this Parlemt. His Ma: holdeth two other Baronies from my poor house, wth theyr possessions, so as besyde ye obligation I and myne posteritie must hereby have to yor Grace, it will be a marque of his Maties justice, as well as of his favour towards your Grace's most humble serv1, "GEORGE CHAWORTH."

"Upon this," continues the writer, "ye Duke sent for me, and wth lookeing on that extraction I shewed him drawn from ye Lo: Basset, he said, 'I will move ye King in itt, but now ys no fitt tyme to mingle it wth this other. The next daye he dyd tell me 'his Ma: was enclyned as I could wish, to doe my owne desyre, but at that tyme he held yt no wayes expedient for him or necessarie for me; but,' sayde he, 'trust to me; by G- it shall be done ere long.' And after goeing along ye gallarie to his bedchamber, and fynding Signor Gentilesco and Signor Michelini there, he turned to me againe, and asked me if I had geven that old man content?* I sayde I shold doe it presently. 'But, my Lord,' sayde I, 'remember your promise to me, as you are a gentleman.' He sayde again, before them two, aloude, By G- I will, and soon too; and you shalbe glad of this agreement betwixt you and me, for I wilbe worth thus much to you ere long, and thou shalt have thy desyre in that tytle you clayme.' 'Geve me your hand on itt,' sayde I. 'Yes,' sayde he, and they shalbe witnesses;' and so gave me his hand."

In another place, Lord Chaworth adds: "This busynes [of the Irish Viscounty] being determined, and I brought to ye King to kiss his hands, I then cast about to pursue my former request to be called to ye Parlement, wch nowe was beginning. His Grace sware it should be done. I wisht him saye who I shold get to put him in mynd of it? He

* Respecting the money to be paid for the Irish title.

answered, 'My wyfe.' I moved her to it, and she undertook it; but, notwithstanding her undertaking and his promises, I was abused, and the Lord Keeper Coventry, Sir Richard Weston, Sir Edward Howard, and Sir G. Goring, were made by pattents Barons, and no word mentioned of me."

It was in vain, on this neglect, that Chaworth addressed the Duchess, as the Duke's authorized remembrancer; the Duke himself, as the promiser; and the King, as a subject injured by the Duke, who had obliged him to purchase honours from his Majesty, the extent of which had not been fulfilled, although the covenant were ratified by the Duke's oath. The letter setting forth these grievances, dated from Southwell, September 1629, Chaworth says he directed under cover to Lady Denbigh, who presented it to King Charles at Hampton Court, who read it all over, and, saying nothing to it, called for a candle and burnt it.

Thus Chaworth fully experienced the disappointment of that poor man who builds his airy prospects on the honours and preferments of a Court. He sits down, to use his own words, to unburthen his wounded spirit, "confused and confounded of being so near, yet missing the addition of an hereditary honour to his house." He determines to load the insensible paper with those oppressive thoughts which poison the best faculty of his soul, memory. Hence he has contributed to these pages the amusing, if quaint and sometimes prolix notes, which constitute his desultory Diary. Among them, the fees which he paid for his Irish Peerage, in addition to the purchasemoney to the rapacious Duke, have not been forgotten. The MS. is throughout autograph, with the exception of some official letters of form, which seem to have been transcribed by his secretary.

ADDENDA.

Notes of sume Papers which have not been inserted at

length.

1. Lord William Howard to William More, Esq. His son Charles is about "to stand in election " for one of the Knights of the Shire of Surrey: requests his vote in his favour, and those of as many of tenants, neighbours, and friends, as he can procure.-Dec. 20, 1558.

2. The bailiffs, and certain inhabitants of the town of Kingston-upon-Thames, petition William More, Esq. complaining of the consumption of wood by means of an iron mill in that neighbourhood. The "price of a load of tall wood has been raised from 3s. to 4s. and of charcoal from 10s. to 20s." They pray that he will aid to put down the mill by Act of Parliament.-Feb. 5, 1562.

3. Roger Byngborne, a servant of Lord Montague, to William More: "My Lords of Leycester and Sussex are made friends, and came yesterday ridinge through the cytye together, and so dyned at my Lord of Bedford's house, St. Mary Overies."-June 23, 1566.

4. "Ane Proclamation set furth by my Lord Regent in the name of our Souverane Lord, declaring the purpose

of them quha assisted with our Souverane Lorde's Mother," &c. (This refers to the murder of Darnley.) Glasgow, May 13, 1568. "Imprented at Edinburgh be Robert Lekpreuk, Prentar to the Kingis Majestie."*

5. Robert Bishop of Winchester to Sir William More. Requests him to call before him John Slifelde of Byfleet, "who has maintained dancing in his ale house on the Sabbath day, in the time of divine service. Richard Snose. mere was the minstrel." He hears Nicholas Woodyer, of Witley, has affirmed that women have no souls. Begs he will examine into the charge.-Winchester, Oct. 7, 1570.

6. Licence by the Magistrates of Surrey for a common badger; that is, a buyer and transporter of corn, or other grain, from one county to another. 14 Eliz. July 5, 1572.

7. Robert (Horne), Bishop of Winchester to Sir William More. Begs he will send him one he told him of, skilful in trimming and stopping of teeth.-Aug. 19, 1572.

8. Edwin Sands, Bishop of London, to Mr. More. He has lost a brinded dog, which the Lady Rich gave him. Hears it is at Guildford. Begs him to be a means that it may be returned him by the bearer, his lackey. He has had sundry bucks given him, and has never a dog to kill them.-Fulham, Aug. 1572.

9. The Earl of Leicester to Mr. More. Has been commissioned by the Queen to repress the inordinate use of cross-bows and guns by such as have not authority to bear them; and of hawking within the forest of Windsor,

* Many rare old printed proclamations, pamphlets, and newspapers are extant at Loseley.

whereby the game of pheasant and partridge are much decayed. He has committed to Mr. More the charge of Surrey bailiwick, who is to see the above enforced therein, that her Highness have no further cause of complaint when she comes to Windsor or Oatlands.-Greenwich, May 26, 1573.

10. The Commissioners for repairing the Thames wall or embankment at Wapping Marsh, have authority to arrest horses, oxen, carts, wains, timber, labourers, &c. for the purpose. Nevertheless, beg Mr. More's aid in taking up the same at a fair composition, they are much pressed in the matter, as they fear every full sea the Thames will break in, and drown the whole marsh.-No date.

11. The Earl of Pembroke to Sir William More. He had granted the Earl's father permission to convey the water in leads (leaden pipes), at his own cost, from the Black Friars to Baynard's Castle. The passage of the water has been diverted by persons making cocks into his pipes. Requests he may be allowed to convey the water by another channel from the fountain head in Sir William More's garden.-No date.

12. The Council to Sir William More. Great inconvenience having arisen from the making of large quantities of iron ordnance in the Realm, it being imported into foreign parts, and supplied to pirates haunting the seas; iron mills and forges having also greatly consumed the woods; he is to visit all such places throughout Surrey, and to forbid the making of any more ordnance.-Court at Hatfield, Aug. 24, 1576.

13. The Council to the Sheriff and Justices of Surrey. Shipping and mariners being the chiefest fortresses of the Realm, they are to enforce the due observation of eating