according to his Majesty's amendments, both in the two places (which I assure you were both altered with great judgment) and in the third place which his Majesty termed a question only. But he is an idle body that thinks his Majesty asketh an idle question, and therefore his Majesty's questions are to be answered by taking away the cause of the question and not by replying.

For the name, his Majesty's will is law in those things; and to speak truth, it is a well-sounding and noble name, both here and abroad; and being your proper name, I will take it for a good sign that you shall give honour to your dignity, and not your dignity to you. Therefore I have made it Viscount Villiers; and for your barony, I will keep it for an earldom. For though the other had been more orderly, yet that is as usual, and both alike good in law.

For Roper's place, I would have it by all means dispatched, and therefore I marvel it lingereth. It were no good manners to take the business out of my Lord Treasurer's hands, and therefore I purpose to write to his Lordship, if I hear not from him first by Mr. Deckomb. But if I hear of any delay, you will give me leave (especially since the King named me) to deal with Sir John Roper myself; for neither I nor my Lord Treasurer can deserve any great thanks of you in this business; considering the King hath spoken to Sir John Roper, and he hath promised; and besides the thing itself is so reasonable, as it ought to be as soon done as said. I am now gotten into the country to my house, where I have some little liberty to think of that I would think of, and not of that which other men hourly break my head withal, as it was at London. Upon this you may conclude that most of my thoughts are of his Majesty; and then you cannot be far off. God ever keep you and prosper you. I rest

always

Your true and most devoted servant,

5 of Aug., one of our hap

FR. BACON.

piest days, 1616.

The fifth of August was the anniversary of the Gowrie conspiracy, when James had a narrow escape from assassination.

A LETTER TO SIR GEORGE VILLIERS, UPON THE SENDING HIS PATENT FOR VISCOUNT VILLIERS TO BE SIGNED. AUG. 12 1616.1

Sir,

I have sent you now your patent of creation of Lord Blechly of Blechly, and of Viscount Villiers. Blechly is your own and I like the sound of the name better than Whaddon; but the name will be hid, for you will be called Viscount Villiers. I have put them both in a patent, after the manner of the patents of Earls where Baronies are joined; but the chief reason was, because I would avoid double prefaces which had not been fit; nevertheless the ceremony of robing and otherwise must be double.

And now, because I am in the country, I will send you some of my country fruits; which with me are good meditations; which when I am in the city are choked with business.

After that the King shall have watered your new dignities with his bounty of the lands which he intends you, and that some other things concerning your means which are now likewise in intention shall be settled upon you; I do not see but you may think your private fortunes established; and therefore it is now time that you should refer your actions chiefly to the good of your sovereign and your country. It is the life of an ox or beast always to eat, and never to exercise; but men are born (and specially christian men), not to cram in their fortunes, but to exercise their virtues; and yet the other hath been the unworthy, and (thanks be to God) sometimes the unlucky humour of great persons in our times. Neither will your further fortune be the further off: for assure yourself that fortune is of a woman's nature, that will sooner follow you by slighting than by too much wooing. And in this dedication of yourself to the public, I recommend unto you principally that which I think was never done since I was born; and which not done hath bred almost a wilderness and solitude in the King's service; which is, that you countenance, and encourage, and advance able men and virtuous men and meriting men in all kinds, degrees, and professions. For in the time of the Cecils,

1 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 41. Fair copy in the hand of Meautys.

the father and the son,1 able men were by design and of purpose suppressed; and though of late choice goeth better both in church and commonwealth, yet money, and turn-serving, and cunning canvasses, and importunity prevail too much. And in places of moment, rather make able and honest men yours, than advance those that are otherwise because they are yours. As for cunning and corrupt men, you must (I know) sometimes use them; but keep them at a distance; and let it appear that you make use of them, rather than that they lead you. Above all, depend wholly (next to God) upon the King; and be ruled (as hitherto you have been) by his instructions; for that is best for yourself. For the King's care and thoughts concerning you are according to the thoughts of a great king; whereas your thoughts concerning yourself are and ought to be according to the thoughts of a modest man. But let me not weary you. The sum is, that you think goodness the best part of greatness; and that you remember whence your rising comes, and make return accordingly.

God ever keep you.

Gorhambury, Aug. 12, 1616.

