And till Sir Lionel Cranfield* be able to execute his part in the sub-commission, it will, in my opinion, not be so fit to direct it. He crept to me yesternight, but he is not well. I did his majesty's message to him touching the tobacco; and he said he would give his majesty very real and solid satisfaction touching the same. This is all for the present I shall trouble your lordship withal, resting ever Your Lordship's true Friend and devoted Servant, November 20, 1617. FR. BACON. To the Lord Keeper. † My honourable Lord, His majesty liketh very well of the draught your lordship sent of the letter for the sub-commission, and hath signed it as it was, without any alteration, and sent it to the lords. Which is all I have to write at this time, but that I ever rest your Lordship's faithful Friend and Servant, Newmarket, the 2nd G. BUCKINGHAM. of December, 1617. To the Lord Keeper.‡ My honourable Lord, His majesty hath been pleased to refer a petition of one Sir Thomas Blackstones to your lordship, who being brother-in-law to a gentleman whom I much respect, Sir Henry Constable, I have, at his request, yielded to recommend his business so far to your lordship's favour, as you shall find his case to deserve compassion, and may stand with the rules of equity. And so I rest Your Lordship's faithful Friend and Servant, Newmarket, the 4th of December. Indorsed-1617. To the Earl of Buckingham. My very good Lord, Your lordship may marvel, that together with the letter from the board, which you see passed so well, there came no particular letter from myself; wherein, though it be He was originally a merchant in the city of London, introduced to the king's knowledge by the Earl of Northampton, and into his service by the Earl of Buckingham, being the great projector for reforming the king's household, advancing the customs, and other services; for which he was made Lord Treasurer, Baron Cranfield, and Earl of Middlesex; but being accused by the house of commons for misdemeanours in his office, he had a severe sentence passed upon him by the lords in 1624. + Harl. MSS. Vol. 7006. Harl. MSS. Vol. 7006. true, that now this very evening I have made even with the causes of Chancery, and comparing with the causes heard by my lord,* that dead is, of Michaelmas term was twelvemonth, I find them to be double so many and one more; besides that the causes that I dispatch do seldom turn upon me again, as his many times did; yet nevertheless, I do assure your lordship, that should have been no excuse to me, who shall ever assign both to the causes of the subject, yea and to my health, but the leavings of times after his majesty's business done. But the truth is, I could not speak with Sir Lionel Cranfield, with whom of necessity I was to confer about the names till this afternoon. First, therefore, I send the names by his advice, and with mine own good allowance of those, which we wish his majesty should select; wherein I have had respect somewhat to form, more to the avoiding of opposition, but most to the service. Two most important effects his majesty's letter hath wrought already: the one, that we perceive his majesty will go through stitch, which goeth to the root of our disThe other, that it awaketh the particular officers, and will make their own endeavours and propositions less perfunctory, and more solid and true for the future. Somewhat is to be done presently, and somewhat by seasonable degrees. For the present my advice is, his majesty would be pleased to write back to the table, that he doth well approve that we did not put back or retard the good ways we were in of ourselves; and that we understood his majesty's right that his late direction was to give help, and not hindrance to the former courses; and that he doth expect the propositions we have in hand, when they are finished: and that for the sub-commissions, he hath sent us the names he hath chosen out of those by us sent and propounded; and that he leaveth the particular directions from time to time, in the use of the sub-commissioners, wholly to the table. This I conceive to be the fairest way; first to seal the sub-commission without opening the nature of their employments, and without seeming that they should have any immediate dependence upon his majesty, but merely upon the table. As for that which is to be kept in breast, and to come forth by parts, the degrees are these: Chancellor Ellesmere. First, to employ the sub-commissioners in the reconsidering of those branches, which the several officers shall propound. Next, in taking consideration of other branches of retrenchment, besides those which shall be propounded. The third, to take into consideration the great and huge arrears and debts in every office; whether there be cause to abate them upon deceit or abuse; and at least how to settle them best, both for the king's honour, and avoiding of clamour, and for the taking away, as much as may be, that same ill influence and effect, whereby the arrear past destroys the good husbandry and reformation to come. The fourth is to proceed from the consideration of the retrenchments and arrears to the improvements. All these four, at least the last three, I wish not to be stirred in till his majesty's coming. God ever preserve and prosper you. Your Lordship's true Friend and devoted Servant, FR. BACON. Your lordship will be pleased to have a little care of the bestowing of this letter. York House, this 6th of December, 1617. My Lord, To the Lord Keeper. : I have received so many letters lately from your