“That your Petitioner overwhelmed with the very, very much he hath to say, and fearful too long to detain your sacred Majesty therewith from more serious affairs, humbly prayeth that you will be pleased to refer him to be heard by the Lord High Chancellor of England, the Lord Privy Seal, the Duke of Albemarle, the Earl of Lotherdale, the Lord Arlington, the Lord Ashley and Mr. Secretary Morrice, or to such of them or other persons as your Majesty shall think fit, and that upon their report your Majesty will vouchsafe to do with your Petitioner, or to your Petitioner, what they in the Petitioner’s behalf, and congruous to your service shall find reasonable, and consonant with your Petitioner’s merits or demerits; the Petitioner most entirely submitting to your will and pleasure: Casting himself upon your Majesty’s goodness, no ways standing upon his deserts, though really found never so many not thought of, or hitherto kept from your Majesty’s knowledge, your Petitioner doth not say through envy or malice, since perhaps through ignorance, such ignorance, notwithstanding, as the Divines call ignorantia crassa. But whatsoever in quality or number his services were, they were but due to such a gracious King and Master as your Majesty’s father, of happy memory, was to your Petitioner, and to your incomparable self; and, therefore, acknowledgeth they fall far short of his true loyalty and devotion to either; and being once rightly made known and presented to your sacred Majesty, your Petitioner promiseth himself no less encouragement for the future from your Majesty, nor less abilities in himself to become as useful as formerly; and as disinterestedly to serve you. Neither shall anything for the future dismay, or in any kind deter your Petitioner from that his resolution, but from the bottom of his heart “He shall ever pray, &c. [Illustration: Worcester [autograph, 1665–6, of the Author of the “Century”]] “At the Court, at Hampton Court, Jan. 29th, 1665/6. “His Majesty is graciously pleased to refer and recommend the Petitioner to be heard by the within named Lords, referees, or to any four or more of them, and they to give their report to his Majesty as soon as conveniently may be. “ARLINGTON.” The next letter is without date or address, but appears both to belong to the present period and to relate to the same business as the foregoing; he says:--[H] “MY NOBLE LORD,