“Sheweth,—That your Petitioner’s father and himself, having in ready money expended incomparably more for the service of the Crown than any subject of England, for which your Petitioner is possessed of sundry promises of extraordinary reward and satisfaction, as well under the Great Seal of England, as likewise voluntarily under his late Majesty the King, your Majesty’s father of blessed memory, his own handwriting and private signet set down in a most gracious ample and kind manner, it being all that in those necessitous times his Majesty, your Petitioner’s most graciously obliging master, could afford or be rationally demanded from him, yet in these perhaps may not be so fit to be ratified, lest they should draw upon your Petitioner the envy of others, and prove prejudicial to your Majesty.
“Your Petitioner, therefore, most willingly layeth all these grants and promises to his father, or to your Majesty’s Petitioner made (as far as they concern himself) at your Majesty’s feet, without any the least capitulation, expecting no more in his own behalf for his loyalty therein than that your Majesty will be graciously pleased (in consideration of his dutiful zeal thereby manifested) effectually and through your Majesty’s innate and transcending goodness, feelingly to recommend to your Majesty’s most dutiful Houses of Parliament the speedy re-investing of your Petitioner in his due and proper estate, according unto the laws of the land, and so by your Majesty’s most gracious assistance, this his Petition of right (as he humbly conceives) shall be by your Petitioner most really acknowledged as a grant of favour and remunerating grace from your sacred Majesty.
“And he shall ever pray,” &c.
The Marquis, in November, 1660, signed what appears to be a circular note to certain of his creditors, of which the following is one written in an official hand, but concludes, “Your most humble servant, Worcester,” in his own handwriting:—
“Madame,
“Those Commissioners whom I have appoynted to take care of my affayres are now enquiringe into ye state of my debts, and I have given directions to the bearer to wayte upon you and receive your propositions about what is due unto you from him who is,
“Madame,Your most humble servant,
“Worcester.
“November 22, 1660.”
Mr. Secretary Nicholas, writing to Sir Henry Bennet, 3rd of January, 1660, states: “The King joins the Queen and Princess at Guildford, and in two days they go to Portsmouth. On New Year’s day, the ceremony of christening the young Earl of Cambridge—for this is to be his title—was performed at Worcester House; the King and Duke of Albemarle godfathers; the Queen and Marchioness of Ormond godmothers. The Duke and his Duchess then came to Court, and the Queen received them very affectionately. The Coronation is deferred to St. George’s day.”[N]