secured unto him; and excepting such moneyis as wee pleased to reserve by that letter written unto you, touching the engadging our Officers of State for this purpose; which moneyis wee will first to be payed or secured to the persones interessed, according to our first royall intention. Southwick, 28 of August, 1628. To the Earle of Mar. 2. Right Trusty, &c. Wee greete you well. Haveing considered the charges requisite for provision of our house during the tyme of our aboade in that our ancient Kingdome, which of necessitie doth require present money, and which in regard of our grit and important affairs we cannot at this tyme convenientlie afford, we have been pleased to move our Deputie Thesaurer, who happened to be here for the tyme, to undergo the burding for levying of the same, granting him any security he can require, upon our rentis, casualties, or taxationes, present and to come, you being first secured of such moneyis as shall appeare that you of late have layed out for our use, wherein wee have found your affectione to our service, and for which we give you hertelie thanks; and excepting the payment of such moneyis as wee wer pleased to reserve by that letter written unto our Exchequer touching the ingadgeing our Officers of State for this purpose; which moneyis wee will to be payed or secured to the persones interested, according to our first royall intention; and if you will be content to raise the halfe of those moneyis requisite for the said use, with our said Deputie, wee are willing that you be equallie secured with him upon our saids rentis and others forsaidis: Whereunto, in regaird of your former disbursements for our use, wee will not further move you then you think you may convenientlie do; alwise desireing you to continue your best endevours for seeing all things in good order, against the time appointed for our comeing there. Wee bid you fairwell. Southwick, 28 of August, 1628. 3. Warrant for compoising the Master Household. Haveing at this tyme put the charge upon our Deputie Thesaurer for levying of moneyis for the intertaynment of our houshold during our aboade in that our kyngdome, and being willing that all thingis touching our intertaynment, and order of our hous, should be so circumspectlie considered of befoir that at our comeing nothing should be wanting, or out of due order; wee, out of a confidence of your sufficiencie and affection to our service, have maid choice of you to whom these presents are directed as our Commissioners for this purpos, requireing and herby authorizing you to convene togidder, both befoir and after our comeing ther, and taking unto your assistance the Master of our houshold, to be named by us, to consult touching all thingis which anywise may concerne the order of our houshold, our intertaynment and provisiones necessarie, and to see the same ordered and performed accordinglie; and wee ar willing, if so you shall think expedient, to authorise you in this service after any other manner you shall think requisite: Wherein wee will that one of the clerks of our privie counsell be imployed as your clerk in your proceeding therein. Southwick, 28 of August, 1628. 4. To the Toun of Edinburgh. Trusty and weilbeloved, wee greete you well. Having considered the necessitie of using present moneyis for the entertainment of our houshold during our aboade in that our ancient Kingdome, wee have been pleased to require our Deputie Thesaurer to tak upon him the charge for borrowing moneyis for that purpose, who for his assurance is to have what securitie he can devise upon our rentis, casualties, and taxationes present and to come, wherby he, nor none who shall go on with him in this kind, shalbe theirby prejudgit, so if he shall have occasion to use your assistance for raising any moneyis for this purpose, we desire you so far to further him therein as you shall find yourselfes sufficientlie secured, and that thereby you be maid no loosers by this meanes; which wee will tak as acceptable service done unto us, and whereof wee will not be unmyndfull. Southwick, 28 of August, 1628.1 1 The above four letters seem to be the original drafts of Lord Napier's warrants from the King, to prepare for his reception in Scotland. From interested motives, and jealousy of the bearer, they were resisted by the Treasurer, Mar, the Chancellor, Hay, the President of the Council, Monteith, and others of that faction. All my warrants were refused,' says Napier,—and letters sent up extolling my Lord Thesaurer's care and readiness in the King's service; and to excuse his subscribing of the letter wherein they refused the King's demand, this pretty distinction wes found out,-that he had subscribed that letter as an officiar of state among the rest, but, as Thesaurer, he wes most willing to undertake the service.' 