TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.1 My very good Lord, We have sat once upon the Commission of Treasure to no ill purpose, as may appear by the account enclosed; wherein his Majesty will find no preposterous issue of treasure: Mr. Chancellor imagines well; Coke seeks and beats over, as well where it is not as where it is; Secretary Naunton forgets nothing. I will look to bow things to the true ends. God bless and prosper his Majesty and yourself. Your lordship's most obliged friend 25 July, 1618. FR. VERULAM, Canc. TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.2 My very good Lord, . I pray your Lordship to signify to his Majesty that I thought it my duty to stay at the seal a book of Sir Francis Steward's, and Sir James Auterlony, etc. of £200 land in charge in fcesimple: My reasons, First, It is a perpetuity, and so much rent in diminution of revenue certain. Secondly, The warrant (as is acknowledged) came only from my Lord of Suffolk, and not from Mr. Chancellor. And yet my Lord was wont to boast, that since he was treasurer, all commissions and contracts for sale of the King's lands were broken oft and ceased. Thirdly, The rate of the moneys paid by the gentlemen amounteth but to thirteen years purchase; which is a plain gift of a good proportion of value. If his Majesty, now informed, iterate his mandate, it is done, and I excused; but I could wish his Majesty would refer it to the Commissioners of the Treasury, how the gentlemen may be otherwise satisfied. I received yesternight a brave account of the commission of the Wards in Ireland, which this one year is advanced from £200 per annum to £1000 which is twenty fold multiplied. Fortescue Papers. Original. Own hand. 2 Stephens's first collection, p. 230. From the original. Second collection, p. 80. 161] COMMISSION OF WARDS IN IRELAND. 321 This I write for two reasons. First, Because I glory in it, because it was my work wholly: next, because his Majesty may take occasion by this to look better to the improvement of his Wards in England in due time. God ever preserve and prosper I am very glad to hear of the honour his Majesty intendeth to my noble lady your Lordship's mother. This, amongst many other things, sheweth in your Lordship good nature, which is the root of all virtues, next religion. Besides it doth sort well in states, when place and power do meet, and stand not too far at a distance. For the passing of it by direction without bill signed, it cannot be in law. So is Mr. Attorney's opinion, and so is mine; and therefore there is presently a bill sent with an indorsement of passing it by immediate warrant, and this antedate. For the antedate, I must present his Majesty with my caution and with my obedience. For the statute ticth me from antedates; and indeed the mis chief is infinite: for by that means the King may grant any land, etc. and take it away a month hence and grant it another by an antedate. And surely were it land or the like, I would not say Absil, or, Your Majesty cannot do it, for a world; or, Your Majesty is sworn and I am sworn; or such brave phrases ; but surely (I say) I would in humbleness represent it to his Majesty. But the case of honour differeth; for therein his Majesty's "Last night late" (writes Winwood to Lake, August 21, 1617) "I received the enclosed bill from my Lord Keeper, which is a record of the commission for his M. wards in Ireland. I send you likewise his letter herewith unto me, wherein he desires that the commission may be signed or returned back unto his Lp. as soon as may be. I pray you procure his M. hand unto it at your first con veniency, and send it back unto me.' S. P. Dom. James I. vol. xciii. no. 33. 2 Stephens's first collection, p. 231. From the original. Second collection, p. 82. VOL. VI. Y prerogative and declaration is absolute, and he may make him that is last to be first. And therefore upon his Majesty's signification of his pleasure upon the indorsement of the bill signed, I take it I may lawfully do it. I am here rejoicing with my neighbours the townsmen of St. Albans, for this happy day, the fifth of August, 1618. Your lordship's most obliged friend Gorhambury. 4. FR. VERULAM, Canc. The next letter relates to an unfortunate accident of which Lorkin sent the following account to Sir Thomas Puckering a few days after it happened. "Last Sunday," he says, "happened here in London a great tumult against the Spanish ambassador, upon this occasion: A gentleman of his, riding through Chancery Lane, and not so well heeding his way as was fit, rode over a child, and left it in great danger of death. Presently offer was made to seize upon him, but he put spurs to his horse and away. The people followed him after, and as the length of their way increased so the people multiplied, they say, to the number of four or five thousand. These beset the Spanish ambassador's house, whither the delinquent had betaken himself, demanded the offender, and upon refusal proceeded to break down the windows, and to threaten a forcible entry. Neither could they be quieted till my Lord Chief Justice came thither