My Lord

Having by his Royal Highness’s appointment understood his Highness’s recommending me with success to your Lordship for the Burgess-ship of Rising, upon the expected removal of Sir Robert Paston to the House of Lords, I hold it my duty to make this my humble and thankful acknowledgement of it to your Lordship. Not that I dare imagine your Lordship’s favour to me therein arises from any other consideration than that of my being a humble creature of his Royal Highness; but that the assurance I have of his Highness’s devoting me to your service no less than favour, together with a due sense of my former obligations on the like occasion to your Lordship, makes it [a] duty in me to tender your Lordship my most humble thanks and faithful engagement of employing the capacity your Lordship shall herein give me, to the particular use and services of the Houses of Norfolk and of that country whereto so many advantages both of honour and protection have arisen from your noble person, by whom I shall ever be ambitious of being conducted and commanded, as becomes