'My warrands being refused I resolved to goe up to show his Majestie what rubs his service had got in my person, that his service might not be disapoynted, but that he might remove these, or take some other course in due tyme.' The old Treasurer, who by this time had one foot in the grave, forgetting how he had commended Napier to James VI., as being 'knawn to be both juditious and honest, and, as your Majestie writes in your awin letter, frie of partialitie or any factious humour,' essayed every art of faction to detain his persecuted colleague, and prejudice him with the King. 'But,' says Napier, I took my leave, and told him that I wes to goe up to lay downe that employment at his Majesties feet, to be disposed XV. BACK-BOND FROM THE SERGEANT OF THE KING'S CONFEC- Be it knowen to all men, that wheras Archibald Lord Naper is to procure me to be employed in furnishing his Majesty of confections of all sortes during his Majestie's abode in Scotland, and hes covenanted and agreit with me to that effect, at the rates and pryces following, To wit, all naturall drye confections at six sh. 4d. per pound; the pastes and preserves at 3 sh. 4d. per pound; and savoy amber, savoy pistache amber, and savoy fennell amber, at 13 sh. 4d. per pound, one sort with another; and severall sortes of ordinary confects at eightene pence per pound, as in the indenture made betwix us of the date the 12 day of September anno domini 1628 is contained: Notwithstanding, for the benefitt I am to reape by the sayd employment, I am content to be bound, and by these presents do bind myself, my airs, executors and assignes, that I sall seek no more from the said Lord Naper, but that I, my aires and assignes sall rest satisfied and contented with four shilling six pence per pound for naturall dryed of all sortes, and with two shil of as he pleased. Sir James Baily came to Court before me, with all my Lord's letters to his friends, but had no good acceptance from the King. When I came his Majestie receaved me so gratiously as I and all others thought I should be only employed.' But Napier was followed to Court by the Treasurer, the Chancellor, and the President, who there raised such a storm of calumny about his ears as threw him out of favour for a short time, and entirely crossed the design of the King to be crowned in Scotland, in that year, 1628. It is curious to observe that these preparations for Charles's progress were going on at the very time of the assassination of Buckingham, yet Lord Napier does not allude to the fact. The warrants are dated at Southwick, on the fifth day after the murder which so powerfully affected the King. 'At this time,' (23d August 1628,) says Balfour, 'the King and Courte lay at Southwicke, some sex miles from Portsmouthe; with many teares he lamented the Duckes untymous death; yet, in his passion, was not heard to utter aney worsse expressions, then,-" Who can withstand the hand of Heaven!"' (Sir James Balfour's Annals, vol. ii. p. 173.) lings sixpence for the pound of pastes and preserves, and for savoy amber, savoy pistach amber, and savoy fennell amber, ten shillings per pound; and for pound of ordinary confects, fourtene pence; and that of these confectiones as salbe spent for his Majestie's own use only; and for such confections as salbe sente be me for the use of the countrie, I oblige me and my foresaid that what pryce I sall receave above fyve shillings for the naturells, three shillings for pastes and preserves, and for savoy fennell amber, savoy pistach amber, and savoy fennell amber, above ten shillings per pound, and for the ordinary comfits above fourtene pence the pound, salbe equally shared betwix me and any the Lord Naper sall appoynt. In witness wherof I have subscryved these presents with my hand, before these witnes, Archibald Campbell brother to Sir James Campbell of Lawers, Alexander Naper, brother to the sayd Lord Naper, and Alexander Naper [Rofs?] burges of Edinburgh. At Westminster the 12 day of September, 1628. AR. CAMPBELL, witness. ALEXR. NAPIER, witness. [Endorsed by the Secretary.] 24 Dec. 1629, I have this day recieved this bakband from the Lord Naper, to be delyvered up to his Majesty. 1 This document affords a very curious illustration of the Times, and of the ways and means of the Sovereign. It is as well for Lord Napier's credit that he has left so clear an explanation of it. The device of this backbond was not to put the profit in his own pocket, but to economize the King's purse. Napier took the precaution, at the Ro. WALTHEW. time, to explain privately to the King himself the meaning of it; so that when his powerful enemies attempted to found a charge of peculation upon it, he reminded Charles, that, 'long before any such mater wes known or questioned, I told your majestie the forme and mater of this bargane, when I came from Scotland, when I, and |