Life of the Duke 129 



send him a little book, or rather a letter wherin he 

 delivered his opinion concerning the government of 

 his dominions, whensoever God should be pleased to 

 restore him to his throne, together with some other 

 notes and observations of foreign states and kingdoms ; 

 but it being a private offer to his sacred Majesty, I 

 dare not presume to publish it. 



5. Of his Blessings 



Although My Lord hath been one of the most 

 unfortunate persons of his rank and quality, which 

 this later age did produce ; yet Heaven hath been so 

 propitious to him, that it bestowed some blessings 

 upon him even in the midst of his misfortunes, and 

 supported him against Fortune's mahce, which other- 

 wise, as it seems, had designed his total ruine and 

 destruction: of these blessings I may name in the 

 first place, 



1. The royal favours of his gracious soveraign's, 

 and the good esteem they had of his fidelity and 

 loyalty; which as it was the chief of his endeavours, 

 so he esteemed it above all the rest. To repeat them 

 particularly would be too tedious, and they are 

 sufficiently apparent out of the precedent history; 

 onely this I may add, that King Charles the First, 

 out of a singular favour to My Lord, was pleased 

 upon his most humble request, to create several 

 noble-men; the names of them, lest I commit an 

 offence, I shall not mention, by reason most men 

 usually pretend such claimes upon the ground of 

 their own merit. 



2. That God was pleased to bless him with wealth 

 and power, to enable him the better for the service 

 of his king and country. 



£ 



