very well pleased with that account of your care- place; only in regard of my present urgent occaful and speedy despatch of business, &c. G. BUCKINGHAM. Yours, &c. Greenwich, May 13, 1619. P. S. Your business had been done before this, but I knew not whether you would have the attorney or solicitor to draw it. TO MY VERY LOVING FRIENDS, SIR THOMAS LEIGH, AND SIR THOMAS PUCKERING, KNIGHTS AND BARONETS. AFTER my hearty commendations, being informed by the petition of Mr. Thomas Porten, a poor Yorkshireman, of a heavy accident by fire, whereby his house, his wife, and a child, together with all his goods, were utterly burnt and consumed; which misfortune the petitioner suggests, with much eagerness, was occasioned by the wicked practices and conjurations of one John Clarkson of Knowington, in the county of Warwick, and his daughter, persons of a wandering condition; affirming, for instance, that one Mr. Hailes of Warwick did take from the said Clarkson, certain books of conjuration and witchcraft. That the truth of the matter may be rightly known, and that Clarkson and his daughter, if there be ground for it, may answer the law according to the merit of so heinous a fact, I have thought good to wish and desire you to send for Clarkson, and his daughter; and as upon due examination you shall find cause, to take orders for their forthcoming, and answering of the matter at the next assize for the county of York; and also to confer with Mr. Hailes, whether he took from the said Clarkson any such book of conjuration, as the petitioner pretends he did, and to see them in safe custody. Whereupon I desire to be certified how you find the matter; and your doing thereupon. So, not doubting of your special care and diligence herein, I bid you heartily farewell, and rest Your very loving friend, York House, May 15, 1619. TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM. MY VERY GOOD LORD, Your lordship, I know, and the king both, might think me very unworthy of that I have been, or that I am, if I should not by all means desire to he freed from the restraint which debarreth my approach to his majesty's person, which I ever so much loved and admired; and severeth me likewise from all conference with your lordship, which is my second comfort. Nevertheless, if it be conceived that it may be matter of inconvenience, or envy, my particular respects must give sions, to take some present orde for the debts that press me most. I have petitioned his majes ty to give me leave to stay at London till the last of July, and then I will dispose of my abode according to the sentence. I have sent to the prince to join with you in it, for, though the matter seem small, yet it importeth me much. God prosper you. June 20, 1621. Your lordship's true servant, FR. ST. ALBAN. TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM. MY VERY GOOD LORD, I thank God I am come very well to Gorhambury, whereof I thought your lordship would be glad to hear sometimes. My lord, I wish myself by you in this stirring world, not for any love to place or business, for that is almost gone with me, but for my love to yourself, which can never cease in Your lordship's most obliged friend and true servant, FR. ST. ALBAN. Being now out of use, and out of sight, I recommend myself to your lordship's love and favour, to maintain me in his majesty's grace and good intention. TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. EXCELLENT LORD, I have received the warrant, not for land, but for the money, which, if it may be speedily served, is sure the better; for this I humbly kiss your grace's hands. But because the exchequer is thought to be somewhat barren, although I have good affiance of Mr. Chancellor, yet I hold it very essential, and therein I most humbly pray your grace's favour, that you would be pleased, by your letter, to recommend to Mr. Chancellor the speedy issuing of the money by this warrant, as a business whereof your grace hath an especial care; the rather, for that I understand from him, there be some other warrants for money to private suitors at this time on foot. But your grace may be pleased to remember this difference, that the other are mere gifts; this of mine is a bargain, with an advance only. I most humbly pray your grace likewise to present my most humble thanks to his majesty. God ever guide you by the hand. I always rest Your faithful and more Gray's Inn, this 17th of November, 1624. I most humbly thank your grace for your grace's favour to my honest, deserving servant. TO THE LORD ST. ALBAN. MY NOBLE LORD, The hearty affection I have borne to your person and service, hath made me ambitious to be a messenger of good news to you, and an eschewer of ill; this hath been the true reason why I have been thus long in answering you, not any negligence in your discreet, modest servant you sent with your letter, nor his who now returns you this answer, ofttimes given me by your master and