me, so it maketh me wish, that if you have accomplished yourself as well in the points of virtue and experience, which you sought by your travel, as you have won the perfection of the Italian tongue, I might have the contentment to see you again in England, that we may renew the fruit of our mutual good will; which, I may truly affirm, is, on my part, much increased towards you, both by your own demonstration of kind remembrance, and because I discern the like affection in your honourable and nearest friends. Our news are all but in seed; for our navy is set forth with happy winds, in token of happy adventures, so as we do but expect and pray, as the husbandman when his corn is in the ground. Thus commending me to your love, I commend you to God's preservation. To the Right Honourable his very good Lord, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, &c.* My very good Lord, I was wished to be here ready in expectation of some good effect; and therefore I commend my fortune to your lordship's kind and honourable furtherance. My affection inclineth me to be much [your] lordship's, and my course and way, in all reason and policy for myself, leadeth me to the same dependence: hereunto if there shall be joined your lordship's obligation in dealing strongly for me as you have begun, no man can be more yours. A timorous man is every body's, and a covetous man is his own. But if your lordship consider my nature, my course, my friends, my opinion with her majesty, if this eclipse of her favour were past, I hope you will think, I am no unlikely piece of wood to shape you a true servant of. My present thankfulness shall be as much as I have said." I humbly take my leave. Your Lordship's true humble servant, From Greenwich, this 5th of April, 1594. To the Right Honourable my very good Lord, the Lord Keeper.t My Lord, I have, since I spake with your lordship, pleaded to the Queen against herself for the injury she doth Mr. Bacon in delaying him so long, and the unkindness she doth me in granting no better expedition in a suit which I have followed so long, and so affectionately. And though I find that she makes some difficulty, to have the more thanks, yet I do assure myself she is resolved to make him. I do write this not to solicit your lordship to stand firm in assisting me, because, I know, you hold yourself already tied by your affection to Mr. Bacon, and by your promise to me; but to acquaint your lordship of my resolution to set up my 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 Greenwich, Your Lordship's very assured, this 14th of January, [1594]. ESSEX. Indorsed.-My Lord of Essex for Mr. Fran. Bacon to be Solicitor. To the Right Honourable his very good 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, To the Right Honourable, &c. the Lord Keeper, &c.t 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 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 humbly take my leave. Your Lordship's, in all humble duty and service, this 8th of April, 1594. Earl of Essex to Lord Keeper Puckering.* 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. To the Right Honourable the Lord Keeper, &c. 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 these 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 From Gray's Inn, this 13th of August, 1594. to receive your commandments, Harl. MSS. vol. 6996, No. 72. To the Right Honourable the Lord Keeper, &c.* 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. To the Right Honourable his very good Lord, the Lord Keeper, &c.t It may please your good Lordship, I was minded, according to the place of employment, 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 satisfaction 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 General. And so I commend your honourable lordship to God's good preser vation. Your good Lordship's, Humbly at your honourable commandments, From Gray's Inn, the 25th of September, Friday. FR. BACON. To the Right Honourable the Lord Keeper, &c.‡ 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 preservation. Your Lordship's much bounden From Twickenham Park, this 20th of May, 1595. FR. BACON. Indorsed-Mr. Fr. Bacon, his Contentation to leave the Solicitorship. Sir, To Sir George Villiers.* I think I cannot do better service towards the good estate of the kingdom of Ireland than to procure the king to be well served in the eminent places of law and justice; I shall therefore name unto you for the attorney's place there, or for the solicitor's place if the new solicitor shall go up, a gentleman of mine own breeding and framing, Mr. Edward Wyrthington, of Gray's Inn: he is born to eight hundred pounds a year; he is the eldest son of a most severe justicer amongst the recusants of Lancashire, and a man most able for law and speech, and by me trained in the King's causes. My Lord Deputy, by my description, is much in love with the man. I hear my Lord of Canterbury and Sir Thomas Laque should name one Sir John Beare, and some other mean men. This man I commend upon my credit, for the good of his majesty's service. God ever preserve and prosper you. I rest Your most devoted and most bounden Servant, July 2, 1616. To the Marquis of Buckingham.† My very good Lord, I write now only, rather in a kind of continuance and fresh suit, upon the King's business, than that the same is yet ripe either for advertisement or advice. |