way the hare runs, and that my Lord Marquis longs until Cranfield hath it; and so I wish too, for your good; yet would not it were absolutely passed until my Lord Marquis did send or write unto you to let him have it; for then his so disposing of it were but the next degree removed from the immediate acceptance of it, and your Lordship freed from doing it otherwise than to please him, and to comply with his own will and way. I have no more to say, but that I am, and ever will be and humble servant, E. SACKVILLE. TO HENRY CARY, LORD VISCOUNT FALKLAND.1 My very good Lord, Your Lordship's letter was the best letter I received this good while, except the last kind letter from my Lord of Buckingham, which this confirmeth. It is the best accident, one of them, amongst men, when they hap to be obliged to those whom naturally and personally they love, as I ever did your Lordship; in troth not many between my Lord Marquis and yourself; so that the sparks of my affection shall ever rest quick under the ashes of my fortune to do you service; and wishing to your fortunes and family all good, Your Lordship's most affectionate, and much obliged. I pray your Lordship to present my humble service and thanks to my Lord Marquis, to whom when I have a little paused, I purpose to write; as likewise to his Majesty, for whose health and happiness as his true beadsman I most fervently pray. A LETTER TO Mr. MATTHEW.2 Good Mr. Matthew, It is not for nothing that I have deferred my essay De Amicitia, whereby it hath expected the proof of your great friendship towards me. Whatsoever the event be (wherein I depend upon God, who ordaineth the effect, the instrument, all) yet your incessant thinking of me, without loss of a moment 1 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 226. Copy. No fly-leaf. Indorsed "March 11. Copy of my answer to Lord Falkland, etc." 2 Addl. MSS. 5503, f. 104 b. 1621-2.] LETTER OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO LORD DIGBY. 345 of time, or a hint of occasion, or a circumstance of endeavour, or a stroke of a pulse, in demonstration of love and affection to me, doth infinitely tie me to you. Commend my service to [ ]. The rest to-morrow, for I hope to lie at London; ever being Your most affectionate and assured friend. Secrecy I need not recommend. Otherwise than that you may be pleased to recommend it over to [ ]'; both because it preventeth opposition, and because it is both the King's and my Lord Marquis's nature to love to do things inexpected. TO MR. TOBIE MATTHEW." Good Mr. Matthew, The event of the business whereof you writes is it may be for the best for seeing my Lord of himself beginneth to come about, quorsum? as yet. : I could not in my heart suffer my Lord Digby to go hence without my thanks and acknowledgments. I send the letter open, which I pray seal and deliver. Particulars I would not touch. I ever rest Your most affectionate and assured friend, FR. ST. ALBAN. TO THE LORD DIGBY, AT HIS GOING INTO SPAIN.4 My very good Lord, I do now only send my best wishes to follow you at sea and land, with due thanks for your late great favours. God knoweth [whether] the length of your voyage will not exceed the length of my hour-glass. But while I live, my affection to do your Lordship service shall remain quick under the ashes of my fortune. I therefore rest Your Lordship's most affectionate to do you service. March: 1622. 1 Blanks left in MS. In the copy in Matthew's collection the first is filled with 'my friend," the second with "our friend." 2 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 216. No fly-leaf. Indorsed "La B.s lre. to Mr. Matthews.' 3 Probably the offer of Gorhambury, which came to nothing. 4 Addl. MSS. 5503, f. 107 b. Digby had been on the point of going for some time, but left England about the 20th March. Gardiner, ii. p. 216. TO THE LORD TREASURER.1 My very good Lord, I have received by my noble friend, my Lord Falkland, advertisement as from my Lord Marquis of three things; The one, that upon his Lordship's motion to his Majesty he is graciously pleased to grant some degree of release of my confinement. The second, that if I shall gratify your Lordship, (who my Lord understandeth are desirous to treat with me about my house at London) with the same, his Lordship will take it as well as if it were done to himself. The third, that his Majesty hath referred unto your Lordship the consideration of the relief of my poor estate. I have it also from other part, yet by such as have taken it immediately from my Lord Marquis, that your Lordship hath done me to the King very good offices. My Lord, I am much bounden to you wherefore if you shall be pleased to send Sir Arthur Ingram (who formerly moved me in it for your Lordship) to treat further with me, I shall let your Lordship see how affectionately I am desirous to pleasure you after my Lord of Buckingham.1 So wishing your Lordship's weighty affairs for his Majesty's service a happy return to his Majesty's contentment and your honour, I rest Your Lordship's very affectionate to do you service, FR. ST. ALBAN. TO THE LORD TREASURER.5 My very good Lord, The honourable correspondence which your Lordship hath been pleased to hold with my noble and constant friend, my 1 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 260. Draught in Bacon's hand, with corrections in Meautys's. No fly-leaf. Indorsed "12 March. Letter to Lord Treasurer." 