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industry and good hap had been answerable to your lordship's goodness. But, on the other side, I most humbly pray your lordship's pardon if I speak it; the time is yet to come that your lordship did ever use, or command or employ me, in my profession, in any services or occasions of your lordship's own, or such as are near unto your lordship; which hath made me fear sometimes, that your lordship doth more honourably affect me, than thoroughly discern of my most humble and dutiful affection to your lordship again: which if it were not in me, I knew not whether I were unnatural, unthankful, or unwise. This causeth me most humbly to pray your lordship, and I know mine own case too well, to speak it as weening I can do your lordship service, but as willing to do it, as, to believe, that your lordship is upon just title a principal owner and proprietor of that, I cannot call, talent, but mite, that God hath given me; which I ever do, and shall devote to your service. And in like humble manner, I pray your lordship to pardon mine errors, and not to impute unto me the errors of any other, which I know also themselves have by this time left and forethought, but to conceive of me to be a man that daily profiteth in duty. It is true I do in part comfort myself, supposing that it is my weakness and insufficiency that moveth your lordship, who hath so general a command, to use others more able. But let it be as it is, for duty only and homage I will boldly undertake, that nature and true thankfulness shall never give place to a politic dependence. Lastly, I most humbly desire your lordship to continue unto me the good favour, and countenance, and encouragement, in the course of my poor travails, whereof I have had some taste and experience; for the which I yield your lordship my very humble good thanks. And so again, craving your honour's pardon for so long a letter, carrying so empty an offer of so impuissant a service, but yet a true and unfeigned signification of an honest and vowed duty; I cease, commending your lordship to the preservation of the Divine Majesty.

Resuscita

XI. A LETTER to the Lord Treasurer BURGH- Rawley's LEY, in excuse of his speech in parliament io. against the triple subsidy.

It may please your Lordship,

I WAS sorry to find, by your lordship's speech yesterday, that my last speech in parliament, delivered in discharge of my conscience, and duty to God, her majesty, and my country, was offensive. If it were misreported, I would be glad to attend your lordship to disavow any thing I said not; if it were misconstrued, I would be glad to expound myself, to exclude any sense I meant not. If my heart be misjudged by imputation of popularity or opposition, by any envious or officious informer, I have great wrong; and the greater, because the manner of my speech did most evidently shew, that I spake simply and only to satisfy my conscience, and not with any advantage, or policy to sway the cause: and my terms carried all signification of duty and zeal towards her majesty and her service. It is true, that from the beginning, whatsoever was above a double subsidy, I did wish might, for precedent sake, appear to be extraordinary, and, for discontent's sake, might not have been levied upon the poorer sort: though otherwise, I wished it as rising as I think this will prove, and more. This was my mind, I confess it: and therefore I most humbly pray your good lordship, first, to continue me in your own good opinion and then to perform the part of an honourable friend towards your poor servant and alliance, in drawing her majesty to accept of the sincerity and simplicity of my heart, and to bear with the rest, and restore me to her majesty's good favour, which is to me dearer than my life. And so, etc.

Your Lordship's most humble in all duty. 1593, April.

Vol. 6997.

Harl. MSS. XII. To the right honourable his very good Lord, the Lord Keeper of the great seal, etc.

No. 20.

Ibid.
No. 87.

My very good Lord,

I WAS wished to be here ready in expectation of some good effect; and therefore I commend my for. tune to your lordship's kind and honourable further ance. My affection inclineth me to be much [your] lordship's, and my course and way, in all reason and policy for myself, leadeth me to the same dependence: hereunto if there shall be join'd your lordship's obligation in dealing strongly for me as you have begun, no man can be more yours. A timorous man is every body's, and a covetous man is his own. But if your lordship consider my nature, my course, my friends, my opi nion with her majesty, if this eclipse of her favour were past, I hope you will think, I am no unlikely piece of wood to shape you a true servant of. My present thankfulness shall be as much as I have said. I humbly take my leave.

Your Lordship's true humble servant,
FR. BACON.

From Greenwich this
5th of April, 1594.

XIII. To the right honourable my very good
Lord, the Lord Keeper,

My Lord,

I HAVE, since I spake with your lordship, pleaded to the queen against herself for the injury she doth Mr, Bacon in delaying him so long, and the unkindness she doth me in granting no better expedition in a suit which I have followed so long, and so affectionately. And though I find that she makes some difficulty, to have the more thanks, yet I do assure myself she is resolved to make him. I do write this not to solicit your lordship to stand firm in assisting me, because, I know, you hold yourself already tied by your affection to Mr. Bacon, and by your promise to me; but to acquaint your lordslrip of my resolution to set up my

rest, and employ my uttermost strength to get him' placed before the term: so as I beseech your lordship think of no temporising course, for I shall think the queen deals unkindly with me, if she do not both give him the place, and give it with favour and some extraordinary advantage. I wish your lordship all honour and happiness; and rest,

Your Lordship's very assured,

Greenwich, this 14th of January, [1594.]

Endorsed, My lord of Essex for Mr.

ESSEX.

Fran. Bacon to be solicitor.

XIV. To the right honourable his very good Harl. MS8. Lord, the Lord Keeper of the great seal.

My very good Lord,

SIR Thomas Egerton failing of your lordship, being newly gone, sent his letter to me to see conveyed unto you, which I send inclosed; desiring your lordship, according to your kind affection, to make the best use thereof for my furtherance. And I pray your lordship to call to remembrance my lord treasurer's kind course, who affirmed directly all the rest to be unfit. And because vis unita fortior, I pray your lordship to take a time with the queen when my lord treasurer is present. Thus in hope to-morrow will bring forth some good effect, I rest,

Your Lordship's in all humble duty and service,
FR. BACON.

Vol. 6996.
No. 52.

XV. To the right honourable, etc. the Lord Ibid.
Keeper, etc.

My very good Lord,

BECAUSE I understand your lordship remaineth at court till this day, and that my lord of Essex writeth to me, that his lordship cometh to London, I thought good to remember your Lordship, and to request you, as I touched in my last, that if my lord treasurer be absent, your lordship would forbear to fall into my business with

No. 50.

her majesty, lest it might receive some foil before the time, when it should be resolutely dealt in. And so commending myself to your good favour, I most humbly take my leave.

Your Lordship's in all humble duty and service,

From Gray's-Inn this

8th of April, 1594.

FR. BACON.

Harl. MSS. XVI. Earl of Essex, to Lord Keeper Puckering. My Lord,

Vol. 6996.

No. 72.

My short stay at the court made me fail of speaking with your lordship; therefore I must write that which myself had told you; that is, that your lordship will be pleased to forbear pressing for a solicitor, since there is no cause towards the end of a term to call for it; and because the absence of Mr. Bacon's friends may be much to his disadvantage. I wish your lordship all happiness and rest.

Your Lordship's very assured to be commanded,

Wanstead this 4th

of May, 1594.

ESSEX.

XVII. To the right honourable the Lord
Keeper, etc.

It may please your good Lordship,

I UNDERSTAND of some business like enough to detain the queen to-morrow, which maketh me earnestly to pray your good lordship, as one that I have found to take my fortune to heart, to take some time to remember her majesty of a solicitor this present day.

Our Tower employment stayeth, and hath done there three days, because one of the principal offenders being brought to confess, and the other persisting in denial, her majesty in her wisdom thought best some time were given to him that is obstinate, to bethink himself; which indeed is singular good in such cases. Thus desiring your lordship's pardon, in haste I commend my fortune and duty to your favour.

Your Lordship's most humbly

to receive your commandments,

From Gray's-Inn this
13th of August, 1594.

FR. BACON.

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