420 LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 



your lordship s endeavour to gratify me in this, so I shall 

 esteem it as an extraordinary courtesy, which I will study 

 to requite by all means. 



So, with my best wishes to your lordship, I rest 

 Your Lordship s most loving Friend, 



LENOX. 



In respect my Lord of Buckingham was once desirous to 

 have had this house, I would not deal for it till now, that 

 he is otherwise provided. 



Whitehall, the 29th of January, 1621. 



To the Right Honourable my very good Lord, 

 my Lord Viscount tit. Alban. 



Answer of the Lord Viscount of St. Alban. 

 My very good Lord, 



I am sorry to deny your grace any thing; but in this 

 you will pardon me. York House is the house wherein my 

 father died, and wherein I first breathed ; and there will I 

 yield my last breath, if so please God, and the king will 

 give me leave ; though I be now by fortune (as the old 

 proverb is) like a bear in a monk s hood. At least no 

 money, no value, shall make me part with it. Besides, as 

 I never denied it to my lord marquis, so yet the difficulty I 

 made was so like a denial, as I owe unto my great love 

 and respect to his lordship a denial to all my other friends; 

 among whom, in a very near place next his lordship, I ever 

 accounted of your grace. So, not doubting that you will 

 continue me in your former love and good affection, I rest 

 Your Grace s, to do you humble service, 



affectionate, &c. 



To the Marquis of Buckingham. 

 My very good Lord, 



As my hopes, since my misfortunes, have proceeded of 

 your lordship s mere motion, without any petition of mine, 

 so I leave the times and the ways to the same good mind 

 of yours. True it is, a small matter for my debts would do 

 me more good now than double a twelvemonth hence. I 

 have lost six thousand pounds by year, besides caps and 

 courtesies. But now a very moderate proportion would 

 suffice; for I still bear a little of the mind of a commissioner 

 of the treasury, not to be overchargable to his majesty; 

 and two things I may assure your lordship of: the one, 

 that I shall lead such a course of life, as whatsoever the 

 king doth for me shall rather sort to his majesty s and 



