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rest, and employ my uttermost strength to get him placed before the term: so as I beseech your lordship think of no temporising course, for I shall think the queen deals unkindly with me, if she do not both give him the place, and give it with favour and some extraordinary advantage. I wish your lordship all honour and happiness; and rest,

Your Lordship's very assured,

Greenwich, this 14th of January, [1594.]

Endorsed, My lord of Essex for Mr.

ESSEX.

Fran. Bacon to be solicitor.

XIV. To the right honourable his very good Harl. MSS. Lord, the Lord Keeper of the great seal,

My very good Lord,

SIR Thomas Egerton failing of your lordship, being newly gone, sent his letter to me to see conveyed unto you, which I send inclosed; desiring your lordship, according to your kind affection, to make the best use thereof for my furtherance. And I pray your lordship to call to remembrance my lord treasurer's kind course, who affirmed directly all the rest to be unfit. And because vis unita fortior, I pray your lordship to take a time with the queen when my lord treasurer is present. Thus in hope to-morrow will bring forth some good effect, I rest,

Your Lordship's in all humble duty and service,
FR. BACON.

Vol. 6996.
No. 52.

XV. To the right honourable, etc. the Lord Ibid.
Keeper, etc.

My very good Lord,

BECAUSE I understand your lordship remaineth at court till this day, and that my lord of Essex writeth to me, that his lordship cometh to London, I thought good to remember your Lordship, and to request you, as I touched in my last, that if my lord treasurer be absent, your lordship would forbear to fall into my business with

No. 50.

her majesty, lest it might receive some foil before the
time, when it should be resolutely dealt in. And so
commending myself to your good favour, I most hum-
bly take my leave.

Your Lordship's in all humble duty and service,

From Gray's-Inn this
8th of April, 1594.

FR. BACON.

Harl. MSS. XVI. Earl of Essex, to Lord Keeper Puckering.
My Lord,

Vol. 6996.

No. 72,

My short stay at the court made me fail of speaking with your lordship; therefore I must write that which myself had told you; that is, that your lordship will be pleased to forbear pressing for a solicitor, since there is no cause towards the end of a term to call for it; and because the absence of Mr. Bacon's friends may be much to his disadvantage. I wish your lordship all happiness and rest.

Your Lordship's very assured to be commanded,

Wanstead this 4th

of May, 1594.

ESSEX.

XVII. To the right honourable the Lord
Keeper, etc.

It may please your good Lordship,

I UNDERSTAND of some business like enough to detain the queen to-morrow, which maketh me earnestly to pray your good lordship, as one that I have found to take my fortune to heart, to take some time to remember her majesty of a solicitor this present day.

Our Tower employment stayeth, and hath done there three days, because one of the principal offenders being brought to confess, and the other persisting in denial, her majesty in her wisdom thought best some time were given to him that is obstinate, to bethink himself; which indeed is singular good in such cases, Thus desiring your lordship's pardon, in haste I commend my fortune and duty to your favour,

Your Lordship's most humbly

to receive your commandments,

From Gray's-Inn this
13th of August, 1594.

FR. BACON.

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XVIII. To the right honourable the Lord Har. MSS. Keeper, etc.

It may please your good Lordship,

As your lordship hath at divers times helped me to pass over contrary times, so I humbly pray you not to omit this favourable time. I cannot bear myself as I should, till I be settled. And thus desiring pardon, I leave your lordship to God's preservation.

Your Lordship's most humbly at commandment,

From Gray's-Inn this

25th of August, 1594.

FR. BACON.

Vol. 6996,
No. 103.

XIX. To the right honourable his very good Ibid. No. Lord, the Lord Keeper, etc.

It may please your good Lordship,

I was minded, according to the place of employ ment, though not of office, wherein I serve, for my better direction and the advancement of the service, to have acquainted your lordship, now before the term, with such her majesty's causes as are in my hands. Which course intended out of duty, I do now find by that I hear from my lord of Essex, your lordship of your favour is willing to use for my good, upon that satis faction you may find in my travels. And I now send to your lordship, together with my humble thanks, to understand of your lordship's being at leisure, what part of to-morrow, to the end I may attend your lordship, which this afternoon I cannot, in regard of some conference I have appointed with Mr. Attorney Ge neral. And so I commend your honourable lordship to God's good preservation.

Your good Lordship's humbly at your honourable].
FR. BACON,

commandments,

From Gray's-Inn the 25th

of September, Friday,

109.

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Harl. Mss. XX. To the right honourable the Lord Keeper,etc.

Vol. 6996.

No. 110.

Ibid.

Vol. 6697.
No. 14.

It may please your good Lordship,

I RECEIVED, at my lord of Essex last going from court, a message of good assurance, which his lordship sent to my brother and to myself; which was this: That her majesty had stedfastly promised him to dispatch my matter to-morrow. And somewhat her majesty said to myself, when I attended her upon some service since, which I liked well, though it was with some doubtfulness, as, they say, her majesty useth till the last hour. This I thought good to signify to your good lordship, both that your lordship may perceive how effectual and operative your lordship's last dealing with her majesty was; and also that, now the wheel is going, your lordship would set it forward, the rather in respect of the necessity to go presently in hand with these criminal causes, if the commission shall hold according to the adjournment. And if her majesty should not be pleased presently to give order for a patent, yet if your lordship may by her warrant give me warning to prepare myself, it will be some hold and satisfaction. So thinking long to have the strength of place, to do your lordship acceptable service, I leave your good lordship to God's good preservation. Your Lordship's most humbly at your hon[ourable] commandments, FR. BACON.

From Gray's-Inn this 28th

of September, 1594.

XXI. To the right honourable theLord Keeper,etc.
It may please your Lordship,

I THOUGHT good to step aside for nine days, which is the durance of a wonder, and not for any dislike in the world; for I think her majesty hath done me as great a favour in making an end of this matter, as if she had enlarged me from some restraint. And I humbly pray your lordship, if it so please you, to deliver to her majesty from me, that I would have been glad

to have done her majesty service now in the best of my years, and the same mind remains in me still; and that it may be, when her majesty hath tried others, she will think of him that she hath cast aside. For I will take it upon that which her majesty hath often said, that she doth reserve me, and not reject me. And so I leave your good lordship to God's good pre

servation.

Your Lordship's much bounden,

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FR. BACON,

From Twicknam-Park this 20th of May, 1595. Endorsed: Mr. Fr. Bacon, his contentation

to leave the solicitorship.

XXII. A LETTER to the lord treasurer BURGH- Rawley's

LEY, recommending his first suit, touching the solicitor's place.

My Lord,

AFTER the remembrance of my most humble duty, though I know, by late experience, how mindful your lordship vouchsafeth to be of me and my poor fortunes, since it pleased your lordship, during your indisposi tion, when her majesty came to visit your lordship, to make mention of me for my employment and preferment; yet being now in the country, I do presume that your lordship, who of yourself had so honourable care of the matter, will not think it a trouble to be solicited therein. My hope is, that whereas your lordship told me her majesty was somewhat gravelled upon the offence she took at my speech in parliament; your lordship's favourable and good word, who hath assured me, that for your own part you construed, that I spake to the best, will be as a good tide to remove her from that shelf. And it is not unknown to your good lordship, that I was the first of the ordinary sort of the lower house of parliament that spake for the subsidy; and that which I after spake in difference, was but in circumstances of time and manner, which methinks should be no greater matter, since there is variety allowed in counsel, as a discord in music, to make it more perfect. But I may justly doubt, not so much her ma

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