LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 33 



of that memorable Quinquennium Neronis. Many more. 

 This, if it please your majesty, I do not say for appetite of 

 employment, but for hope that if I do by myself as is fit, 

 your majesty will never suffer me to die in want or dis 

 honour. I do now feed myself upon remembrance, how 

 when your majesty used to go a progress, what loving and 

 confident charges you were wont to give me touching your 

 business. For, as Aristotle saith, young men may be 

 happy by hope, so why should not old men, and seques 

 tered men, by remembrance. God ever prosper and preserve 

 your majesty. 



Your Majesty s most bounden and devoted Servant, 



PR. ST. ALB AN. 



July 16, 1621. 



To the Lord St. Alban. 

 My honourable Lord, 



I have delivered your lordship s letter of thanks to his 

 majesty, who accepted it very graciously, and will be glad 

 to see your book, which you promised to send very shortly, 

 as soon as it cometh. I send your lordship his majesty s 

 warrant for your pardon, as you desired it; but am sorry, 

 that in the current of my service to your lordship there 

 should be the least stop of any thing ; yet having moved 

 his majesty, upon your servant s intimation, for your stay 

 in London till Christmas, I found his majesty, who hath in 

 all other occasions, and even in that particular already, to 

 the dislike of many of your own friends, showed with great 

 forwardness his gracious favour towards you, very unwilling 

 to grant you any longer liberty to abide there; which^ 

 being but a small advantage to you, would be a great and 

 general distaste, as you cannot but easily conceive, to the 

 whole state. And I am the more sorry for this refusal of 

 his majesty s falling in a time when I was a suitor to your 

 lordship in a particular concerning myself, wherein though 

 your servant insisted further than, I am sure, would ever enter 

 into your thoughts, I cannot but take it as a part of a faith 

 ful servant in him. But if your lordship, or your lady, 

 find it inconvenient for you to part with the house, I would 

 rather provide myself otherwise than any way incommo- 

 date you, but will never slack any thing of my affection to 

 do you service ; whereof, if I have not yet given good proof, 

 I will desire nothing more than the fittest occasion to show 

 how much I am 



Your Lordship s faithful Servant, 

 October 162L G/BUCKINGHAM. 



