Letter to Richard Weston, Earl of Portland Sir Henry Wotton Noah Millstone Principal Investigator MPESE Sebastiaan Verweij Co-Investigator MPESE Richard Bell Research Associate Mike Jones Research Software Engineer Elaine Brown Transcription Volunteer Peter Hammond Transcription Volunteer Manuscript Pamphleteering in Early Stuart England (MPESE) 2017 United Kingdom London British Library Additional MS 22591

British Library, Additional MS 22591

 Bodleian Library, MS Willis 58, ff. 456r–460v Cambridge University Library, Additional MS 9276, item 7, ff4 Folger Shakespeare Library, MS X.d.244, ff. 1r–4r Gonville & Caius College, MS 73/40, ff. 302r–303v

1633? English letter

Sir henrye wotton’s letter to the Lord Treasuror weston

My most honored Lord I most humblye present (thoughe by some Infirmityes A little to late) A Strange new yeares guifte/ vnto your Lordshipp/ which I will presume to Tearme the cheapest of all that you haue received/ and yett of the richest materialls, In shorte it is onlye an Image of your selfe drawne by memorye from such discourse as I haue take vpp heere and there of your Lordshipp amonge the most intelligent and vnmalignant men, which to purtract before you I thought noe servile Office / but Ingenious and reall. and I could wish that it had come at the daye/ soe that your Lordshipp might haue begunn the newe yeare somewhat like Plato’s difinition of feelicitie with the Contemplacion of your owne Idea

They saye that in your forraigne Employmentes vnder King Iames your Lordshipp wan the opyinon of A verye able and searchinge Iudgment havinge bene the first discoveror of the Intentions against the Palatinate which were then in brewing & masked with much Art. And that Sir Edward Conwaye gott the Start of you both in Title and employment at home because the late duke of Buckingham wanted then for his owne Ends A Martiall Secretary

They saye that vnder our present Soueraigne/ you were chosen to the highest charge at the lowest of the State/ when some Instrument was requisite of indubita= ble Integritie/ and provident Moderation/ which Attributes I haue heard none denye you

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The discourse thus of your Accions since. That thoughe greate ex haustions cannot be cured with suddaine remedyes/ noe more in A Kinge= dome then in an naturall Bodye . yet your Lordship hath well allayed those blustring Clamors wherewith at the beginning your house was in a manner daylye beseiged/

They note that there haue bene manye Changes/ but that none hath brought to the Place A Iudgment soe Coultiuated and illuminated with various Eru= dition as your Lordship since the Lord Burghly vnder Queene Elizabeth whom they make your Parable in the ornament of knowledge / They observed in your Lordship divers remarkable Combinatons of Vertues & abilityes rarely sociable

In the Character of your aspecte A mixture of authoritie & modestie In the fa culties of your mynde / quicke apprehension and soliditie togither In the Stile of your Porte and Trayne as much dignitie and as great de= pendency as was ever in any of your place / & with litle noyse or outward fume /

That your Table is verye abundant, Free and noble without Luxurie That you are by nature noe flatterer, & yett of greatest power in Court That you haue Magnifience/ and Frugalitye bothe togither That you entertayne your Guests and visitors with Noble curtesie/ but voyde of Complement. Lastlye that you maynetayne A due regard of your Person and place, & yett are an Enemye to Froathie formalitye /

Now in the discharge of your function/ They speake of twoe things, that haue done you much honor namely That you haue had allwayes a speciall care to the suppye of the Navye/ And likewise A more worthye and tender respect towards the Kings onelye Sister, for her continuall support from hence then shee hath founde before

They observe your greatnes as firmelye established as euer was any in the Loue (and which is more) in the Estimacion of A Kinge / whoe hath soe signalizd his owne Constancye/ Besydes your Addicion of Strength (or at least of lustre) by the Noblest Alliances of the Land /

Amongst these Notes it is noe wonder if some obserue that betweene A good willingness in your Affections to satisfye all/ And an impossibility in the matter, and yet an ymportunitye in the persons/ there doth now and then I knowe not howe/ arise A little Impatience/ which must needs fall vpon your Lordshipp vnlesse you had bene cutt out of A Rocke of diamonds especiallye hauinge bene before soe Conuersant with liberall Studies, & with the freedome of your owne Mynde

Now after this shorte collection touching your most honoured person I beseech you give mee leave to add likewise a litle what men saye of the Writter. They saye I want not your gratious good will towardes mee according to the degree of my poore talent and Travells/ but they saye I am wanting to my selfe. And in good faithe (my Lord) in saying soe they saye truelye. For I am condemned I knowe not how by nature to A kinde of vnfortunate Bashfullnes in my owne busines/ and it is nowe to late to put mee into A newe Furnice Therefore it must be your Loordships proper worke/ and not onlye your Noble but even your Cha= ritable goodnes that must in some blessed houre remember mee /

God giue your Lordshipp manye healthfull Ioyfull yeares and the blessinge of that Text Beatus qui attendit ad attenuatum And Soe I remayne with An humble and willinge hearte

At all your Lordshipps Comaunds

Henrye Wotton