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wards me, to whom words cannot make me known, neither mine own, nor others; but time will, to no disadvantage of any that shall fore-run his majesty's experience, by your testimony and commendation. And though occasion give you the precedence of doing me this special good office; yet I hope no long time will intercede before I shall have some means to requite your favour and acquit your report. More particularly, having thought good to make oblation of my most humble service to his majesty by a few lines, I desire your loving care and help, by yourself, or such means as I refer to your discretion, to deliver and present the same to his majesty's hands: of which letter I send you a copy, that you may know what you carry; and may take of Mr. Matthew the letter itself, if you be pleased to undertake the delivery. Lastly, I do commend to yourself, and such your courtesies as occasion may require, this gentleman Mr. Matthew, eldest son to my lord bishop of Duresme, and my very good friend, assuring you that any courtesy you shall use towards him, you shall use to a very worthy young gentleman, and one, I know, whose acquaintance you will much esteem. And so I ever continue.

1603.

LXV. An offer of service to the King upon his Rawley's first coming in.

It may please your most excellent Majesty,

IT is observed by some, upon a place in the Canticles, Ego sum flos campi, et lilium convallium, that, a dispari, it is not said, Egosum flos horti, et lilium montium; because the majesty of that person is not inclosed for a few, nor appropriated to the great. And yet, notwithstanding, this royal virtue of access, which both nature and judgment have planted in your majesty's mind, as the portal of all the rest, could not of itself, my imperfections considered, have animated me to make oblation of myself immediately to your majesty, had it not been joined with an habit of the like liberty which I enjoyed with my late dear sovereign mistress; a princess happy in all things else, but most

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happy in such a successor. And yet farther, and more nearly, I was not a little encouraged, not only upon a supposal, that unto your majesty's sacred ear, open to the air of all virtues, there might perhaps *Notice. have come some small breath of the good memory Sir Tobie of my father, so long a principal counsellor in your Collection kingdom; but also a more particular knowledge of of Letters, the infinite devotion and incessant endeavours, be

Matthew's

p. 17.

5

yond the strength of his body, and the nature of the times, which appeared in my good brother, Mr. Anthony Bacon, towards your majesty's service; and were on your majesty's part, through your sin gular benignity, by many most gracious and lively significations and favours accepted and acknowledged, beyond the merit of any thing he could effect: which endeavours and duties, for the most part, were common to myself with him, though by design, as between brethren, dissembled. And therefore, most high and mighty King, my most dear and dread sovereign lord, since now the corner-stone is laid of the mightiest monarchy in Europe; and that God above, who hath ever a hand in bridling the floods and motions both of the seas and of peoples hearts, hath by the miraculous and universal consent, the more strange, because it proceedeth from such diversity of causes, in your coming in, given a sign and token of great happiness in the continuance of your reign; I think there is no subject of your majesty's, which loveth this island, and is not hollow or unworthy, whose heart is not set on fire, not only to bring you peace-offerings, to make you propitious; but to sacrifice himself a burnt-offering or holocaust to your majesty's service: amongst which number no man's fire shall be more pure and fervent than mine; but how far forth it shall blaze + Pleasure out, that resteth in your, majesty's † employment. Sir Tobie So thirsting after the happiness of kissing your royal Matthew. hand, I continue ever.

to ordain.

1603.

s Sir N. Bacon, lord keeper of the great seal from the first to the 21 Elizabeth.

LXVI. A Letter commending his love to the Scrip.in saLord of KINLOSSE, upon his majesty's en- Edit. 1654.

trance.

My Lord,

1

THE present occasion awakeneth in me a remembrance of the constant amity and mutual good offices, which passed between my brother deceased and your lordship, whereunto I was less strange, than in respect of the time I had reason to pretend; and withal, I call to mind the great opinion which my brother, who seldom failed in judgment of a person, would often express to me of your lordship's great wisdom and soundness, both in head and heart, towards the service and affairs of our sovereign lord the king.

