MRP: 25th March 1663, Letter from Humfry Gyffard to Sir GO, London
Contents
25th March 1663, Letter from Humfry Gyffard to Sir GO, London
BL, MS. XX,XXX, ff. 47-49
Editorial history
22/05/09, CSG: Completed transcription
14/12/11, CSG: Created page & posted transcription to wiki
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Transcription
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BL, MS. XX,XXX, ff. 47-49
[f. 48]
Noble S:r George
And what to say Next by my Troth I cant tell, onely my most humble Service & best wishes And yett upon bett:r consideraton I humbly conceive I ought, ffor if I am not a false Prophett & my experiemce in physogminy & Phyromanry [cy?] faile me not damnably soone after yo:r Arrivall & Settlem:t at Surr:tt yo:r Nobleness and Charity prevailes on you to use all meanes till you had Compassed y:e Releife, & Releasee of y:e Soe highly XXXXX Injured & Afflicted Captives y:e undone ffact:s of Rajap:o, & ?pt: (of yo:r Speciall Goodness to my Sonn Philip you were pleased to preferr & preserve him at Surr:tt being he was pticulerly designed & Appoynted by y:e Comp:a too Reside there when he was first sent over. And becasue he [xxx] suffered soo sad, soe long an imprisonment, misery, & Ruine, by being soe undooly Sent to Rajap:o both contrary to y:e Comp:a Appointment & his owne & freinds importunate Sollicitations, & y:t immediately upon his first Arrivall, before his Clothes were taken out of y:e Shipp to a place where he had nor freinds, nor Acquaintance, nor Lres of Creditt & Accomodation, of w:ch yo:r goodness I am soo strongly conflid:t & by Instinct Assured, as y:t I am bold to pres:t you w:th y:e humblest & hearty thancks of me, & mine for yo:r soo Noble, & Christian Charity to [xim & herein to us all, But [XXXXX] to Requite you or express my Sense sufficiently & pportionably for all this, is both my unhappiness & Torment, my Ambition being as great, as yo:r goodness, A ffleet of Canaries is but a little more upon a Thimble [TBC] full, for lett me tell you, if y:e West Indias & y:e Canaries &c:a could but be loosned by o:r New Longitude man, is should goo hard but I do have them Tow’d so y:e East Indias
[f. 49]
& be Cape Merch:t my Selfe, & there humbly Offer them upon Acco:t, at yo:e ffeete & if y:t time Prince Ruperts Roy:ll Comp:a could but discover & gett y:e Golden Mines of Guiney, you shold have them Alsoo, But to what purpose is all this, to what doth it Amo:t being onely words , impossibilities, they don’t edefie, ???most then S:r being I can’t have what I would, I can’t doe what I should, soe must doo what I may, & something tis, for beleive it tis y:e Elixir y:e Chimicall Distillation of one of y:e best of Kings y:e Workes & Wonders of King Charles y:e first, our true Solimon
Never to be forgotten Martyr, whome when I have named I have satisfied my Selfe & dedicated them to you S:r who I am Assured is soo like him as for his sake to Accept my [XXX] by this & by y:e Next Shipps King Charles y:e Second may helpe me to such another, ffor tis too True S:r y:e Old Devill & his ?Traine are hatching such another Plot, & Mischeife top King, Church, & State, w:ch brought heretofore a Flourishing Kingdomes in to y:e breach of Peace, loss of Truth, blood, & Confusion, w:ch was o:r late Miserie, & Ruine, but by y:e Wisdome of o:e Charles y:e Second y:e Loyalty & Resolution of o:e Pliam:t, & all good men & y:ee blessing of God upon all, I hope as they are forewarned soo they wilbe forewarned, & soe ?gag , Crush, & Gaole them, as as y:t in o:e Generation they shall not be suffered to foment, Scratch, or bite, & in good time y:t there may be noe more of their Breed, w:ch God of his Mercie Graunt.
And now S:r Pray give me pdon for Adding my hopes y:t all y:e Councell by yo:r Presid:t wilbe pleased to look on my Sonns past Actions & deportments Since this differentes hapned w:th a Candid Eye, Judgem:t & pittie, he being then very young Good Metall, Innocent in his owne opinion & under ???Covert b[XXXX] of his Supero:es at Rajap:o whose love & obligations were sufficient temptations for him to Espouse the quarrell, w:ch hee could noe Otherwise understand noe other unvalluable ??Undurem:tt ?appearing on the other side to his understanding, in y:e Condition hee was, w:ch might Engage & Oblidge him to other parties, w:ch reall ?respect & Regard to y:e service of the Comp:a And if by way of Justification of him selfe hee hath writ any thing since his Imprisonm:t w:ch may
[f. 50]
Reflect ill on others as soo great á sufferor I hope twill bee winked at, ?Nor shall I Justifie my sonne from Errors on theire parts by quoting those accusations where w:th M:r Andrewes stands ?aspersed by mee ?ther and, for I reckon my sonne & I have noe moreto doe but to Endeavour by all wayes of Justice & ffriendship to obtaine his future preferm:t & [XXXXXXXX] w:thout any more complyings Envy or trouble; & I hope by his future care & prudence hee will Manifesty:t hee hath noe other designs but to endeare & oblidge yo:eselfe & y:e Councill to blesse him w:th yo:e ffavours & advancem:ts according to his abilities & merritts
Hono:d S:r y:t I may not bee more troublesome unto you I shalll only declare my Great ambition to serve you w:th y:e best of my endeavours * power of ?frends, & wish you all health wealth & happiness there heere & forever, & conclude with acknowledging & subscribing y:t according to my obligation I am.
R:t worp:ll S:r
Yo:r Reall Hono:d & devoted serv:t
Humphry Gyffard
[LH SIDE BOTTOM]
London 25. March 1663.
Instead of sending I inkhorndd it but
hope you can pardon as well as hitt á blott
