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Printed for A MILLAR, against St. Clement's Church, in the Strand.

M.DCC.XL.

UML

PROPOSITION

TO HIS

MAJESTY,

BY

Sir FRANCIS BACON, Knight,

His MAJESTY'S Attorney-General, and one of his Privy-
Council; touching the Compiling and Amendment of the
Laws of ENGLAND.

YOUR MAJESTY,

O

F your favour, having made me Privy-Counsellor, and continuing me in the place of your Attorney-General, (which is more than was these hundred years before,) I do not understand it to be, that by putting off the dealing in caufes between party and party, I fhould keep holy-day the more; but that I should dedicate my time to your service with lefs diftraction. Wherefore, in this plentiful acceffion of time, which I have now gained, I take it to be my duty, not only to speed your commandments, and the business of my place; but to meditate and to excogitate, of my self, wherein I may best, by my travels, derive your virtues to the good of your people, and return their thanks and increase of love to you again. And after I had thought of many things, I could find, in my judgment, none more proper for your Majefty as a mafter, nor for me as a workman, than the reducing and recompiling of the laws of England.

YOUR Majesty is a King, blessed with posterity; and these Kings fort best with acts of perpetuity, when they do not leave them, instead of children; but tranfmit both line and merit to future generations. You are a great master in justice and judicature, and it were pity that the fruit of that virtue fhould die with you. Your Majefty also reigneth in learned times; the more, in regard of your own perfections and patronage of learning; and it hath been the mishap of works of this nature, that the lefs learned time hath wrought upon the more learned, which now will not be fo. As for my felf, the law is my profeffion, to which I am a debtor. Some little helps I may have of other learning, which may give form to matter; and your Majefty hath fet me in an eminent place, whereby in a work which must be the work of many, I may the better have coadjutors. Therefore, not to hold your Majefty with any long preface, in that which I conceive to be nothing less than words, I will proceed to the matter; which matter it felf nevertheless requireth fomewhat briefly to be faid, both of the digniVOL. IV.

A

ty,

161899

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