Papists, of all the world to speak well of you; and June 13, 1616. TO THE KING. IT MAY PLEASE YOUR MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY, First, from the bottom of my heart I thank the God of all mercy and salvation, that he hath preserved you from receiving any hurt by your fall; and I pray his Divine Majesty ever to preserve you, on horseback and on foot, from hurt and fear of hurt. they intended it, as referred, to the several and proper arts, which teach the use of reason and speech. But, for the former of these two reasons, howsoever it pleaseth them to distinguish of habits and powers; the experience is manifest enough, that the motions and faculties of the wit and memory may be not only governed and guided, but also confirmed and enlarged, by customs and exercise daily applied: as, if a man exercise shooting, he shall not only shoot nearer the mark, but also draw a stronger bow. And, as for the latter, of comprehending these precepts, within the arts, of logic and rhetoric; if it be rightly considered, their office is distinct altogether from this point; for it is no part of the doctrine, of the use or handling of an instrument, to teach how to whet or grind the instrument, to give it a sharp edge; or, how to quench it, or other wise, whereby to give it a stronger temper. Now, touching the clothing business; for that Wherefore, finding this part of knowledge not I perceive the cloth goeth not off as it should, and broken, I have, but "tanquam aliud agens," that Wiltshire is now come in with complaint, as entered into it, and salute you with it; dedicating well as Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, so it, after the ancient manner, first as to a dear│that_this_gangrene creepeth on; I humbly pray friend, and then as to an apt person; forasmuch your majesty to take into your majesty's princely as you have both place to practise it, and judg- consideration a remedy for the present stand, ment and leisure to look deeper into it than I have done. Herein you must call to mind, "Apsov av idup. Though the argument be not of great height and dignity, nevertheless, it is of great and universal use. And yet I do not see why, to consider it rightly, that should not be a learning of height which teacheth to raise the highest and worthiest part of the mind. But, howsoever that be, if the world take any light and use by this writing, I will, the gratulation be to the good friendship and acquaintance between us two. And so recommend you to God's divine protection. TO SIR GEORGE VILLIERS. SIR,-There is a particular wherein I think you may do yourself honour, which, as I am informed, hath been laboured by my Lady of Bedford, and put in good way by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, concerning the restoring to preach of a famous preacher, one Doctor Burgesse, who, though he hath been silenced a great time, yet he hath now made such a submission touching his conformity, as giveth satisfaction. It is much desired also by Gray's Inn, (if he shall be free from the state,) to choose him for their preacher: and certainly it is safer to place him there, than in another auditory, because he will be well watched, if he should any ways fly forth in his sermons beyond duty. This may seem a trifle; but I do assure you, in opening this man's mouth to preach, you shall open very many mouths to speak honour of you; and I confess I would have a full cry of Puritans, of which certainly will do the deed; and for any thing that I know, will be honourable and convenient, though joined with some loss in your majesty's customs, which I know, in a business of this quality, and being but for an interim, till you may negotiate, your majesty doth not esteem. And it is this: That your majesty by your proclamation do Your majesty's most faithful Sept. 13, 1616. TO THE LORD VISCOUNT VILLIERS. MY VERY GOOD LORD, It was my opinion from the beginning, that this company will never overcome the business of the cloth; and that the impediments are as much or more in the persons which are instrumenta animata than in the dead business itself. I have therefore sent unto the king here enclosed my reasons, which I pray your lordship to show his majesty. The new company and the old company are but the sons of Adam to me, and I take myself to have some credit with both, but it is upon fear rather with the old, and upon love rather with the new, and yet with both upon persuasion that I understand the business. Nevertheless I walk in via regia, which is not absolutely acceptable to either. For the new company would have all their demands granted, and the old company would have the king's work given over and deserted. My opinion is, that the old company be drawn to succeed into the contract, (else the king's honour suffereth;) and that we all draw in one way to effect that. If time, which is the wisest of things, prove the work impossible or inconvenient, which I do not yet believe, I know his majesty and the state will not suffer them to perish. the direction touching the conveniency. And, Nov. 13, 1616. TO THE LORD VISCOUNT VILLIERS. MY VERY GOOD LORD, I think his majesty was not only well advised, but well inspired, to give order for this same wicked child of Cain, Bertram, to be examined before he was further proceeded with. And I, I wish what shall be done were done with for my part, before I had received his majesty's resolution and speed, and that your lordship (be-pleasure by my lord chamberlain, went thus cause it is a gracious business) had thanks of it far; that I had appointed him to be further exnext the king; and that there were some