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 1. 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 reward you for kindness to Sept. 22, 1617. Your raised and infinitely obliged friend and servant, your FR. BACON, C. S. CLXXXVIII. TO THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM 2. 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. 'Stephen's First Collection, p. 217. 2 Ibid. 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 ás 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, for 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 At your lordship's command, FR. BACON, C. §. H. MONTAGUE, Oct, 25, 1617. 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 fre VÓL. V. 1 1 Stephens's First Collection, p. 219. 21 quented 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. These things are out of my element, but my care runneth where the king's state most laboureth: Sir Lionel Cranfield1 is yet sick, for which I am very sorry; for methinks his majesty, upon these tossings over 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. CXC. TO THE LORD KEEPER2. 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 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. Newmarket, 19 Nov. 1617. Your lordship's faithful friend and servant, G. BUCKINGHAM. 1 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 merchant, yet by his great ́abilities in, and applicacation 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 Cranfield, 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. CXCI. TO THE EARL OF BUCKINGHAM 1. MY VERY GOOD LORD, YESTERDAY at afternoon were read at the table his majesty's two letters 2, 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 the like will disinchant us of the opinion, which yet sticks with us, that to-day will be as yesterday, and to-morrow as to-day; so as there will be, as he saith, "Acribus initiis, fine incurioso.” I hold my opinion given in my former letter, that the uniting of some tables is the most passable way. But that is not all: for when that is done, the king 1 Stephens's Second Collection, p. 65. 2 One of these letters of K. James, as it contains a specimen of the frugality and good reconomy of his court, and relates to the subject we are upon, I have borrowed from the Cabala, p. 258, in terms following. A letter read at the council-board 21 Nov. 1617, touching the abatement MY LORDS: of his majesty's houshold charge. No worldly thing is so precious as time: ye know what task I gave you to work upon, during my absence; and what time was limited unto you, for the performance thereof. This same chancellor 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 constitit." 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 unnecessary 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 superfluous charges concerning my mouth, having had the happy opportunities of this messenger, in an errand so nearly concerning his place. In this I expect no answer in word or writing, but only the real performance, for a beginning to relieve me out of my miseries. For now the ball is at your feet, and the world shall bear me witness, that I have put you fairly to it; and so praying God to bless your labours, I bid you heartily farewel. Your own, JAMES R. Mr. Stephens says, In the other I suppose his majesty apprehends that the vigour the council at first shewed in reducing the charge of his houshold, would not be of long continuance: it being observed by Tacitus, in the words here cited, to be a thing not unusual in public affairs, that violent beginnings had negligent conclusions. may save greatly in that which remaineth. For if it be set down, what tables shall be fixed, and what diet allowed to them, my steward, as ill a mesnager as I am, or my lord mayor's steward, can go near to tell, what charge will go near to maintain the proportion. Then add to that some large allowance for waste, because the king shall not lose his prerogative to be deceived more than other men, and yet, no question, there will be a great retrenchment. But against this last abatement will be fronted the payment of arrears. But I confess I would be glad that I might see, or rather that a parliament may see, and chiefly that the king, for his own quiet, may see, that upon such a sum paid, such an annual retrenchment will follow: for things will never be done in act, except they be first done in conceit. I know these things do not pertain to me; for my part is to acquit the king's office towards God by administration of justice, and to oblige the hearts of his people to him by the same, and to maintain his prerogative. But yet because it is in hoc that the king's case laboureth, I cannot but yield my care, and my strength too, in council, such as it is; which cannot be so much, as it was between our Lady-day and Michaelmas-last. But whatsoever it is, it is wholly his majesty's, without any deflexion. As soon as I find any possibility of health in Sir Lionel Cranfield, to execute a sub-commission, I will by conference with him frame a draught of a letter from his majesty, for which there is the fairest occasion in the world. And the king hath prepared it as well as possible. God ever preserve and prosper you. Your lordship's true friend and devoted servant, York-house, Nov. 22, 1617. FR. BACON, C. S. |