mine; who, though by this may seem not to satisfy your desert and expectation, yet, take the word of a friend, who will never fail you, hath a tender care of you, full of a fresh memory of your by-past service. His majesty is but for the present, he says, able to yield unto the three years' advance, which, if you please to accept, you are not hereafter the farther off from obtaining some better testimony of his favour, worthier both of him and you, though it can never be answerable to what my heart wishes you, as Your lordship's humble servant, G. BUCKINGHAM. LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. TO THE KING. TO SIR FRANCIS BACON, HIS MAJESTY'S ATTOR NEY-GENERAL. SIR,-I have acquainted his majesty with your letter, and the other papers enclosed, who liketh very well of the course you purpose, touching the manifest to be published of Bertram's fact, and will have you, according to your own motion, advise with my lord chancellor of the manner of it. His majesty's pleasure likewise is, that, according to the declaration he made before the lords of his Council, at Whitehall, touching the review of my Lord Coke's reports, you draw a warrant ready for his signature, directed to those judges whom he then named to that effect, and send it speedily to him to be signed, that there may be a despatch TO THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM. MY SINGULAR GOOD Lord, When I heard your lordship was dead, I though I had lived too long. That was (to tell your lordship truly) the state of my mind upon that report. Since, I hear it was an idle mistaking of my Lord Evers, for my Lord Villiers: God's name be blessed, that you are alive to do infinite good, and not so much as sick or ill disposed for any thing I now hear. I have resigned the prince's seal, and my Lord Hobart is placed. I made the prince laugh, when I told him I resigned it with more comfort than I received it; he understanding me that I had changed for a better: but after I had given him that thought, I turned it upon this, that I left his state and business in good case, whereof I gave him a particular account. The queen called upon me for the matter of he house, wherein your lordship and my Lord Chamberlain and I dealt, and received his majesty's direction, so that I shall prepare a warrant, first to my lord treasurer and Mr. Chancellor, (for that is the right way) to advise how to settle it by assignment, in case she survive his majesty, which I hope in God she shall not. Her desire was expressly and of herself, that when I had prepared a warrant to be sent to his majesty, I should send it by your lordship's hand's. We sit in council, that is all I can yet say Sir John Denham is not come, upon whose com. ing the king shall have account of our consulta tions touching Ireland, which we cannot conclude, till we have spoken with him. God ever preserve and prosper you. It grieveth me much, that I cannot hear enough of his majesty's good disposition of health, and his pleasures, and other ordinary occurrences of his journey: I pray your lordship will direct Mr. Packer to write to me sometime, of matters of that kind. I have made the like request to Sir Edward Villiers, by whom I write this present, to whose good affection I think myself beholden, as I do also esteem him much for his good parts, besides his nearness to your lordship, which bindeth me above all. Your lordship's most faithful April 7, 1617. and devoted friend and servant, derstand the place of a chancellor, but done him much right also, in giving notice unto those that were present, that you had received such instructions from his majesty; whose honour will be so much the greater, in that all men will acknow. ledge the sufficiency and worthiness of his inajesty's choice, in preferring a man of such abili ties to that place, which, besides, cannot but be a great advancement and furtherance to his service. And I can assure your lordship, that his majesty was never so well pleased, as he is with this account you have given him of this passage. Thus, with the remembrance of my service, I rest Your lordship's ever at command, Edinburgh, May 18, 1616. G. BUCKINGHAM. TO THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM. MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, I pray your lordship to deliver to his majesty the enclosed. TO THE LORD KEEPER. MY HONOURABLE LORD, His majesty commandeth me to write to your lordship, that he wonders your hand being at that letter of the lords of the council, which he saith I send your lordship, also, the warrant to my is a very blunt one: you have not besides sent lord treasurer and Mr. Chancellor of the Exche-him some advice of your own, his majesty having quer for the queen's house, it is to come again only entrusted you to speak with Sir Lionel to the king, when the bill is drawn for the let- Cranfield about his estate. ters patents; for this is only the warrant to be signed by his majesty. I