The one of those hath bred in me an election, and the other a confidence to address my good will and sincere affection to your good lordship; not doubting, in regard that my course of life hath wrought me not to be altogether unseen in the matters of the kingdom, that I may be of some use, both in point of service to the king, and in your lordship's particular.

V

And on the other side, I will not omit humbly to desire your lordship's favour, in furthering a good conceit and impression of my most humble duty and true zeal towards the king; to whose majesty words cannot make me known, neither mine own nor others? but time will, to no disadvantage of any, that shall forerun his majesty's expérience, by their humanity and commendations. And so I commend your good lordship to God's providence and protection.

From Gray's-Inn, etc. 1603.

6 Edward Bruce Mil. Dom. Kinlosse, Magis. Rotulorum curiæ eancellaria, 19 Jul. 1603. Rymer xvi. p. 491.

cra, p. 56.

LXVII A Letter to Doctor MORISON, a'Scotish physician, upon his majesty's coming in.

Mr. Dr. Morison,

I HAVE thought good by this my letter to renew this my ancient acquaintance which hath passed between us, signifying my good mind to you, to perform to you any good office, for your particular, and my expectation and a firm assurance of the like on your part towards me: wherein I confess you may have the start of me, because occasion hath given you the precedency in investing you with opportunity to use my name well, and by your loving testimony to further a good opinion of me in his majesty, and the court.

But I hope my experience of matters here will, with the light of his majesty's favour, enable me speedily both to requite your kindness, and to acquit and make good your testimony and report. So not doubting to see you here with his majesty; considering that it belongeth to your art to feel pulses (and I assure you, Galen doth not set down greater variety of pulses, than do vent here in mens hearts) I wish you all prosperity, and remain

Yours, etc,

From my chamber at Gray's-Inn, etc. 1603.

8

Rawley's LXVIII. To Mr. DAVIES, gone to meet the

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tio.

Mr. Davies,

king.

THOUGH you went on the sudden, yet you could not go before you had spoken with yourself, to the purpose

7 He had held a correspondence with Mr. Anthony Bacon, and was employed to find intelligence from Scotland to the earl of Essex. See Memoirs of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, from the year 1581, till her death. Vol. I. p. 79, 109, 116.

8 Mr. Davies having made his way unto the knowledge of King James, by a poem he dedicated unto the late queen, intitled, Nosce teipsum, was very favourably received by the king; and not long after made his attorney-general in Ireland, and serjeant at law; and in the next reign, was nominated to be chief justice of the

which I will now write: and therefore I know it shall
be altogether needless, save that I meant to shew you,
that I was not asleep. Briefly, I commend myself to
your love and the well using my name; as well in
repressing and answering for me, if there be any biting
or nibbling at it in that place, as in imprinting a good
conceit and opinion of me, chiefly in the king, of whose
favour I make myself comfortable assurance, as other-
wise in that court: and not only so, but generally to
perform to me all the good offices which the vivacity of
your wit can suggest to your mind, to be performed to
one, with whose affection you have so great sympa-
thy, and in whose fortune you have so great interest.
So desiring you to be good to concealed poets, I con-
tinue
Your assured friend,

Gray's-Inn this

28th of March, 1603.

FR. BACON.

LXIX. To Mr. ROBERT KEMPE, upon the Rawley's death of Queen Elizabeth.

Mr. Kempe,

THIS alteration is so great, as you might justly conceive some coldness of my affection towards you, if you should hear nothing from me, I living in this place. It is in vain to tell you with what wonderful still and calm this wheel is turned round; which, whether it be a remnant of her felicity that is gone, or a fruit of his reputation that is coming, I will not determine. For I cannot but divide myself between her memory and his name: yet we account it but a fair morn, before sunrising, before his majesty's presence: though for my part I see not whence any weather should arise. The papists are contained with fear enough, and hope too much. The French is thought to turn his practice upon procuring some disturbance in Scotland, where

king's-bench in England upon the displacing of Sir Randal Crew; but died suddenly on 27 December, 1626. He was very conversant with the wits of his time; some of his writings declare his excellency in that kind, as others do his abilities in his own profession. Stephens.

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