so great place, and being one whom, howsoever he offended in judicature, yet in matter of counsel and our commission of treasure we found faithful and very careful and diligent, running courses entire and direct for the good of our service. Being therefore informed from him that he is indebted, and that some of his servants likewise and near friends are engaged for him, of whom he hath no less care than of himself (which mind we commend in him), we do wish the times were such as we might free him at once by our liberality. But the times being as they are, as we have gracious intentions towards him, so in the mean time we have care of his subsisting and honour and quiet. And therefore we do require you and every of you from time to time to treat with such creditors of his as he shall desire to make some reasonable and favourable composition for him and his sureties, letting them know that what favour and ease they shall do him in the composition shall be acceptable to ourselves: for which purpose we shall vouchsafe to take knowledge from you of such as shall be forward to perform our desire. And our will and pleasure is generally that by all good means you bring them to good terms of composition with him; which we shall take at your hands for service done unto ourselves.

Given at our Court of Newmarket this 14th of November, 1622.

To our right trusty and well-beloved the Lo. Keeper of our Great Seal of England, and to the Lo. President of our Council, and to our right trusty and well-beloved Sir John Suckling, K.nt., Comptroller of our household, and Sir Julius Cæsar, Mr. of our Rolls.

The next letter, as printed by Birch from the manuscript at Lambeth, was a great puzzle, owing to the date. It was dated the 4th of November, which unless Buckingham's last is misdated, was more than a week earlier than it could have been written. For it contains thanks for the promise of access to the King, which Bacon did not know of before the 13th. Upon more careful examination of the manuscript however it will be found that the letter has been corrected on a subsequent reading, there being in several places marks of alteration in paler ink; and that though the figure 4 is clear and unmistakable, a figure 2 has been written before it, and then blurred: an accident which might easily happen if the paper were put away while the ink was still wet. If so, the true date is the 24th of November, and involves no difficulty.

1622.]

PUBLICATION OF THE HISTORIA VENTORUM.

395

The "Latin book," was probably the Historia Ventorum,—the first monthly instalment of the natural and experimental history which was to serve as a foundation for a true and active philosophy, and the first fruit of Bacon's vow,-which was published about this time.

TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.1

My very good Lord.

I have many things to thank your Lordship for since I had the happiness to see you. That your Lordship before your going out of town, sent my memorial to my Lord Treasurer. That your Lordship offered, and read my petition presented to the King, and procured me a reference. That your Lordship moved his Majesty, and obtained for me access to him against his Majesty comes next, which in mine own opinion is better than if it had been now, and will be a great comfort to me, though I should die the next day after. That your Lordship gave me so good English for my Latin book. My humble request is at this time that because my Lord Treasurer keepeth yet his answer in suspense (though by one he useth to me he speaketh me fair,) that your Lordship would nick it with a word for if he do me good, I doubt it may not be altogether of his own.

God ever prosper you.

Your Lordship's most bounden
and faithful servant,

24th of November, 1622.

11.

FR. ST. ALBAN.

The memorial which Buckingham forwarded to the Lord Treasurer has not come down to us. But there is a paper of memoranda for a conversation with him, set down in Greek characters, from which something may be gathered as to the probable subject and

1 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 171. Rough draught in Bacon's hand. No fly-leaf. Indorsed "To Buckingham."

2 First written "psented my petition to the K and procured me a reference with gracious signification of the K's fav' towards me. That yo' Lp had ready in your mynd when Mr. Meautys attended you the poynt of my access and have obtained it for me against," etc. Then altered to That your L. redd my petition p'sented to the K and procured me a gracious reference," etc.. Finally corrected as in the text.

tenour of it; and which, not having any means of dating it correctly, I introduce here in connexion with the correspondence which followed and which shows the result. The subject which he was going to speak of was evidently the Petty Writ patent; the same which was the subject of Williams's letter to Buckingham of the 23rd of August.1

REMEMBRANCE UPON GOING TO THE LORD TREASURER.2 My L. Tr.

For past matters, they are immemorial with me. I thank God I am so far from thinking to retrieve a fortune, as I did not mark where the game fell. I ascribe all to Providence. Your L. hath greatness and I hope you will line it with good

ness.

Of me you can have no use but you may have honour by me in using me well, for my fortune is much in your hands.

For Sir G. I heard by Sir Arthur, you thought well of my dealing to him; for so Ingram told me; but I doubt he reported somewhat amiss of me, that procured that warrant; since which he thinks he may bring me to his own conditions, never comes to me, flies from that he had agreed; so to conclude with the letter 3 upon even terms.

For the King, I must submit. Ingram told me there should be a favour in it, till I might sue to the K.

