Puslapio vaizdai
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willingly meet with in my course; but yet cannot avoid, without shew of base timorousness, or else of unkind or suspicious strangeness

[Some hiatus in the copy.]

And I am of one spirit still. I ever liked the Galenists, that deal with good compositions; and not the Paracelsians, that deal with these fine separations and in music, I ever loved easy airs, that go full all the parts together; and not these strange points of accord and discord. This I write not, I assure your honour, officiously; except it be according to Tully's Offices; that is, honestly and morally. For though, I thank God, I account, upon the proceeding, in the queen's service, or not proceeding, both ways; and therefore neither mean to fawn nor retire; yet I naturally desire good opinion with any person which for fortune or spirit is to be regarded: much more with a secretary of the queen's, and a cousin-german, and one with whom I have ever thought myself to have some sympathy of nature, though accidents have not suffered it to appear. Thus not doubting of your honourable interpretation and usage of that I have written, I commend you to the divine preservation.

From Gray's-Inn.

SIR,

XLI. TO SIR ROBERT CECIL1.

YOUR honour knoweth, my manner is, though it be not the wisest way, yet taking it for the honestest, to do as Alexander did by his physician, in drinking the medicine, and delivering the advertisement of suspicion : so I trust on, and yet do not smother what I hear. I do assure you, Sir, that by a wise friend of mine, and not factious towards your honour, I was told with asseveration, that your honour was bought by Mr. Coventry for two thousand angels: and that you wrought in a contrary spirit to my lord your father. And he said farther, that from your servants, from your lady, from some counsellors that have observed you in my business, he knew

Rawley's Resuscitatio.

you

wrought underhand with me: the truth of which tale I do not believe. You know the event will shew, and God will right. But as I reject this report, though the strangeness of my case might make me credulous, so I admit a conceit, that the last messenger my lord and yourself used, dealt ill with your honours; and that word, speculation, which was in the queen's mouth, rebounded from him as a commendation: for I am not ignorant of those little arts. Therefore, I pray, trust not him again in my matter. This was much to write; but I think my fortune will set me at liberty, who am weary of asserviling myself to every man's charity. Thus I, etc.

SIR,

XLII. TO FOULK GREVIL 1.

I UNDERSTAND of your pains to have visited me, for which I thank you. My matter is an endless question. I assure you I had said, "Requiesce, anima mea:" but I now am otherwise put to my psalter; "Nolite confidere." I dare go no farther. Her majesty had, by set speech, more than once assured me of her intention to call me to her service; which I could not understand but of the place I had been named to. And now, whether "invidus homo hoc fecit;" or whether my matter must be an appendix to my lord of Essex suit; or whether her majesty, pretending to prove my ability, meaneth but to take advantage of some errors, which like enough, at one time or other, I may commit; or what it is; but her majesty is not ready to dispatch it. And what though the master of the Rolls, and my lord of Essex, and yourself, and others, think my case without doubt, yet in the mean time I have a hard condition to stand so, that whatsoever service I do to her majesty, it shall be thought but to be "servitium viscatum," lime-twigs and fetches to place myself; and so I shall have envy, not thanks. This is a course to quench all good spirits, and to corrupt every man's nature; which will, I fear, much hurt her majesty's service in the end. I have been like a piece of stuff be

'Rawley's Resuscitatio.

spoken in the shop; and if her majesty will not take me, it may be the selling by parcels will be more gainful. For to be, as I told you, like a child following a bird, which, when he is nearest flieth away, and lighteth a little before, and then the child after it again, and so in infinitum; I am weary of it, as also of wearying my good friends: of whom, nevertheless, I hope in one course or other gratefully to deserve. And so, not forgetting your business, I leave to trouble you with this idle letter, being but "justa et moderata querimonia:" for indeed I do confess, primus amor will not easily be cast off. And thus again I commend me to you.

XLIII.

TO MY LORD OF ESSEX1.

