I do therfore most humblie beseich my soverayne Lord not to beleve any of thos, in my particuler, who, under pretence of offences to kings, doe easely work their particuler revenges. I trust that no man (under the culler of making examples) shall parswade your Majesty to leve the word 'mercifull' out of your stile; for it will noe less profite your Majesty, and becume your gretnes, than the word 'invincibell.' It is true that the lawes of Ingland ar no less jelous of the Kinge, then CÆSAR was of POMPEIA, his wife; for, notwithstanding that she was clered of the accusation for CLAUDIUS, yett, for being suspected, he condemned her. For my sealf I protest, before the everlasting God, and I speak it to my master and soverayne, that I never invented treason, consented to treason, or parformed treason, against hyme; and yet I know that I shall fall ' in manus eorum a quibus non possum exsurgere,' unless by your Majesties great cumpassion I be sustayned. Our law therfore, most mercifull Prince, knowing her owne cruelty, and knoweing that she is wonnt to cumpound treasons out of presumtions and circumstances, doth geve this charetabell advice to the King her superior: 'Non solum enim sapiens debet esse rex, sed et misericors, ut cum sapientia misericorditer sit justus; cum tutius sit reddere rationem misericordiæ quam judicii.' I do therefore, on the knees of my hart, beseich your Majesty to take councell from your own sweet and mercifull disposition, and to remember that I have loved your Majesty now twenty yeares, for which your Majestie hath yett geven me no reward. And it is fitter that I should be indebted to my soverayne Lord, then the King to his poore vassall. Save me, therfore, most mercifull Prince, that I may owe your Majesty my life itt sealf; then which ther LETTER 1603. [November?] LETTER 1603. [November?} Lend it me att lest, my cannot bee a greter debt. soverayne Lord, that I may pay it agayne for your service when your Majesty shall pleas. If the law distroy me, your Majesty shall put me out of your poure; and I shall have then none to feare, none to reverence, but the King of kings. Your Majesties most humble and penitent vassall, Endorsed, in Lord Cecil's hand: "Sr W. R." W. R. LETTER [1603. December 10.] To the Commis CXXII. TO THE EARLS OF SUFFOLK AND DEVONSHIRE, From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cii. 111, B (Hatfield). Holograph CXXII. We have this day beheld a worke of so great mercy, and for so great offences, as the like hath byne seldome if ever known; not after the manner of men, or of kings, sad cœlestis judicis, eternique regis more. And although my sealf have not yet byn brought so nire the very brinck of the grave, yet I trust that so great a cumpassion will extend it sealf towards mee also,-every way being as hopeless as the rest, and who shall as trewly pay that most great debt of a borrowed life, as any that ever hath or ever shalbe therto bound. Only the memory of myne own unworthinis made mee to dispayre of so great grace. sioners the Earls of Suffolk and Devon shire, and chester.] who otherwize beheld Piety in the face, the voyce, the writinge, and life of my Soverayne. I, beinge now But the Lord pleas my most I did fear that it would be sayde that poore, would live but a discontented life. of Heaven doth know that, if it shall good and gratious Lord the King to geve mee that poore life, that I shall as faythfully and thanckfully serve hyme, eating but bread and drinkinge water, as whosoever that hath receved even the greatest honor or the greatest profyte. For a greater gift none can geve, none receve, then life. What the Lord COBHAME hath confest, and how sations. mich it differeth from the receved oppinion, I leve to their reportts who know it. I will not in charety condemne his fayth; because he was nirer death, though not nirer the expectation, then I was. But will only, for this tyme, accuse his memory or mistakinge. Good my Lords, do me this grace to beleve and vouchsaufe to say it for mee to my soverayne Lorde, that the loss of my estate (which I have deservedly lost) cannot make mee less faythfull or less lovinge his Estat and parson. For as I have