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 God 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 petition
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 assistance 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.
This I mean to do forthwith; not for much publique view, but at mine own
cost, a few Copies. I apprehend some incongruities in the resolution; and
I know what I shall suffer from many interpretations: but I am at an end
of much considering that; and, if I were as startling in that kinde, as
ever I was, yet in this particular, I am under an unescapable necessity,
as I shall let you perceive, when I see you. By this occasion I am made a
Rhapsoder of mine own rags, and that cost me more diligence, to seek them,
then it did to make them. This made me aske to borrow that old book of
you, which it will be too late to see, for that use, when I see you: for I
must do this, as a valediction to the world, before I take Orders. But
this is it, I am to aske you; whether you ever made any such use of the
letter in verse, _A nostre Countesse chez vous_, as that I may not put it
in, amongst the rest to persons of that rank; for I desire very very much,
that something should bear her name in the book, and I would be just to
my written words to my L[ord] _Harrington_, to write nothing after that. I
pray tell me as soon as you can, if I be at liberty to insert that; for if
you have by any occasion applied any pieces of it, I see not, that it will
be discerned, when it appears in the whole piece. Though this be a little
matter, I would be sorry not to have an account of it, within as little
after Newyears tide, as you could. I have something else to say, of M.
_Villars_ [_Villiers_], but because I hope to see you here shortly, and
because new additions, to the truths or rumours, which concern him, are
likely to be made by occasion of this Masque, I forbear to send you the
edition of this Mart, since I know it will be augmented by the next: of
which, if you prevent it not by comming, you shall have by letter an
account from
_Your very affectionate
friend and servant_
J. Donne.
_Vigilia S{t} Tho._
1614.
[lxvi.]
_To the worthy Knight Sir_ Tho. Lucy.
_SIR_,
Your letter comes to me, at Grace after supper; it is part of the prayer
of that Grace, that God will blesse you, and all yours with his best
blessings of both kinds. I would write you news; but your love to me, may
make you apt to over-beleeve news for my sake. And truly all things that
are upon the stage of the world now, are full of such uncertainties, as
may justly make any man loth to passe a conjecture upon them; not only
because it is hard to see how they will end, but because it is
misintertable [_sic_] and dangerous to conjecture otherwise, then some men
would have the event to be. That which is especially in my contemplation,
which is the issue of my L[ord] of _Canterburies_ businesse (for,
thereupon depends the consecration of my predecessor, upon which the
Deanery devolves to the King) is no farther proceeded in yet, then that
some of the 10 Commissioners have met once; and upon Saterday next there
will be a fuller meeting, and an entrance into the businesse, upon which,
much, very much in consequence, depends. Of my L. of _Donc[aster]_ we
are only assured, that he is in a good way of convalescence; but of any
audience nothing yet. Slacken not your hold of my L. Treasurer, for I have
been told that you are in his care. I send you a Copy of that Sermon, but
it is not my copy, which I thought my L. of _South-hampton_ would have
sent me backe. This you must be pleased to let me have again, for I borrow
it: for the other, I will pretermit no time to write it; though in good
faith, I have half forgot it. If in any letter I leave out the name of the
La[dy] _Hunt[ington]_ or La[dy] _Burdell_, or your daughters, tell them,
that I named them. I take the falshood upon me; for I intend it very
readily, and very humbly, where I am good for any thing in any of their
services. Our blessed Saviour continue and enlarge his blessings to you
all, _Amen_.
_Your humble servant in Chr. Jes._
J. Donne.