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Rawley's
Resuscita-

tio.

Ibid.

be subject to interpretation, as if all were not referred to the right end.

Thus have I presumed to write these few lines to your lordship, in methodo ignorantiæ; which is, when a man speaketh of any subject, not according to the parts of the matter, but according to the model of his own knowledge; and most humbly desire your lordship that the weakness thereof may be supplied in your lordship by a benign acceptation, as it is in me by my best wishing.

XLIX. To my Lord of ESSEX.

My Lord,

CONCEIVING that your lordship came now up in the person of a good servant to see your sovereign mistress; which kind of compliments are many times instar magnorum meritorum; and therefore that it would be hard for me to find you: I have committed to this poor paper the humble salutations of him that is more yours than any man's; and more yours than any man. To these salutations I add a due and joyful gratulation, confessing that your lordship, in your last conference with me before your journey, spake not in vain, God making it good; that you trusted, we should say, Quis putasset? Which, as it is found true in a happy sense, so I wish you do not find another Quis putasset? in the manner of taking this so great a service. But I hope it is, as he said, Nubecula est, cito transibit: and that your lordship's wisdom, and obsequious circumspection, and patience, will turn all to the best. So referring all to some time that I may attend you, I commit you to God's best preservation.

L. A LETTER to the Earl of ESSEX, in offer of his service when he was first enlarged toEssex-House.

My Lord,

No man can expound my doings better than your lordship, which makes me need to say the less; only I

humbly pray you to believe, that I aspire to the conscience and commendation of bonus civis, and bonus vir; and that though I love some things better, I confess, than I love your lordship, yet I love few persons better; both for gratitude's sake, and for your virtues, which cannot hurt but by accident; of which my good affection it may please your lordship to assure yourself; and of all the true effect and offices I can yield. For as I was ever sorry your lordship should fly with waxen wings, doubting Icarus's fortune, so for the growing up of your own feathers, be they ostriches or other kind, no man shall be more glad. And this is the axle-tree whereon I have turned and shall turn. Which having already signified to you by some near mean, having so fit a messenger for mine own letter, I thought good also to redouble by writing. And so I commend you to God's protection. From Gray's-Inn this 9th day of July, 1600.

LI. An Answer of my Lord of ESSEX, to the Rawley's preceding LETTER of Mr. BACON.

Mr. Bacon,

I CAN neither expound nor censure your late actions; being ignorant of all of them save one; and having directed my sight inward only to examine myself. You do pray me to believe, that you only aspire to the conscience and commendation of bonus civis, and bonus vir; and I do faithfully assure you, that while that is your ambition, though your course be active, and mind contemplative, yet we shall both convenire in eodem tertio; and convenire inter nosipsos. Your pro fession of affection, and offer of good offices, are wel come to me; for answer to them I will say but this; that you have believed I have been kind to you, and you may believe that I cannot be other, either upon humour or mine own election. I am a stranger to all poetical conceits, or else I should say somewhat of your poetical example.. But this I must say, that I never flew with other wings than desire to merit, and

• 19 Jul. Cab.

Resuscita tio.

confidence in my sovereign's favour; and when one of these wings failed me, I would light no where but at my sovereign's feet, though she suffered me to be bruised with my fall. And till her majesty, that knows I was never bird of prey, finds it to agree with her will and her service that my wings should be imped again, I have committed myself to the mue. No power but my God's, and my sovereign's, can alter this resolution of

Your retired friend,

ESSEX.

Rawley's Resuscitatio.

Ibid.

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I AM glad your lordship hath plunged out of your own business: wherein I must commend your lordship, as Xenophon commended the state of his country, which was this, that having chosen the worst form of government of all others, they governed the best in that kind. Hoc pace et venia tua, according to my charter. Now, as your lordship is my witness that I would not trouble you whilst your own cause was in hand, though that I know, that the farther from the term, the better the time was to deal for me, so that being concluded, I presume I shall be one of your next cares. And having communicated with my brother of some course, either to perfect the first, or to make me some other way; or rather, by seeming to make me some other way to perfect the first; wherewith he agreed to acquaint your lordship; I am desirous, for mine own better satisfaction, to speak with your lordship myself: which I had rather were somewhere else than at court; and as soon as your lordship will assign me to wait on you. And so in, etc.

