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I hope, of more famous memory than before) king
Henry VII. to give your majesty thanks for me; which
work, most humbly kissing your majesty's hands, I do
present. And because in the beginning of my trouble,
when in the midst of the tempest I had a kenning of the
harbour, which I hope now by your majesty's favour I
amentering into, I made a tender to your majesty of two
works, An history of England, and A digest of your
laws; as I have, by a figure of pars pro toto, performed
the one, so I have herewith sent your majesty, by way
of an epistle, a new offer of the other. But my desire
is farther, if it stand with your majesty's good pleasure,
since now my study is my exchange, and my pen my
factor, for the use of my talent; that your majesty
(who is a great master in these things) would be
pleased to appoint me some task to write, and that I
shall take for an oracle. And because
And because my Instaura-
tion (which I esteem my great work, and do still go
on with silence) was dedicated to your majesty; and
this History of king Henry VII. to your lively and
excellent image the prince; if now your majesty will
be pleased to give me a theme to dedicate to my lord
of Buckingham, whom I have so much reason to ho-
nour, I should with more alacrity embrace your ma-
jesty's direction than my own choice. Your majesty
will pardon me for troubling you thus long. God
evermore préserve and prosper you.

Your majesty's poor beadsman most devoted,
FR. ST. ALBAN.

Gorhambury, 20 Mar. 1621.

second col

CCLXXIV. To the Right Honourable his very Stephens's good Lord, the Lord Marquis of BUCKING-lection, HAM, High Admiral of England.

My very good Lord,

THESE main and real favours which I have lately received from your good lordship, in procuring my liberty, and a reference of the consideration of my release, are such, as I now find that in building upon your lordship's noble nature and friendship, I have built

p. 157.

upon the rock, where neither winds nor waves can cause overthrow. I humbly pray your lordship to accept from me such thanks as ought to come from him whom you have much comforted in fortune, and much more comforted in shewing your love and affection to him; ཁམས་ of which also I have heard by my lord Falkland, Sir Edward Sackville, Mr. Matthews, and other ways.

I have written, as my duty was, to his majesty thanks touching the same, by the letter I here put into your noble hands.

I have made also, in that letter, an offer to his majesty of my service, for bringing into better order and frame the laws of England: the declaration whereof I have left with Sir Edward Sackville, because it were no good manners to clog his majesty, at this time of triumph and recreation, with a business of this nature; so as your lordship may be pleased to call for it to Sir Edward Sackville when you think the time seasonable.

I am bold likewise to present your lordship with a book of my History of king Henry the seventh. And now that, in summer was twelve months, I dedicated a book to his majesty; and this last summer, this book to the prince; your lordship's turn is next, and this summer that cometh (if I live to it) shall be yours. have desired his majesty to appoint me the task, otherwise I shall use my own choice; for this is the best retribution I can make to your lordship. God prosper you. I rest

Your lordship's most obliged friend
and faithful servant,

Gorhambury, this 20th of March, 1621.

I

FR. ST. ALBAN.

CCLXXV. To Father Redempt. BARANZAN.'

Domine Baranzane,

LITERAS tuas legi libenter: cumque inter veritatis amatores ardor etiam candorem generet, ad ea, quæ ingenue petiisti, ingenue respondebo.

9 From Niceron, tom. III.

p. 45.

'He was a Barnabite monk at Annecy in Savoy, who in his Lectures on Philosophy, began to discard the authority of Aristotle. He died the 23 Dec. 1622, at the age of 33.

Non est meum abdicare in totum syllogismum. Res est syllogismus magis inhabilis ad præcipua, quam inutilis ad plurima.

Ad mathematica quidni adhibeatur ? Cum fluxus materiæ & inconstantia corporis physici illud sit, quod inductionem desideret; ut per eam veluti figatur, atqué inde eruantur notiones bene terminatæ.

De metaphysica ne sis sollicitus. Nulla enim erit post veram physicam inventam; ultra quam nihil præter divina.

In physica prudenter notas, & idem tecum sentio, post notiones primæ classis, et axiomata super ipsas, per inductionem bene eruta et terminata, tuto adhiberi syllogismum, modo inhibeatur saltus ad generalissima, et fiat progressus per scalam convenientem.

De multitudine instantiarum, quæ homines deterrere possit, hæc respondeo :

Primo, quid opus est dissimulatione? Aut copia instantiarum comparanda, aut negotium deserendum. Aliæ omnes viæ, utcunque blandiantur, imperviæ.

Secundo (quod et ipse notas) prærogativæ instantiarum, et modus experimentandi circa experimenta lucifera (quem aliquando trademus) de multitudine ipsarum plurimum detrahent.

