I pray, Sir, let not my jargon privilege my letter from burning; because it is not such, but the light sheweth through. Joey 1 mol EARL OF ESSEX TO MR. FRANCIS BACON SIR, OW 04 • Among the papers of Antony Fotoy Bacon, Esq. vol. IV. I have the Lam beth libra ry. I HAVE received your letter, and since I have had op- fol. 90, in portunity to deal freely with the queen. dealt confidently with her as a matter, wherein I did more labour to overcome her delays, than that I did fear her denial. I told her how much you were thrown down with the correction she had already given you, that she might in that point hold herself already satisfied. And because I found, that Tanfield (a) had been most propounded to her, I did most disable him. I find the queen very reserved, staying herself upon giving any kind of hope, yet not passionate against you, till I grew passionate for you. Then she said, that none thought you fit for the place but my lord Treasurer and myself. Marry, the others must some of them say before us for fear or for flattery. I told her, the most and wisest of her council had delivered their opinions, and preferred you before all men for that place. And if it would please her majesty to think, that whatsoever they said contrary to their own words when they spake without witness, might be as factiously spoken, as the other way flatteringly, she would not be deceived. Yet if they had been never for you, but contrarily against you, `I thought my credit, joined with the approbation and mediation of her greatest counsellors, might prevail in a greater matter than this; and urged her, that though she could not signify her mind to others, I might have a secret promise, wherein I should receive great comfort, as in the contrary great unkindness. She said she was neither persuaded nor would hear of it till Easter, when she might advise with her (a) Probably Laurence Tanfield, made lord chief baron of the Exchequer in June 1607. council, who were now all absent; and therefore in passion bid me go to bed, if I would talk of nothing else. Wherefore in passion I went away, saying, while I was with her, I could not but solicit for the cause and the man I so much affected; and therefore I would retire myself till I might be more graciously heard; and so we parted. To-morrow I will go hence of on Thursday I will write an put 1 to That upon Friday morning I will be here again, and follow on the same course, stirring a discontentment in her, etc. And so wish you all happiness, and rest Your most assured friend, Indorsed, March 28, 1594. ESSEX. * Among the papers of Antony Bacon, Esq. vol. IV. fol. 89, in ry. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO MR. FRANCIS BACON*. SIR, I HAVE now spoken with the queen, and I see no the Lam- stay from obtaining a full resolution of that we debeth libra sire. But the passion she is in by reason of the tales, that have been told her against Nicholas Clifford, with whom she is in such rage, for a matter, which I think you think you have heard of, doth put her infinitely out of quiet; and her passionate humour is nourished by some foolish women. Else I find nothing to distaste us, for she doth not contradict confidently; which they, that know the minds of women, say is a sign of yielding. I will to-morrow take more time to deal with her, and will sweeten her with all the art I have to make Sir Tho- already spoken with Mr. Vice-chamberlaint; and will to-morrow speak with the rest. Of Mr. Vicechamberlain you may assure yourself; for so much he hath faithfully promised me. The exceptions against the competitors I will use to-morrow; for then I do resolve to have a full and large discourse, having prepared the queen to-night to assign me a time under colour of some such business, as I have pretended. In mas Heneage. with volum auditorem. I hav the mean time I must tell you, that I do not respect od This Friday at night. seve.com dor man of Antony Lambeth My Lord, MA Assets I THANK your lordship very much for your kind and fol. 62, comfortable letter, which I hope will be followed at library. hand with another of more assurance. And I must confess this very delay hath gone so near me, as it hath almost overthrown my health; for when I revolved the good memory of my father, the near degree of alliance I stand in to my lord Treasurer, your lordship's so signalled and declared favour, the honourable tęsti mony of so many counsellors, the commendations unlaboured, and in sort offered by my lords the judges and the master of the rolls elect; that I was voiced + Sir Tho with great expectation, and, though I say it myself, ton. mas Egerwith the wishes of most men, to the higher place‡ ‡ That of that I am a a man, that the queen hath already done attorney for; and that princes, especially her majesty, love to make an end where they begin; and then add hereunto the obscureness and many exceptions to my competitors: when I say I revolve all this, I cannot but conclude with myself, that no man ever read a more exquisite disgrace; and therefore truly, my lord, I was determined, if her majesty reject me, this to do. My nature can take no evil ply; but I will, by God's assistance, with this disgrace of my fortune, general. 1 * Among the papers of Antony Bacon, Esq. vol. IV. fol. 122, in the Lam ry. and yet with that comfort of the good opinion of so many honourable and worthy persons, retire myself with a couple of men to Cambridge, and there spend my life in my studies and contemplations without looking back. I humbly pray your lordship to pardon me for troubling you with my melancholy. For the matter itself, I commend it to your love; only I pray you communicate afresh this day with my lord Treasurer and Sir Robert Cecil; and if you esteem my fortune, remember the point of precedency. The objections to my competitors your lordship knoweth partly. I pray spare them not, not over the queen, but to the great ones, to shew your confidence, and to work their distrust. Thus longing exceedingly to exchange troubling your lordship with serving you, I rest Your Lordship's, in most intire and faithful service, FRANCIS BACON.. I humbly pray your lordship I may hear from you some time this day. MR. FRANCIS BACON TO SIR ROBERT CECIL*. My most honourable good Cousin, YOUR honour in your wisdom doth well perceive, that my access at this time is grown desperate in regard beth libra- of the hard terms, that as well the earl of Essex as Mr. Vice-chamberlain, who were to have been the means thereof, stand in with her majesty, according to their occasions. And therefore I am only to stay upon that point of delaying and preserving the matter intire till a better constellation; which, as it is not hard, as I conceive, considering the French business and the instant progress, &c. so I commend in special to you the care, who in sort assured me thereof, and upon whom now, in my lord of Essex's absence, I have only to rely; and, if it be needful, I humbly pray you to move my lord your father to lay his hand to the same delay. And so I wish you all increase of honour. I Do think nothing cut the throat more of your present access than the earl's being somewhat troubled at this time. For the delaying I think it not hard, neither shall there want my best endeavour to make it easy, of which I hope you shall not need to doubt by the judgment, which I gather of divers circumstances confirming my opinion. I protest I suffer with you in mind, that you are thus gravelled; but time will founder all your competitors, and set you on your feet, or else I have little understanding. EARL OF ESSEX TO MR. FRANCIS BACON †. SIR, I WROTE not to you till I had had a second conference with the queen, because the first was spent only in compliments: she in the beginning excepted all business: this day she hath seen me again. After I had followed her humour in talking of those things, which she would entertain me with, I told her, in my absence I had written to Sir Robert Cecil, to solicit her to call you to that place, to which all the world had named you; and being now here, I must follow it myself; for I know what service I should do her in procuring you the place; and she knew not how great a comfort I should take in it. Her answer in playing just was, that she came not to me for * Among the papers of Antony Bacon, Esq. vol. IV. fol. 122, in the Lam beth libra ry. + Ibid. fol. 122. |