LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 9 



His majesty s pleasure likewise is, that according to the 

 declaration he made before the lords of his council at 

 Whitehall, touching the review of my Lord Coke s Reports, 

 you draw a warrant ready for his signature, directed to 

 those j udges whom he then named to that effect, and send 

 it speedily to him to be signed, that there may be a despatch 

 of that business before the end of the term. And so I rest 

 Your faithful Friend at command, 



Newmarket, Nov. 19, 1616. GEORGE VlLLIERS. 



To the Earl of Buckingham. 

 My singular good Lord, 



When I heard here your lordship was dead, I thought I 

 had lived too long. That was (to tell your lords.hip truly) 

 the state of my mind upon that report. Since, I hear it 

 was an idle mistaking of my Lord Evers for my Lord 

 Villiers: God s name be blessed, that you are alive to do 

 infinite good, and not so much as sick or ill disposed for 

 any thing I now hear. 



I have resigned the Prince s seal, and my Lord Hobart 

 is placed. I made the Prince laugh, when I told him I 

 resigned it with more comfort than I received it; he under 

 standing me that I had changed for a better : but after I 

 had given him that thought, I turned it upon this, that I 

 left his state and business in good case, whereof I gave 

 him a particular account. 



The Queen calleth upon me for the matter of her house, 

 wherein your lordship and my Lord Chamberlain and I 

 dealt, and received his majesty s direction, so that I shall 

 prepare a warrant first to my Lord Treasurer and Mr. Chan 

 cellor (for that is the right way) to advise how to settle it 

 by assignment, in case she survive his majesty, which I 

 hope in God she shall not. 



Her desire was expressly and of herself, that when I had 

 prepared a warrant to be sent to his majesty, I should send 

 it by your lordship s hands. 



We sit in council, that is all I can yet say. Sir John 

 Denham is not come, upon whose coming the King shall 

 have account of our consultations touching Ireland, which 

 we cannot conclude, till we have spoken with him. God 

 ever preserve and prosper you. 



It grieveth me much that I cannot hear enough of his 

 majesty s good disposition of health, and his pleasures, 

 and other ordinary occurrences of his journey: I pray your 

 Lordship will direct Mr. Packer to write to me sometime 



