The respect and honour I bare your excellencie will not suffer mee willingly to offer the least injury to your patience, and if I did not thinke it a duty incumbent uppon mee, I should choose much rather to be silent then give your excellencie this trouble and it is not without much feare least likewise the occation should not be pleaseing to you, but I beg your excellencie's beleife that I am cautious of doing the one or the other. What I have to write is to acquaint your excellencie that there is a treaty of marriage betweene my lady Reynolds1 and myselfe, which I suppose is already knowen to your excellencie, for I must confesse I know not how to owne it, considering the relation shee stands in to your excellencie, but desired my lord Russell to intimate and excuse it for mee, whose intercession, I hope, hath in some measure procured my pardon. I have nothinge to say but that as I was induced to it out of a true and reall affection to my lady, soe twas without any presumption towards your excellencie and I am sure my discouragements were not a few, least it should be thought soe, but if your excellencie did but knowe the sinceritie and candidnesse of my heart in this thinge, you would rather pardon then condem mee. I trust I have learnt not to aime at greate thinges, but that wherein I may have comfort and satisfaction soe farre as this world can afford, which I doubt not but I shall in this, if I may obtaine your excellencie's favour, and I shall desire it noe longer then I shall approve myselfe, may it please your excellencie,