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think it inconvenient to make the suit of my return to his majesty; in which case I should, to my extreme contentment, have all my obligations to your honour only.

His majesty's being now in progress will give some impediment to my suit, unless either it be my good fortune that your honour do attend his person, or else that you will be pleased to command some one of the many servants your honour hath in court, to procure the expedition of my cause; wherein I can foresee no difficulty when I consider the interest which your honour alloweth me in your favour, and my innocent carriage abroad for so many years; whereunto all his majesty's ministers, who have known me, I am sure, will give an attestation, according to the contents of my letter, to his Grace of Canterbury.

If I durst, I would most humbly intreat your honour to be pleased, that some servant of yours may speedily advertise me, whether or no his Grace of Canterbury_hath received my letter; what his answer was; and what I may hope in this my suit. I remember, that the last words which I had the honour to hear from your mouth, were, that if I continued any time free both from disloyalty and priesthood, your honour would be pleased to make yourself the intercessor for my return. Any letter sent to Mr. Trumball for me will come safely and speedily to my hands.

The term doth now last with your honour all the year long, and therefore the sooner I make an end, the better service I shall do you. I presume to kiss your hands, and

continue

Your Honour's most intirely, and

Spa, this 16th of July, stylo novo, 1616.

humbly ever at commandment, TOBIE MATTHEW.

P. S. It is no small penance, that I am forced to apparel my mind in my man's hand, when it speaks to your honour. But God Almighty will have it so, through the shaking I have in my right hand; and I do little less than want the use of my forefinger.

To Sir Francis Bacon, Attorney-General.

It may please your Honour,

I presumed to importune your honour with a letter of the 16th of this month, whereby I signified how I had written to the Master of the Horse, that he would be pleased to move his majesty for my return into England; and how that I had done it upon the direction of my Lord Roos, who offered to be the deliverer thereof. Withal I told your

honour that I expressed thereby an act rather of obedience than prudence, as not holding his lordship a fit man, whom by presenting that letter, the king might peradventure discover to be my favourer in this business. In regard whereof I besought him, that howsoever I had complied with his command in writing, yet he would forbear the delivery: and I gave him divers reasons for it. And both in contemplation of those reasons, as also of the hazard of miscarriage that letters do run into between these parts and those, I have now thought fit to send your honour this inclosed, accompanied with a most humble intreaty, that you will be pleased to put it into the Master of the Horse's hands, with such a recommendation as you can give. Having read it, your honour may be pleased to seal it; and if his honour have received the former by other hands, this may serve in the nature of a duplicate or copy: if not, it may be the original; and indeed, though it should be but the copy, if it may be touched by your honour, it would have both greater grace and greater life than the principal itself; and therefore, howsoever, I humbly pray, that this may be delivered.

If my business should be remitted to the council-table (which yet I hope will not be) I am most a stranger to my Lord Chancellor and my Lord Chamberlain,* of whom yet I trust, by means of your honour's good word in my behalf, that I shall receive no impediment.

The bearer, Mr. Becher,† can say what my carriage hath been in France, under the eye of several ambassadors; which makes me the more glad to use him in the delivery of this letter to your honour: and if your honour may be pleased to command me any thing, he will convey it to my knowledge.

I hear to my unspeakable joy of heart, how much power you have with the Master of the Horse; and how much immediate favour you have also with his most excellent majesty so that I cannot but hope for all good success, when I consider withal the protection whereinto you have been pleased to take me, the

Spa, this last of July, stylo novo, 1616.

Most humble and most obliged of
your Honour's many Servants,
TOBIE MATTHEW.

William, Earl of Pembroke.

+ William, afterwards knighted. He had been secretary to Sir George Calvert, ambassador to the court of France, and was afterwards agent at that court; and at last made clerk of the council.

To Sir Francis Bacon, Attorney-General.
May it please your Honour,

;

I have been made happy by your honour's noble and dear lines of the 22nd of July: and the joy that I took therein was only kept from excess by the notice they gave me of some intentions and advices of your honour, which you have been pleased to impart to others of my friends, with a meaning, that they should acquaint me with them whereof they have intirely failed. And therefore, if still it should import me to understand what they were, I must be inforced to beg the knowledge of them from yourself. Your honour hath by this short letter delivered me otherwise from a great deal of laborious suspense; for, besides the great hope you give me of being so shortly able to do you reverence, I am come to know, that by the diligence of your favour towards me, my Lord of Canterbury hath been drawn to give way, and the Master of the Horse hath been induced to move. That motion, I trust, will be granted howsoever; but I should be out of fear thereof, if, when he moves the king, your honour would cast to be present; that if his majesty should make any difficulty, some such reply as is wont to come from you in such cases may have power to discharge it.