IT MAY PLEASE YOUR GOOD LORDSHIP,

I AM very sorry her majesty should take my motion to travel in offence. But surely under her majesty's royal correction, it is such an offence as it should be an offence to the sun, when a man, to avoid the scorching heat thereof, flyeth into the shade. And And your lordship may easily think, that having now these twenty years, for so long it is, and more, since I went with Sir 2 Amyas Paulet into France, from her majesty's royal hand, made her majesty's service the scope of my life; I shall never find a greater grief than this, relinquere amorem priтит. But since principia actionum sunt tantum in nostra potestate, I hope her majesty of her clemency, yea and justice, will pardon me, and not force me to pine here with melancholy. For though mine heart be good, yet mine eyes will be sore; so as I shall have no pleasure to look abroad: and if I should otherwise be affected, her majesty in her wisdom will but think me an impudent man, that would face out a disgrace. Therefore, as I have ever found you my good lord and true friend, so I pray open the matter so to her majesty, as she may discern the necessity of it without adding hard conceit to her rejection; of which, I am sure, the latter I never deserved. Thus, etc.

'Rawley's Resuscitatio. 2 This letter was therefore wrote about the year 1598.

XLIV.

TO SIR ROBERT CECIL, AT HIS BEING IN
FRANCE'.

IT MAY PLEASE YOUR HONOURABLE LORDSHIP,

I KNOW you will pardon this my observance in writing to you, empty of matter, but out of the fulness of my love. I am sorry that as your time of absence is prolonged, above that was esteemed at your lordship's setting forth; so now, upon this last advertisement received from you, there groweth an opinion amongst better than the vulgar, that the difficulties also of your negotiation are increased. But because I know the gravity of your nature to be not to hope lightly, it maketh me to despair the less. For you are natus ad ardua: and the indisposition of the subject may honour the skill of the workman. Sure I am, judgment and diligence shall not want in your lordship's self: but this was not my purpose; being only to signify unto your lordship my continual and incessant love towards you, thirsting after your return, for many respects. So I commend you ever to the good preservation of the divine Majesty.

Gray's Inn, 1598.

At your honour's commandment ever and particularly.

XLV. TO SIR ROBERT CECIL2.

MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD,

THE argument of my letters to your lordship rather increaseth than spendeth; it being only the desire I have to salute you; which by your absence is more augmented than abated. For me to write to your lordship occurrences, either of Scotish brags, or Irish plaints, or Spanish ruffling, or Low-Country states, were, besides that it is alienum quiddam from mine own humour, to forget to whom I write; save that you, that know true advertisements, sometimes desire and delight to hear common reports, as we that know but common reports desire to hear the truth. But to leave such as write to your fortunes, I write to yourself, in regard of my love to you,

VOL. V.

'Rawley's Resuscitatio.
R

2 Ibid.

XXXIII.

TO MY LORD OF ESSEX 1.

IT MAY PLEASE YOUR GOOD LORDSHIP,

I PRAY God her majesty's weighing be not like the weight of a balance; " gravia deorsum, levia sursum." But I am as far from being altered in devotion towards her, as I am from distrust that she will be altered in opinion towards me, when she knoweth me better. For myself, I have lost some opinion, some time, and some means; this is my account: but then for opinion, it is a blast that goeth and cometh; for time, it is true, it goeth and cometh not; but yet I have learned that it may be redeemed.

For means, I value that most; and the rather, because I am purposed, not to follow the practice of the law, if her majesty command me in any particular, I shall be ready to do her willing service; and my reason is only, because it drinketh too much time, which I have dedicated to better purposes. But even for that point of estate and means, I partly lean to Thales's opinion, That a philosopher may be rich if he will. Thus your lordship seeth how I comfort myself; to the increase whereof I would fain please myself to believe that to be true which my lord treasurer writeth; which is, that it is more than a philosopher can morally digest. But without any such high conceit, I esteem it like the pulling out of an aking tooth, which, I remember, when I was a child, and had little philosophy, I was glad of when it was done. For your lordship, I do think myself more beholden to you than to any man: and I say, I reckon myself as a common, not popular, but common; and as much as is lawful to be inclosed of a common, so much your lordship shall be sure to have.

Your Lordship's, to obey your honourable commands,
more settled than ever."

XXXIV.

TO MY LORD OF ESSEX2.

MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD,

YOUR lordship's so honourable minding my poor fortune the last year, in the very entrance into that great

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