May it please your Lordship

I understand by Vossius that your Lordship makes stay of his Dispensation at the Seal, because it dispenses with him for not being in Orders. I humbly beseech your Lordship that you would give me leave to express unto you how the Case stands with him. My Lord Duke in his life tyme, for some Honor done him by this Man, procurd him of his Majesty a Reversion of a Prebend in Canterbury, at which tyme there was alsoe granted another Reversion to Mr. Westly, Chaplayne to my Lady Dutchess of Richmond. At that tyme your Lordship made stay of both these Graunts because it was against an Act of State that any of those places should be given till they were voyd, and I well remember his Majesty sent me to your Lordship to signify that this was his express pleasure that these should pass and that then he would make stay for granting any more. Now my Lord this Gentleman comming to be possest of the Place, and the greater part of his Studyes being upon History and humane Learning and being soe ymployed at Leyden in his own Country, my Lord Duke thought fitt when the Place should fall to him that a Dispensation from being in Orders might be granted him by his Majesty and commended the Care and the Trust of it to me, being noe other dispensation then King James of blessed memory gra[n]ted to Mr Casaubone in the same Church of Canterbury. In discharge of this Trust I made bold to acquaint his Majesty with what my Lord Duke in his lyfe tyme desyred, and his Majesty presently graunted the Dispensation, which I take the boldnes to signify to your Lordship the rather, because the Chapter at Canterbury is now mett, and as I am informed ends eyther upon Tuesday or Wednesday, soe that it will be a great Prejudice to Vossius if he cannot set forward towards Canterbury on Munday morning, for he is to make a kind of Composition with the Chapter what Allowance shall be made him in regard of his Absence, and if the Chapter be dissolved and scattered to theyr severall Benefices, it will be a great deal both of Charge and loss unto him.