TO MR. TOBIE MATTHEW. Good Mr. Matthew, I HAVE received your letter sent by my lord of Andover; and, as I acknowledged your care, so I cannot fit it with any thing, that I can think on for myself; for since Gondomar, who was my voluntary friend, is in no credit, neither with the prince, nor with the duke, I do not see what may be done for me there; except that, which Gondomar hath lost, you have found; and then I am sure my case is amended so, as with a great deal of confidence, I commend myself to you, hoping, that you will do what in you lieth, to prepare the prince and duke to think of me upon their return. And if you have any relation to the infanta, I doubt not but it shall be also to my use. God keep you. Your most affectionate and assured friend, &c. TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. Excellent Lord, THOUGH I have formerly given your grace thanks for your last letter, yet being much refreshed to hear things go so well, whereby we hope to see you here shortly, your errand done, and the prince within the vail; I could not contain, but congratulate with your lordship, seeing good fortune, that is God's blessing, still follow you. I hope I have still place in your love and favour; which if I have, for other place, it shall not trouble me. I ever rest July 22, 1623. Your Grace's most obliged and faithful servant. TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. Excellent Lord, UPON Mr. Clarke's dispatch, in troth I was ill in health, as he might partly perceive. Therefore I wrote to my true friend, and your grace's devoted servant, Mr. Matthew, to excuse me to your grace for not writing. Since, I thank God, I am pretty well recovered; for I have lain at two wards, one against my disease, the other against my physicians, who are strange creatures. My lord, it rejoiceth me much, that I understand from Mr. Matthew, that I live in your grace's remembrance; and that I shall be the first man, that you will think on upon your return: which if your grace perform, I hope God Almighty, who hath hitherto extraordinarily blessed you in this rocky business, will bless you the more for my sake. For I have had extraordinary tokens of his divine favour towards me, both in sickness and in health, prosperity and adversity. Vouchsafe to present my most humble duty to his highness, whose happy arrival will be a bright morning to all. I ever rest I HAVE gotten a little health; I praise God for it. I have therefore now written to his grace, that I formerly, upon Mr. Clarke's dispatch, desired you to excuse me for not writing, and taken knowledge, that I have understood from you, that I live in his grace's remembrance; and that I shall be his first man, that he will have care of upon his return. And although your absence be to me as uncomfortable to my mind, as God may make it helpful to my fortunes; yet it is somewhat supplied by the love, freedom, and often visitations of Mr. Gage; so, as when I have him, I think I want you not altogether. God keep you. Your most affectionate and much obliged friend, &c. MINUTES OF A LETTER TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. THAT I am exceeding glad his grace is come home (a) with so fair a reputation of a sound protestant, and so constant for the king's honour and errand. His grace is now to consider, that his reputation will vanish like a dream, except now, upon his return, he do some remarkable act to fix it, and bind it in. They have a good wise proverb in the country, whence he cometh, taken I think from a gentlewoman's sampler, Qui en no da nudo, pierdo punto, "he "that tieth not a knot upon his thread loseth his " stitch." Any particular I, that live in darkness, cannot propound. Let his grace, who seeth clear, make his choice: but let some such thing be done, and then this reputation will stick by him; and his grace may afterwards be at the better liberty to take and leave off the future occasions, that shall present. (a) The prince and duke arrived from Spain in London, October 6, 1623. TO THE KING. poor It may please your most excellent Majesty, I SEND, in all humbleness, to your majesty, the fruits of my leisure. This book (a) was the first thing, that ever I presented to your majesty; (b) and it may be, will be the last. For I had thought it should have been posthuma proles. But God hath otherwise disposed for a while. It is a translation, but almost enlarged to a new work. I had good helps for the language. I have been also mine own index expurgatorius, that it may be read in all places. For since my end of putting it into Latin was to have it read every where, it had been an absurd contradiction to free it in the language, and to pen it up in the matter. Your majesty will vouchsafe graciously to receive these poor sacrifices of him, that shall ever desire to do you honour, while he breathes, and fulfilleth the rest in prayers. Your Majesty's true beadsman, and most humble servant, &c. Todos duelos con pan son buenos: itaque det vestra Majestas obolum Belisario. TO THE PRINCE. It may please your excellent Highness, I SEND your highness, in all humbleness, my book of Advancement of Learning, translated into Latin, but so enlarged as it may go for a new work. It is a (a) De Augmentis Scientiarum, printed at London, 1623, in folio. The present to king James 1. is in the royal library in the British Museum. (b) The two books of Sir Francis Bacon of the Proficiency and Advancement of Learning, Divine and Human: printed at London, 1605, in quarto. book, I think, will live, and be a citizen of the world, as English books are not. For Henry the Eighth, to deal truly with your highness, I did so despair of my health this summer, as I was glad to choose some such work, as I might compass within days; so far was I from entering into a work of length. Your highness's return hath been my restorative. When I shall wait upon your highness, I shall give you a farther account. So I most humbly kiss your highness's hands, resting Your highness's most devoted servant. I would, as I wrote to the duke in Spain, I could do your highness's journey any honour with my pen. It began like a fable of the poets; but it deserveth all in a piece a worthy narration. My Lord, CONF. BUC. (a) My counsels bear not so high an elevation, as to have for their mark business of estate. That, which I level at, is your standing and greatness, which nevertheless I hold for a main pillar of the king's ser vice. For a parliament, I hold it then fit, when there have passed some more visible demonstrations of your power with the king, and your constancy in the way you are in: before not. There are considerable, in this state, three sorts of men: the party of the Papists, which hate you; the party of the Protestants, including those they call Puritans, whose love is yet but green towards you; and particular great persons, which are most of them reconciled enemies, or discontented friends: and you must think there are a great many, that will magnify you, and make use of you for the breaking of the match, or putting the realm into a war, which after will return to their old bias. (a) Conference with Buckingham. |