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THe ample testimony of your true affection to wards my Lord Ve∣rulam Viscount Saint Albans, hath obliged me your ser∣uant. Yet least the calumnious tongues of men might extenuate the good opinion you had of his worth and merit: I must ingenu∣ously confesse that my selfe and others of his seruants were the oc∣casion of exhaling his vertues
into a darke eclipse; which God knowes would haue long en∣dur'd both for the honour of his King, and good of the commonal∣••ie; had not we whom his bounty ••ursed, laid on his guiltlesse shoul∣ders our base and execrable deeds to be scand and censur'de by the whole Senate of a state, where no sooner sentence was giuen, but most of vs forsooke him, which makes vs beare the badge of Iewes to this day. Yet I am confident, there were some Godly Daniels a∣mongst vs; howsoeuer I will not mention any for feare of attribu∣ting more then their due, and of∣fending others; but leaue the sequel to their owne consciences, who ••an best iudge of innocencie. As
for my selfe with shame I must ac∣quite the title, and pleade guilty; which grieues my very soule, that so matchlesse a Peere should bee lost by such insinuating caterpil∣lars, who in his owne nature scorn'de the least thought of any base, vnworthy, or ignoble act, though subiect to infirmiries, as ordain'de to the wisest: for so much I must assure you was his hatred to bribery, corruption, or symmonie, that hearing I had re∣ceiu'de the profits of first fruits for a Benefice, which his pious cha∣ritie freely gaue, presently sent to me, and being asked of his Lord∣ship, I sodainly confessed, where∣upon hee fell into so great a passi∣on, that repli'de, I was cursed in
my conception, and nursed with a Tiger for deceiuing the Church, threatning I should be no longer his seruant; for that one scab'de Sheepe might infect the whole flock. Yet notwithstanding, vpon my submssion, the noblenesle of his disposition forgaue me the fact and receiu'de me into fauour; but neuer could obtaine a spirituall li∣uing afterwards: which makes me certainly beleeue they that mini∣ster'd those hellish pils of bribery, gilded them ouer, not onely at first with a shew of gratuity, or in the loue of courtesie, but waited the opportunitie of his necessitie: o∣therwise it had beene impossible to haue wrought an impression. So that by such stratagems the wi∣sest
men may proue weakest a∣mongst all officers; for those whose consciences are innocent of mitigating iustice, either by bri∣bery, gratuity, friendship, fauour or courtesie, let him cast the first stone and be canoniz'd for a Saint vpon earth. But the report goeth, that it is the policy of other States, when once the subiect groanes vnder oppression, to select some man of worth for allaying clamor of the vulgar, and congratulate the giddy multitude: which if his misfortune were such, he was not the first, nor, I am confident, wilbe the last. So that in time it may re∣flect some comfort to you and o∣thers that honoured him in their hearts, but not with their lips.