himself in person, and carried the party along with him prisoner to his own house, promising the course of justice should pass upon him; wherewith they were appeased." It is a striking evidence of the tendency of national animosities to pass from one generation to another, that to this day our popular sympathy is with the rioters. An English child is ridden over by a gentleman belonging to the suite of the Spanish Ambassador. That it was done on purpose, we do not say. That it was done through blameworthy carelessness, we have no reason to think. A mob of four or five thousand Englishmen (who could not possibly have had means of better information) demand that he shall be delivered up to them. To prevent worse violence, he is delivered up to the Lord Court and Times of James I. vol. ii. p. 81. The child was not really hurt (see the Lord Mayor's letter to the Council, July 14: S. P. vol. xcviii. no. 18). But that does not affect the real question. For the mob thought he was; and if he had died, the outrage against justice would not have been at all the more excusable. 1618] ASSAULT ON THE SPANISHI AMBASSADOR'S NOUSE. 323 Chief Justice. And we cannot yet relate without a kind of indig. nation either that the delinquent' was not proceeded against, or that the rioters were. It seems that the Lord Mayor and the City were for letting it pass, but the King insisted that it should be “examined and sifted to the full," and therefore "appointed the Lord Coke to be a principal commissioner." By his direction Bacon wrote both to Coke and Cæsar, requiring their attendance by name. His letter to Coke, which seems to have entered most into particulars, has disappeared? but the other has been preserved among Cæsar's Papers, and is here transcribed from the original. TO SIR JULIUS Cesar, Knight, Master of the Rolls and OF HIS M. MOST HON" PRIVY COUNCIL. M' of the Rolls. His Ma pleasure is that a proceeding be forthwith had upon the Commission of Oyer and Terminer, concerning the late tumult and assault made upon the Spanish ambassador's house. Sir And because this day and to-morrow are Session days, I should think Monday or Tuesday next were a fit time if you shall so resolve; wherein I must let you know his M. doth require by name that both yourself and Sir Edward Cooke be present. Of this (though it needed not) I have written at large Edward Cooke, to which I refer you. And so with my good wishes unto you, and desire that at your best leisure I may see you and my good niece' (to whom I pray you heartily commend me) at Gorhambury, where you shall be welcome, I rest Your assured friend, Gorhambury, FR. VERULAM, Canc. 6 August, 1618. The result we hear from Chamberlain (15 August). Chamberlain to Carleton, 8 August, 1618. It seems to have been among the papers sent to Tenison in 1682, there being an entry in Stephens's catalogue of a letter "to Sir Edward Coke""about the trial of a riot "--beginning" His Majesty's pleasure is." But I did not succeed in finding any such letter at Lambeth, where most of the papers in that catalogue are preserved. Additional MSS. (B. M.) 12,507. f. 40. Original: written in the hand of Edward Sherburn. Sir Julius had married one of Bacon's nieces. "The commission I wrote of held on Wednesday at the Guildhall, where there were nine poor-snakes indicted for the riot committed at the Spanish ambassador's. Seven were found guilty, and adjudged to six months' imprisonment, and to pay £500 a piece. The other two were acquitted." The next letters explain themselves. TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.2 My very good Lord, I thank your Lordship for your last loving letter. I now write to give the King an account of a patent I have stayed at the scal. It is of licence to give in mortmain eight hundred pound land, though it be of tenure in chief, to Allen that was the player, for an hospital. I like well that Allen playeth the last act of his life so well; but if his Majesty give way thus to amortize his tenures, his Courts of Wards shall decay, which I had well hoped should improve. But that which moved me chiefly is, that his Majesty now lately did absolutely deny Sir Henry Savile for £200 and Sir Edwin San-lys for £100 to the perpetuating of two lectures, the one in Oxford, the other in Cambridge, foundations of singular honour to his Majesty (the best learned of kings) and of which there is great want; whereas hospitals abound, and beggars abound never a whit the less. If his Majesty do like to pass the book at all; yet if he would be pleased to abridge the £800 to £500 and then give way to the other two books for the university, it were a princely work. And I would make an humble suit to the King, and desire your Lordship to join in it, that it mought be so. God ever prescrve and prosper you. Your Lordship's most obliged friend and faithful servant, FR. VERULAM, Canc. York-house, this 18th of August, 1618. I have written to my Lord Chamberlain, being Chancellor of Oxford, to help in the business. 2 8. P. vol. viii, no. 84. p. 83. Stephens's first collection, p. 233. From the original. Second collection, |