I have conceived a draught, it being a thing familiar in my mistress her times to have my pen used in public writings of satisfaction. The use of this may be in two sorts: first, properly, if your lordship think it convenient to shew the king any such draught, because the veins and pulses of this state cannot but be best known here; which if your lordship should do, then I would desire you to withdraw my name, and only signify, that you gave some heads of direction of such a matter to one, of whose style and pen you had some opinion. The other collateral; that though your lordship make no other use of it, yet it is a kind of portraiture of that which I think worthy to be advised by your lordship to the king; and perhaps more compendious and significant, than if I had set them down in articles. I would have attended your lordship but for some little physic I took. To-morrow morning I will wait on you. So I ever, etc. 1603.

LXXI. To the Earl of (a) SOUTHAMPTON, upon Rawley's the king's coming in.

Resuscita.

tio.

It may please your Lordship,

I WOULD have been very glad to have presented my humble service to your lordship by my attendance, if I could have foreseen that it should not have been unpleasing unto you. And therefore, because I would be sure to commit no error, I chose to write; assuring your lordship, how little soever it may seem credible to you at first, yet it is as true as a thing

coming in; and far exceeded any formal or curious edict or declaration, which could have been devised of that nature, where'with princes in the beginning of their reigns do use to grace themselves, or at least express themselves gracious in the eyes of 'their people.' Vol. V. p. 200.

(a) Henry Wriothesley earl of Southampton having been involved in the guilt of the unfortunate earl of Essex, was condemned for the same crimes; but that earl, who seemed careless of his own life, interceded for the life of his friend, as did Southampton's own modest behaviour at his trial; from which time he suffered imprisonment in the Tower till the 10th of April, 1603. He was afterwards restored in blood, made knight of the garter, and one of his majesty's privy council. Stephens.

that God knoweth; that this great change hath
wrought in me no other change towards your lord-
ship than this, that I may safely be that to you now,
which I was truly before. And so craving no other
pardon, than for troubling you with my letter, I do
not now begin to be, but continue to be
Your Lordship's humble and much devoted
FR. BACON.

1603.

Sir Tobie
Matthew's

LXXII. To Mr. TOBIE MATTHEW. (a)

of Letters, p. 18.

Collection Signifying the wise proceedings of king James at his first entrance into England.

SIR,

*

meet the

I WAS heartily glad to hear that you have passed so Viz. Into great a part of your journey in so good health. My Scotland to aim was right in my address of letters to those persons king. See in the court of Scotland, who are likeliest to be used No. LXIV. for the affairs of England; but the pace they held was too swift, for the men were come away before my

p. 274.

(a) Mr. Matthew was son to Dr. Toby Matthew bishop of Durham, afterwards archbishop of York; an eminent divine, considered either in the schools, the pulpit, or the episcopal chair. He was born in Oxford in 1478, whilst his father was dean of Christ'schurch; but was, to the great grief of his parents, a few years after the king's accession, reconciled to the church of Rome, through the means, as is said, of Parsons the Jesuit: and became so industrious an agent for her, that his refusal of the oath of allegiance established by act of parliament, together with some imprudent carriage, gave the king such offence, that he was in a manner exiled the kingdom in the year 1607. He continued roving from one country an prince's court to another till 1617, when applying himself with much earnestness to the earl of Buckingham, he obtained a permission to come into England, which he did in July that year, presenting himself in the first place to Sir Francis Bacon, then lord keeper of the great seal. But the king being afterwards displeased with him, did, notwithstanding his moving and pressing letters, command him again to depart in October, 1618. Yet in 1622, he was recalled to assist in the business of the Spanish match then in agitation, and knighted the year following. He is represented as a man of very good parts and literature, but of an active and restless temper. What opinion Sir Francis Bacon had of him when young, appears before in his letter to Sir Thomas Chaloner; and what esteem he had for Sir Francis may be seen in the preface to his collection of letters at the beginning of which is printed his character of the lady Carlisle, whom I have mentioned No. LXX. He died at Gaunt in Flanders in 1655. Stephens.

letters could reach them. With the first I have renewed acquaintance, and it was like a bill of revivor, by way of cross-suits; for he was as ready to have begun with me. The second did this day arrive, and took acquaintance with me instantly in the councilchamber, and was willing to entertain me farther demonstrations of confidence, than I was willing at that time to admit. But I have had no serious speech with him, nor do I yet know whether any of the doubles of my letter have been delivered to the king. It may perhaps have proved your luck to be the first.

Things are here in good quiet. The king acts excellently well; for he puts in clauses of reservation to every proviso. He saith, he would be sorry to have just cause to remove any. He saith, he will displace none who hath served the queen and state sincerely, etc. The truth is, here be two extremes; some few would have no change, no not reformation: some many would have much change even with perturbation. God, I hope, will direct this wise king to hold a mean between reputation enough and no terrors (a). In my particular I have many comforts and assurances; but in my own opinion the chief is, that the canvassing world is gone, and the deserving world is come. And withal I find myself as one awake out of sleep; which I have not been this long time, nor

(a) Upon this occasion it may not be amiss to remember what cardinal d'Ossat writ from Rome to M. de Villeroy upon the accession of king James to the crown of England, part of which I wish no prince would ever forget.

