Page images
PDF
EPUB

fore upon his majesty's signification of his pleasure upon the indorsement of the bill signed, I take it ḥ may lawfully do it.

4

I am here rejoicing with my neighbours the townsmen of St. Albans, for this happy day, the fifth of August, 1618.datnu ratova

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

My very good Lord,"

[ocr errors]

I THANK your lordship for your last loving letter. I now write to give the king an account of a patent I have stayed at the seal. It is of licence to give in mortmain eight hundred pound land, though it be of tenure in chief to Allen that was the player, for an hospital,oneam 15/11

5

༧,,

Stephens's second col

lection,

p. 83.

4 The fifth of August, being the anniversary of the king's deli verance from the earl of Gowry's conspiracy, was by some called Twe the court-holiday, and ridiculed as a fiction; though the truth thereof being delivered down by archbishop Spotswood, and other good historians, I see no great reason to call it into question, Stephens

That Allen the player, who founded an hospital at Dulwich in Surry, had been an excellent actor of the comical and serious part, will appear evident to any one that shall thoroughly consider the following epigram made by that admirable dramatic poet, Ben Johnson, or disabi -97941 ba

[ocr errors]

To Mr. EDWARD ALLEND 5 MAR

If Rome so great, and in her wisest age, 6 9 Fear'd rot to boast the glories of her stage: As skilful Roscius, and grave Esop, men

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

17 Yet crown'd with honours, as with riches then;
Who had no less a trumpet of their name,
Than Cicero, whose every breath was fame:
brolyn How can so great example die in me?
egozio That, Allen, I should pause to publish thee; 10
og Who both their graces in thy self has more
bagudo Outstript, than they did all that went before ge

[ocr errors]

And present worth in all dost so contract, od mod 61 port As others speak, but only thou dost act. is wel

Wear this renown. 'Tis just that who did give toonars
So many poets life, by one should livello ne biorę binow

I like well that Allen playeth the last act of his life so well; but if his majesty give way thus to amortize his tenures, his courts of wards will decay; which I had well hoped should improve.

But that which moved me chiefly is, that his majesty now lately did absolutely deny Sir Henry Savile for 2001. and Sir Edward Sandys for 100l. to the perpetuating of two lectures, the one in Oxford, the other in Cambridge, foundations of singular honour to his majesty, the best learned of kings, and of which there is great want; whereas hospitals abound, and beggars abound never a whit the less.

If his majesty do like to pass the book at all; yet if he would be pleased to abridge the 8001. to 5001. and then give way to the other two books for the univer sity, it were a princely work. And I would make an hum ble suit to the king, and desire your lordship to join in

:

9762

m

It were to be wished this observation did not hold true to this day for though the foundations of hospitals are to be com mended, which Sir Francis Bacon hath done both in this letter, and other his writings; yet it shews that some more adequate remedy for supporting the poor, than what arises from these charities, or even from the laws enacted for their relief, was then, and yet is to be desired. And as the defect thereof is no small reproach to the government of a country, happy in its natural product, and enriched by commerce; so it would be an act of the greatest humanity, to provide for the poor, and that idleness and beggary, the successive nursery of rogues, might as far as possible be extirpated. Upon this occasion I cannot but take notice of a story which has been spread abroad to the defamation of Sir Francis Bacon, though upon no good ground, as far as I can judge, as if in the accomplishment of the foundation of the Charter-house hospital, begun by Mr. Sutton, and carried on by his executors, Sir Francis, who was then the king's solicitor, had, for some ill designs of gain to himself or others, endeavoured to have defeated the same. The fact was, that the heir at law supposing,

A

acts notwithstanding what Mr. Sutton had done in a sup

acts of parliament, and patents from the king, in order to esta blish this noble charity, that the greatest part of his estate was descended to him, it was argued on his behalf by the solicitormen of times: and whatever ill intentions some of the request to the reader is, that before he pass any censure upon Sir Francis Bacon, relating hereunto, he would please to peruse his advice, printed in Vol. III. p. 888, given to the king touching Mr .Sutton's estate. Stephens.

general, by My Yelverton, and Mr.

those

host my

court
t might have,

it, that it might be so. God ever preserve and pros

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

I have written to my lord chamberlain, being chancellor of Oxford, to help in the business.

CCVI. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM. Stephens's

My very good Lord,

WHAT passed in your lordship's presence, your lordship can tell, touching the navy. The morrow following we concluded in approbation of the books, save in one point, touching the number convenient for manning the ships, wherein the number allowed by the commissioners had, in my judgment, a little of the, merchant; for to measure by so many as were above dead is no good argument. For the abuse of pays, dead pays is to be amended, and not the necessary? number abated. In this his majesty may fall upon a middle proportion between that of the commissioners and that of the officers.