I have been told rather confidently than credibly (for in truth I am hardly drawn to belive it) that Sir Henry Goodere should under hand (upon the reason of certain accounts that run between him and me, wherein I might justly lose my right, if I had so little wit as to trouble your honour's infinite business by a particular relation thereof,) oppose himself to my return, and perform ill offices in conformity of that unkind affection which he is said to bear me; but as I said, I cannot absolutely believe it, though yet I could not so far despise the information, as not to acquaint your honour with what I heard. I offer it not as a ruled case, but only as a query, as I have also done to Mr. Secretary Lake, in this letter, which I humbly pray your honour may be given him, together with your best advice, how my business is to be carried in this conjuncture of his majesty's drawing near to London, at which time I shall receive my sentence. I have learned from your honour to be confident, that it will be pronounced in my favour: but, if the will of God should be otherwise, I shall yet frame for myself a good proportion of contentment; since, howsoever I was so unfortunate, as that I might

me.

not enjoy my country, yet withal, I was so happy, as that my return thither was desired and negotiated by the affection, which such a person as yourself vouchsafed to bear When his majesty shall be moved, if he chance to make difficulty about my return, and offer to impose any condition, which it is known I cannot draw myself to digest, I desire it may be remembered, that my case is common with many of his subjects, who breathe in the air of their country, and that my case is not common with many, since I have lived so long abroad with disgrace at home; and yet have ever been free, not only from suspicion of practice, but from the least dependence upon foreign princes. My king is wise, and I hope that he hath this just mercy in store for me. God Almighty make and keep your honour ever happy, and keep me so in his favour, as I will be sure to continue

Antwerp, this first of

Sept. stylo novo, 1616.

Your Honour's ever most obliged and devoted Servant,

P. S. May it please your Honour,

ТОВІЕ МАТTHEW.

I have written to Sir John Digby; and I think he would do me all favour, if he were handsomely put upon it. My lady of Pembroke hath written, and that very earnestly to my Lord Chamberlain in my behalf.

This letter goes by Mr. Robert Garret, to whom I am many ways beholden, for making me the best present that ever I received, by delivering me your honour's last letter.

Sir Francis Bacon to the King.

May it please your excellent Majesty,

*

Because I have ever found, that in business the consideration of persons, who are instrumenta animata, is no less weighty than of matters, I humbly pray your majesty to peruse this inclosed paper, containing a diligence which I have used in omnem eventum. If Towerson, as a passionate man, have overcome himself in his opinion, so it is. But if his company make this good, then I am very glad to see in the case wherein we now stand, there is this hope left, and your majesty's honour preserved in the entier. God have your majesty in his divine protection.

Your Majesty's most devoted

and most bounden Servant, &c.

Whose brother, Captain Gabriel Towerson, was one of the English merchants executed by the Dutch at Amboyna, in 1623.

This is a secret to all men but my Lord Chancellor ; and we go on this day with the new company without discouraging them at all.

September 18, 1616.

Indorsed-To the King, upon Towerson's propositions about the cloth business.

Richard Martin, Esq.* to Sir Francis Bacon.
Right Honourable,

My attendance at court two days (in vain, considering the end of my journey,) was no loss unto me, seeing thereby I made the gain of the overture and assurance of your honour's affection. These comforts have given new life and strength to my hopes, which before began to faint. I know what your honour promiseth you will undertake; and what you undertake, you seldom fail to compass; for such proof of your prudence and industry your honour hath of late times. given to the swaying world. There is, to my understanding, no great intricacy in my affair, in which I plainly descry the course to the shore I would land at; to which neither I nor any other can attain without the direction of our great master pilot, who will not stir much without the beloved mate sound the way. Both these none can so well set awork as yourself, who have not only their ear, but their affection, and that with good right, as I hope in time, to good and public purpose. It is fit likewise that your honour know all my advantages. The present incumbent is tied to me by firm promise, which gives an impediment to the competitors, whereof one already, according to the heaviness of his name and nature, petit deorsum. And though I be a bad courtier, yet I know the style of gratitude, and shall learn as I am instructed; whatsoever your honour shall undertake for me, I will make good; therefore I humbly and earnestly intreat your best endeavour, to assure to yourself and your master a servant, who both can and will, though as yet mistaken, advance his honour and service with advantage. Your love and wisdom is my last address; and on the real nobleness of your nature (whereof

Born about 1570, entered a commoner of Broad-gate's Hall, now Pembroke College, Oxford, in 1585, whence he removed to the Middle Temple. In the parliament of 1601, he served for the borough of Barnstable in Devon ; and in the first parliament of King James I. he served for Cirencester in Gloucestershire. He was chosen recorder of London in September 1618; but died in the last day of the following month. He was much esteemed by the men of learning and genius of that age.

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