Letters to Severall Persons of Honour Part 10

_Which name when there is any empty corner in your discourse with that n.o.ble Lady at_ Ashby, _I humbly beseech you to present to her as one more devoted to her service then perchance you will say._

[lx.]

_To Sir_ G. B.

SIR,

Between the time of making up my other Letters, and the hour that your man limited me to call for them, came to my house an other pacquet directed to him: for by this time, the carrier is as wise, as his horse, to go to the house that he hath used to go. I found liberty in the superscription to open, and so I did; but for that part which concerns him, I must attend his comming hither, for I know not where to seek him; and besides, I have enough to say for that part which concerns my self. Sir, even in the Letter it self to me, I deprehend much inclination, to chide me: and it is but out of your habit of good language that you spare me. So little occasion as that postscript of mine, could not bring you so near to it, if nothing else were mistaken, which (so G.o.d help me) was so little, that I remember not what it was, and I would no more hear again what I write in an officious Letter, then what I said at a drunken supper. I had no purpose to exercise your diligence in presenting my name to that Lady, but either I did, or should have said, that I writ onely to fill up any empty corner in your discourse. So, Sir, the reading of the Letter, was a kinde of travell to me, but when I came to the paper inclosed, I was brought to bed of a monster. To expresse my self vehemently quickly, I must say, that I can scarce think, that you have read M. _Gherards_ letter rightly, therefore I send you back your own again. I will not protest against my being such a knave, for no man shall have that from me, if he expect it: but I will protest against my being such a fool, as to depose any thing in him with hope of locking it up, and against that lownesse, of seeking reputation by so poor a way. I am not so sorry, that I am a narrow man, as that for all the narrownesse, you have not seen through me yet, nor known me perfectly; for I might think by this, (if I had not other testimony) that I have been little in your contemplation. Sixteen letters from M.

_Gherard_, could not (I think) perswade a _Middles.e.x_ Jury of so much dishonesty in

_Your true servant_ J. Donne.

[lxi.]

_To the Honourable Knight Sir_ G. P.

_SIR_,

I would have intermitted this week without writing, if I had not found the name of my Lady _Huntington_ in your Letter. The devotion which I owe, and (in good faith) pay in my best prayers for her good in all kinde awakens me to present my humble thanks for this, that her Ladiship retains my name in her memory: she never laid obligation upon any man, readier to expresse his acknowledgement of them, to any servant of her servants; I am bound to say much of this, for your indemnity; because though I had a little preparation to her knowledge in the house where I served at first, yet I think, she took her characters of me, from you: And, at what time soever she thought best of me in her life, I am better than that, for my goodnesse is my thankfulnesse, and I am every day fuller of that then before, to her L{ap}. I say nothing to you of forein names in this Letter, because your son Sir _Francis_ is here. For that which you write concerning your son, I onely gave my man _Martin_ in charge, to use his interest in the Keeper, that your son should fall under no wants there, which it seems your son discharged, for I hear not of them. For other trifles, I bad my man let him have whatsoever he asked, so, as it might seem to come from him, and not me; and laying that look upon it, it came to almost nothing. Tell both your daughters a peece of a storie of my _Con._ which may accustome them to endure disappointments in this world: An honourable person (whose name I give you in a schedule to burn, lest this Letter should be mis-laid) had an intention to give her one of his sons, and had told it me, and would have been content to accept what I, by my friends, could have begged for her; but he intended that son to my Profession, and had provided him already 300{l} a year, of his own gift in Church livings, and hath estated 300{l} more of inheritance for their children: and now the youth, (who yet knows nothing of his fathers intention nor mine) flies from his resolutions for that Calling, and importunes his Father to let him travell. The girle knows not her losse, for I never told her of it: but truly, it is a great disappointment to me.

More then these, Sir, we must all suffer, in our ways to heaven, where, I hope you and all yours shall meet

_Your poor friend, and affectionate servant_ J. Donne.

18 Octob.

1622.

[lxii.]

_To my much honoured friend S{r}_ T. Lucy.

