In 1622, he was at Venice, and from that city he addressed several letters to Robert Cotton, chiefly about the purchase of manuscripts, subscribing himself 'Your faithful servant and poore kinsman'.
As principal king of arms he followed the fortunes of his sovereign in the field during the First English Civil War, and had several narrow escapes while in the royal camp.
For instance, Edward Norgate, Windsor herald, writing from Berwick to his cousin Thomas Read, on 3 June 1639, says that the king's tent was shot through once, and Sir John Borough's twice.
When the great council met at York he was appointed its clerk, and in that capacity he took the full notes of its proceedings which constitute the only record we possess of what took place in that assembly.
He died about two months afterwards, on 21 October 1643, at Oxford, and was buried the next day at the upper end of the divinity chapel adjoining, on the north side, the choir of Christ Church Cathedral.