2 Written first "that his Lp. will take it (if upon treaty I shall gratify yr. Lp. with my house at London) as well," etc. 3 Written first, "but likewise as from my Ld. M.” 4 Written first" and if you will be pleased (according as I wrote by my former letter to your Lp.) now to have Sir Arthur Ingram confer with me, I shall make a beginning to let your Lp. see in how near a place I esteem yo' Lp." 5 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 247. Copy; corrected by Meautys. No fly-leaf. Indorsed "To Lo. Treasurer, y'. last." The papers have been damaged and some words perhaps lost. 1621-2.] REFERENCE OF BACON'S DEBTS TO CRANFIELD. 347 Lord Marquis, in furthering his Majesty's grace towards me, as well concerning my liberty, as the consideration of my poor estate, hath very much obliged me to your Lordship, the more by how much the less likelihood there is that I shall be able to merit it at your Lordship's hands. Yet thus much I am glad of, that this course your Lordship holds with me doth carry thus much upon itself, that the world shall see in this, amongst other things, that you have a great and noble heart. For the particular business of York-house, Sir Arthur Ingram can bear me witness that I was ready to leave the conditions to your Lordship's own making: but since he tells me plainly that your Lordship will by no means have it to be so, you will give me leave to refer it to Sir Arthur Ingram, who is so much your Lordship's servant, and no less faithful friend to me, and understands values well, to set a price between us. For the reference his Majesty hath been graciously pleased at my Lord Marquis his suit to make unto your Lordship touching the relief of my poor estate (which my Lord of Falkland's letter hath signified, warranting me likewise to address myself to your Lordship touching the same); I humbly pray your Lordship to give it despatch, my age, health, and fortunes making time to me therein precious. Wherefore, if your Lordship (who knoweth best what the King may best do) have thought of any particular, I would desire to know from your good Lordship: otherwise I have fallen myself upon a particular, which I have related to Sir Arthur, and I hope will seem modest, for my help to live and subsist. As for somewhat towards the paying off my debts, which are now my chief care, and without charge of the King's coffers, I will not now trouble your Lordship; but purposing to be at Chiswick (where I have taken a house) within this sevennights, I hope to wait upon your Lordship, and to gather some violets in your garden, and will then impart unto you, if I have thought of any thing of that nature for my good. So I ever rest, etc. And here we may close this chapter. Bacon having consented to part with his house, and Buckingham having in return consented to give him his liberty, the next chapter will open with a faint glimmer of better prospects. 348 CHAPTER VIII. A.D. 1622 (MARCH)-1623 (OCTOBER). ETAT. 61-63. 1. FROM the Note of Instructions printed in the last chapter (p. 338) it may be gathered that Bacon was at that time in hopes of an interview with the King, to be obtained for him by Buckingham, with the professed object of hearing from him in what kind of writings he would have him spend his time. And though I cannot find that any such interview took place then, there was found among his papers a sheet of private notes, made more private by the use of Greek characters, and docketed "Mem. of access." They bear no date; and Birch, by whom they were first printed, connected them with an interview to which Bacon was admitted a year and a half later. But they contain allusions which prove conclusively that they must have been written in the third week of March, 1621-2. And I have no doubt that they were set down in expectation of an interview at that time, as a memorandum of what he meant to say. As his prospects were continually changing, the date is of importance, and we cannot have better evidence of his own view of his own case, or of the manner in which he proposed to make the best of it, than a paper like this supplies. It was evidently meant only for his own use and not to be seen by anybody else; but though, as hitherto printed, it has been obscure in some places owing to mistakes in the deciphering, it will now I think be found quite intelligible, and will show plainly what his hopes, wishes, and intentions were, and how he meant to employ the time which remained to him. The date is fixed by two points. It was after the "recommendation of his debts" by the King-that is, the reference to the Lord Treasurer of " the consideration of his estate" (see the two last letters), and before the restoration of his liberty. |