Now the reason why, by the Office, ther is found but fourscore pound to the Kings Majesty is because the Farm, valued at £240 or £250, being in lease and the Assignment not found, ther is but the old rent found for the King. As also because it hath pleased his Majesty to geve too of my sarvants all my goods, leases, and chattells. And then, if the rackt rent of the Farm-which is £240 or £250— bee deducted, ther remayneth, according to the Office, about fourscore and odd pounds. Addressed: To the right honorabell my singuler good Lords, the Lord Treasorer of Ingland, the Lord CECYLL, and the Lord HUMES, Chancelor of his Majesties Exchequer, &c. Endorsed: 1604. Sir Walter Ralegh to the Lords. LETTER CXXXIV. 1604.. CXXXV. TO SECRETARY LORD VISCOUNT CRANBORNE. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cii. § 24 (Hatfield). Holograph. Without date. THAT life, which cann be of no use to others, and is now also weery of mee, at parting putts mee in mind of thos whom Nature and Charetie commands me not to neglect, a wife and a childe, and a wife with childe, whom, God knowes, have nothing elce to inherite then my shame and ther own misery. How to healp it, or to whom to cumplayn, I know not, whose fortune is over darck for the reason of the world to peirce. And I who can never pay old debts, nor deserve new trust, cannot be so partiall to my sealf but to know that to press your Lordshipp (who have alreddy cast back unto mee all I have) were ether foolishness or impudency. LETTER 1604. And while I know that the best of men are but the spoyles of Tyme and certayne images wherwith childish Fortune useth to play,-kisse them to-day and break them to-morrow,—and therfore can lament in my sealf but a common destiney, yet the pitifull estate of thos who ar altogether healpless, and who dayly wound my sowle with the memory of their miseries, force mee, in dispight of all resolvedness, bothe to bewayle them and labor for them. Not that I wish them, God knowes, the least proportion of plenty, having forgotten that happiness which found to mich to littell; but my thoughts are now guyded by thos affections which Povertie hath begotten, who contemplate it to be a sufficient felicitie for them but to be able to eat of their own bread. Now if it shall please your Lordship to pardon the necessetie of my presumtion, I most humblie beseich you to receve the opinions of my Lord Cheif Justice and Mr. Aturney for the Conveyance. Mr. DODRIGE knows that it had bynn sealed almost to years ere the Queen died, if the feoffes had not bynn so farr asunder; and God doth witness with mee that att that tyme when it was dun Sir A. BRETT was the sole cause, in respect of my quarells with GORGE and PRESTON. If they shall judg fraud herein, God judg them with more grace then they have judged of it, and mee. Howsoever it bee, it seemes to mee that His Majestye (by your Lordshipp moved to compassion) promised to leve me what was left; and that the more it appeered in valew that His Majestie would then more willingly graunt it. This mich I had cause to hope for; the rather because your Lordship tolde mee att Winchester that yow were sorry that I had resigned Jersey,-words which, God knowes, peirced my hart to the center, as witnesing 1 Sir Ferdinando Gorges. See Vol. I. p. 256. 2 Sir Amias Preston. a feeling of his adversetie whom yow had once loved. That and other things of the greatest debts layd on mee, makes mee still presume that your Lordship's hart, which God for goodness hath blest, being ether moved with the past, or by the compassion of my present, would yet vouchsauf to save this quarter which remayneth from the ravens of this tyme, which feed on all things. For, as it is, so ar my tenants made afeard as I protest, before God, ether I must spoyle all and receve 20s. for £20, or elce want altogether. And, in the mean tyme, can neither pay debts, releeve my sealf, or assure bread to my children. For my own tyme, good my Lord, consider that it cannot be calde a life, but only misery drawn out and spoone into a long thride, without all hope of other end then Death shall provide for mee; who, without the healp of kings or frinds, will deliver mee out of prison. If your Lordshipp shalbe pleased to do any thinge herein, I shall but offer my sealf for recumpence who am but as a broken reed. But I shall hope that God shall pay your Lordship all my debts. If your Lordshipp forsake mee herein, all I can do is to lett them know that I cannot healp them,-that they may try for themsealvs, while, by my life, they have yet a possession of their birthright. For the rest, lett the pollecy of the world be what it will; as ther is a God, I know my sealf bound unto your Lordshipp, and which I would pay agayne, if I could, with a gratetud never surmounted. LETTER 1604. W. R. Addressed: To the right honorabell my singuler good Lord, the Lord CECILL, Viscount CRANBORNE, &. Endorsed, in the hand of Lord Cranborne: "Sr. WV. Ralegh." LETTER CXXXVI. 1604. To Lord CXXXVI. TO SECRETARY LORD VISCOUNT CRANBORNE. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cix. § 13 (Hatfield) Holograph. SINCE the tyme that my wife was last with your Lordshipe I have withered in body and mind. By whom I perceived a sad chang in your Lordship's favor towards Cranborne. mee, on which all my hopes have ever lived, and made [From the mee live. Not for the discumfort of liberty only, but Tower.] in that it pleased your Lordship to thinck that I had Change in Cran- dealt ungratfully with yow since my trobels; which, as ther is a God, I never did, nor could so mich as thinck to do. borne's behaviour towards him. Injustice of his con - Personal affairs.Appearance of the Plague in the Tower. -Desire of removal. For the tymes past, whatsoever your Lordship hath demnation. conceived, I cannot thinck my sealf to have bynn ether an enemy, or such a viper, but that this great downfall of myne; this shame, loss, and sorrow; may seem to your Lordship's hart and sowle a sufficient punishment and revendg. And, if ther bee nothinge of so many years love and familiarety to lay in the other scale, O my God! how have my thoughts betrayd mee in1 your Lordship's nature, compassion, and piety. For to dy in perpetuall prison I did not thinck that your Lordship could have wished to your strongest and most mallicious enemyes. I know that Law, and Condemnation, ar formal? arguments to men of iron harts. But God, that must judg us all, and extend infinit compassion towards all, 1of' first written, and erased. 2 Evidently used in the sense of “formidable." or elce wee must all perish in the never ending sorrows to cum,-that God, when the sorrowfull night of death. shall cum uppon us, will remember the cries and grones of the miserabell whom wee have suffred to perishe, not releived, I have presumed at this tyme to remember your Lordship of my miserabell estate,-dayly, in danger of death by the palsey; nightly, of suffocation, by wasted and obstructed lungs. And now, the plaug being cum att the next dore unto mee, only the narrow passage of the way between. My poore child having lien this 14 dayes next to a wooman with a running plaug sore, and but a paper wall betwen,-and whose childe is also this Thursday dead of the plauge. So as now my wife and child, and others in whom I had cumfort, have abandoned me; and in what fearfull estate, the Lord knowes. My most humble desire is to be removed elcewher, even to what place which God's goodness, and Charitey, shall move your Lordship's hart; that I be not left alone and remedeless, as well for this visitation as for other as lamentabell deseases which possess mee. That I shall not ever acknowledg your Lordship's great and cumfortabell favors, God make yow know the contrary, the same God that knowes that I was never farther from my Lord CECYLL, but that I would have sett my life between hyme and harme. God geve me cumfort as it is trew, and as I shall evermore be found gratfull in the highest degree; and remayne your Lordship's poore disconsolate Addressed: W. RALEGH. To the right honorable my singuler good Lord, the Lord CECYLL, Endorsed by Lord Cecil: "1604. Sir Walter Raleigh." LETTER CXXXVI. 1604. |