LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 459 



To the Duke of Buckingham. 



Excellent Lord, 



I am infinitely bound to your grace for your late favours. 

 I send your grace a copy of your letter, signifying his 

 majesty s pleasure, and of the petition. The course, I take 

 it, must be, to make a warrant for the execution of the 

 same, by way of reference to Mr. Chancellor of the Exche 

 quer, and Mr. Attorney.* I most humbly pray your grace 

 likewise, to prostrate me at his majesty s feet, with most 

 humble thanks for the grant of my petition, whose sweet 

 presence since I discontinued, methinks I am neither 

 amongst the living, nor amongst the dead. 



I cannot but likewise gratulate his majesty on the ex 

 treme prosperous success of his business, since this time 

 twelvemonth. I know I speak it in a dangerous time; 

 because the die of the Low Countries is upon the throw. 

 But yet that is all one. For if it should be a blow (which 

 I hope in God it shall not) yet it would have been ten times 

 worse, if former courses had not been taken. But this is 

 the raving of an hot ague. 



God evermore bless his majesty s person and designs, 

 and likewise make your grace a spectacle of prosperity, as 

 you have hitherto been. 



Your Grace s most faithful 

 and obliged, and by you revived Servant, 



Grey s Inn, 9th of October, 1624. FR. ST. ALBAN. 



To the Chancellor of the Duchy, f Sir Humphrey May. 



Good Mr. Chancellor, 



I do approve very well your forbearance to move my 

 suits, in regard the duke s return is so near at hand, 

 which I thought would have been a longer matter ; and I 

 imagine there is a gratiastitium till he come. I do not doubt 

 but you shall find his grace nobly disposed. The last time 

 that you spake with him about me, I remember you sent me 

 word, he thanked you for being so forward for me. Yet I 

 could wish that you took some occasion to speak with him, 

 generally to my advantage, before you move to him any 

 particular suit; and to let me know how you find him. 



* Sir Thomas Coventry, 

 t This letter is indorsed, 1625. 



$ From Paris, whither the Duke of Buckingham went in May, 1625, to con 

 duct the new queen to England. 



