hath inwardly favoured; but know not whether the hourglass of time hath altered her; but sure I am, the false glass of other's informations must alter her, when I want access to plead mine own cause. I know I ought doubly, infinitely to be her majesty's, both "jure creationis," for I am her creature; and "jure redemptionis," for I know she hath saved me from overthrow. But for her first love, and for her last protection, and all her great benefits, I can but pray for her majesty; and my endeavour is now to make my prayers for her and myself better heard. For thanks be to God, that they which can make her majesty believe I counterfeit with her, cannot make God believe that I counterfeit with him; and they that can let me from coming near to her, cannot let me from drawing nearer to him, as I hope I do daily. For your brother, I hold him an honest gentleman, and wish him all good, much rather for your sake; yourself, I know, hath suffered more for me, and with me, than any friend that I have: but I can but lament freely, as you see I do, and advise you not to do that I do, which is, to despair. You know letters what hurt they have done me, and therefore make sure of this; and yet I could not, as having no other pledge of my love, but communicate openly with you for the ease of my heart and yours. Your loving friend, R. ESSEX. Sir Francis Bacon to the Earl of Salisbury, concerning the Solicitor's place. May it please your Lordship, I am not privy to myself of any such ill deserving towards your lordship, as that I should think it an imprudent thing to be a suitor for your favour in a reasonable matter, your lordship being to me as (with your good favour) you cannot cease to be: but rather it were a simple and arrogant part in me to forbear it. It is thought Mr. Attorney shall be chief justice of the Common-place; in case Mr. Solicitor rise, I would be glad now at last to be solicitor: chiefly because I think it will increase my practice, wherein God blessing me a few years, I may mend my state, and so after fall to my studies and ease; whereof one is requisite for my body, and the other serveth for my mind; wherein if I shall find your lordship's favour,I shall be more happy than I have been, which may make me also more wise. I have small store of means about the king, and to sue myself is not fit; and therefore I shall leave it to God, his majesty, and your lordship: for I must still be next the door. I thank God, in these transitory things I am well resolved. So beseeching your lordship not to think this letter the less humble, because it is plain, I rest, etc. FR. BACON. Sir Francis Bacon to the Earl of Essex, when Sir Robert Cecil was in France. My singular good Lord, I do write, because I have not yet had time fully to express my conceit, nor now, to attend you touching Irish matters, considering them as they may concern the state; that it is one of the aptest particulars that hath come, or can come upon the stage, for your lordship to purchase honour upon, I am moved to think for three reasons; because it is ingenerate in your house in respect of my lord your father's noble attempts; because of all the accidents of state at this time, the labour resteth upon that most; and because the world will make a kind of comparison between those that set it out of frame, and those that shall bring it into frame: which kind of honour giveth the quickest kind of reflection. The transferring this honour upon yourself consisteth in two points: the one, if the principal persons employed come in by you, and depend upon you; the other, if your lordship declare yourself to undertake a care of that matter. For the persons, it falleth out well that your lordship hath had no interest in the persons of imputation: For neither Sir William FitzWilliams, not Sir John Norris was yours: Sir William Russel was conceived yours, but was curbed: Sir Coniers Clifford, as I conceive it, dependeth upon you, who is said to do well; and if my lord of Ormond in this interim do accommodate well, I take it he hath always had good understanding with your lordship. So as all things are not only whole and entire, but of favourable aspect towards your lordship, if you now chuse well: wherein, in your wisdom, you will remember there is a great difference in choice of the persons, as you shall think the affairs to incline to composition, or to war. For your care-taking, popular conceit hath been, that Irish causes have been much neglected, whereby the very reputation of better care will be a strength and I am sure, her majesty and my lords of the council do not think their care dissolved, when they have chosen whom to employ; but that they will proceed in a spirit of state, and not leave the main point to discretion. Then if a resolution be taken; a consultation must proceed; and the consultation must be governed upon information to be had from such as know the place, and matters in fact, and in taking of information I have always noted there is a skill and a wisdom. For I cannot tell what account or inquiry hath been taken of Sir William Russel, of Sir Ralph Bingham, of the Earl of Thomond, of Mr. Wilbraham: but I am of opinion, much more would be had of them, if your lordship shall be pleased severally to confer, not obiter, but expressly, upon some caveat given them to think of it before, for, "bene docet qui prudenter : interrogat." For the points of opposing them, I am too much a stranger to the business, to deduce them but in a topick methinks the pertinent interrogations must be either of the possibility and means of accord, or of the nature of the war, or of the reformation of the particular abuses, or of the joining of practice with force in the disunion of the rebels. If your lordship doubt to put your sickle in other men's harvests, yet consider you have these advantages. First, time being fit to you in Mr. Secretary's absence: next, "vis unita fortior:" thirdly, the business being mixt with matters of war, it is fittest for you: lastly, I know your lordship will carry it with that modesty and respect towards aged dignity, and that good correspondence towards my dear ally, and your good friend, now abroad, as no inconvenience may grow that way. Thus have I played the ignorant statesman, which I do to no body but your lordship, except I do it to the queen sometimes, when she trains me on. But your lordship will accept my duty and good meaning, and secure me touching the privateness of that I write. Your Lordship's, to be commanded, Sir Francis Bacon to the Earl of Essex, concerning the Earl of Tyrone. Those advertisements which your lordship imparted to me, and the like, I hold to be no more certain to make judgment upon than a patient's water to a physician: therefore for me upon one water to make a judgment, were indeed like a foolish bold mountebank, or Dr. Birket; yet for willing duty's sake, I will set down to your lordship what opinion sprung in my mind upon that I read. The letter from the council there, leaning to distrust, I do not much rely upon for three causes. First, because it is always VOL. XI. C both the grace and the safety from blame of such a council to err in caution: whereunto add, that it may be they, or some of them, are not without envy towards the person who is used in treating the accord. Next, because the time of this treaty hath no shew of dissimulation, for that Tyrone is now in no streights, but like a gamester that will give over because he is a winner, not because he hath no more money in his purse. Lastly, I do not see but those articles whereon they ground their suspicion, may as well proceed out of fear as out of falsehood, for the retaining of the dependence of the protracting the admission of a sheriff, the refusing to give his son for hostage, the holding from present repair to Dublin, the refusing to go presently to accord, without including O'Donell, and others his associates, may very well come of a guilty reservation, in case he should receive hard measure, and not out of treachery; so as if the great person be faithful, and that you have not here some present intelligence of present succours from Spain, for the expectation whereof Tyrone would win time, I see no deep cause of distrusting the cause if it be good. And for the question, her majesty seemeth to me a winner three ways: first, her purse shall have rest: next, it will divert the foreign designs upon that place thirdly, though her majesty is like for a time to govern precario in the north, and be not in true command in better state there than before, yet besides the two respects of ease of charge, and advantage of opinion abroad, before mentioned, she shall have a time to use her princely policy in two points: in the one, to weaken by division and disunion of the heads; the other, by recovering and winning the people by justice, which of all other causes is the best. Now for the Athenian question, you discourse well, "Quid igitur agendum est?" I will shoot my fool's bolt, since you will have it so. The Earl of Ormond to be encouraged and comforted above all things, the garrisons to |