The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

320 CHARGE AGAINST FRANCES, COUNTESS OF SOMERSET.
But about the beginning of the progress the whether it were a true accusation of the one part,
last summer, God's judgments began to come out or a practice and factious scandal of the other:
of their depths. And, as the revealing of murder which writing, because I am not able to express
is commonly such as a man said, 1" a Domino hoc according to the worth thereof, I will desire your
factum est; it is God's work, and it is marvellous lordships anon to hear read.
in our eyes:" so in this particular it was most This excellent foundation of justice being laid
admirable; for it came forth first by a compli- by his majesty's own hand, it was referred unto
ment, a matter of courtesy. My Lord of Shrews- some counsellors to examine farther; who gained
bury, that is now with God, recommended to a some degrees of light from Weston, but yet left
counsellor of state, of special trust by his place, it imperfect.
the late lieutenant Helwisse,* only for acquaint- After it was referred to Sir Edward Coke, chief
ance, as an honest and worthy gentleman, and justice of the king's bench, as a person best pracdesired him to know him, and to be acquainted tised in legal examinations; who took a great
with him. That counsellor answered him civilly, deal of indefatigable pains in it without intermisthat my lord did him a favour, and that he should sion, having, as I have heard him say, taken at
embrace it willingly; but he must let his lordship least three hundred examinations in this busiknow, that there did lie a heavy imputation upon ness.
that gentleman, Helwisse; for that Sir Thomas But these things were not done in a corner; I
Overbury, his prisoner, was thought to have come need not speak of them. It is true that my lord
to a violent and an untimely death. When this chief justice, in the dawning and opening of the
speech was reported back by my Lord of Shrews- light, finding the matter touched upon these great
bury to Helwisse, "percussit illico animum," he persons, very discreetly became suitor to the
was strucken with it: and being a politic man, king, to have greater persons than his own rank
and of likelihood doubting that the matter would joined with him; whereupon your lordships, my
break forth at one time or other, and that others Lord High Steward of England, my Lord Steward
might have the start of him, and thinking to of the King's House, and my Lord Zouch, were
make his own case by his own tale, resolved with joined with him.
himself upon this occasion to discover unto my Neither wanted there, this while, practice to
Lord of Shrewsbury, and that counsellor, that suppress testimony, to deface writings, to weaken
there was an attempt, whereunto he was privy, to the king's resolution, to slander the justice, and
have poisoned Overbury by the hands of his the like. Nay, when it came to the first solemn
under-keeper, Weston; but that he checked it, act of justice, which was the arraignment of
and put it by, and dissuaded it. But then he left Weston, he had his lesson to stand mute, which
it thus, that it was but as an attempt, or an had arrested the whole wheel of justice, but this
untimely birth, never executed; and, as if his dumb devil, by the means of some discreet divines,
own fault had been no more, but that lie was and the potent charm of justice together, was cast
honest in forbidding, but fearful of revealing and out; neither did this poisonous adder stop his ear
impeaching, or accusing great persons: and so to these charms, but relented, and yielded to his
with this fine point thought to save himself trial.
But that counsellor of estate, wisely consider- Then followed the other proceedings of justice
ing that, by the lieutenant's own tale, it could not against the other offenders, Turner, Helwisse,
be simply a permission or weakness: for that Franklin.
Weston was never displaced by the lieutenant, But all these being but the organs and instrunotxwithstanding that attempt; and coupling the ments of this fact, the actors, and not the authors,
sequel by the beginning, thought it matter fit to justice could not have been crowned without this
be brought before his majesty, by whose ap- last act against these great persons; else Wespointment Helwisse set down the like declaration ton's censure or prediction might have been
in writing. verified, when he said, he hoped the small flies
Upon this ground the king playeth Solomon's should not be caught, and the greater escape.
part, 1"Gloria Dei celare rem, et gloria Regis Wherein the king, being in great straits beinvestigfare rem," and sets down certain papers tween the defacing of his honour, and of his
of his own hand, which I might term to be creature, hath, according as he used to do,'6 claves justitia," keys of justice; and may serve chosen the better part, reserving always mercy
both for a precedent for princes to imitate, and for to himself.
a direction for judges to follow. And his ma- The time also of justice hath had its true mojesty carried the balance with a constant and tions. The time until this lady's deliverance was
steady hand, evenly, and without prejudice, due unto honour, Christianity, and humanity, in
respect of her great belly. The time since was
* Calhed in Sir 11. Wottou's Reliq. p. 413, Elvis. In Sir A. due to another kind of deliverance too; which
Weldens Court of King Jamnes, p. 107, Elwaies. In Aulic.h were in
Coquin. p. 141, Ellowaies. In Sir W. Dualdale's Baron. of i Was, that some causes of estate which were in
England, tom ii. p. 425, Elwayes. in Balker, p. 434, elvis. the womb might likewise be brought forth, not