I have but one excuse for not sending you the Sermon that you do me the
honour to command, and I foresee that before I take my hand from this
paper, I shall lose the benefit of that excuse; it is that for more than
twenty days, I have been travelled [travailed] with a pain, in my right
wrist, so like the Gout, as makes me unable to write. The writing of this
Letter will implore a commentary for that, that I cannot write legibly;
for that I cannot write much, this Letter will testifie against me. Sir, I
beseech you, at first, tell your company, that I decline not the service
out of sullennesse nor lazinesse, nor that any fortune damps me so much,
as that I am not sensible of the honour of their commanding it, but a meer
inexperience whether I be able to write eight hours or no; but I will try
next week, and either do it, for their service, or sink in their service.
This is Thursday: and upon Tuesday my Lady _Bedford_ came to this town:
this afternoon I presented my service to her, by M{ris} _Withrington_:
and so asked leave to have waited upon them at supper: but my messenger
found them ready to go into their Coach: so that a third Letter which I
received from M{ris} _Dudley_, referring me to M{ris} _Withringtons_
relation of all that State, I lose it till their return to this town. To
clear you in that wherein I see by your Letter that I had not well
expressed my self in mine, Sir _Ed. Herbert_ writ to Sir _Ed. Sackvil_,
not to presse the King to fix any certain time of sending him, till he was
come over, and had spoken with the King: Sir _Ed. Sackvil_ collects upon
that, that Sir _Ed. H._ means to go again; I think it is only, that he
would have his honour so saved, as not to seem to be recalled, by having a
successor, before he had emptied the place. We hear nothing from my Lord
of _Doncaster_; nor have we any way to send to him. I have not seen my
Lady _Doncaster_, for she crost to _Penhurst_, and from thence to
_Petworth_; my Lady _Isabella_ came to this Town, where, before her
comming, a Letter attended her from my Lady of _Tichfield_: and thither
she went, with their servants, who staid her comming. Hither came lately
Letters with goodspeed from _Vienna_, in which there is no mention of
any such defeat, as in rumour C[ount] _Mansfeld_ hath been said to have
given to the D[uke] of _Bavyer_ [_Bavaria_] but their forces were then
within such distance, as may have procured something before this time.
Those which watched advantages in the Court of the Emperour, have made
that use of C[ount] _Mansfelds_ proceedings, as that my Lord _Digby_
complains, that thereby the forwardnesse in which his negotiation was, is
somewhat retarded. He proceeds from thence into _Spain_. The D. of
_Bavyer_ hath presented the Emperour an account of 1200{ml} [£1,200,000]
sterling in that warre, to be reimbursed: and finding the Palatinate to be
in treaty, hath required a great part of _Austria_ for his security, and
they say, it is so transacted; which is a good signe of a possibility in
the restitution of the Palatinate. For any thing I discern, their fears
are much greater from _Hungary_, then from _Bohemia_; and the losse of
Canon, in a great proportion, and other things, at the death of _Bucquoy_,
was much greater, then they suffered to be published. We here _Spinola_ is
passed over at _Rhenebery_ [_Rheinsberg_]; if it be so, they are no longer
distracted, whether he would bend upon _Juliers_, or the Palatinate. I
know not what you hear from your noble son in law, who sees those things
clearly in himself, and in the near distance; but I hear here, that the
King hath much lost the affection of the English in those parts. Whether
it proceed from any sowrenesse in him, or that they be otherwise taken
off, from applying themselves to him, I know not. My Lord of S. Albons
[_St. Albans_] hath found so much favour as that a pension of 2000 _l._
will be given him; he desires that he might have it for [----] years, that
so he might transferre it upon his creditors, or that in place of it he
might have 8000 _l._ for he hath found a disposition in his creditors (to
whom I hear he hath paid 3000 _l._ since by retyring) to accept 8000 _l._
for all his debts, which are three times as much. I have been some times
with my L. of _Canterbury_, since by [_sic_] accident, to give you his own
words. I see him retain his former cheerfulnesse here and at _Croydon_,
but I do not hear from Court, that he hath any ground for such a
confidence, but that his case may need favour, and not have it. That
place, and _Bedington_, and _Chelsey_, and Highgate, where that very good
man my Lord _Hobard_ is, and _Hackney_, with the M[aster] of the Rolls,
and my familiar _Peckham_, are my circumferrence. No place so eccentrique
to me, as that I lye just at _London_; and with those fragmentary
recreations I must make shift to recompense the missing of that
contentment which your favour opens to me, and my desire provokes me to,
the kissing of your hands at _Polesworth_. My daughter _Constance_ is at
this time with me, for the emptinesse of the town hath made me, who
otherwise live upon the almes of others, a housekeeper, for a moneth; and
so she is my servant below stairs, and my companion above: she was at the
table with me, when your Letter was brought, and I pay her a piece of her
petition in doing her this office, to present her service to my Lady
_Nethersoles_, and her very good sister. But that she is gone to bed two
hours before I writ this, she should have signed with such a hand as your
daughter _Mary_ did to me, that which I testifie for her, that she is as
affectionate a servant to them all, as their goodnesse hath created any
where. Sir, I shall recompense my tediousnesse, in closing mine eyes with
a prayer for yours, as for mine own happinesse, for I am almost in bed; if
it were my last bed, and I upon my last businesse there, I should not
omit to joyn you with
_Your very humble and very thankfull
servant in Christ Jesus_
J. Donne.