284: LIFE, TIMES, AND SCIENTIFIC LABOURS [1665-6. 



&quot; At the Court, at Hampton Court, Jan. 29th, 1665/6. 



&quot; His Majesty is graciously pleased to refer and 

 recommend the Petitioner to be heard by the within 

 named Lords, referees, or to any four or more of them, 

 and they to give their report to his Majesty as soon as 

 conveniently may be. 



a ARLINGTON/ 



The next letter is without date or address, but appears 

 both to belong to the present period and to relate to 

 the same business as the foregoing ; he says : * 



&quot;My NOBLE LORD, 



44 1 must and ever will most thankfully and 

 humbly acknowledge your Lordship s civil and obliging 

 language and carriage towards me, your humble servant. 

 But pardon me if I cannot conceive how my Lord 

 Arlington, Principal Secretary of State, and as well of 

 the Bourne [?] as Cabinet Council, and that most 

 deservedly, can, notwithstanding, miss of an oppor 

 tunity to acquaint and receive his Majesty s answer to 

 the meanest of his Majesty s subjects ; praying but a 

 reference to the chiefest of his Privy Councillors, and 

 by them only to be heard for the King s service, as well 

 as his own concerns. His Majesty little thinks what 

 he hath, or doth daily lose for not suffering himself to 

 be disabused of a premeditated opinion concerning 

 me ; nor doth your Lordship imagine what services I 

 do intend to your Lordship s most worthy self, and that 

 the King will have cause to thank you for any service 

 you may please to afford me whose aim (I take God to 

 witness) is in chief more really to the King s advantage 

 and service than mine own interest, who could not 

 want forty or fifty thousand pounds yearly beyond 



* This is a holograph letter, from MSS. Badminton. 



