and 

 favour your person and estate, &c. 



To the King. 



It may please your excellent Majesty, 

 I have, with all possible diligence since your majesty s 

 progress, attended the service committed to the subcommis- 

 sioners, touching the repair and improvement of your ma 

 jesty s means: and this I have done, not only in meeting, 

 and conference, and debate with the rest, but also by my 

 several and private meditation and inquiry: so that, be 

 sides the joint account, which we shall give to the lords, I 

 hope I shall be able to give your majesty somewhat ex pro- 



frio. For as no man loveth better consulere in commune than 

 do ; neither am I of those fine ones that use to keep back 

 any thing, wherein they think they may win credit apart, 

 and so make the consultation almost inutile. So never 

 theless, in cases where matters shall fall in upon the by, 

 perhaps of no less worth than that, which is the proper 

 subject of the consultation; or where I find things passed 

 over too slightly, or in cases where that, which I should 

 advise, is of that nature, as I hold it not fit to be commu 

 nicated to all those with whom I am joined ; these parts of 

 business I put to my private account ; not because I would 

 be officious (though I profess I would do works of super 

 erogation if I could), but in a true discretion and caution. 

 And your majesty had some taste in those notes which I 

 gave you for the wards (which it pleased you to say were 

 no tricks nor novelties, but true passages of business), that 

 mine own particular remembrances and observations are not 

 like to be unprofitable. Concerning which notes for the 

 wards, though I might say, sic vos non vobis, yet let that pass. 

 I have also considered fully of that great proposition 

 which your majesty commended to my care and study, 



ceconomy occasioned demands on the Lord Treasurer, which all his skill, in the 

 business of the finances, could not answer, but which drew from him advices and 

 remonstrances still extant, which that king not being very ready to profit by, 

 conceived some resentment against his old servant, and even retained it against 

 his memory. 



