LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 469 



To the Lord Archbishop of York* . 

 My very good Lord, 



I must use a better style than mine own in saying, Amor 

 turn undequaque se ostendit ex literis tuis proximis, for 

 which I give your grace many thanks, and so, with more 

 confidence, continue my suit to your lordship for a lease 

 absolute for twenty-one years of the house, being the num 

 ber of years which my father and my predecessors fulfilled 

 in it. A good fine requires certainty of term and I am 

 well assured, that the charge I have expended in repara 

 tions, amounting to one thousand marks at least already, 

 is more than hath been laid out by the tenants that have 

 been in it since my remembrance, answerable to my parti 

 cular circumstance, that I was born there, and am like to 

 end my days there. Neither can I hold my hand, but, 

 upon this encouragement, am like to be doing still, which 

 tendeth to the improvement, in great measure, of the inhe 

 ritance of your see by superlapidations, if I may so call it, 

 instead of dilapidations, wherewith otherwise it might be 

 charged. 



And whereas a state for life is a certainty, and not so well 

 seen how it wears, a term of years makes me more depend 

 ing upon you and your succession. 



For the providing of your lordship and your successors 

 a house, it is part of the former covenant, wherein I desired 

 not to be released. 



So, assuring myself of your grant and perfecting of this 

 my suit, and assuring your grace of my earnest desire and 

 continual readiness to deserve well of you, and yours chiefly, 

 and likewise of the see in any the causes or preeminences 

 thereof, I commend your grace to God s goodness, resting, 

 &c. 



The following Letter is from the Original in the Advocate s 

 Library at Edinburgh, and should have been inserted at 

 page 287. 



To the King 1 . 



It may please your most excellent Majesty, 

 We have, with all possible care and diligence, considered 

 Cotton sf cause, the former and the latter, touching the 



* Dr. Tobie Matthew. 



t The case of this gentleman will render the detail of it necessary for the 

 illustration of this letter ; and the circumstances of it, not known in our history, 

 may be thought to deserve the reader s attention. He was a native of the west 

 of England, and a recusant, against whom a proclamation was issued in June, 

 1613, charging him with high treason against the king and state for having pub 

 lished a very scandalous and railing book against his majesty, under the title 