_SIR_,

I Have scarce had at any time any thing so like news to write to you, as that I am at this Town; we came from _Spa_ with so much resolution of pa.s.sing by _Holland_. But at _Ma[a]stricht_ we found that the lownesse, and slacknesse of the River, would incommodate us so much, as we charged [changed] our whole gests, and came hither by Land. In the way at _Lo[u]vaine_ we met the E[arl] of _Arondel_, to recompense the losse wee had of missing my L. _Chandis_ [_Chandos_] and his company, who came to _Spa_ within a few hours after we came away. Sir _Ed. Conaway_ [_Conway_], by occasion of his bodies indisposition, was gone home before: he told me he had some hope of you about _Bartholomewtide_: But because I half understood by a Letter from you, that you were determined upon the Countrie till _Michaelmas_, I am not so earnest in endevouring to prolong our stay in these parts, as otherwise I should. If I could joine with him in that hope of seeing you on this side the water; and if you should hold that purpose of comming at that time, I should repent extremely my laying of our journies; for (if we should by miracle hold any resolution) we should be in _England_ about that time, so that I might misse you both here, and there. Sir, our greatest businesse is more in our power then the least, and we may be surer to meet in heaven then in any place upon earth; and whilst we are distant here, we may meet as often as we list in G.o.ds presence, by soliciting in our prayers for one another. I received 4 Letters from you at _Spa_ by long circuits. In the last, one from my L[ord] _Dorset_: I, who had a conscience of mine own unworthinesse of any favour from him, could not chuse but present my thanks for the least. I do not therefore repent my forwardnesse in that office; and I beseech you not to repent your part therein. Since we came to this Town, there arrived an Extraordinary from _Spain_, with a reconfirmation of the D[uke] _d'Aumals_ Pension, which is thereby 2400{l} a year, & he brings the t.i.tle of Count, to _Rodrigo de Calderon_, who from a very low place, having grown to be Secretary to _Lerma_, is now Amba.s.sador here, and in great opinion of wisdome: They say yet he goes to _Prague_ with the Marquis _Spinola_, and the G[raf] _Buquoy_, to congratulate the Emperour; but we all conclude here, that persons of such quality, being great in matter of Warre, are not sent for so small an emploiment: we beleeve certainly, that they deliberate a Warre, and that the reduction of _Aix_ being not worthy this diligence, their intentions must be upon _Cleve[s]_, for the new Town which the two Princes make by _Collen_ [_Cologne_] despites them much. The Elector of _Ments_ [_Maintz_] hath lately been here, upon pretence of comming in devotion to _Sichem_, and shortly the Electors of _Colein_ [_Cologne_] and _Saxony_ are to be here severally: all concurs to a disposition of such a Warre, and the _Landsgrave_ of _Ha.s.se_ [_Hesse_]

(who is as yet in the Union) is much solicited and caressed by this party, and I doubt, will prove a frail and corruptible man. I durst think confidently, that they will at least proceed so far towards a Warre, as to try how _France_ will dispose it self in the businesse: for it is conceived that the D. of _Bovillon_ [_Bouillon_] brought to our K[ing]

good a.s.surances from the Qu[een] Regent, that she would pursue all her husbands purposes in advancing the designes of those Princes who are in possession of _Cleve[s]_, and in the Union. If she declare her self to do so, when they stirre, they are like to divert their purposes; but if she stand but neutrall (as it is likely, considering how Spanish the Court is at this time) I see not that the Princes of the Union are much likely to r.e.t.a.r.d them. Sir, you see what unconcerning things I am fain to write of, lest I should write of myself, who am so little a history or tale, that I should not hold out to make a Letter long enough to send over a Sea to you; for I should dispatch my self in this one word that I am

_Your affectionate servant and lover_ J. Donne.

Aug. 16. _here._ 1622.

[lxiii.]

_To the honourable Knight Sir_ H. G.

