We conceive the parts of the business are four: the charge; the confederations, and who shall be solicited or retained to come in; the forces and the distributions of them; and the enterprise. We had only at this time conference amongst ourselves, and shall appoint, after the holy-days, times for the calling before us such as are fit, and thereupon perform all the parts of your royal commandments.

In this conference I met with somewhat which I must confess was altogether new to me, and opened but darkly neither; whereof I think Mr.Vice-Chamberlain will give your majesty some light, for so we wished. By occasion whereof I hold it my duty, in respect of the great place wherein your majesty hath set me, being only made worthy by your grace, which maketh it decent for me to counsel you ad summas rerum, to intimate or represent to your majesty thus much.

I do foresee, in my simple judgment, much inconvenience to insue, if your majesty proceed to this treaty with Spain, and that your council draw not all one way. I saw the bitter fruits of a divided council the last parliament; I saw no very pleasant fruits thereof in the matter of the cloth. This will be of equal, if not more inconvenience; for wheresoever the opinion of your people is material, as in many cases it is not, there, if your council be united, they shall be able almost to give law to opinion and rumour; but if they be divided, the infusion will not be according to the strength and virtue of the votes of your council, but according to the aptness and inclination of the popular. This I leave to your majesty in your high wisdom to remedy only I could wish that when Sir John Digby's instructions are perfected, and that he is ready to go, your majesty would be pleased to write some formal letter to the body of your council, if it shall be in your absence, signifying to them your resolution in general, to the end, that when deliberation shall be turned into

particularly against the Spanish Armada, 1588. But in the latter end of the year 1618, he surrendered this honourable place to the king, who conferred it upon the marquis of Buckingham, and died in the year 1624, and of his age the 88th. Stephens.

resolution, no man, howsoever he may retain the inwardness of his opinion, may be active in contrarium.

The letters of my lords of the council with your majesty, touching the affairs of Ireland, written largely and articulately, and by your majesty's direction, will much facilitate our labours here; though there will not want matter of consultation thereupon, God ever preserve your majesty safe and happy.

Your majesty's most devoted and obliged servant,
London, April 19, 1617.
FR. BACON, C. S.

CLXXVI. To the Earl of BUCKINGHAM.

My singular good Lord,

I SEND your lordship, according to the direction of your letter, a note of the precedents that I find in my lord Brackley's business which do rather come near the case than match it. Your lordship knoweth already my opinion, that I would rather have you constant in the matter, than instant for the time.

I send also inclosed an account of council business by way of remembrance to his majesty, which it may please you to deliver to him.'

The queen returneth her thanks to your lordship for the dispatch of the warrant touching her house: I have not yet acquainted the lord treasurer, and chancellor of the exchequer with it; but I purpose to-morrow to deliver them the warrant, and to advise with them for the executing of the same.

I have received the king's letter with another from your lordship, touching the cause of the officers, and Sir Arthur Ingram, whereof I will be very careful to do them justice.

Yesterday I took my place in chancery, which I hold only for the king's grace and favour, and your constant friendship. There was much ado, and a great deal of world; but this matter of pomp, which is heaven to some men, is hell to me, or purgatory at least. It is true, I was glad to see that the king's choice was so generally approved; and that I had so

Stephens's first collection, p.200.

much interest in mens good will and good opinions, because it maketh me the fitter instrument to do my master service and my friend also.

After I was set in chancery, I published his majesty's charge which he gave me when he gave me the seal; and what rules and resolutions I had taken for the fulfilling his commandments. I send your lordship a copy of that I said. My lord Hay coming to take his leave of me two days before, I told him what I was meditating, and he desired me to send him some remembrance of it; and so I could not but send him another copy thereof. Men tell me it hath done the king a great deal of honour; insomuch that some of my friends that are wise men and no vain ones, did not stick to say to me, that there was not these seven years such a preparation for a parliament; which was a commendation, I confess, pleased me well. I I pray take some fit time to shew it his majesty, because if I misunderstood him in any thing, I may amend it, because I know his judgment is higher and deeper than mine.

