travail in offence; but surely, under her majesty's royal correction, it is such an offence as it should be an offence to the sun when a man to avoid the scorching heat thereof flieth into the shade. And your lordship may easily think, that having now these twenty years (for so long it is and more, since I went with Sir Amyas Paulett into France, from her majesty's royal hand) I made her majesty's service the scope of my life: I shall never find a greater grief than this, “ relinquere amorem primum." But since "principia actionum sunt tantum in nostrâ potestate;" I hope her majesty of her clemency, yea, and justice, will pardon me, and not force me to pine here with melancholy. For though mine heart be good yet mine eyes will be sore, so as I shall have no pleasure to look abroad, and if I should otherwise be affected, her majesty in her wisdom will think me an impudent man that would face out a disgrace; therefore, as I have ever found you my good lord and true friend, so I pray open the matter so to her majesty as she may discern the necessity of it, without adding hard conceit to her rejection; of which I am sure the latter I never deserved. Thus, etc.

To the Lord Treasurer.

It may please your good Lordship,

I am to give you humble thanks for your favourable opinion, which by Mr. Secretary's report I find you conceive of me for the obtaining of a good place which some of my honourable friends have wished unto me, nec opinanti." I will use no reason to persuade your lordship's mediation but this, that your lordship and my other friends shall in this beg my life of the queen; for I see well the bar will be my bier, as I must and will use it rather than my poor estate or reputation shall decay; but I stand indifrent whether God call me or her majesty. Had I that in possession which by your lordship's only means against the

greatest opposition her majesty granted me, I would never trouble her majesty, but serve her still voluntarily without pay. Neither do I in this more than obey my friends' conceits as one that would not be wholly wanting to myself. Your lordship's good opinion doth somewhat confirm me as that I take comfort in above all others; assuring your lordship that I never thought so well of myself for any one thing as that I have found a fitness to my thinking in myself to observe and revere your virtues; for the continuance whereof in the prolonging of your days I will still be your beadsman; accordingly, at this time, commend your lordship to the divine protection.

Sir,

To Foulk Grevil.

I understand of your pains to have visited me, for which I thank you. My matter is an endless question. I assure you, I had said, "requiesce anima mea;" but now I am otherwise put to my psalter, "nolite confidere," I dare go no farther. Her majesty had by set speech more than once assured me of her intention to call me to her service; which I could not understand but of the place I had been named to. And now, whether "invidus homo hoc fecit," or whether my matter must be an appendix to my Lord of Essex' suit, or whether her majesty pretending to prove my ability, meaneth but to take advantage of some errors, which, like enough, at one time or other I may commit, or what it is, but her majesty is not ready to dispatch it. And what though the Master of the Rolls and my Lord of Essex, and yourself and others think my case without doubt, yet in the mean time I have a hard condition to stand so, that whatsoever service I do to her majesty it shall be thought to be but " servitium viscatum," lime-twigs and fetches to place myself; and so I shall have envy not thanks. This is a course to quench all good spirits, and to

corrupt every man's nature; which will, I fear, much hurt her majesty's service in the end. I have been like a piece of stuff bespoken in the shop: and if her majesty will not take me it may be the selling by parcels will be more gainful. For to be as I told you like a child following a bird, which when he is nearest flieth away and lighteth a little before, and then the child after it again, and so in infinitum, I am weary of it: as also of wearying my good friends, of whom nevertheless I hope in one course or other gratefully to deserve. And so not forgetting your business I leave to trouble you with this idle letter, being but "justa et moderata querimonia." For indeed, I do confess, "primus amor," will not easily be cast off. And thus again I commend me to you.

To the Lord Treasurer Burghley.

Most honourable, and my very good Lord,

I know, I may commit an error in writing this letter both in a time of great and weighty business; as also when myself am not induced thereto, by any new particular occa sion: And thereof, your lordship may impute to me either levity or ignorance, what appertaineth to good respects and forwardness of dealing; especially to an honourable person, in whom there is such concurrence of magnitudo honoris et oneris as it is hard to say, whether is the greater. But I answer my self first, that I have ever noted it as a part of your lordship's excellent wisdom, "parvis componere magna," that you do not exclude inferior matters of access amongst the care of great. And for myself, I thought it would better manifest what I desire to express, if I did write out of a deep and settled consideration of my own duty, rather than upon the spur of a particular occasion. And therefore, (my singular good lord)" ex abundantia cordis," I must acknowledge how greatly and diversly your lordship hath vouchsafed to tie me unto you by many your

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benefits. The reversion of the office which your lordship only procured unto me, and carried through great and vehement opposition, though it yet bear no fruit, yet it is one of the fairest flowers of my poor estate; your lordship's constant and serious endeavours to have me Solicitor: your late honourable wishes, for the place of the wards. Together with your lordship's attempt to give me way by the remove of Mr. Solicitor; they be matters of singular obligation; besides many other favours, as well by your lordship's grants from yourself, as by your commendation to others, which I have had for my help; and may justly persuade myself out of the few denials I have received, that fewer might have been, if mine own industry and good hap had been answerable to your lordship's goodness. But on the other side, I most humbly pray your lordship's pardon if I speak it; the time is yet to come, that your lordship did ever use or command, or employ me in my profession in any services or occasion of your lordship's own, or such as are near unto your lordship; which hath made me fear sometimes that your lordship doth more honourably affect me than throughly discern of my most humble and dutiful affection to your lordship again. Which if it were not in me, I know not whether I were unnatural, unthankful, or unwise. This causeth me, most humbly to pray your lordship, (and I know mine own case too well to speak it as weening I can do your lordship service, but as willing to do it, as) to believe that your lordship is upon just title a principal owner and proprietor of that I cannot call talent but mite that God hath given me; which I ever do and shall devote to your service. And in like humble manner I pray your lordship to pardon mine errors and not to impute unto me the errors of any other; (which I know also, themselves have by this time left and forethought): but to conceive of me to be a man that daily profiteth in duty. It is true, I do in part comfort myself, supposing that it is my weakness

and insufficiency that moveth your lordship, who hath so general a command to use others more able. But let it be as it is; for duty only and homage I will boldly undertake that nature and true thankfulness shall never give place to a politic dependence. Lastly, I most humbly desire your lordship to continue unto me the good favour and countenance and encouragement in the course of my poor travails; whereof I have had some taste and experience; for the which, 1 yield your lordship my very humble good thanks. And so again craving your honour's pardon for so long a letter carrying so empty an offer of so unpuissant a service, but yet a true and unfeigned signification of an honest and vowed duty, I cease commending your lordship to the preservation of the divine majesty.

To my Lord of Essex.

Most honourable and my singular good Lord,

I cannot but importune your lordship with thanks for your lordship's remembering my name to my Lord Keeper; which being done in such an article of time could not but be exceedingly enriched both in demonstration and effect: which I did well discern by the manner of expressing thereof by his lordship again to me. This accumulating of your lordship's favours upon me hitherto worketh only this effect; that it raiseth my mind to aspire to be found worthy of them; and likewise to merit and serve you for them. But whether I shall be able to pay my vows or no, I must leave that to God, who hath them in deposito. Whom also, I most instantly beseech to give you fruit of your actions beyond that your heart can propound. "Nam Deus major, est corde." Even to the environing of his benedictions I recommend your lordship.

Sir,

To Sir Thomas Lucy.

There was no news better welcome to me this long time,