LIII. To my Lord of ESSEX.

It may please your Lordship,

THAT your lordship is in statu quo prius, no man taketh greater gladness than I do; the rather, because

Heaut. 1. 1.

I assure myself that of your eclipses, as this hath been the longest, it shall be the least; as the comical poet saith, Neque illam tu satis noveras, neque te illa; Terent. hocque fit, ubi non vere vivitur. For if I may be so bold as to say what I think, I believe neither your lordship looked to have found her majesty in all points as you have done, neither her majesty per case looked to have found your lordship as she hath done. And therefore I hope upon this experience may grow more perfect knowledge, and upon knowledge more true consent; which I, for my part, do infinitely wish, as accounting these accidents to be like the fish Remora ; which though it be not great, yet hath it a hidden property to hinder the sailing of the ship. And therefore, as bearing unto your lordship, after her majesty, of all public persons, the second duty, I could not but signify unto you my affectionate gratulation. And so I commend your good lordship to the best preservation of the divine Majesty.

From Gray's-Inn.

LIV. To Sir ROBERT CECIL.

It may please your good Honour,

I AM apt enough to contemn mendacia fama, yet it is with this distinction, as fame walks among inferiors, and not as it hath entrance into some ears. And yet nevertheless, in that kind also I intend to avoid a suspicious silence, but not to make any base apology. It is blown about the town, that I should give opinion touching my lord of Essex cause; first, that it was a præmunire; and now last, that it reached to high treason; and this opinion should be given in opposition to the opinion of the lord Chief Justice, and of Mr. Attorney-General. Sir, I thank God, whatsoever opinion my head serveth me to deliver to her majesty, being asked, my heart serveth me to maintain, the same honest duty directing me and assisting me. But the utter untruth of this report God and the queen can witness; and the improbability of it, every man that hath wit, more or less, can conceive. The root of

Rawley's

Resuscita

tio.

Rawley's
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tio.

this I discern to be not so much a light and humourous envy at my accesses to her majesty, which of her majesty's grace being begun in my first years, I would be sorry she should estrange in my last years; for so I account them, reckoning by health not by age, as a deep malice to your honourable self; upon whom, by me, through nearness, they think to make some aspersion. But as I know no remedy against libels and lyes; so I hope it shall make no manner of disseverance of your honourable good conceits and affection towards me; which is the thing I confess to fear. For as for any violence to be offered to me, wherewith my friends tell me, to no small terror, that I am threatened, I thank God I have the privy coat of a good conscience; and have a good while since put off any fearful care of life, or the accidents of life. So desiring to be preserved in your good opinion, I remain.

This last letter seems to be wrote 1600, in the interval between the return of the earl of Essex from Ireland, and his hearing before the lord Chancellor, etc.

LV. To my Lord HENRY HOWARD.
My Lord,

THERE be very few besides yourself, to whom I would perform this respect. For I contemn mendacia fume, as it walks among inferiors; though I neglect it not, as it may have entrance into some ears. For your lordship's love, rooted upon good opinion, I esteem it highly, because I have tasted the fruits of it; and we both have tasted of the best waters, in my account, to knit minds together. There is shaped a tale in London's forge, that beateth apace at this time, that I should deliver opinion to the queen in my lord of Essex cause; first, that it was a præmunire; and now last; that it was high treason; and this opinion to be in opposition and encounter of the lord Chief Justice's opinion, and the Attorney-General's. My lord, I thank God, my wit serveth me not to deliver any opinion to the queen, which my stomach serveth me not to maintain; one and the same conscience of duty guiding

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