"C'est l'ordinaire des hommes de regarder plus au soleil orient "qu'à l'occident, & des princes bien avisez qui sont appellez à "un nouvel estat, d'y entrer doucement, sans irriter ni mécon"tenter personne ni dedans ni dehors. Si ce prince continue "guidé par la vertu & accompagné de bonheur, comme jusques "icy, il sera très-grand, & fera bon l'avoir pour amy; & nous, "qui depuis quelques années en ça n'avions eu l'oeil quasi qu'en "un lien, faudra que l'ayons cy-après en deux; comme fau"dra bien aussi que fassent encore d'autres. Et en fin de "compte, Celui de tous qui regnera le mieux & le plus justement "à l'honneur & gloire de Dieu, & au soulagement, profit & felicité "de ses sujets; sera le plus asseuré, le plus fort, & le plus aimé, loué, " & beai de Dieu & des hommes; en quoy consiste la vraye & perdurable "grandeur & puissance des Roys, & l'asseurance de leur posterité." Stephens.

could, I think, have been now without such a great noise as this, which yet is in aura leni. I have written this to you in haste, my end being no more than to write, and thereby to make you know that I will ever continue the same, and still be sure to wish you as heartily well as to myself. 1603.

Rawley's LXXIII. To the Earl of NORTHUMBERLAND. It may please your good Lordship,

Resuscita

tio.

I WOULD not have lost this journey, and yet I have
not that I went for; for I have had no private confer-
ence to purpose with the king; no more hath almost
any other English: for the speech his majesty admit-
teth with some noblemen, is rather matter of grace,
than matter of business. With the attorney he spake,
urged by the treasurer of Scotland, but no more than
needs must. After I had received his majesty's first
welcome, and was promised private access; yet not
knowing what matter of service your lordship's letter
carried, for I saw it not, and well knowing that prime-
ness in advertisement is much; I chose rather to deli-
ver it to Sir Thomas Erskine, than to cool it in my
own hands, upon expectation of access. Your lord-
ship shall find a prince the farthest from vain-glory
that may be; and rather like a prince of the ancient
form, thanof the latter time. His speech is swift and
cursory, and in the full dialect of his country; and in
speech of business, short; in speech of discourse, large.
He affecteth popularity by gracing such as he hath
heard to be popular, and not by any fashions of his
own: he is thought somewhat general in his favours;
and his virtue of access is rather, because he is much
abroad, and in press, than that he giveth easy audi-
He hasteneth to a mixture of both kingdoms
and occasions, faster perhaps than policy will well bear.
I told your lordship once before, that, methought, his
majesty rather asked counsel of the time past, than of
the time to come: but it is yet early to ground any
settled opinion. For the particulars, I refer to con-
ference, having in these generals gone farther in so
tender an argument than I would have done, were not
the bearer hereof so assured. So I continue, etc. 1603.

ence.

LXXIV. A Letter to Mr. MURRAY, (a) of the king's bed-chamber.

Mr. Murray,

It is very true, that his majesty, most graciously at my humble request, knighted the last Sunday my brother-in-law, a towardly young gentleman; (b) for which favour I think myself more bound to his majesty, than for the benefit of ten knights: and to tell you truly, my meaning was not, that the suit of this other gentleman Mr. Temple (c) should have been moved in my name. For I should have been unwilling to have moved his majesty for more than one at once, though many times in his majesty's courts of justice, if we move once for our friends, we are allowed to move again for our fee.

But indeed my purpose was, that you might have been pleased to have moved it as for myself.

Nevertheless, since it is so far gone, and that the gentleman's friends are in some expectation of success, I leave it to your kind regard what is farther to be done, as willing to give satisfaction to those which have put me in trust, and loth on the other side to press above good manners. And so with my loving commendations I remain

1603.

Yours, etc.

LXXV. To Mr. PIERCE, Secretary to the lord Rawley's deputy of Ireland.

Resuscita

tio.

Mr. Pierce,

I AM glad to hear of you, as I do; and for my part, you shall find me ready to take any occasion to

(a) John Murray, Esq.

(b) To this Sir John Constable, Sir Francis Bacon dedicated the second edition of his Essays, published at London in 1613, in

octavo.

(c) Probably Mr. William Temple, who had been educated in King's College, Cambridge, then master of the free-school at Lincoln, next successively secretary to Sir Philip Sidney, secretary Davison, and the earl of Essex, made provost of Dublin College in 1609, and at last knighted, and appointed one of the masters in chancery in Ireland. He died about 1626, at the age of 72.