“I find likewise that Mr. Hall hath assigned this judgment to your Majesty, and all the time of that assignment was indebted to your Majesty five or six hundred pounds. “But I am humbly of opinion, that though your Majesty may by your prerogative release this judgment thus assigned, yet it will not be fit for your Majesty to do it as this case is, because then your Majesty will stand obliged to make good to Mr. Hall so much money as would remain due to him after your Majesty’s debt [is ?] satisfied, which is in effect to put your Majesty in the Petitioner’s place for payment of Mr. Hall’s debt. “Nevertheless the Petitioner’s case being very worthy of relief, I do humbly consider it fit for your Majesty to reserve the consideration of his satisfaction to some better occasion. “HENEAGE FINCH.” Among family documents at Badminton House is the following draft, which may relate to the foregoing petition:-- “The Case of Edward Marquis of Worcester, &c. “Edward, Marquis of Worcester is indebted £6000 unto John Hall, Esq. the Receiver for the Counties of Gloucester, Monmouth, and Hereford, &c. “John Hall assigns this judgment to the King, whose prerogative interfering, John Hall’s debt of £6000 will affect the Earl of Worcester’s estate, and obstruct the other creditors from their respective satisfactions, by the former settlement of my Lord of Worcester’s. “The Lord of Worcester petitions the King in regard he had expended, and lent towards his late Majesty’s service the sum of £92,500, for which and his other very many and considerable losses, to the utter impoverishment of himself and family, he never yet received any compensation or satisfaction. His Majesty would be pleased to take the state of the Petitioner into his gracious consideration, &c. “His Majesty is graciously pleased to refer this petition unto Mr. Attorney or Mr. Solicitor. Mr. Solicitor reports to his Majesty matter of fact in the petition mentioned to be true, and further adviseth it is not safe for his Majesty either to supersede or discharge the said judgment, but that likewise the Earl doth justly merit his Majesty’s just and favourable consideration, &c. “Whereupon the Earl of Worcester prayeth, that in regard what he petitioned for, was for the satisfaction merely of creditors, and not to his mediate or immediate advantage, and his fortune totally disposed of to his Majesty’s service, other than what is settled as aforesaid to the payment of his many creditors, which in honour (his only livelihood now left him), he is bound to see satisfied, the which as the present case standeth with my Lord cannot be, without his Majesty extendeth his favour, either by payment of the money, or some other means equivalently satisfactory, &c.