Tertio, quid magni foret, rogo, si in describendis instantiis impleantur volumina, quæ historiam C. Plinii sextuplicent? In qua tamen ipsa plurima philologica, fabulosa, antiquitatis, non naturæ. Etenim veram historiam naturalem nihil aliud ingreditur præter instantias, connexiones, observationes, canones. Cogita altera ex parte immensa volumina philosophica; facile perspicies maxime solida esse maxime finita.

Postremo, ex nostra philosophandi methodo excipietur in via plurimorum operum utilium messis, quæ ex speculationibus aut disputationibus sterilis aut nulla est.

Historiam naturalem ad condendam philosophiam (ut et tu mones) ante omnia præopto; neque huic rei deero, quantum in me est. Utinam habeam et adjutores idoneos. Neque in hac parte mihi quidpiam accidere poterit felicius, quam si tu, talis vir, primitias huic operi præbeas conscribendo historiam cœlestium, in

Stephens's second collection,

p. 158.

qua ipsa tantum phænomena, atque una instrumenta astronomica, eorumque genera et usum; dein hypotheses præcipuas et maxime illustres, tam antiquas quam modernas, atque simul exactas restitutionum calculationes, et alia hujusmodi sincere proponas, absque omni dogmate et themate. Quod si huic cœlestium historiæ historiam cometarum adjeceris (de qua conficienda ecce tibi articulos quosdam et quasi topica particularia) magnificum prorsus frontispicium historiæ naturali extruxeris, et optime de scientiarum instauratione merueris, mihique gratissimum feceris.

Librum meum de progressu scientiarum traducendum commisi. Illa translatio, volente Deo, sub finem æstatis perficietur: eam ad te mittam.

Opera tua, quæ publici juris sunt, inspexi; magnæ certe subtilitatis & diligentiæ in via vestra. Novatores, quos nominas, Patricium, Telesium, etiam alios, quos prætermittis, legi. Possint esse tales innumeri velut etiam antiquis temporibus fuerunt Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Democritus, Parmenides, et alii (nam Pythagoram ut superstitiosum omitto.) Inter istos tam antiquos quam modernos differentiam facultatis agnosco maximam, veritatis perparvam. Summa rei est, si homines se rebus submittere velint, aliquid confiet; sin minus, ingenia ista redibunt in orbem.

Stabilita jam sit inter nos notitia; meque, ut cœpisti, maxime autem veritatem ama. Vale. Tui amantissimus,

Apud Edes meas,

Londini Junii ultimo, 1622.

CCLXXVI. To the KING.

S. ALBANS.

It may please your most excellent Majesty, IN the midst of my misery, which is rather assuaged by remembrance, than by hope; my chiefest worldly comfort is, to think that since the time I had the first vote of the commons house of parliament for commissioner of the union, until the time that I was this last parliament chosen by both houses for their messenger to your majesty in the petition of religion (which two were my

first and last services) I was evermore so happy as to have my poor services graciously accepted by your majesty, and likewise not to have had any of them miscarry in my hands. Neither of which points I can any ways take to myself, but ascribe the former to your majesty's goodness, and the latter to your prudent directions; which I was ever careful to have and keep. For as I have often said to your majesty, I was towards you but as a bucket and a cistern, to draw forth and conserve; whereas yourself was the fountain. Unto this comfort of nineteen years prosperity, there succeeded a comfort even in my greatest adversity, somewhat of the same nature; which is, that in those offences wherewith I was charged, there was not any one that had special relation to your majesty, or any your particular commandments. For as towards Almighty God, there are offences against the first and second table, and yet all against God; so with the servants of kings there are offences more immediate against the sovereign; although all offences against law are also against the king. Unto which comfort there is added this circumstance, that as my faults were not against your majesty, otherwise than as all faults are; so my fall was not your majesty's act, otherwise than as all acts of justice are yours. This I write not to insinuate with your majesty, but as a most humble appeal to your majesty's gracious remembrance, how honest and direct you have ever found me in your service; whereby I have an assured belief, that there is in your majesty's own princely thoughts a great deal of serenity and clearness towards me your majesty's now prostrate and cast down servant.

Neither (my most gracious sovereign) do I, by this mention of my services, lay claim to your princely grace and bounty, though the privilege of calamity doth bear that form of petition. I know well, had they been much more, they had been but my bounden duty. Nay, I must also confess, that they were from time to time, far above my merit, over and super-rewarded by your majesty's benefits which you heaped upon me. Your majesty was and is that master to me, that raised

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