1

It were good, now the three books, which we have appointed to be ingrossed into one leidger-book, are affirmed, there were a short book of his majesty's royal directions, and orders thereupon, extracted.

For the commission of the treasury, I persuade myself, they are of the first hours that have been well, spent in that kind. We have put those particulars, whereof his majesty gave us charge, into a way.

[ocr errors]

Bingley's information will be to good purpose, and we find another of like nature revealed to Mr. Secre

tary and myself. God ever prosper you. GDL 199.9b Your Lordship's most obliged friend

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

totasos con and faithful servant, binowanej must4 quitrast Mound FR VERULAM, Canças 09 October, 1618. 167 mi bezaną

h

1

second collection,

p. 84.

Stephens's second col

Jection, p. 85.

PINTEIL COŋm łowi voj×b

[ocr errors]

CCVII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM.00
My very good Lord,

[ocr errors]

LOOKING for matter of service, I have found out a suit for myself; and it is proper for me more than all men, because it is within the account of the hanaper. But I have made a law to myself, that I will never beg any thing which shall not bring gain to the king. Therefore my suit is, to farm the profits of the alienations, yielding a thousand pounds a year more to the king than hath been yielded communibus annis, by a

[ocr errors]

medium of seven vears. If the king be pleased to

grant me this, it will a little warm the honour he hath
given me; and I shall have a new occasion to be, as
I ever have been, and shall be,

Your lordship's obliged friend and faithful servant,
FR. VERULAM, Cane.
York-house, October 9, 1618.

Ibid. p. 86. CCVII. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM.
My very good Lord,

THIS morning Mr. Attorney came to me, and desired of me the many writs of Ne exeat regnum against, most of the Dutch merchants, and withal let me un

The affair of these Dutch merchants is in some measure represented in this letter, and those of October 9, and Nov, 9, 1619.

But Mr. Stephens in 12 and thotion, p. 45, 46, gives us, by the

[ocr errors]

assistance of some authentic papers, the following account of the
affair: Upon the 19th of October, 1618, the attorney-general
having applied to the lord chancellor for writs Ne exeat regnum,
against these merchants, afterwards exhibited an information
against about one hundred and eighty of them, for transporting"
beyond the seas vast quantities of gold and silver in money, plate,
and bullion, since the beginning of king James I's reign. The
attorney at first brought the cause to an hearing against about
twenty of them, who were supposed the greatest offenders, and
most able to make restitution. to Their fines amounting in the
whole to 150,000, of which Mr. William Courteen, and two-
others, were condemned in 20,000l. each; the advice which the
lord chancellor gave the king, not to grant away the fines of such
ten
of them as Sir Thomas Vavasor the discoverer should choose,
and which it seems he had ins a smanner been promised, was a
piece of service worthy the place he enjoyed, and the trust he had

derstand that there was a discovery of an infinite transportation of gold and silver out of this realm by the said Dutch merchants, amounting to millions; and that Sir John Britain had made a book thereof, and presented the same to his majesty; and farther, that his majesty had directed him to prosecute the same; and had also given Sir Thomas Vavasor the forfeiture of such ten of them as he should choose.

-Hereupon I thought it my duty, as in a matter of great weight, to signify to his majesty by your lordship what I conceive.

The discovery I think very happy. For if it be true, it will be a great benefit to his majesty: it will also content his people much, and it will demonstrate also d it will that Scotland is not the leech, as some discoursers essay but the Netherlanders, that suck the realm of treasure. So that the thing is very good."

But two things I must represent to his majesty: the first, that if I stay merchants from their trading by this writ, I must do it either er officio, or by spe) 221, 1 cial warrant from his majesty.

If er officio, then I must have more than a bare surmise to grant the writ upon, so as I must be acelyracquainted with the grounds, or at least appearance of proofs. If by special warrant, then I desire to receive the same. The other is, that I humbly beseech his majesty that these royal boughs of forfeiture may not be vintaged, or crop❜d by private suitors, considering his majesty's state as it is, but that Sir Thomas 50 o del di gogo crista. with the king. Upon the 12th of October 1619, Mr. Courteen was censured to pay 2000 more, and other smaller sums, for endeavour ing to corrupt the king's evidence. And the 19th of November following was appointed for the trial of between twenty and thirty more; but by reason of some neglect or mismanagement in the prosecution, which gave the court a great deal of trouble, and the defendants some advantage, the cause was not heard till the 7th of December, though most of them were then found guilty. Of the large fines imposed upon the delinquents, it is supposed that they paid but a third part; for daring the prosecution, the States-General did by a letter desire the marquis of Buckingham to endeavour to moderate the heat thereof, as Sir Noel Carson their ambassador did the next day after sentence, to mitigate the severity, sem out bas,bayojas,ad sig och glow oorvigs to 900

W

« PreviousContinue »