commis-amined, and also had taken order with Mr. Solision under his majesty's sign manual, to deal with some selected persons of the old company, and to take their answers and consent under their hands, and that the procuring the commission, and the procuring of their offers to be accepted, were your lordship's work. In this treaty my lord chancellor must by no means be left out, for he will moderate well, and aimeth at his majesty's ends. Mr. Solicitor is not yet returned, but I look for him presently. I rest Your lordship's true and most devoted servant, Monday, 14th of October, at 10 of the clock. TO THE LORD VISCOUNT VILLIERS. MY VERY GOOD LORD, Now, that the king has received my opinion, with the judge's opinion unto whom it was referred, touching the proposition for inns in point of law; it resteth that it be moulded and carried in that sort, as it may pass with best contentment and conveniency. Wherein I, that ever love good company, as I was joined with others in the legal points, so I desire not to be alone in VOL. III.-10 citor that he should be provided to make some declaration at his trial, in some solemn fashion, and not to let such a strange murder pass as if it had been but a horsestealing. But upon his majesty's pleasure signified, I forthwith caused the trial to be stayed, and examined the party according to his majesty's questions; and also sent for the principal counsel in the cause, whereupon Sir John Tyndal's report was grounded, to discern the justice or iniquity of the said report, as his majesty likewise commanded. I send therefore, the case of Bertram, truly stated and collected, and the examination taken before myself and Mr. Solicitor; whereby it will appear to his majesty that Sir John Tyndal (as to this cause) is a kind of a martyr; for if ever he made a just report in his life, this was it. But the event since all this is, that this Bertram being, as it seemeth, indurate or in despair, hath hanged himself in prison; of which accident, as I am sorry, because he is taken from example and public justice, so yet I would not for any thing it had been before his examination. So that there may be otherwise some occasion taken, either by some declaration in the King's Bench upon the return of the coroner's inquest, or by some printed book of the fact, or by some G other means (whereof I purpose to advise with | kept as a secret in the deck, (and was not only of my lord chancellor) to have both his majesty's Hartington, but also of most of the other particuroyal care, and the truth of the fact, with the circumstances manifested and published. For the taking a tie of my lord chief justice before he was placed, it was done before your letter came, and on Tuesday Heath and Shute shall be admitted and all perfected. My lord chancellor purposeth to be at the hall Your true and most devoted servant, Sunday night, the 17th of November, 1616. TO THE LORD VISCOUNT VILLIERS. MY VERY GOOD LORD, lars in your book,) I caused to be thoroughly looked into and provided for; without which your assurance had been nothing worth; and yet I handled it so, and made the matter so well understood, as you were not put to be a suitor to the prince, for his good will in it, as others ignorantly thought you must have done. Fifthly, The annexation,* (which nobody dreamt of, and which some idle, bold lawyer would perhaps have said had been needless, and yet is of that weight, that there was never yet any man that would purchase any such land from the king, except he had a declaration to discharge it;) I was provident to have it discharged by declaration. Sixthly, Lest it should be said, that your lordship was the first, (except the queen and the prince) that brake the annexation, upon a mere gift; for that others had it discharged only upon sale, which was for the king's profit and neces I am glad to find your lordship mindful of your own business, and if any man put you in mind of it, I do not dislike that neither; but your lord-sity; I found a remedy for that also; because I ship may assure yourself in whatsoever you commit to me, your lordship's further care shall be needless. For I desire to take nothing from my master and my friend, but care, and therein I am so covetous, as I will leave them as little as may be. Now, therefore, things are grown to a conclusion, touching your land and office, I will give your lordship an account of that which is passed; and acquaint your judgment (which I know to be great and capable of any thing) with your own business; that you may discern the difference between doing things substantially, and between shuffling and talking: and first for your patent. First, It was my counsel and care that your book should be fee-farm and not fee-simple; whereby the rent of the crown in succession is not diminished, and yet the quantity of the land which you have upon your value is enlarged; whereby you have both honour and profit. have carved it in the declaration, as that this was not gift to your lordship, but rather a purchase and exchange (as indeed it was) for Sherbourn. Seventhly and lastly, I have taken order (as much as in me was) that your lordship in these things which you have passed be not abused, if you part with them; for I have taken notes in a book of their values and former offers. Now for your office. First, Whereas my Lord Teynham at the first would have had your lordship have had but one life in it, and he another; my lord treasurer, and the solicitor and Deccombe were about to give way to it; I turned utterly that course, telling them that you were to have two lives in it, as well as Somerset had. Secondly, I have