CCXLIV. The King. A Letter to the Privy Council
June 17, 1622
(1) Additional Manuscripts, 12496, Folio 450, Caesar Papers (2) State Papers,
Domestic, James I, Vol. 131, No. 38
Document in (1) British Museum (2) Public Record Office, London
List of Records 330
James R.
Right trusty and Right welbeloved Cousins & Councellors and Right trusty
and welbeloved Councellors wee greet you well. As it is our part not to
denye Iustice vnto any of our Subiectℯ that shall find themselues grieved,
nor haue wee ever stopped the due Course thereof, but rather removed all
Impedimentℯ that might hinder our subiectℯ iust reliefe vpon complaint
made vnto Vs; So on the other side doe wee holde it to be no lesse or duty
to free them from vniust vexation and Clamor when causes are once deter-
mined, and yet the Suite pursued onely to molest and weary the Defendant.
Such (as wee are informed) is the Cause betwixt Sr Thomas Smith and
one John Bargraue, who having (as was supposed) matter of Complaint
against him the sayd Sr Thomas Smith, the same was heard at large
iudicially by the Lo: Keeper of our Greate Seale of England, and denied
by him, wth as much favor on the behalfe of Bargraue, as in equity and
conscience the Cause would beare. Notwthstanding, Bargraue still pur-
sues the Complaint against him before you at the Councell Boord; where
though Sr Thomas Smith doubts not to find the like Iustice, if there were
cause to haue the same heard againe before you, yet seeing this incessant
importunity of the Plaintif seemes to haue no other end then to blemishe
his Reputac̃on w
ch hetherto wee acknowledge he hath ever helld w
th vs
to bee an honest & discreet and well deserving Man both of Vs and y
e
Com̃on wealth, Our pleasure is, that vnlesse you find other reason to the
Contrary not knowne to vs, you entertayne the Complaint no longer at
the Table, but to dismisse it, as a matter allready fully determined. And if
notw
thstanding you shall find the Plaintif still contentious, That in such a
Case you inflict such punishment upon him as his presumption shall
deserve. Given at o
r Mano
r of Greenewich the xvij
th of June in the
Twentith year of o
r Raigne of great Brittaine France and Ireland.
[Addressed:] To our Right trusty and Right welbeloved Cousins and
Councellors, and to our Right trusty and welbeloved Councellors the Lords
and others of our Priuie Councell.
[Indorsed:] 17th June 1622 The Kings ɫre touching the differrence betweene
Sr Tho. Smyth and Captain Bargraue.
