LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 299 



think it inconvenient to make the suit of my return to his 

 majesty; in which case I should, to my extreme content 

 ment, have all my obligations to your honour only. 



His majesty s being now in progress will give some 

 impediment to my suit, unless either it be my good fortune 

 that your honour do attend his person, or else that you 

 will be pleased to command some one of the many servants 

 your honour hath in court, to procure the expedition of my 

 cause ; wherein I can foresee no difficulty when I consider 

 the interest which your honour alloweth me in your favour, 

 and my innocent carriage abroad for so many years ; where- 

 unto all his majesty s ministers, who have known me, I am 

 sure, will give an attestation, according to the contents of 

 my letter, to his Grace of Canterbury. 



If I durst, I would most humbly intreat your honour to 

 be pleased, that some servant of yours may speedily ad 

 vertise me, whether or no his Grace of Canterbury hath 

 received my letter ; what his answer was ; and what I may 

 hope in this my suit. I remember, that the last words 

 which I had the honour to hear from your mouth, were, 

 that if I continued any time free both from disloyalty and 

 priesthood, your honour would be pleased to make yourself 

 the intercessor for my return. Any letter sent to Mr. Trum- 

 ball for me will come safely and speedily to my hands. 



The term doth now last with your honour all the year 

 long, and therefore the sooner I make an end, the better 

 service I shall do you. I presume to kiss your hands, and 

 continue 



Your Honour s most intirely, and 

 Spa, this 16th of July, humbly ever at commandment, 



stylo novo, 1616. ToBIE MATTHEW. 



P. S. It is no small penance, that I am forced to apparel 

 my mind in my man s hand, when it speaks to your honour. 

 But God Almighty will have it so, through the shaking I 

 have in my right hand ; and I do little less than want the 

 use of my forefinger. 



To Sir Francis Bacon, Attorney-General. 

 It may please your Honour, 



I presumed to importune your honour with a letter of the 

 16th of this month, whereby I signified how I had written 

 to the Master of the Horse, that he would be pleased to 

 move his majesty for my return into England ; and how 

 that I had done it upon the direction of my Lord Roos, who 

 offered to be the deliverer thereof. Withal I told your 