I take infinite contentment to hear his majesty is in great good health and vigor; I pray God preserve and continue it. Thus wishing you well above all men living, next my master and his: I rest

Your true and devoted friend and servant,
FR. BACON, C. S.

Dorset-house, which putteth me
in mind to thank your lordship,
for your care of me touching
York-house, May 8, 1617.

Stephens's CLXXVII. An Account of Council Business, and other matters committed to me by his MAJESTY.

first collection, p.202.

FIRST, for May-day; at which time there was great apprehension of tumult by prentices and loose people; there was never such a still. The remedies that did the effect were three:

First, The putting in muster of the trained bands and military bands in a brave fashion that way. Next

the laying a strait charge upon the mayor and aldermen for the city, and justices of the peace for the suburbs, that the prentices and others might go abroad with their flags and other gauderies, but without weapon of shot and pike, as they formerly took liberty to do: which charge was exceeding well performed and obeyed. And the last was, that we had, according to our warrant dormant, strengthened our commissions of the peace in London and Middlesex, with new clauses of lieutenancy; which as soon as it was known abroad, all was quiet by the terror it wrought. This I write, be-cause it maketh good my farther assurance I gave his majesty at his first removes, that all should be quiet; for which I received his thanks.

For the Irish affairs, I received this day his majesty's letter to the lords, which we have not yet opened, but shall sit upon them this afternoon. I do not forget, besides the points of state, to put my lord treasurer in remembrance, that his majesty laid upon him the care of the improvement of the revenue of Ireland by all good means, of which I find his lordship very careful, and I will help him the best I can.

The matter of the revenue of the recusants here in England, I purpose to put forward by a conference with my lord of Canterbury, upon whom the king laid it, and upon secretary Winwood; and, because it is matter of the exchequer, with my lord treasurer and Mr. Chancellor; and after to take the assistance of Mr. Attorney, and the learned counsel; and when we have put it in a frame, to certify his majesty.

The business of the pirates is, I doubt not, by this time come to his majesty, upon the letters of us the commissioners, whereof I took special care; and I must say, I find Mr. Vice-Chamberlain a good able man with his pen. But to speak of the main business, which is the match with Spain, the king knows my mind by a former letter; that I would be glad it proceeded with an united council; not but that votes and thoughts are to be free: but yet after a king hath resolved, all men ought to co-operate, and neither to

be active nor much locutive in oppositum; especially in a case where a few dissenting from the rest, may hurt the business in foro famæ.

Yesterday, which was my weary day, I bid all the judges to dinner, which was not used to be, and entertained them in a private withdrawing chamber, with the learned counsel. When the feast was passed, I came amongst them, and sat me down at the end of the table, and prayed them to think I was one of them, and but a foreman. I told them I was weary, and therefore must be short, and that I would now speak to them upon two points. Whereof the one was, that I would tell them plainly, that I was firmly persuaded, that the former discords and differences between the chancery and other courts were but flesh and blood; and that now the men were gone, the matter was gone; and that for my part as I would not suffer any the least diminution or derogation from the ancient and due power of the chancery, so if any thing should be brought to them at any time, touching the proceedings of the chancery, which did seem to them exorbitant or inordinate, that they should freely and friendly acquaint me with it, and we should soon agree; or if not, we had a master that could easily both discern and rule. At which speech of mine, besides a great deal of thanks and acknowledgment, I did see chear and comfort in their faces, as if it were a new world.

The second point was, that I let them know how his majesty, at his going, gave me charge to call and receive from them the accounts of their circuits, according to his majesty's former prescript, to be set down in writing; and that I was to transmit the writings themselves to his majesty; and accordingly as soon as I have received them I will send them to his majesty.

Some two days before I had a conference with some judges, not all, but such as I did choose, touching the high commission, and the extending of the same in some points; which I see I shall be able to dispatch by consent, without his majesty's farther trouble.

I did call upon the committees also for the proceed