LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 347 



often occasion to use his service; and, therefore, besides 

 that he is a man of good years, and hath served long in 

 the place, I know his majesty, out of these respects, will be 

 loth he should receive any disgrace. 1 desire, therefore, to 

 understand from your lordship the reasons of his remove, 

 that, if I cannot give satisfaction to the gentleman himself, 

 I may at least make answer to his majesty for that act of 

 your lordship s, which is alleged to be very unusual, unless 

 upon some precedent misdemeanour of the party. Thus, 

 having in this point discharged my part in taking the best 

 course I could, that no complaint should come against you 

 to the king, I rest 



Your lordship s faithful Friend, 



Newmarket the 16th of January, 1617. G. BUCKINGHAM. 



To Sir Henry Yelverton, Attorney-General. 

 Mr. Attorney, 



Whereas there dependeth before me in Chancery a great 

 cause of tithes concerning the benefices of London, though 

 in a particular, yet, by consequence, leading to a general ; 

 his majesty, out of a great and religious care of the state, 

 both of church and city, is graciously pleased, that before 

 any j udicial sentence be pronounced in Chancery, there be 

 a commission directed unto me, the Lord Chancellor, Lord 

 Treasurer, the Lord Privy Seal, and the Lord Chamberlain ; 

 and likewise to the Lord Archbishop, the Lord Bishop of 

 Winchester,* and the Bishop of Ely,&quot;f and also to the 

 Master of the Rolls, J the two Lord Chief Justices,^ Jus 

 tice Dodderidge, and Justice Hutton, who formerly assisted 

 me in the cause, to treat of some concord, in a reasonable 

 moderation, between the ministers and the mayor and the 

 commonalty of London in the behalf of the citizens ; and to 

 make some pact and transaction between them by consent, 

 if it may be ; or otherwise to hear and certify their opinions 

 touching the cause, that thereupon his majesty may take 

 such farther order, by directing of a proceeding in Chancery, 

 or by some other course, as to his wisdom shall seem fit. 



You will have care to draw the commission with some 

 preface of honour to his majesty, and likewise to insert in 

 the beginning of the commission that it was de advisamento 

 cancellarii (as it was indeed) lest it should seem to be taken 

 from the court. So I commit you to God s &c. 



January 19, 1617. FR. BACON, Cane. 



* Dr. James Montagu. t Dr. Lancelot Andrews, | Sir Julius Caesar. 

 Sir Henry Montagu of the King s Bench, and Sir Henry Hobart of the 

 Common Pleas. 