accordingly, in the assurance from your deputies, made them acknowledge the trust and give security not only for your lordship's time, but after: so as you may dispose (if you should die, which I would be sorry to live to) the profits of the office by your will or otherwise to any of your friends, for their comfort and advancement. Thirdly, I dealt so with Whitlocke as well as Heath as there was no difficulty made of the surrender. Secondly, By the help of Sir Lyonel Cranfield I advanced the value of Sherbourn from 26,000l. (which was thought and admitted by my lord treasurer and Sir John Deccomb as a value of great favour to your lordship, because it was a thousand pounds more than it was valued at to Somerset) to thirty-two thousand pounds, whereby there was six thousand pounds gotten and yet justly. Lastly, I did cast with myself, that if your Thirdly, I advised the course of rating Harting-lordship's deputies had come in by Sir Edward ton at a hundred years' purchase, and the rest at thirty-five years' purchase fee-farm, to be set down and expressed in the warrant; that it may appear, and remain of record, that your lordship had no other rates made to you in favour than such as purchasers upon sale are seldom drawn unto; whereby you have honour. Coke, who was tied to Somerset, it would have been subject to some clamour from Somerset, and some question what was forfeited by Somerset's attainder (being but of felony) to the king: but now they coming in from a new chief justice, all is without question or scruple. *The annexation by which lands, &c. were united or anFourthly, That lease to the feoffees, which was nexed to the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster, Thus your lordship may see my love and care towards you, which I think infinitely too little in respect of the fulness of my mind; but I thought good to write this, to make you understand better the state of your own business; doing by you as I do by the king; which is, to do his business safely and with foresight, not only of to-morrow or next day, but afar off, and not to come fiddling with a report to him, what is done every day, but to give him up a good sum in the end. I purpose to send your lordship a calendar fair written of those evidences which concern your estate, for so much as I have passed my hands; which in truth are not fit to remain with solicitors, no, nor with friends, but in some great cabinet, to be made for that purpose. All this while I must say plainly to your lordship, that you fall short for your present charge, except you play the good husband: for the office of Teynham is in reversion, Darcye's land is in reversion; all the land in your books is but in reversion, and yields you no present profit, because you pay the fee-farm. So as you are a strange heteroclite in grammar, for you want the present tense; many verbs want the preterperfect | tense and some the future tense, but none want the present tense. I will hereafter write to your lordship what I think of for that supply; to the end, that you may, as you have begun to your great honour, despise money, where it crosseth reason of state or virtue. But I will trouble you no further at this time. God ever preserve and prosper your lordship. Your true and most devoted servant. November 29, 1616. mistaking, and then a lie, and then a challenge, and then life: saying that I did not marvel seeing Xerxes shed tears to think none of his great army should be alive once within a hundred years, his majesty were touched with compassion to think that not one of his attendants but might be dead within twenty-four hours by the duel. This I write because his majesty may be wary what he sayeth to me, (in things of this nature,) I being so apt to play the blab. In this also, I forgot not to prepare the judges, and wish them to profess, and as it were to denounce, that in all cases of duel capital before them, they will use equal severity towards the insolent murder by the duel, and the insidious murder; and that they will extirpate that difference out of the opinions of men, which they did excellent well. I must also say that it was the first time that I heard my Lord of Arundel speak in that place; and I do assure your lordship, he doth excellently become the court; he speaketh wisely and weightily, and yet easily and clearly, as a great nobleman should do. There hath been a proceeding in the King's Bench, against Bertram's keeper, for misdemeanor, and I have put a little pamphlet (prettily penned by one Mr. Trotte, that I set on work touching the whole business) to the press by my lord chancellor's advice. I pray God direct his majesty in the cloth busi ness, that that thorn may be once out of our sides. His majesty knoweth my opinion ab antiquo Thanks be to God of your health, and long may you live to do us all good. I rest Your true and most devoted servant. FR. BACON. TO THE LORD VISCOUNT VILLIERS. MY VERY GOOD Lord, I delivered the proclamation for cloth to Secretary Winwood on Saturday, but he keepeth it to carry it down himself, and goeth down, as I take it, to-day: his majesty may perceive by the docket of the proclamation, that I do not only study, but act that point touching the judges, which his majesty commandeth in your last. THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO THE EARL OF MY DEAREST LORd, It is both in cares and kindness, that small ones float up to the tongue, and great ones sink down Yesterday was a day of great good for his ma- into the heart in silence. Therefore, I could jesty's service, and the peace of this kingdom speak little to your lordship to day, neither had I concerning