TO THE KING, TOUCHING SIR GEORGE VILLIERS' PATENT FOR BARON OF BLECHLY AND VISCOUNT VILLIERS.2

It may please your most excellent Majesty,

I have sent Sir G. Villiers' patent drawn again, containing also a barony, the name Blechly, which is his own, and to my thinking soundeth better than Whaddon. I have included both in one patent, to avoid a double preface, and as hath been used in the patents of Earls of like nature. Nevertheless the ceremony of robing and otherwise is to be double, as is also used in the like case of Earls.

It resteth that I express unto your Majesty my great joy, in your honouring and advancing of this gentleman; whom to describe not with colours but with true lines, your Majesty cer

1 So in MS. Rawley in the Resuscitatio prints it "For in the time of some late great Counsellours, when they bare the sway, able men were," &c. But I have no doubt that this was an alteration made by Rawley himself out of tenderness for the feelings of the Cecils; just as he uses a similar discretion in suppressing the name of Somerset in Bacon's letter to Villiers, Vol. V. p. 228.

2 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 42. Copy in Bacon's hand.

tainly hath found out and chosen a safe nature, a capable mind, an honest will, generous and noble affections, and a courage well lodged; and one that I know loveth your Majesty unfeignedly, and admireth you as much as is in a man to admire his sovereign upon earth. Only your Majesty's school (wherein he hath already so well profited, as in this entrance upon the stage, being the time of greatest danger, he hath not committed any manifest error), will add perfection, to your Majesty's comfort and the great contentment of your people. God ever preserve and prosper your Majesty. I rest in all humbleness,

Your Majesty's most bounden

Gorhambury,

12 of Aug. 1616.

and most devoted subject and servant,

FR. BACON.

A LETTER TO SIR GEORGE VILLIERS, UPON THE SENDING HIS PATENT FOR HIS CREATION OF VISCOUNT SEALED. AUG. 20 1616.1

Sir,

I took much contentment in that I perceive by your letter that you took in so good part the freedom of my advice, and that yourself in your own nature consented therewith. Certainly, no service is comparable to good counsel; and the reason is, because no man can do so much for another as a man may do for himself. Now good counsel helpeth a man to help himself. But you have so happy a master as supplieth all. My service and good will shall not be wanting.

It was graciously and kindly done also of his Majesty towards me, to tell you that you were beholding to me; but it must be then for thinking of you as I do; for otherwise, for speaking as I think, it is but the part of an honest man.

I send you your patent, whereof God give you joy; and I send you here enclosed a little note of remembrance for that part of the ceremony which concerneth the patent. For as for other ceremonies, I leave to others.

My Lord Chancellor dispatched your patent presently upon the receipt, and writ to me how glad he was of it, and how well he wished you. If you write to him a few words of thanks,

1 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 44. Fair copy in the hand of Meautys.

I think you shall do well. God keep you and prosper you. I

ever rest

Your true and most devoted servant,

Gorhambury, 20 Aug. 1616.

3.

FR. BACON.

The creation took place at Woodstock on the 27th of August, and Villiers was now finally established in the office of "Favourite." "This is now the man," says Sherburn writing to Carleton on the 20th, "by whom all things do and must pass; and he far exceeds the former in favour and affection."

That he was not at this time insensible of the responsibility of the position, or indifferent to the duties which it entailed, or over-confident of his own capacity to discharge them, appears from the fact that he not only took in good part the counsels which Bacon offered him from time to time, but applied to him for more. For it must have been about this time that he desired his advice in detail as to the manner in which he should frame himself for the performance of his new duties. Some good authorities, including Mr. Craik and Mr. Gardiner, would put it seven or eight months earlier; but the letter which Bacon wrote in answer (if the form of it in its earliest shape has suffered no alteration in the editing) cannot have been written before Villiers was a Peer, and to suppose it later would involve other difficulties.

I say "in its earliest shape," because we have two versions of this letter much differing from one another; and differing among other things in that very particular which bears upon the question of date, -namely the style and title by which Villiers is addressed. And here a new difficulty meets us. For of these two versions, that which seems to be the later is that in which the new title does not appear. I shall endeavour presently to show how this may have come to pass; but I must first put the reader in a position to judge of the relation in which the two versions stand to each other,—a thing which he cannot do now without reference to a very scarce pamphlet. For it must be observed that we know nothing about either of these versions except what we learn from themselves. Among Bacon's own papers I find no trace of any such composition -no fragment, or rudiment, or note, or allusion; insomuch that if the thing itself had not been preserved, we should have had no reason to suppose that any such correspondence had passed.

1 S. P. Dom. James I., vol. lxxxviii., no. 57.