SIR,

Since I received a Letter by your sonne, whom I have not yet had the honour to see, I had a Letter Pacquet from you by M{r} _Roe_: To the former, I writ before: In this I have no other commandement from you, but to tell you, whether M{r} _Vill[i]ers_ have received from the K[ing]

any additions of honour, or profit. Without doubt he hath yet none. He is here, practising for the Mask; of which, if I mis-remember not, I writ as much as you desire to know, in a Letter which seems not to have been come to you, when you writ. In the _Savoy_ business, the King hath declared himself by an engagement, to a.s.sist him with 100000{l} a year, if the Warre continue. But I beleeve, he must farm out your _Warwickshire_ Benevolence for the paiment thereof. Upon the strength of this engagement, Sir _Rob. Rich_ becomes confident in his hopes. If you stood in an equall disposition for the West, and onely forbore, by reason of M{r} _Martins_ silence, I wonder; for I think, I told you, that he was gone; and I saw in Sir _Tho. Lucies_ hand, a Letter from him to you, which was likely to tell you as much. Since I came from Court, I have stirred very little: Now that the Court comes again to us, I may have something which you may be content to receive from

_Your very affectionate servant_ J. Donne.

18. Decemb.

[lxiv.]

_To my good friend Sr_ H. G.

SIR,

The Messenger who brought me your Letter presented me a just excuse, for I received them so late upon _Thursday_ night, that I should have dispatched before I could begin; yet I have obeyed you drowsily, and coldly, as the night and my indisposition commanded: yet perchance those hinderances have done good, for so your Letters are the lesse curious, in which, men of much leasure may soon exceed, when they write of businesse, they having but a little. You mention two more letters then I send. The time was not too short for me to have written them, (for I had an whole night) but it was too short to work a beleefe in me, that you could think it fit to go two so divers ways to one end. I see not, (for I see not the reason) how those letters could well have concurred with these, nor how those would well have been drawn from them, in a businesse wholly relating to this house. I was not lazie in disobeying you, but (I thought) only thrifty, and your request of those was not absolute, but conditioned, if I had leasure. So though that condition hinder them not, since another doth (and you forethought that one might) I am not stubborn. The good Countesse spake somewhat of your desire of letters; but I am afraid she is not a proper Mediatrix to those persons, but I counsail in the dark. And therefore return to that, of which I have clear light, that I am always glad, when I have any way to expresse my love; for in these commandements you feed my desires, and you give me means to pay some of my debts to you: the interest of which I pay in all my prayers for you, which, if it please not G.o.d to shew here, I hope we shall finde again together in heaven, whither they were sent. I came this morning to say thus much, and because the Porter which came to _Micham_ summoned me for this hour to _London_: from whence I am this minute returning to end a little course of Physick.

_Yours very truly_ J. Donne.

Friday 8 in the morning.

[lxv.]

_To Sir_ H. G.

_SIR_,

I writ to you yesterday taking the boldnesse to put a letter into the good Ladies pacquet for you. This morning I had this new occasion of writing, that Sir _Tho. Roe_, who brought this inclosed Letter to me, and left it unsealed, intreated me to take the first opportunity of sending it.

Besides that which is in that letter (for he read it to me) I came to the knowledg in _Yorkhouse_ that my L[ord] Chancellor hath been moved, and incensed against you; and asking Sir _Tho. Roe_, if he were directly or occasionally any cause of that, he tells me thus much, that Sir _W.

Lover_, and Sir _H. Carey_, have obtained of my L[ord], to have a Pursevant, and consequently a Sergeant sent into the Countrey for you. My L. grounds this earnestnesse against you, upon some refusing to appear upon processe which hath been taken out against you. And I perceive Sir.

_Ed. Eston_, and both the other, admit consultations, of ways by pet.i.tion to the King, or Counsail, or L[ord] Chamberlain, or any other. The great danger, obliquely likely to fall, is that when it comes to light, how you stand towards M. _Mathew_, you may lose the ease which you have by colour of that extent, and he may lose the benefit, of having had so much of his estate concealed. You will therefore at least pardon my advising you, to place those sums, which by your retiring I presume you do imploy upon payment of debts, in such places as that these particular friends be not forced to leave being so. I confesse, the going about to pay debts, hastens importunity. I finde in my self, that where I was not asked money before, yet when I offered to pay next Terme, they seem loth to afford me that time, which might justly have been desperate before: but that which you told me out of the Countrey, with the a.s.sistance which I hope to finde here, (especially if your indevour may advance it at _Dorset_ house) I hope will inable me to escape clamor, and an ill conscience, in that behalf. One thing more I must tell you; but so softly, that I am loath to hear my self: and so softly, that if that good Lady were in the room, with you and this Letter, she might not hear. It is, that I am brought to a necessity of printing my Poems, and addressing them to my L. Chamberlain.