asked the queen whether she would write to your lordship about it; her answer was very modest and discreet, that because it proceeded wholly from his majesty's kindness and goodness, who had referred it, it was not so fit for her to write to your lordship for the despatch of it, but she desired me to thank your lordship for your former care of it, and to desire you to continue it: and withal she desireth your lordship not to press his majesty in it, but to take his best times. This answer (because I like it so well) I write to you at large, for other matters I will write by the next. God ever prosper you and pre Your lordship's faithful friend and servant, the TO THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM. MY LORD:-How well I wish to Sir Gilbert Haughton, himself, I dare say, doth not doubt, partly out of mine own affection, and chiefly for your lordship's affection towards him, which to me is more than mine own. That the king should make bargains of hope, when his treasure suf ficeth not for his own charge, I may not advise for my dearest friends; for I am nailed king's estate. But two things I shall assent unto; the one, that if the king can redeem his works without charge of officers, I shall be glad of it, both for the gentleman's sake, and because I perceive the uniting of the alum works in the king's hands is best: the other, that if his ma jesty be pleased to signify his pleasure to my lord treasurer and me, that there be no forfeiture taken by Banister, till the king shall advise of this bargain, we will hold him to it. God preserve and prosper your lordship. Your lordship, 1 think, perceiveth both my scribbling and cursory inditing, that I write in straits of business. Your lordship's true friend and devoted servant, FR. BACON, C. S York House, this 24th of Nov., 1617. TO THE KING. May it please your Majesty, Being yesterday assembled in council to proceed in the course we had begun, for retrenchment of your majesty's expenses; we received your princely letters, whereby we are directed to send to your majesty the names of the officers of the exchequer, custom-house, and auditors, out of which you purpose to make choice of some to be sub-committed to handle the mechanic and laborious part of that which your majesty had appointed to our care; we have, according to our duty, sent unto your majesty the names of the several officers of your majesty in those places, to be ordered as your wisdom shall think best to direct. But withal, we thought it appurtenant to our duties to inform your majesty how far we have proceeded in the several heads of retrenchments by your majesty at your departure committed unto us, that when you know in what estate our labours are, your judgment may the better direct any further course, as shall be meet. The matter of the household was by us, some days since, committed peremptorily to the officers of the house, as matter of commandment from your majesty, and of duty in them, to reduce the expense of your house to a limited charge of fifty thousand pounds by the year, besides the benefit of the compositions; and they have ever since painfully, as we are informed, travailed in it, and will be ready on Sunday next, which was the day given them, to present some models of retrenchments of divers kinds, all aiming at your majesty's service. In the point of pensions we have made a beginning, by suspending some wholly for a time, and of others of a third part; in which course we are still going on, until we make it fit to be presented to your majesty; in like manner the Lord Chamberlain, and the Lord Hay, did yesterday report unto us, what their travail had ordered in the wardrobe; and, although some doubt did arise anto us, whether your majesty's letters intended a stay of our labours, until you had made choice of the sub-committee intended by you, yet, presuming that such a course by sub-committee was purposed rather for a furtherance than let to that work, we did resolve to go on still, till your majesty's further directions shall come unto us; and then, according to our duty, we will proceed as we shall be by your majesty commanded; in the mean time, we thought it our duty to inform your majesty of what we have done, that neither your majesty may conceive that we have been negligent in those things which were committed unto us, nor your directions by your late letters hinder or cast back that which is already so far pro ceeded in. And so, humbly kissing your royal hands, I see the continuance of your love and respect to I have received your lordship's letters, wherein give your lordship many thanks, desiring nothing me, in any thing I write to you of, for which I for any man but what you shall find just and that there is so good hope of Sir Gilbert Houghconvenient to pass. I am very glad to understand ton's business, which I must needs ascribe to your lordship's great favour toward him for my sake, which I will ever acknowledge. If