duels, by occasion of Darcye's case. fit time. But I must profess thus much, that in I spake big, and publishing his majesty's straight this day's work you are the truest and perfectest charge to me, said it had struck me blind, as in mirror and example of firm and generous friendship point of duels and cartels, &c., I should not know that ever was in court. And I shall count every a coronet from a hatband. I was bold also to day lost, wherein I shall not either study your declare how excellently his majesty had express-welldoing in thought, or do your name honour in ed to me a contemplation of his, touching duels; speech, or perform you service in deed. Good that is, that when he came forth and saw himself my lord, account and accept me princely attended with goodly noblesse and gentlemen, he entered into the thought, that none of their lives were in certainty, not for twenty-four hours, from the duel; for it was but a heat or a Your most bounden and devoted March 7, 1616. TO THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM. MY EVER BEST LORD, NOW BETTER THAN YOUrself, Your lordship's pen or rather pencil hath portrayed towards me such magnanimity and nobleness and true kindness, as methinketh I see the image of some ancient virtue, and not any thing of these times. It is the line of my life, and not the lines of my letter, that must express my thankfulness: wherein, if I fail, then God fail me, and make me as miserable as I think myself at this time happy, by this reviver, through his majesty's singular clemency, and your incomparable love and favour. God preserve you, prosper you, and reward you, for your kindness to Your raised and infinitely obliged friend and servant, September 22, 1617. Fr. BACON, C. S. TO THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM. MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, I am now for five or six days retired to my house in the country: for I think all my lords are willing to do as scholars do, who, though they call them holy-days, yet they mean them playdays. We purpose to meet again on Easter Monday, and go all to the Spittall sermon for that day, and therein to revive the ancient religious manner, when all the counsel used to attend those sermons; which some neglected in Queen Elizabeth's time, and his majesty's great devotion in the due hearing of sermons himself with his counsel at the court, brought into desuetude. But now, our attendance upon his majesty by reason of his absence, cannot be, it is not amiss to revive it. IT MAY PLEASE YOUR MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY, Mr. Vicechamberlain, hath acquainted myself and the rest of the commissioners, for the marriage with Spain, which are here, with your majesty's instructions, signed by your royal hands, touching that point of the suppression of pirates, as it hath relation to his negotiation; whereupon, we met yesterday at my Lord Admiral's at Chelsea, because we were loath to draw my lord into the air, being but newly upon his recovery. We conceive the parts of the business are four: the charge; the confederations, and who shall be solicited or retained to come in; the forces and the distributions of them; and the enterprise. We had only at this time conference amongst ourselves, and shall appoint, (after the holidays,) times for the calling before us such as are fit, and thereupon, perform all the parts of your royal commandments. In this conference, I met with somewhat, which I must confess was altogether new to me, and opened but darkly neither; whereof I think Mr. Vicechamberlain will give your majesty I perceive by a letter your lordship did write some light, for so we wished. By occasion some days since to my Lord Blackley, that your whereof I hold it my duty in respect of the great lordship would have the king satisfied by prece-place wherein your majesty hath set me, (being dents, that letters patents might be of the dignity only made worthy by your grace,) which maketh of an earldom, without delivery of the patent it decent for me to counsel you ad summas rerum, by the king's own hand, or without the ordinary to intimate or represent to your majesty thus solemnities of a creation. I find precedents much. somewhat tending to the same purpose, yet not I do foresee, in my simple judgment, much matching fully. But, howsoever, let me, accord-inconvenience to ensue, if your majesty proceed ing to my faithful and free manner of dealing to this treaty with Spain, and that your counsel with your lordship, say to you, that since the draw not all one way. I saw the bitter fruits of king means it, I would not have your lordship, a divided counsel the last parliament; I saw no for the satisfying a little trembling or panting of very pleasant fruits thereof in the matter of the the heart in my Lord or Lady Blackley, to expose cloth. This will be of equal, if not of more your lordship's self, or myself, (whose opinion inconvenience; for, wheresoever the opinion of would be thought to be relied upon,) or the king, your people is material, (as in many cases it is our master, to envy with the nobility of this not,) there, if your counsel be united, they shall realm; as to have these ceremonies of honour be able, almost, to give law to opinion and dispensed with, which, in conferring honour, rumour; but if they be divided, the infusion have used to be observed, like a kind of Doctor will not be according to the strength and virtue Bullatus, without the ceremony of a commence- of the votes of your counsel, but according to ment: the king and you know I am not ceremo- the aptness and inclination of the popular. This |