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should be defalked, then your ordinary should want so much, it was agreed that the farmers should be paid the 25,000l. yearly in the sale of woods.

In this point it is fit for your majesty to be informed what hath been done, and whether order hath been taken with the farmers for it, and what debts were assigned to them so to discharge; for of the particulars of that course I never heard yet. And because it is apparent that the woodfalls this year do not amount to half that sum of 25,000l. your majesty is to give charge that consideration be had how the same shall be supplied by some other extraordinary for the present year, or else here will follow a fracture of the whole assignments.

Item, Your majesty may please to call for information how that money raised upon the woods is employed, so much is already received, and to be wary that no part hereof be suffered to go for extraordinaries, but to be employed only for the use for which it is assigned, or else a greater rupture will follow in your assignments. Item, A special consideration is to be had what course shall be taken for the rest of the years with the wood sales for supply of this 25,000l. yearly. 1 III. The other hundred thousand pound was agreed to be borrowed, and an allotment made by my lords of the council at the table, how the same should be imployed, and for what special services, whereof I deliver to your majesty herewith a copy,od

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In which point it may please your majesty to cause yourself to be informed how that allotment hath been observed, and because it is likely that a good part of it hath gone towards the charges of this your journey to Scotland, at least so it is paid, your majesty is to call for the particulars of that charge, that you may see how much of that hundred thousand it taketh up.

And then consideration is to be had how it may be supplied with some extraordinary comings in, as namely the moneys to come from the merchant-adventurers, that the same be allotted to none other use, but to per

Stephens's first collection,p. 217.

form this allotment, that so the foundation laid may be maintained, or else all will be to seek; and if there be any other extraordinary means to come to your majesty, that they may be reserved to that use.

And because care must be had to keep your credit in London, for this money borrowed, your majesty may please to call for information what is done in the matter of the forests, and what sum, and in what reasonable time, is like to be made thereof.

The extraordinaries which it is like will be alledg ed for this year :

Your majesty's journey into Scotland.

The lord Hay's employment into France.
The lord Roos into Spain.

The Baron de Tour extraordinary from France.
Sir John Bennet to the Archduke.

The enlarging your park at Theobalds.

Sir John Digby's sending into Spain.

Of all which when your majesty hath seen an estimate what they amount unto, and what money hath been already delivered towards them, which I fear will fall to be out of the moneys borrowed at London; then it is to be considered what extraordinaries are any ways to come in, which may supply these extraordinaries laid out, and be employed for the uses for which the moneys borrowed were intended.

CLXXXVII. To the Earl of BUCKINGHAM.

My ever best Lord, now better than yourself, YOUR lordship's pen or rather pencil hath pourtrayed 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 re-
ward you for your kindness to

Your raised andinfinitely obliged friend and servant,
FR. BACON, C. S.

Sept. 22, 1617.

CLXXXVIII. To the Earl of BUCKINGHAM. Stephens's My very good Lord,

I SEND your lordship the certificate touching the inrolment of prentices. We can find no ground for it by law. Myself shall ever be ready to further things that your lordship commendeth; but where the matter will not bear it, your lordship, I know, will think not the worse, but the better of me, if I signify the true state of things to your lordship; resting ever Your lordship's true friend and devoted servant, FR. BACON, C. S.

York-house, October 29, 1617.

The Certificate.

ACCORDING to his majesty's command signified by your lordship's letters, we have advisedly considered of the petition touching the inrolment of apprentices indentures, and heard the petitioners counsel, and do find as followeth :

1. That the act of parliament 5 Eliz. doth not warrant the erecting of an office to inroll such indentures, in cities, towns corporate, or market towns; but if any such inrolment should be, it must be by the officers there, who are assigned to perform sundry other things touching apprentices and servants.

2. That in country villages, fór which the suit carries most colour, we cannot give the suitors hope, that any profit will be there made, warrantable by law.

Thus we have, according to our duties, certified our opinions of this petition, submitting the same nevertheless to his majesty's great wisdom; and rest

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FR. BACON, C. S. H.MONTAGUE. THO.COVENTRY.

first collection,p.217,

Oct. 25, 1617.

