40 LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 



To the Lord St. Alban. 

 My Honourable Lord, 



I have delivered your lordship s letter and your book to 

 his majesty, who hath promised to read it over : I wish I 

 could promise as much for that which you sent me, that 

 my understanding of that language might make me capable 

 of those good fruits, which I assure myself, by an implicit 

 faith, proceed from your pen ; but I will tell you in good 

 English, with my thanks for your book, that I ever rest 

 Your Lordship s faithful Friend and Servant, 



G. BUCKINGHAM. 



Hinchenbrook, October 29th, 1623. 



To the Duke of Buckingham. 

 Excellent Lord, 



I send your grace for a parabien, a book of mine, written 

 first and dedicated to his majesty in English, and now 

 translated into Latin, and enriched. After his majesty and 

 his highness, your grace is ever to have the third turn with 

 me. Vouchsafe, of your wonted favour, to present also 

 the King s book to his majesty. The Prince s I have sent 

 to Mr. Endimion Porter. I hope your grace (because you 

 are wont to disable your Latin) will not send your book to 

 the Conde d Olivares, because he was a deacon, for I under 

 stand by one (that your grace may guess whom I mean) 

 that the Conde is not rational, and I hold this book to be 

 very rational. Your grace will pardon me to be merry 

 however the world goeth with me. I ever rest, 



Your Grace s most faithful and obliged Servant, 



Gray s Inn, FR. ST. ALBAN. 



this 22d October, 1623. 



I have added a begging postscript in the King s letter ; 

 for, as I writ before, my cables are worn out, my hope of 

 tackling is by your lordship s means. For me and mine, I 

 pray command. 



To the Lord St. Alban. 

 My Lord, 



1 give your lordship man^ thanks for the parabien you 

 have sent me ; which is so welcome unto me, both for the 

 author s sake and for the worth of itself, that I cannot spare 

 a work of so much pains to your lordship and value to me, 

 unto a man of so little reason and less art ; who if his skill 

 in languages be no greater than I found it in argument, 

 may, perhaps, have as much need of an interpreter (for all 

 his deaconry) as myself; and whatsoever mine ignorance is 



