NOTC X /. 



To tlie Lord Chancellor. 



My honourable Lord, I desire your lordship to continue your favour to 

 Sir Thomas Gerrard in the business concerning him, wherein I signified his 

 majesty s pleasure to your lordship. And one favour more I am to intreat of 

 your lordship in his behalf, that you will be pleased to speak to one of the 

 assistants of the Chancellor of the Duchy, in whose court he hath a cause 

 depending, as he will more fully inform your lordship himself, to see that he 

 may have a fair proceeding according to justice ; for which I will ever rest 



Your Lordship s faithful friend and servant, G. BUCKINGHAM. 



Royston, Oct. 15, 1620. 



Letters from other persons than Buckingham respecting Suitors of the Court 

 of Chancery. 



From the University of Cambridge.* 



Right Honourable, The confidence which the townsmen have, in obtaining 

 their charter and petition, makes us bold and importunate suitors to your honour, 

 by whose favour with his majesty and protection, we again humbly intreat the 

 University and ourselves may be freed from that danger which by them is 

 intended to us. By their own reports, it is a matter of honour and advantage 

 for which they sue : when they were at the lowest, and in their meanest for 

 tunes, they ever shewed themselves unkind neighbours to us ; and their suits 

 with us, within these few years, have caused us to spend our common treasury, 

 and trouble our best friends, and therefore we cannot expect peace amongst 

 them, when their thoughts and wills shall be winged and strengthened by that 

 power and authority which the very bare title of a city will give unto them. 

 Since our late letter to the right honourable Lord Chancellor, your honour, and 

 his majesty s Attorney General, we (being better informed of the course they 

 take, and of their confidence to prevail at the end of the next term) have sent 

 letters from the body of the University to the King s majesty, the Lord Chan 

 cellor, and others, our honourable friends ; shewing them of our fear, and their 

 purpose, and to entreat them to join with your honour and us, to his majesty, to 

 stay their suit before we be driven to further charge or trouble, in entertaining 

 counsel, or soliciting our friends. Thus humbly entreating your honour to 

 pardon our importunity, and often soliciting your lordship in this business, 

 with our earnest prayers to the Almighty for your honour s long life and happy 

 estate, we end this. Your Honour s in all duty to be commanded. 

 February, 1616. 



Sir Francis Englefyld t to the Lord Keeper. 



Right Honourable, Give me leave, I beseech your lordship, for want of 

 other means, by this paper to let your lordship understand, that notwithstanding 



* Sloan MS. 3562. art. 41. 



t This gentleman was very unfortunate in his behaviour with regard to those 

 who had the great seal; for in Hilary term of the year 1623-4 he was fined 

 three thousand pounds by the Star Chamber, for casting an imputation of 

 bribery on the Lord Keeper Williams, Bishop of Lincoln. MS. letter of Mr. 

 Chamberlain to Sir Dudley Carleton, dated at London, 1623-4. Sir Francis 

 had been committed to the Fleet for a contempt of a decree in Chancery ; upon 

 which he was charged, by Sir John Bennet, with having said before sufficient 

 witness, &quot; that he could prove this holy bishop judge had been bribed by some 

 that fared well in their causes.&quot; A few days after the sentence in the Star 

 Chamber, the Lord Keeper sent for Sir Francis, and told him he would refute 

 his foul aspersions, and prove upon him that he scorned the pelf of the world, 

 &amp;gt;r to exact, or make lucre of any man ; and that, for his own part, he forgave 

 him every penny of his fine, and would crave the same mercy towards him from 

 the king. Bishop Hacket s Life of Archbishop Williams, Part I p. 83 84 

 VOL. xv. 12 