his majesty at any time speak of the Lord Clifton's business, I will answer according to that your lordship hath written, &c. Your lordship's faithful servant, Newmarket, the last of January, 1617. TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR. MY HONOURABLE Lord, I have acquainted his majesty with your letter to me, and delivered likewise to him the letter and other things directed to his majesty, who hath commanded me to return this answer to them all. First, for your memorial of your charge to the judges, he liketh it so well, that he findeth nothing either to be added or diminished; and was so well satisfied therewith, that he accounteth it needless to read the other papers, but sealed them up again, and sendeth them back to your lordship without reading them. Only in the point of recusants his majesty is of the quite contrary opinion to you; for though he would not by any means have a more severe course held than his laws appoint in that case, yet since the many reasons why, there should be no mitigation above that which his laws have enacted, and his own conscience telleth him to be fit. As, first, the Papists in his kingdom have taken such heart upon the commission given to Sir John Digby, touching the match with Spain, that they have sent copies thereof privately up and down, and are so lifted up in their hopes of what they desire, that his majesty cannot but take a more severe course, as far as by his laws he may, than hitherto he hath done. Besides, when they shall see a harder hand carried toward them than hath been accustomed, his majesty assureth himself they will employ all their means to further the match, in hope of mitigating of that severity when it shall be accomplished. And though these reasons were not, his majesty would account it a baseness in a prince to show such a desire of the match, as to slack any thing in his course of government, much more in propagation of the religion he professeth, for fear of giving hindrance to the match thereby. And so, with many thanks for your favours to my brother in his business, I rest Your lordship's faithful servant, G. BUCKINGHAM. well spent in that kind. We have put those particulars whereof his majesty gave us cnarge into a way. Bingley's information will be to good purpose, and we find another of like nature revealed to Mr. Secretary and myself. God ever prosper you. Your lordship's most obliged friend and faithful servant, FR. VERULAM, Canc. October 9, 1618. TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR. MY LORD, I have acquainted his majesty with your letter, who giveth you thanks for your advice to communicate the business of the Dutchmen to the commissioners of the treasury, which his majesty was before purposed to refer to them, as it concerns his treasure, for the carriage of it; and to your lordship and the rest named in your letter, for the relation it hath to the law. For the proposers of the suit, his majesty intendeth only to reward their pains as may stand with his service and his princely disposition, but to preserve the main benefit himself: all that his majesty would have your lordship to do for the present, is to take order about the writ of ne exeant regnum, to advise with his learned counsel what course is to be taken, and if by a warrant from his majesty, that your lordship send him a warrant to be signed, which shall be returned with all speed. Of other things his majesty thinketh it will be time enough to speak at his return to London. In the mean time I rest Your lordship's faithful friend and servant, G. BUCKINGHAM. Hinchinbroke, Oct. 21, 1618. TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM. 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 pays, is no good argument. For the abuse of 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. It were good, now the three books which we have appointed to be engrossed into one ledger book are affirmed, there were a short book of his majesty's royal directions, and orders thereupon, extracted. For the commission of the treasury, J persuade myself, they are of the first hours that have been TO THE MARQUIS of BUCKINGHAM. MY VERY GOOD LORD, I have this morning received the petty roll for the sheriffs. I received also the papers exhibited by Sir Miles Fleetwood, which I will use to his majesty's best service, and thereupon give account to his majesty when time serveth. My care, which is not dormant, touching his majesty's service, specially that of treasure, (which is now summa summarum,) maketh me propound to his majesty a matter, which, God is my witness, I do without contemplation of friend or end, but animo recto. If Sir Edward Coke continue sick, or keep in, I fear his majesty's service will languish too, in those things which touch upon law; as the calling in debts, recusants, alienations, defalcations, etc. And this is most certain, that in these new diligences, if the first beginning cool, all will go |