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That men would go better and faster to the main errand.

That these things should not be staged, nor talked of, and so the less fuel to the fire.

That in things of this nature, wherein the council had done the like in former particulars, which I enumerated, before parliament, near parliament, during parliament, the council were to keep their wonted centinel, as if they thought not of a parliament, to destroy in other patents as concealments.

The reasons on the other side were:

That it would be thought but an humouring of the parliament, being now in the calends of a parliament, and that after parliament they would come up again.

That offered graces, by reason and experience, lose their thanks.

That they are to be suffered to play upon something, since they can do nothing of themselves.

That the choosing out of some things, when perhaps their minds might be more upon other things, would do no great effect.

That former patents taken away by act of council, were upon the complaints of particular persons; whereas now it should seem to be done tanquam ex officio.

To this I yielded, though, I confess, I am yet a little doubtful to the point of suavibus modis. But it is true that the speech of these, though in the lower house, may be contemned; and if way be given to them, as I writ to your lordship of some of them in my last, it will sort to your honour. For other things, the lords have put them in a very good way, of which I will give express account when I see his majesty, as also of other observations concerning parliament. For if his majesty said well, that when he knew the men and the elections, he would guess at the success; the prognosticks are not so good as I expected, occasioned by the late occurrents abroad, and the general licentious speaking of state matters, of which I wrote in my last. God ever keep you.

Your lordship's most obliged friend
and faithful servant,

16 Dec. 1620.

FR. VERULAM, Canc.

Stephens's second collection, p. 133.

Ibid.

Ibid.p.136.

CCLIII. To the Lord Chancellor.
My honourable Lord,

As soon as his majesty's convenience would permit, I have acquainted him with the draught of the proclamation your lordship sent me by his majesty's direction: his majesty liketh it in every point so well, both in matter and form, that he findeth no cause to alter a word in it, and would have your lordship acquaint the lords of the council with it, though he assureth himself, no man can find any thing in it to be changed, and to take order for the speedy setting it forth. And so I rest Yours, etc.

Theobalds, 21 Dec. 1620.

G. BUCKINGHAM.

CCLIV. To the Lord Chancellor.

I HAVE acquainted his majesty with your letter and the inclosed: the matter which his majesty hath been thinking upon for his speech concerneth both the points of the institution of a parliament, and of the end for which this is called; yet his majesty thinketh it fit that some extract be made out of it, which needeth to be but very short, as he will shew you at his return. Yours, etc.

Theobalds, 19 Jan. 1620.

G. BUCKINGHAM,

CCLV. To the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM.
My very good Lord,

YESTERDAY I know was no day; now I hope I shall hear from your lordship, who are my anchor in these floods. Mean while to ease my heart, I have written to his majesty the inclosed; which I pray your lordship to read advisedly, and to deliver it, or not to deliver it, as you think good. God ever prosper your. lordship.

March 25, 1621.

Yours ever what I can,

FR. ST. ALBAN, Canc.

6

CCLVI. To the KING.

It may please your most excellent Majesty, TIME hath been when I have brought unto you gemitum columbæ from others, now I bring it from myself. I fly unto your majesty with the wings of a dove, which once within these seven days I thought would have carried me a higher flight. When I enter into myself, I find not the materials of such a tempest as is come upon me: I have been, as your majesty knoweth best, never author of any immoderate counsel, but always desired to have things carried suavibus modis. I have been no avaricious oppressor of the people. I have been no haughty, or intolerable, or hateful man, in my conversation or carriage: I have inherited no hatred from my father, but am a good patriot born. Whence should this be? For these are the things that use to raise dislikes abroad.

For the house of commons, I began my credit there, and now it must be the place of the sepulture thereof; and yet this parliament, upon the message touching religion, the old love revived, and they said, I was the same man still, only honesty was turned into honour.

For the upper house, even within these days, before these troubles, they seemed as to take me into their arms, finding in me ingenuity, which they took to be the true straight line of nobleness, without any crooks or angles.

And for the briberies and gifts wherewith I am charged, when the books of hearts shall be opened, I hope I shall not be found to have the troubled fountain of a corrupt heart, in a depraved habit of taking rewards to pervert justice; howsoever I may be frail, and partake of the abuses of the times.

And therefore I am resolved, when I come to my answer, not to trick up my innocency, as I writ to the lords, by cavillations or voidances; but to speak to them the language that my heart speaketh to me, in excusing, extenuating, or ingenuously confessing; praying to God to give me the grace to see the bottom of

Stephens's second collection,

p. 136.

Stephens's second collection, p. 138.

my faults, and that no hardness of heart do steal upon me, under shew of more neatness of conscience, than is cause. But not to trouble your majesty any longer, craving pardon for this long mourning letter; that which I thirst after, as the hart after the streams is, that I may know, by my matchless friend that presenteth to you this letter, your majesty's heart (which is an abyssus of goodness, as I am an abyssus of misery) towards me. I have been ever your man, and counted myself but an usufructuary of myself, the property being yours. And now making myself an oblation to do with me as may best conduce to the honour of your justice, the honour of your mercy, and the use of your service, resting as clay in your majesty's gracious hands. FR. ST. ALBAN, Canc.

March 25, 1621.

CCLVII. To the KING.

It may please your most excellent Majesty, I THINK myself infinitely bounden to your majesty, for vouchsafing me access to your Royal Person, and to touch the hem of your garment. I see your majesty imitateth Him that would not break the broken reed, nor quench the smoking flax; and as your majesty imitateth Christ, so I hope assuredly my lords of the upper house will imitate you: and unto your majesty's grace and mercy, and next to my lords, I recommend myself. It is not possible, nor it were not safe, for me to answer particulars till I have my charge; which when I shall receive, I shall without fig-leaves or disguise excuse what I can excuse, extenuate what I can extenuate, and ingenuously confess what I can neither clear nor extenuate. And if there be any thing which I mought conceive to be no offence, and yet is, I desire to be informed, that I may be twice penitent, once for my fault, and the second time for my error. And so submitting all that I am to your majesty's grace, I rest

20 April, 1621.

CCLVIII. To the KING's Most Excellent Stephens's Majesty.

It may please your Majesty,

IT hath pleased God, for these three days past, to visit me with such extremity of head-ach, upon the hinder part of my head, fixed in one place, that I thought verily it had been some imposthumation. And then the little physic that I have, told me, that either it must grow to a congelation, and so to a lethargy; or to break, and so to a mortal fever and sudden death: which apprehension, and chiefly the anguish of the pain, made me unable to think of any business. But now that the pain itself is assuaged to be tolerable, I resume the care of my business, and therein prostrate myself again, by my letter, at your majesty's feet.

Your majesty can bear me witness, that, at my last so comfortable access, I did not so much as move your majesty, by your absolute power of pardon, or otherwise, to take my cause into your hands, and to interpose between the sentence of the house; and, according to my own desire, your majesty left it to the sentence of the house, and it was reported by my lord treasurer.

But now, if not per omnipotentiam, as the divines speak, but per potestatem suaviter disponentem, your majesty will graciously save me from a sentence, with the good liking of the house, and that cup may pass from me, it is the utmost of my desires.

This I move with the more belief, because I assure myself that if it be reformation that is sought, the very taking away the seal, upon my general submission, will be as much in example, for this four hundred years, as any farther severities.

The means of this I most humbly leave unto your majesty. But surely I conceive, that your majesty opening yourself in this kind to the lords counsellors, and a motion from the prince, after my submission, and my lord marquis using his interest with his friends in the house, may effect the sparing of a sentence, I

second collection,

P. 143.

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