Charles I

providing a formal letter of introduction to his legate, Joseph Avery, in Latin, in the fine italic hand of the poet Georg Weckherlin, the King's secretary, one page, folio (290 x 190 mm), integral address leaf, papered seal, Windsor, 23 January 1642, contemporary docketing in a German hand; series of contemporary "locking" slits, damp staining. Red morocco- backed folder.

Phillips, London, June 11, 1992, lot 47. acquisition: Purchased at the foregoing sale through Bernard Quaritch

A letter written to one of the most renowned rulers of the seventeenth century in the German-speaking world, written on the eve of the English Civil War. Charles writes to introduce Joseph Avery, who had previously been royal agent in Hamburg, to the court of the Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia. This letter was written from Windsor just days after the King abandoned London following his failed attempt to arrest Parliamentary leaders. The letter is in the hand of Georg Weckherlin, who acted as the King's Latin secretary and is now widely acknowledged as one of the most notable German poets of the period.