The Century of Inventions of the Marquis of Worcester / from the Original MS., with Historical and Explanatory Notes and a Biographical Memoir

by Marquis of Edward Somerset Worcester

Sheweth

That yo^r petitioner overwhelmed with the very, very much he hath to say, fearefull too long to detaine y^r sacred Ma^ty therewith from the more serious affaires humbly prayeth that you wilbe pleased to refer him to be heard by the Lord high Chancellor of England, The Lord privie seale, The Duke of Alm^~erle, the Earle of Lotherdale, the Lord Arlington, the Lord Ashley, and Mr. Secretary Morris, or to such of them, or other persons, as yo^r Ma^ty shall thinke fitt, and that vppon their Report yo^r Ma^ty will vouchsafe to doe with yo^r petitioner, or to yo^r petitioner, what they in the petitioners behalfe, and congruous to yo^r service shall finde reasonable, and consonant with yo^r petitioners meritts or demeritts, the petitioner most intirely submitting to your will and pleasure, Casting himselfe vppon yo^r Ma^tyes goodnesse, noe wayes standing vppon his deserts, though really found never soe many not thought of, or hetherto kept from yo^r Ma^tyes knowledge, your peti^r doth not say through envy or malice, since perhaps through ignorance such ignorance notwithstanding as the divines call ignorantia crassa, but whatsoever in quality or number, his services were, they were but due to such a gratious King and Master as yo^r Ma^tyes Father of happy memory was to yo^r petitioner, and to yo^r incomparable selfe, and therefore acknowledgeth they fall farr shorte of his true loyalty and devotion to either and being once rightly made knowne and p^rsented to yo^r sacred Maiesty yo^r petitioner promiseth himselfe noe lesse incouragement for the future from your Ma^ty nor lesse abilities in himselfe to become as useful as formerly, and as disinterresedly to serve you, Neither shall any thing for the future dismaye, or in any kinde deterr, your petitioner, from that his resolution, but from the bottome of his heart

He shall ever pray, &c.
Worcester.

Att y^e Court att Hampton Court Jan. 29th
1666.

His Ma^ty is graciously pleased to referr and recom^~end the Peticōner to bee heard by the within named Lords Referrees or to any fower or more of them, and they to give their Report to his Ma^ty as soon as conveniently may bee.

Arlington.

Maddam

I did not thinke I should have had the occation to have troubled you with an other Letter but I am soe little sattisfyed with yours in what I required conscerninge my monyes that I cannot thinke a survilous paper an equal ballance for soe waighty and iust a debt: I confesse I have hard of a new way to pay ould debts but certainly this is the newest, I belieue your Ladiship is one of the first that euer tryd it: itt may bee al a mode, but truely I doe not like the fashion, though itt may bee others doe: To answare your Letter, first for your Religion I medle not with itt It conscerns not mee; if I have, certainely I have done rather an hon^r to itt then an iniury: for I belieu'd soe well of your Religion that itt tought noe man to distroy his faith, Hon^r, and Christianety; which my Lord hath done in his engagement to mee I onely speake of him—I pray you Maddam lett mee aske, what is hon^r if broken? tis easely answared noe hon^r, what is itt to pretend a faith in Jesus Christ, to be call'd a Christian, and to breake that faith, and likewise forfitt that Christianety, he's noe Christian and whereas you say I wronge the memory of the late Kinge (I know not upon what grounds) Maddam you doe mee wronge, I serve the memory of that Royall Martyr, equall to any hee that lives: I pray you did his Ma^tie euer engage his faith, hon^r, and Christianety, to pay any debts, where in he fail'd; Maddam vnder fauour I must say you doe his incomparable ashes iniury. You likewise tell mee noe gallant pearson wilbeleiue but that my Lord will pay mee when hee hath itt, tis a large extent, and for ought I know may reach to Dooms day; tis small sattisfaction to expect a certaine debt att such an vncertaine payment. Maddam you haue the priueledge of a Woeman in speakinge of my Loyalty, noe man can, nor dare tax itt, for my publishinge any thinge that conscernes your Lord, tis his owne actions that causeth mee to report those truths: You say my Lord hath spent more in his Ma^ties seruice than any Protestant, I dare say there has beine ten thousand loyall faithfull Protestants hath spent as much: where of I am one, for wee have spent, and lost all wee had to our proportions, tis as much as hee (the widowes mite will make itt good) and in soe doinge wee did but our dutyes, and wee ought not to obraide the King with itt, tis vnhandsome to expect Sallery for a lawfull duty. Your Ladyship saith that I reported my Lord gaue mee counterfitt plates, I confesse hee gaue mee some plates, and forced them upon mee, hee likewise borrowed them of mee againe, resoluinge to returne them within too dayes, but he hath not restored them to this day, I heare since that my Lord hath sould them: I hope hee will confesse that noe man of Hon^r did euer such an action before, allthough he was ready to starue, and for his giuinge mee false plate, I must deny itt for I neuer said itt, but this I did say, that when I was at his Lordsp's house he showed mee some plates, that was not the same that hee had formerly giuen mee for the first was beaten, and the latter was cast, if that was counterfitt, I sayd itt, and that ile iustify. for your friuolous paper, I dare say your reconcil'd iudgment doth repent the sendinge of itt, I have shewed it to diuers of your religion, and they condemne you for itt, likewise the paper, nor can the Kinge of Englande giue you thanks for itt. But his royall Mother beinge a Roman Catholique, my hon^r and admiration of her doth silence my penn in answeringe that scandalous paper.

Your Ladiships humble Servant
Rich. Hastings.