“His Majesty is graciously pleased to refer this petition unto Mr. Attorney or Mr. Solicitor. Mr. Solicitor reports to his Majesty matter of fact in the petition mentioned to be true, and further adviseth it is not safe for his Majesty either to supersede or discharge the said judgment, but that likewise the Earl doth justly merit his Majesty’s just and favourable consideration, &c.
“Whereupon the Earl of Worcester prayeth, that in regard what he petitioned for, was for the satisfaction merely of creditors, and not to his mediate or immediate advantage, and his fortune totally disposed of to his Majesty’s service, other than what is settled as aforesaid to the payment of his many creditors, which in honour (his only livelihood now left him), he is bound to see satisfied, the which as the present case standeth with my Lord cannot be, without his Majesty extendeth his favour, either by payment of the money, or some other means equivalently satisfactory, &c.
“His Majesty will be graciously pleased to confer the honour of Baron on J. B. being fitly qualified, and whose estate suits in proportion with the charge that dignity requireth, by which means his Majesty will not be out of purse and the Petitioner indemnified.”
On Christmas day the Marquis wrote a long epistle (but to whom is unknown) requesting the favour of a letter by means of which he could obtain the services of Lord Arlington and Lady Castlemaine, probably to obtain some protective influence over his property, then much jeopardized:—[C]
“Honoured Sir,
“You have by God’s infinite providence not only befriended my wife and me in Cromwell’s time, but likewise by his great mercy and goodness, I think, reserved to do the like in his now Majesty’s reign; in whose happy memory [he] was pleased to say, even to his Queen, now dowager, that next to his own children and her, he was obliged to take care and recompense me; so can you not do now a greater act of charity, nor loyalty, than to set your concurring hand to procure from her Grace, and her unparalleled deserving husband, the favour of setting their hands each to a letter I shall be bold to present to your perusal first, and then your favour to their Graces; which done, my Lord Arlington and my Lady Castlemaine undertake to perfect my most humble request to his Majesty; so that they shall incur no risk of denial, and yet by the same obliging hand of yours which promotes my most humble suit, I shall present a thousand pieces to the Duchess, to buy her a little jewel to what she deserves to wear every day of the week. And if it please God I live but two years, I will, out of the profits of my Water-commanding Engine, appropriate five hundred pounds yearly, for ever, to her Grace’s, and two hundred pounds yearly, likewise, to your disposal; and in present forty pieces to buy you a Nogge; all which, as I am a gentleman and a christian, shall be faithfully and most thankfully performed, though the benefit I pretend to by my petition, will not amount to what my gratitude obliges; yet the satisfaction which it will be to my mind, and my credit therein at stake, I value at ten times as much. And this will enable me to place my Water-commanding Engine, where I am a certained [assured?] an hundred pounds a day profit, without further troubling the King or any body. And that done the greatest of my ambition will be to show my gratitude and pay my debts; confessing not to owe to any person living more real acknowledgment of thankfulness than to her Grace, who hath been pleased, in my absence and my wife’s, to be a champion for us, which draws upon herself in part this trouble, with more than confidence to receive from her more than gracious hands and princess-like disposition this further favour, which my wife and I shall never forget, and thankfully to acknowledge to her Grace, and your most worthy self, whose further trouble it is time to prevent in subscribing myself as you shall ever find me,
“Sir, your most real affectionate friend,
“and humble servant,
“Worcester.
“Christmas Day, 25th of Dec. 1665.