Stephens's first collection,p. 219.

CLXXXIX. To the Earl of BUCKINGHAM.
My very good Lord,

THE liking which his majesty hath of our proceeding concerning his houshold, telleth me that his majesty cannot but dislike the declining, and tergiversation of the inferior officers; which by this time he understandeth.

There be but four kinds of retrenchments. 1. The union of tables. 2. The putting down of tables. 3. The abatement of dishes to tables. 4.The cutting off new diets and allowance lately raised; and yet perhaps such as are more necessary than some of the old. In my opinion, the first is the best and most feasible. The lord chamberlain's table is the principal table of state. The lord steward's table, I think, is much frequented by Scotish gentlemen. Your lordship's table hath a great attendance; and the groom of the stole's table is much resorted to by the bedchamber. These would not be touched. But for the rest, his majesty's case considered, I think they may well be united into

one.

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These things are out of my element, but my care runneth where the king's state most laboureth: "Sir Lionel Cranfield is yet sick, for which I am very sorry; for methinks his majesty, upon these tossings over of his business from one to others, hath an apt occasion to go on with sub-committees. God ever preserve and prosper you.

Your lordship's true friend and devoted servant,

York-house, Nov. 19, 1617.

FR. BACON, C. S.

6 Sir Lionel Cranfield was a man of so much note in these times, and so often named in these papers, that I cannot omit taking some notice of his good and bad fortunes. He was bred a mer chant, yet by his great abilities in, and application to business, and the relation he had to my lord of Buckingham by marriage, he was raised to be master of the court of requests, then of the wardrobe, and after of the court of wards, created Lord Cran field, and earl of Middlesex ; missing the lord keeper's place, he was constituted lord high treasurer, which being an office he understood as well as any, we may conclude his integrity fell short of his ability, from the severe judgment given against him by the ! house of lords in 1624. Stephens.

CXC. To the Lord Keeper.

My honourable Lord,

Stephen's second collection,

His majesty commandeth me to write to your lord- P. 64.
ship, that he wonders your hand being at that letter of
the lords of the council, which he saith is a very blunt
one; you have not besides sent him some advice of your
own, his majesty having only intrusted you to speak
with Sir Lionel Cranfield about his estate,

Your lordship's faithful friend and servant,
G. BUCKINGHAM,

Newmarket, 19 Nov. 1617.

CXCI. To the Earl of BUCKINGHAM.

My very good Lord,

YESTERDAY at afternoon were read at the table his majesty's 'two letters, written with his own hand, the matter worthy the hand. For they were written ex arte imperandi, if I can judge; and I hope they and

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7 One of these letters of K. James, as it contains a specimen of the frugality and good economy of his court, and relates to the subject we are upon, I have borrowed from the Cabala, p. 258, in terms following.

Ibid. p. 65.

A letter read at the council-board 21 Nov. 1617, touching the
abatement of his majesty's houshold charge.
My Lords:
4 30 790
No worldly thing is so precious as time: ye know what task Loo
gave you to work upon, during my absence; and what
we was g
limited unto you, for the performance thereof. This same
cellor of Scotland was wont to tell me twenty-four years ago, that
my house could not be kept upon epigrams: long discourses and
fair tales will never repair my estate. Omnis virtus in actione con-
sistit. Remember, that I told you, the shoe must be made for
the foot, and let that be the square of all your proceeding in this
business. Abate superfluities of all things; and multitudes of un-
necessary officers, wherever they be placed. But for the houshold,
wardrobe, and pensions, cut and carve as many as may agree with
the possibility of my means. Exceed not your own rule of
50,000l. for the houshold. If you can make it less I will account!!
it for good service. And that you may see I will not spare mine
own person, I have sent, with this bearer, a note of the super-
fluous charges concerning my mouth, having had the happy op
portunities of this messenger, in an errand so nearly concerning
his place. In this I expect no answer in word or writing, but od

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