T. Meautys to Lord St. Alban.*
My all honoured Lord,

Upon the first reading of your lordship's, received this day, I had almost put pen to paper to ask your pardon for having (as I supposed) too rudely broken open a letter intended to another, some more deserving friend or servant of yours (for, by the infinite disproportion between the noble favours therein expressed, and my disability any way to merit, I could not otherwise conjecture); but, upon second cogitations, remembering it to be incident to heroic natures and spirits to measure out and confer their graces and favours according to the latitude and dimensions of their own noble and capacious hearts, and not according to the narrower span and scantling of others' merits; and calling to mind that this is not the first time by many, that your lordship hath pointed me out as an instance hereof, by your singular and accumulate favours, I come now, instead of asking pardon for a supposed error of my own, to render unto your lordship all humble acknowledgment for a wilful, or rather, willing error of yours, in so overprizing the poor endeavours of your unprofitable servant.

Next, I take leave to say somewhat of what we say here, arising as well from abroad as at home; viz. that, upon later and more certain advertisement out of Germany, it is found the blow given to the imperialists was far greater, both for numbers, being at least 20,000, and for quality of the persons, than was first reported. Tilly himself being mortally wounded, and escaping to a town called Holverstat, some miles distant, was pursued by the King of Sweden, who, being advertised that he was dead, and that his body was newly taken thence, to be conveyed by a guard of 1500 horse to the Duke of Bavier's court, instantly went after them, and in a few hours overtook them, defeated the whole troops, and brought back the corpse to Holverstat, where it remains in the town house, a spectacle of the divine revenge and justice, for the bloody execution at Mackdeburgh. On Sunday, at Hampton Court, the States' ambassador here resident, at a solemn and public audience in the presence, sung us in effect an old song to a new tune, for his errand was only a formal relation of the passages of that achievement and defeat in the Low Countries (wherein, by the way, I heard not any mention at all of MS. Gibson, Lambeth Lib. 936, fol. 252.

my Lord Craven's prowess, though some say he expects a room in the next Gazette). The ambassador in magnifying of the victory, when he had said as we thought enough, concluded with that which was more than all he had said before; namely, in resembling it, both for the extent of the design, the greatness and expense in the preparation and manner of the deliverance, to that of the invasion in eightyeight. At home we say, Mr. Attorney General is past hope of being Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, for he is assured of it; and, by the like reason, my Lord Richardson is past all fear of being removed to the King's Bench. The attorney's place is now in competition only between Noye and Banks, for Sir John Finch is out at all, and Banks is the likeliest to carry it. St. George was less beholden this year than ever, either to the lords of the order or to the other lords, there being only present those in the margin. So, praying your lordship to believe that I have more room in my heart than in my paper for my devotion and service to your lordship, my most honoured lord and lady, and all my noble ladies and especial friends, I rest Your Lordship's to serve you,

October 11th.

T. M.

Your commands to Mr. Maxwell I performed at Windsor on Monday was sevennight. Pardon this scribble for my candle winks upon me to hasten to an end, and my maid Mary is a bed and in her first sleep, and very wayward if she be waked.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN.
LORD MARSHAL.

LORD SALISBURY.

LORD CARLISLE.
LORD HOLLAND.

LORD DORSET.

LORD ANDOVER.

LORD TREASURER.
LORD LINDSEY.

LORD ROXBOROUGH.
LORD MONMOUTH.

LORD GORING.

LORD DONCASTER.
LORD DUNluce.

Indorsed-For your noble self, my most honoured Lord.

INDEX.

Cambridge, University of, 154, Fenton, Lord, 319.

END OF THE TWELTH VOLUME.

C. Whittingham, Tooks Court, Chancery Lane.