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I pray your lordship to pardon me, if in respect of a little watering in one of mine eyes, I have written this letter, being long and private business, in my secretary's hand.

CXCVIII. To the Lord Chancellor.

My honourable Lord,

I HAVE received your lordship's letters, wherein I see the continuance of your love and respect to me, in any thing I write to you of, for which I give your lordship many thanks, desiring nothing for any man but what you shall find just and convenient to pass. I am very glad to understand that there is so good hope of Sir Gilbert Houghton's business, which I must needs ascribe to your lordship's great favour toward him for my sake, which I will ever acknowledge. If his majesty at any time speak of the lord Clifton's busiwill answer according to that your lordship hath written, etc.

Your lordship's faithful servant,

Stephens's

second collection,

p. 75.

G. BUCKINGHAM.

Newmarket, the last of Jan. 1617.

CXCIX. To the KING.

It may please your most excellent Majesty, FINDING as well by your majesty's dispatches and directions to your council, as now by speech with Mr. Secretary Lake, that your majesty is content to be troubled with business of sundry natures; I thought good, according to the duty of my place, and the necessity of the occasion, to put your majesty in mind, that on this day seven-night, being Friday in the morning, I am, according to custom, to give a charge and admonition to the judges and justices of peace now before the circuits, wherein I am humbly to crave your majesty's pleasure and directions.

I have for your majesty's better ease set down the heads, which by the prescript of your book, and out of the consideration of the present times, I have thought

Ibid. p.76.

fittest to be remembered. I have also sent your majesty: the last account of the judges' circuits, not to trouble you with the reading of them all; but to the end that if upon my memorial, or otherwise out of your majesty's own memory, which is above memorials, you should have occasion to resort to those accounts, the papers may be by you.

The point of greatest weight, in my opinion, is the carrying of a balanced hand at this time in the matter of recusants, in regard of the treaty with Spain. For it were good, in respect of your people, that there were no note made, that the string is relaxed, and in respect of the treaty, that it is not strained; and therefore that the proceeding in those causes be rather diligent than severe.

I am wonderful glad to hear that this extremity of weather, which I think the Muscovite hath brought with him, hath not touched your majesty, whose health and ease is far dearer to me than my life with all the appurtenances. God ever preserve and pros

per you.

Your majesty's most faithful
and most obliged servant,

Friday morning, Feb. 6, 1617.

FR. BACON, Canc.

Stephens's second collection,

p. 77.

Your majesty will be pleased your answer be with me on Thursday at noon, or soon after.

CC. To the Lord Chancellor.

My honourable Lord,

I HAVE acquainted his majesty with your letter to me, and delivered likewise to him the letter and other things directed to his majesty, who hath commanded me to return this answer to them all.

First, For your memorial of your charge to the judges, he liketh it so well, that he findeth nothing either to be added or diminished, and was so well satisfied therewith, that he accounteth it needless to read the other papers, but sealed them up again, and sendeth them back to your lordship without reading

them. Only in the point of recusants his majesty is of the quite contrary opinion to you; for though he would not by any means have a more severe course held, than his laws appoint in that case, yet sith the many reasons why, there should be no mitigation above that which his laws have enacted, and his own conscience telleth him to be fit. As first, the papists in his kingdom have taken such heart upon the commission given to Sir John Digby touching the match with Spain, that they have sent copies thereof privately up and down, and are so lifted up in their hopes of what they desire, that his majesty cannot but take a more severe course, as far as by his laws he may, than hitherto he hath done. Besides, when they shall see a harder hand carried toward them than hath been accustomed, his majesty assureth himself, they will employ all their means to further the match, in hope of mitigating of that severity when it shall be accomplished. And though these reasons were not, his majesty would account it a baseness in a prince to shew such a desire of the match, as to slack any thing in his course of government, much more in propagation of the religion he professeth, for fear of giving hindrance to the match thereby. And so with many thanks for your favours to my brother in his business, I rest

Your lordship's faithful servant,

Newmarket, 8 Feb. 1617.

G. BUCKINGHAM.

CCI. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM.

My very good Lord,

MR. CHANCELLOR of the exchequer hath signified to me this day, that yesterday his majesty called him to his coach, and said to him, that one that had used ill speech of me should be called before me, and make his submission to me; and thereupon be called before the council, and receive a sharp reprehension, and so be enlarged. And Mr. Chancellor could not tell me who the person was, but after by some letter he

Stephens's

second col

lection,

p. 79.

Stephens's second collection, p.

80.

received from my lord Clifton, and speech with a man of his, he perceived it was he.

I pray your lordship in humbleness to let his majesty know, that I little fear the lord Clifton, but I much fear the example, that it will animate ruffians and rodomonti extremely against the seats of justice, which are his majesty's own seats, yea and against all authority and greatness, if this pass without public censure and example; it having gone already so far as that the person of a baron hath been committed to the Tower. The punishment it may please his majesty to remit, and I shall not formally but heartily intercede for him but an example, setting myself aside, I wish for terror of persons that may be more dangerous than he, towards the least judge of the kingdom.

:

Therefore it may please his majesty to speak of it with myself and my lords, when he cometh next, and in the mean time I will command, from his majesty, the master of the rolls, and Mr. Attorney, who were appointed by the table to examine him, to stay. (a) God ever prosper you.

Your Lordship's true friend and devoted servant,
March 17, 1617.
FR. BACON, Canc.
CCII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM.
My very good Lord,

WE have sat once upon the commission of treasure to
no ill purpose, as may appear by the account inclosed;
wherein his majesty will find no preposterous issue of
treasure: Mr. Chancellor imagines well, Coke seeks
and beats over, as well where it is not, as where it is;
secretary Naunton forgets nothing. I will look to bow
things to the true ends. God bless and prosper his
majesty and yourself.

Your Lordship's most obliged friend
and faithful servant,

25 July, 1617.

FR. VERULAM, Canc.

(a) I know not whether there was any prosecution against the lord Clifton, or whether it was prevented by the laying of violent hands upon himself, in the year ensuing. Stephens.

CCIII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM.

My very good Lord,

I PRAY your lordship to signify to his majesty, that I thought it my duty to stay at the seal, a book of Sir Francis Steward's, and Sir James Auterlony, etc. of 2001. land in charge in fee-simple: my reasons,

First, It is a perpetuity, and so much rent in diminution of revenue certain.

Secondly, The warrant, as is acknowledged, came only from my lord of Suffolk, and not from Mr. Chancellor. And yet my lord was wont to boast, that since he was treasurer, all commissions and contracts for sale of the king's lands were broken off and ceased.

Thirdly, The rate of the moneys paid by the gentlemen amounteth but to thirteen years' purchase; which is a plain gift of a good proportion of value.

If his majesty, now informed, iterate his mandate, it is done, and I excused; but I could wish his majesty would refer it to the commissioners of the treasury, how the gentlemen may be otherwise satisfied.

I received yesternight a brave account of the commission of the wards in Ireland, which this one year is advanced from 2001. per annum to 4000l. which is twenty-fold multiplied. This I write for two reasons. First, Because I glory in it, because it was my work wholly; next, because his majesty may take occasion by this to look better to the improvement of his wards in England in due time. God ever preserve and pros

per you.

Your Lordship's most obliged friend

and faithful servant,
FR. VERULAM, Canc.

Stephens's second collection, p.

80.

York-house, July 27, 1618.

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