go on with the rest. And though it may be said that that is a thing will easily appear to the state, yet (no doubt means may be devised and found to draw the business in length. So that I conclude that if your majesty take a profit of them, in the interim (considering you refuse profit from the old company) it will be both spur and bridle to them to make them pace aright to your majesty's end. This in all humbleness, according to my avowed care and fidelity, being no man's man but your majesty's, I present, leave, and submit to your majesty's better judgment; and I could wish your majesty would speak with Sir Thomas Lake in it; who, besides his good habit which he hath in business, beareth (methinks) an indifferent hand in this particular; and (if it please your majesty) it may proceed as from yourself, and not as a motion or observation of mine. Your majesty need not in this to be straitened in time, as if this must be demanded or treated, before you sign their bill; for I, foreseeing this, and foreseeing that many things might fall out which I could not foresee, have handled it so, as with their good contentment there is a power of revocation inserted into their patent. And so commending your majesty to God's blessed and precious custody, I rest Your majesty's most humble and devoted A Letter to Sir George Villiers, touching Roper's place. January 22, 1615. Sir, Sending to the king upon occasion, I would not fail to salute you by my letter; which, that it may be more than two lines, I add this for news; that as I was sitting by my Lord Chief Justice upon the commission for the indicting of the great person, one of the judges asked him whether Roper were dead? He saith, he for his part knew not; another of the judges answered, it should concern you, my lord, to know it. Whereupon he turned his speech to me, and said, no, Mr. Attorney, I will not wrestle now in my latter times. My lord, (said I) you speak like a wise man. Well (saith he) they have had no luck with it that have had it. I said again, "those days be past." Here you have the dialogue to make you merry, but in sadness I was glad to perceive he meant not to contest. I can but honour and love you, and rest Your assured friend and servant. A Letter to the King, advising how to break off with the New Company. February 3, 1615. It may please your excellent Majesty, I spake yesternight long with my lord Cooke; and for the "Rege Inconsulto," I conceive by him it will be "an ampliùs deliberandum censeo," (as I thought at first) so as for the present your majesty shall not need to renew your commandment of stay. I spake with him also about some propositions concerning your majesty's casual revenue, wherein I found him to consent with me fully; assuming, nevertheless, that he had thought of them before; but it is one thing to have the vapour of a thought another to digest business aright. He, on his part, imparted to me divers things of great weight concerning the reparation of your majesty's means and finances, which I heard gladly; insomuch as he perceiving the same, I think was the readier to open himself to me in one circumstance, which he did much inculcate. I concur freely with him that they are to be held secret; for I never saw but that business is like a child which is framed invisibly in the womb, and if it come forth too soon it will be abortive. I know in most of them the prosecution must rest much upon myself. But I, that had the power to prevail in the Farmer's case of the French wines, without the help of my lord Cooke, shall be better able to go through these with his help, the ground being no less just. And this I shall ever add of mine own, that I shall ever respect your majesty's honour no less than your profit; and shall also take care, according to my pensive manner, that that which is good for the present have not in it hidden seeds of future inconveniences. The matter of the New Company was referred to me by the lords of the privy council; wherein, after some private speech with Sir Lionel Cranfield, I made that report which I held most agreeable to truth and your majesty's service. If this New Company break, it must either be put upon the patent or upon the order made by themselves. For the patent I satisfied the board that there was no title in it which was not either verbatim in the patent of the Old Company, or by special warrant from the table, inserted. My lord Cooke, with much respect to me, acknowledged, but disliked the old patent itself, and disclaimed his being at the table when the additions were allowed. But in my opinion, (howsoever my lord Cooke, to magnify his science in law, draweth every thing, though sometimes unproperly and unseasonably, to that kind of question) it is not convenient to break the business upon these points. For considering they were but clauses that were in the former patents, and in many other patents of companies, and that the additions likewise passed the allowance of the table, it will be but clamoured, and perhaps conceived, that to quarrel them now is but an occasion taken, and that the times are changed rather than the matter. But that which preserveth entire your majesty's honour, and the constancy of your proceedings, is to put the breach upon their orders. For this light I gave in my report, which the table readily apprehended and much approved; that if the table reject their orders as unlawful and unjust it doth free you from their contract; for whosoever contracteth, or undertaketh any thing is always understood to perform it by law ful means; so, as they have plainly abused the state if that which they have undertaken be either impossible or unjust. I am bold to present this consideration to that excellent faculty of your majesty's judgment, because I think it importeth that future good which may grow to your majesty in the close of this business; that the falling off be without all exception. God have you in his precious custody. Your majesty's most humble and bounden subject and servant. A Letter to the King touching the Lord Chancellor's sickness. February 9, 1615. It may please your most excellent Majesty, I am glad to understand by Mr. Murray that your majesty accepteth well of my poor endeavours in opening unto you the passages of your service; that business may come the less crude, and the more prepared to your royal judgment, the perfection whereof, as I cannot expect they should satisfy in every particular, so I hope, through my assiduity, there will result a good total. My lord chancellor's sickness falleth out "duro tẹmpore." I have always known him a wise man, and of just elevation for monarchy, but your majesty's service must not be mortal; and if you lose him, as your majesty hath now of late purchased many hearts by depressing the wicked, so God doth minister unto you a counterpart to do the like by raising the honest. God evermore preserve your majesty. Your majesty's most humble subject and bounden servant. A Letter to the King of my Lord Chancellor's amendment, and the difference begun between the Chancery and King's Bench. Feb. 15, 1615. [Inserted in this Vol. p. 34.] A Letter to Sir George Villiers, touching the Difference between the Court of Chancery and the King's Bench. February 19, 1615. [Inserted in this Vol. p. 35.] A Letter to Sir George Villiers, touching a Motion, to swear him Councillor. February 21, 1615. Sir, My Lord Chancellor's health growing with the days, and his resignation being an uncertainty, I would be glad you went on with my first motion, my swearing privy councillor. This I desire, not so much to make myself more sure of the other, and to put it past competition; (for herein, I rest wholly upon the king, and your excellent self) but, because 1 find hourly, that I need this strength in his majesty's service, both for my better warrant, and satisfaction of my conscience, that I deal not in things above my vocation; and for my better countenance and prevailing where his majesty's service is under any pretext opposed, I would it were dispatched. I remember a greater matter than this, was dispatched by a letter from Royston; which was, the placing of the archbishop that now is: and I imagine, the king did on purpose, that the act might appear to be his own. My Lord Chancellor told me yesterday, in plain terms, that if the king would ask his opinion touching the person that he would commend to succeed him, upon death or disability, he would name me for the fittest man. You may advise whether use may not be made of this offer. I sent a pretty while since a paper to Mr. John Murray; which was indeed, a little remembrance of some things past; concerning my honest and faithful services to his majesty, not by way of boasting (from which I am far) but as tokens |