The sequestration as much as a resumption, for if it be as in the King's hands, all will go back; so it requires a farmer. My pension and that the rewards of my long service and relief of my present means. In Parliament he said he would not

have me know what want meant.

TO THE LORD VISCOUNT ST. ALBAN. 4

My most honoured Lord,

Since my last to your Lordship I find by Mr. Johnson that either my Lord Treasurer is not twice in one mind, or Sir Arth. Ingram not twice

1 See above, p. 389.

2 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 273. Written in Greek characters. Docketed by Bacon, "Remembr. upon my going to Treasurer."

3 In the MS. there is a slanting line drawn between "letter" and " upon." But whether it was meant for a mark of division, or for the end of a paragraph— the last three words having been inserted afterwards-I cannot say. I suppose the "warrant may have been for the sequestration of the patent, as mentioned in Bacon's petition. But what the "letter" was we have no means of knowing. Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 269. Docketed by Bacon, "Mewtys Ire. this 25 of

Nov."

1622.]

DEALINGS WITH CRANFIELD.

397

in one tale. For Sir Arthur, contrary to his speech but yesterday with me, puts himself now as it seems in new hopes to prevail with my Lord Treasurer for your Lordship's good and advantage, by a proposition sent by Mr. Johnson for the altering of your patent to a new mould, more safe than the other, which he seemed to dissuade, as I wrote to your Lordship. I like my Lord Treasurer's heart to your Lordship so much every day worse than other (especially for his coarse usage of your Lordship's name in his last speech), as that I cannot imagine he means you any good. And therefore, good my Lord, what directions you shall give herein to Sir Arthur Ingram, let them be as safe ones as you can think upon; and that your Lordship surrender not your old patent, till you have the new under seal, lest my Lord Keeper should take toy, and stop it there. And I know your Lordship cannot forget they have such a savage word amongst them as fleecing. God in heaven bless your Lordship from such hands and tongues, and then things will mend of themselves. Your Lordship's in all humbleness,

This Sunday morning.

to honour and serve you,

T. MEAUTYS.

TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.1

My very good Lord,

I find my Lord Treasurer, after so many days and appointments, and such certain messages and promises, doth but mean to coax me (it is his own word of old) and to saw me asunder, and to do just nothing upon his Majesty's gracious reference, nobly procured by your Lordship for this poor remnant. My Lord, let it be your own deed; and to use the prayers of the Litany, Good Lord deliver me from this servile dependence; for I had rather beg and starve than be fed3 at that door.

God ever prosper your Lordship.

Your Lordship's most bounden

Bedford-house, this

and faithful servant,

FR. ST. ALBAN.

.

1 Gibson Papers, f. 262.

Draught in Bacon's hand. No fly-leaf. Indorsed

"To Buck. about L. Treasurer Cranfield's using of him."

2 "Coxe," which had been written first, has been crossed out, and "coakes" written above.

3 "Than begge and be fed" had been written first.

TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.1

My very good Lord,

This extreme winter hath turned with me weakness of body into a state that I cannot call health but rather sickness, and that more dangerous than felt, whereby I am not likely to be able to wait upon your Lordship as I desired, your Lordship being the person of whom I promise myself more almost than of any other; and again to whom, in all loving affection I desire no less to approve myself a true friend and servant.

Most affectionate to do your Lp. service,

FR. ST. ALBAN.

My desire to your Lordship is to admit this gentleman, my kinsman and approved friend, to relate to you my business, whereby to save further length of letter, or the trouble of your Lordship's writing back.

12.

These, as I have observed before, were only the irritations and interruptions of Bacon's life. His life itself at this time was occupied with his instalments of Natural History. When he made his vow that he would produce one or more of these in each succeeding month (a rash vow if it had not left him free to release himself from it upon any sufficient occasion), he assigned to the first six successive months the following portions-the History of Winds; of Density and Rarity; of Heaviness and Lightness; of Sympathy and Antipathy of things; of Sulphur, Mercury, and Salt; of Life and Death. The History of Winds, together with introductions to the remaining five, was published in November. But on further consideration he determined to change the order, and take the History of Life and Death next. This he did because he thought it would be more immediately useful, by turning the industry of medical men to higher aims than that of curing a few diseases, and pronouncing the rest incurable. But it proved to be a work of much greater length than the first,-about twice as long in fact, and it seems to have taken about three months to

1 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 221. Very rough copy in Bacon's hand. No flyleaf, indorsement, or date.

2 Chamberlain in a letter to Carleton of 7th December, 1622, notices the severity of the winter as so great that there were 270 or 280 deaths in London weekly, S. P. vol. 134, no. 66.