1662-3.] OF THE MARQUIS OF WORCESTER. 251 



And the month following he wrote : 

 &quot;EIGHT HONOURABLE, 



&quot; Had not my indisposition hindered my attend 

 ance at Court, I should in one of the first places waited 

 upon you to give humble thanks for your extended 

 favour upon my letter, in taking bail for Captain Foster s 

 servant ; and I hope his Honour is now satisfied so well 

 at the sessions, as not to detain him any longer, in whose 

 behalf, had I thought him in the least guilty, I should 

 rather have suffered myself than have appeared for him ; 

 but my six years experience of him during my imprison 

 ment in the Tower, made me confident, and if you please 

 now to crown your favour to me by his despatch, it 

 shall be, ere long, most thankfully acknowledged by 

 me, who do not long for any one reason more to be at 

 Court, and haste thither, than to be an eye-witness of 

 so bright a star showing there ; and that I may have 

 occasion to appear 



&quot; Your Honour s 



&quot; most humble and obliged servant, 



&quot;WORCESTER.* 



&quot; December 13th, 1662. 



&quot; For the Right Honourable Sir Henry Bennett, 

 &quot; One of his Majesty s principal Secretaries of State, these.&quot; 



We learn from the latter communication that he 

 was in attendance at Court, though at the time, through 

 indisposition, obliged to discontinue. His expres 

 sion &quot;my six years experience of him, during my 

 imprisonment in the Tower,&quot; will bear two or three 

 constructions, unless certain particulars are well noted. 

 He may be considered to have been a state prisoner 



This and the former letter are holographs. 