lordship, that I cannot answer them severally but the ground of them all being only this, that your lordship feareth I am so incensed against you that I will hearken to every information that is made unto me; this one letter may well make answer unto them all. As his majesty is not apt to give ear to any idle report against men of your place; so for myself, I will answer that it is far from my disposition to take any advantage in that kind. And for your lordship's unkind dealing with me in this matter of my brother's, time will try all. His majesty hath given me commandment to make this answer in his name to your letter to him, that he needeth not to make any other answer to you, than that which in that letter you make to yourself, that you know his majesty to be so judicious, that whatsoever he heareth, he will keep one ear open to you; which being indeed his own princely disposition, you may be assured of his gracious favour in that kind. I will not trouble your lordship with any longer discourse at this time, being to meet you so shortly, where will be better trial of all that hath passed, than can be made by letters. So I rest Warwick, Sept. 5, 1617. Your Lordship's at command, G. BUCKINGHAM. The Earl of Buckingham to the Lord Keeper, Sir Francis Bacon.* My Lord, I have made his majesty acquainted with your note concerning that wicked fellow's speeches, which his majesty contemneth, as is usual to his great spirit in these cases. But notwithstanding, his majesty is pleased that it shall be exactly tried whether this foul-mouthed fellow was taken either with drunkenness or madness, when he spake it. And as for your lordship's advice for setting up again the commissioners for suits, his majesty saith, there will be time enough for thinking upon that, at his coming to Hampton Court. But his majesty's direction, in answer of your letter hath given me occasion to join hereunto a discovery upon the discourse you had with me this day.+ For I do freely confess, that your offer of submission unto me, and in writing, if so I would have it, battered so the unkindness that I had conceived in my heart for your behaviour towards me in my absence, as out of the sparks of my old affection towards you, I went to sound his majesty's intention towards you, specially in any public meeting; where I found on the one part, his majesty so little satisfied with your late answer unto him, which he counted (for I protest I use his own terms) confused and childish, and his rigorous resolution on the other part so fixed, that he would put some public exemplary mark upon you; as I protest the sight of his deep conceived indignation quenched my passion, making me upon the instant change from the person of a party into a peace-maker; so as I was forced upon my knees to beg of his majesty, that he would put no public act of disgrace upon you. And as I dare say, no other person would have been patiently heard in this suit by his majesty but my • This seems to be the letter to which the Lord Keeper returned an answer, September 22, 1617, printed in his works. At Windsor, according to Sir Antony Weldon, who may perhaps be believed in such a circumstance as this. See Court and Character of King James I. P. 122. self; so did I (though not without difficulty) obtain thus much, that he would not so far disable you from the merit of your future service, as to put any particular mark of disgrace upon your person. Only thus far his majesty protesteth, that upon the conscience of his office he cannot omit (though laying aside all passion) to give a kindly reprimand at his first sitting in council, to so many of his counsellors, as were then here behind, and were actors in this business, for their ill behaviour in it. Some of the particular errors committed in this business he will name, but without accusing any particular persons by name. Thus your lordship seeth the fruits of my natural inclination. I protest, all this time past it was no small grief unto me to hear the mouth of so many upon this occasion open to load you with innumerable malicious and detracting speeches, as if no music were more pleasing to my ear, than to rail of you: which made me rather regret the illnature of mankind, that, like dogs, love to set upon them that they see snatched at. And to conclude, my lord, you have hereby a fair occasion so to make good hereafter your reputation, by your sincere service to his majesty, as also by your firm and constant kindness to your friends, as I may (your lordship's old friend) participate of the comfort and honour that will thereby come to you. Thus I rest at last see. Your Lordship's faithful Friend and Servant, G. B. The force of your old kindness hath made me set down this in writing unto you, which some, that have deserved ill of me in this action, would be glad to obtain by word of mouth, though they be far enough from it for ought I yet But I beseech your lordship to reserve this secretly to yourself only, till our meeting at Hampton Court, lest his majesty should be highly offended for a cause that I know. Indorsed-A letter of reconciliation from Lord Buckingham after his Majesty's return from Scotland. To the Lord Keeper.* My honourable Lord, Lest Mr. Secretary+ should be come away before the delivery of this packet, I have thought fit to direct it to *Harl. MSS. Vol. 7006. + Sir Thomas Lake; his collegue, Secretary Winwood, died October 27, 1617; and Sir Robert Naunton succeeded to the post of secretary, January 8, 1617-8, from that of surveyor of the Court of Wards. |