to this day loved both his Estate and parson, so have I, in my prayers, besought God to inclyne his mercifull hart towards mee. I will leve your Lordships' farther trobell,-remembringe this gratefull oppinion:-'Non hostiliter sæviit, qui omnia cum possit, fortunas abstulit, spem vitamque reliquit.' Your Lordships' most humbell to cummaunde, Addressed: W. RALEGH. To the right honorable my singuler good Lords of His Majestics most Endorsed by Cecil: "Sir W. Ralegh." LETTER 1603. ber.] CXXIII. TO LADY RALEGH. From a contemporaneous Transcript. Domestic Correspondence: James I., vol. xcvi. § 71 (Rolls House). Collated with another Transcript in MS. Sloane, 3520, ff. 14-17 (British Museum); and with another (also contemporaneous) among the Cecil Papers at Hatfield. You shall receave, deare wief, my last words in these my last lynes. My love I send you, that you may [Decem- keepe it when I am dead; and my councell, that you may remember it when I am noe more. I would not, with my last Will,1 present you with sorrowes, deare Besse. Lett them goe to the grave with me, and be buried in the dust. And, seeing it is not the will of A letter of God that ever I shall see you in this lief, beare my To Lady Ralegh. [From Win chester.] farewell and consolation. Written on the eve of his ex pected execution. destruccion gentlie3 and with a hart like yourself. and cares taken for First, I send you all the thanks my hart cann conceive, or my penn expresse, for your many troubles me, which--though they have not taken effect as you wished-yet my debt is to you never the lesse; but pay it I never shall in this world. Secondlie, I beseich you, for the love you bare me living, that you doe not hide yourself many dayes, but by your travell seeke to helpe your miserable fortunes, and the right of your poore childe. Your mourning cannot avayle me that am but dust. You shall understand that my lands were conveyed to my child, bonâ fide. The wrightings were drawn at Mid 1 MS. Cecil omits "last." MS. Sloane reads "by my will.” 2 MS. Cecil inserts "with me." 3 MSS. Cecil and Sloane read “patiently.” 5 MS. Cecil reads "not." 4 Ib. "words." 8 summer was twelvemonethes, as divers1 can wittnesse. My honest cosen BRETT can testifie so much, and DALBERIE, too, cann remember somewhat therein. | And I trust my bloud will quench their mallice that desire my slaughter;2 and that they will not alsoe seeke to kill you and yours with extreame poverty. | To what frind to direct thee I knowe not, for all mine have left mee in the true tyme of triall: and I plainly perceive that my death was determyned from the first day. | Most sorry I am (as God knoweth) that, being thus surprised with death, I can leave you noe better estate. I meant you all myne office of wynes, or that I could purchase by selling it; half my stuffe, and jewells, but some few, for my boy. But God hath prevented all my determinations; the great God that worketh all in all. If you can live free from want, care for no more; for the rest is but vanity. Love God, and beginne betymes to repose yourself on Him; therein shall you find true and lastinge ritches, and endles comfort. For the rest, when you have travelled and wearied your thoughts on all sorts of worldly cogitacions, you shall sit downe by Sorrow in the end. Teach your sonne alsoe to serve and feare God, while he is young; that the feare of God may This word is not legible in the copy preserved amongst the State Papers, and the two lines which follow are in that copy wholly wanting, as they also are in MS. Cecil. They are found in MS. Sloane, where the preceding words "as. . . can wittnesse" do not occur. * MS. Sloane reads "that have thus cruelly murthered mee." MS. Cecil, "that desired my slaughter." This clause is entirely wanting in the copy in Domestic Correspondence, xcvi. 71. In MS. Sloane the reading is as in the text. + MS. Cecil reads, "God knowes I meant," &c. MS. Sloane reads, "all that I could have purchased," &c. 6 MS. Cecil reads, "half my stuffe, and half my jewles, and some," &c. MS. Sloane, "all my jewells; but some on't for the boy." 7 MS. Sloane reads "over;" and so, also, MS. Cecil. LETTER 1603. [December.] |