Scrinia sacra; secrets of empire, in letters of illustrious persons. A supplement of the Cabala. In which business of the same quality and grandeur is contained: with many famous passages of the late reigns of K. Henry 8. Q. Elizabeth, K. James, and K. Charls.

Another to the Earl before his going to Ireland.

MY singular good Lord,

your note of my silence in your occasions hath made me set down these few wandring lines, as one that would say somwhat and can say nothing touching your Lordships inten∣ded charge for Ireland; which my endeavour I know your Lordship will accept graciously and well, whether your Lordship take it by the handle of th'occasion ministred from your self, or of th'affection from which it proceedeth, your Lordship is designed to a service of great merit and great perill; and as the greatness of the peril must needs include no small consequence of perill if it be not temperately go∣verned: for all immoderate successe extinguisheth merit, and seareth up distaste and envy, the assured fore-runner of whole changes of peril. But I am at the last point first, some good spirit leading my pen to presage to your Lordships success: wherein it is true, I am not without my Ora∣cle and Divinations, none of them superstitious, and yet not all naturall: For first, looking into the course of Gods providence in things now de∣pending, and calling into consideration how great things God hath done by her Majesty, and for her collect he hath disposed of this great disse∣ction in Ireland, whereby to give an urgent occasion to the reduction of that whole kingdom, as upon the rebellion of Desmond there ensued the reduction of that Province. Next, your Lordship goeth against three

of the unluckiest vices of all other, Disloyalty, Ingratitude, & Insosolence: which three offences in all examples have seldome their doom adjourned to the world to come. Lastly, he that shall have had the honor to know your Lordship inwardly, as I have had, shall find bona extra, whereby he may better ground a divination of good, then upon the diffection of a Sacrifice. But that part I leave; for it is fit for others to be confident upon you, & you to be confident upon the cause; the goodnesse & justice whereof is such, as can hardly be matched in any example, it being no ambitious war of Foreigns, but a recovery of subjects, and that af∣ter lenity of conditions often tried; and a recovery of them not onely to obedience, but to humanity and policy from more then Indian Barba∣rism. There is yet another kind of divination familiar in matters of State, being that which Demosthenes so often relieth upon in his time, where he saith, That which for the time past is worst of all, is for the time to come the best, which is, that things go ill, not by accident, but by error; wherein if your Lordship have been a waking Censor, but must look for no other now but Medice cura teipsum: And although your Lordship shal not be the blessed Physician that cometh to the decli∣nation of the disease, yet you imbrace that condition which many No∣ble Spirits have accepted for advantage, which is, that you go upon the greater perill of your fortune, and the less of your reputation; and so the honor countervaileth the adventure: of which honor your Lord∣ship is in no small possession, when that her Majesty known to be one of the most judicious Princes in discerning of spirits, that ever governed, hath made choyce of you meerly out of her Royall judgement (her affection inclining rather to continue your attendance) into whose hands & trust to put the commandement & conduct of so great forces, the ga∣thering in the fruit of so great charge, the execution of so many Coun∣cels, the redeeming of the defaults of so many former Governors, and the clearing of the glory of so many happy years reign onely in this part excepted. Nay further, how far forth the perill of that State is interla∣ced with the perill of England; and therefore how great the honor is to keep and defend the approaches of this kingdom, I hear many dis∣course; and indeed there is a great difference whether the Tortoise gather her selfe into her shell hurt or unhurt: And if any man be of opinion, that the nature of an enemy doth extenuate the honour of a service, be∣ing but a Rebell and a Savage, I differ from him; for I see the justest Triumphs that the Romans in their greatest greatness did obtain, and that whereof the Emperours in their stiles took additions and denominations, were of such an enemy, that is, people barbarous and not reduced to ci∣vility, magnifying a kind of lawless liberty, prodigall of life, hardned

in body, fortified in woods and bogs, placing both justice and felicity in the sharpness to their swords. Such were the Germans and antient Bri∣tains, and divers others. Upon which kind of people whether the victory be a Conquest, or a Reconquest upon a rebellion or revolt, it made no difference that ever I could find in honour. And therefore it is not the inriching predatory war that hath the preheminence in honour; else should it be more honour to bring in a Carrock of rich burthen, then one of the twelve Spanish Apostles. But then this nature of people doth yield a higher point of honour (considering in truth and substance) then any war can yield which should be atchieved against a civil enemy, if the end may be Paci{que} imponere morem, To replant and refound the policie of that Nation, to which nothing is wanting but a just and civil Go∣vernment. Which design as it doth descend to you from your noble Father, who lost his life in that action, though he paid tribute to nature, and not to fortune; so I hope your Lordship shall be as fatal a Captain to this war, as Africanus was to the war of Carthage, after that both his Uncle and his Father had lost their lives in Spain in the same war.

Now although it be true, that these things which I have writ (being but representations unto your Lordship of the honour and apparance of success of the enterprise) be not much to the purpose of my direction, yet it is that which is best to me being no man of war, and ignorant in the particulars of Estate: for a man may by the eye set up the white right in the midst of the But, though he be no Archer. Therefore I will only add this wish, according to the English phrase, which termeth a wel-willing advice a wish, That your Lordship in this whole action look∣ing forward set down this Position, That merit is worthier then fame; and looking back hither would remember this text, That obedience is better then sacrifice. For designing to fame and glory, may make your Lordship in the adventure of your person to be valiant as a private Soul∣dier rather then as a Generall; it may make you in your commandments rather to be gracious then disciplinary; it may make you press action in the respect of the great expectation conceived, rather hastily then sea∣sonably and safely; it may make you seek rather to atchieve the war by force, then by intermixture of practice; it may make you (if God shall send you prosperous beginnings) rather seek the fruition, of that honour then the perfection of the work in hand And for your proceeding like a good Protestant (upon warrant, and not upon good intention) your Lordship knoweth in your wisdom, that as it is most fit for you to desire convenient liberty of instruction, so it is no less fit for you to observe the due limits of them, remembring that the exceeding of them may not

only procure (in case of adverse accident) a dangerous disadvow, but also (in case of prosperous success) be subject to interpretation, as if all were not referred to the right end.

Thus I have presumed to write these few lines to your Lordship in methodo ignorantiae, which is, when a man speaketh of any subject not according to the parts of the matter, but according to the model of his own knowledge. And most humbly desire your Lordship, that the weak∣ness thereof may be supplied in your Lordship by a benign acceptation, as it is in me by my best wishing.

FR. BACON.