THere is now again the Report of the great gaines of your friend the late Speaker, ſo freſh in every ones Mouth, and ſo much related to his prejudice, and danger, that 'tis most neceſſary that the truth of it ſhould come to publique view. And becauſe I have heard you ſo rationally diſcourſe the contrary, and aſſuring me that never any one in any great imployments made ſo little, nay nothing of advantage by them; I therefore earneſtly deſire you to relate to me under your hand what you then aſſur'd me, for I am very unwilling that that which is not, ſhould be a cauſe of his ruine. Let me deſire you to haſten this to me, for if I can judge, it concerns your friend very much to be vindicated in this particular, ſo expecting your anſwer, I remain
I Am very glad you have given me the opportunity to vindicate my old friend the late Speaker in thoſe reports of his great gains, in the hazardous, and troubleſome imployments he hath undergone. 'Tis not eaſy to rectifie a great miſtake when it is ſpread in almoſt every ones opinion, which is commonly believed without Examining the probability of it. I have been very ſtrict in the informing my ſelf of the particulars, and would not have put my hand to them, if I had not been an Eye witneſſe of the truth of what I affirme from the firſt time he enter'd the Houſe as Speaker, to the laſt that he ſate there. You cannot be unacquainted with the greatneſſe of his practice before he was call'd to that imployment; for I having ſeen his accounts, 'twas more then two thouſand pounds per an. which now for twenty years he hath loſt. In the firſt two years of his Speakerſhip he kept a publique table, and every day entertained ſeverall Eminent Perſons, as well belonging to the Court, as the Members of Parliament. The King takeing this Expence of his into conſideration, gave him ſix thouſand pounds, of which there is not to this day the one halfe of it paid. Immediately after the unhappy warre broke out, and it was his chance to have his fortunes lye in the activeſt part of it, ſo that his Eſtate for five years yielded him nothing. The Office of Maſter of the Rolls falling by the death of Sir Charles Caeſar, it was conferred on him; but for ſome years he did not clear his3 charges, there being but little proceedings in the Courts of Juſtice, and there being great diminutions of the profits of that place which his predeceſſors injoy'd, but he did not by reaſon that Wardſhips were taken away, the profit accruing by them to eight hundred prounds per an. at the leaſt, and alſo the Biſhops who on every Creation, or Tranſlation paid a conſiderable fee to him, which was always eſteemed worth five hundred pounds per an. and the Fines on Orginall writs, which were the moſt advantageous fees that belong'd to it; ſo that Wardſhips, Biſhops, and the Fines on Originalls being taken away, there was a loſſe to the Office in its profits, two thouſand pounds per an. at the leaſt: yet notwithſtanding he perform'd a greater duty to the diſpatch of buſineſſe then has been done by any in that imployment before him, and this I think his greateſt Detractors will acknowledge. But that which occaſions moſt the Report of his gaines, proceeds from the fee of five pounds, which was given him by both Houſes upon Compoſitions; and conſidering how much that is in Opinion, and how inconſiderable in the reality of it, makes me as much wonder at the confident Report, as the readineſſe it has in finding a beliefe. What he received by them is ſo certainly to be known, that if any wil but examin the Journal Books of the Houſe, there they will find every fee for Pardons that he received; and beſides there is the Clerks, and the Serjeant that attend the Houſe have their fees as well on the Pardons as the private Bills, and is a check to him, ſo that he cannot deceive any one that will but enquire, and with the ſtricteſt enquiry that I can make, both by the Books, and the attendance on the Houſe, I cannot find that ever there could be more coming to him then two thouſand two hundred and twenty pounds, and this is the utmoſt4 that ever he made on Pardons and private Bills. There was due to him, as there is to every Speaker a fee of five pound per diem, which from his firſt ſitting to the laſt he never received one farthing of; Nor did he ever take any ſumme of Money, any gift of land, or any other Recompence or Reward. What other imployment he has had, the labour was ſo great, and the requitall ſo ſmall, that whoſoever ſucceeded him had a ſalary for his pains; yet he perform'd his duty to the place with great Expedition to all, without any. You have now the reality of what he has or could gaine, there being no other way whereby one peny could be ſuppoſed to come to him; and I hope it will give you, and all ſuch as you ſhall thinke fit to communicate it to, full ſatisfaction, as is doth me, that I can affirme this for a truth, and alſo that I am