The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

LETTERS CONCERNING ROBERT, EARL OF SOMERSET. 327
My lord chancellor and myself spent Thursday majesty's pleasure that my lord chancellor and I
and yesterday, the whole forenoons of both days, shall proceed to the examination of him, for that
in the examination of Sir Robert Cotton; whom of the Duke of Lenox differs, in that there is not
we find hitherto but empty, save only in the the like cause as in that of Somerset, then his
great point of the treaty with Spain. majesty may be pleased to direct his commandThis examination was taken before his ma- ment and warrant to my lord chief justice, to
jesty's warrant came to Mr. Vice-Chamberlain, deliver unto me the examination he took of Sir
for communicating unto us the secrets of the William Mounson, that those, joined to the
pensions; which warrant I received yesterday information which we have received from Mr.
morning, being Friday, and a meeting was ap- Vice-Chamberlain, may be full Instructions unto
pointed at my lord chancellor's in the evening, us for his examination. Farther, I pray let his
after council; upon which conference we find majesty know, that on Thursday in the evening,
matter of farther examination for Sir Robert Cot- my lord chief justice and myself attended my
ton, of some new articles whereupon to examine lord chancellor at his house, for the settling that
Somerset, and of entering into examination of Sir scruple which his majesty most justly conceived
William Mounson. in the examination of the Lady Somerset; at
Wherefore, first for Somerset, being now ready which time, resting on his majesty's opinion, that
to proceed to examine him, we stay only upon that evidence, as it standeth now uncleared, must,
the Duke of Lenox, who it seemeth is fallen sick,, secundum leges sanue conscientiEe" be laid
and keepeth in; without whom, we neither think aside; the question was, whether we should
it warranted by his majesty's direction, nor leave it out, or try what a re-examination of my
agreeable to his intention, that we should pro- Lady Somerset would produce. Whereupon we
ceed; for that will want, which should sweeten agreed upon a re-examination of my Lady Somerthe cup of medicine, he being his countryman and set, which my lord chief justice and I have
friend. Herein, then, we humbly crave his ma- appointed for Monday morning. I was bold at
jesty's direction with all convenient speed, that meeting to put my lord chief justice a posing
whether we shall expect the duke's recovery, or question; which was, Whether that opinion
proceed by ourselves; or that his majesty will which his brethren had given upon the whole evithink of some other person, qualified, according to dence, and he had reported to his majesty, namely,
his majesty's just intention, to be joined with us. that it was good evidence, in their opinions, to
I remember we had speech with his majesty of convict my Lord of Somerset, was not grounded
my Lord Hay; and I, for my part, can think of no upon this part of the evidence now to be omitted,
other, except it should be my Lord Chancellor of as well as upon the rest: who answered posiScotland, for my Lord Binning may be thought tively, No; and they never saw the exposition of
too near allied. the letter, but the letter only.
I am farther to know his majesty's pleasure The same Thursday evening, before we entered
concerning the day; for my lord chancellor and I into this last matter, and in the presence of Mr.
conceived his majesty to have designed the Mon- Secretary WTinwood, who left us when we went
day and Tuesday after St. George's feast; and, to the former business, we had conference connevertheless, we conceived also, that his majesty cerning the frauds and abusive grants passed to
understood that the examinations of Somerset the prejudice of his majesty's state of revenue;
about this, and otherwise touching the Spanish where my lord chief justice made some relation
Tractices, should first be put to a point; which of his collections which he had made of that
will not be possible, as time cometh on, by reason kind; of which I will only say this, that I heard
of' this accident of the duke's sickness, and the nothing that was new to me, and I found my lord
cause we find of Sir William Mounson's exami- chancellor, in divers particulars, more ready than
nation, and that divers of the peers are to be sent I had found him. We grew to a distribution both
for from remote places. of times and of matters, for we agreed what to
It may please his majesty, therefore, to take begin with presently, and what should follow,
into consideration, whether the days may not and also we had consideration what was to be
well be put off till Wednesday and Thursday holpen by law, what by equity, and what by parafter the term, which endeth on the Monday, liament; wherein I must confess, that in the last
being the Wednesday and Thursday before of these, of which my lord chief justice made
Whitsuntide; or, if that please not his majesty, most account, I make most doubt. But the conin respect, it may be, his majesty will be then in elusion was, that, upon this entrance, I should
town, whereas these arraignments have been still advise and confer at large with my lord chief
in his majesty's absence from town, then to take justice, and set things in work. The particulars
Monday and Tuesday after Trinity Sunday, I refer till his majesty's coming.
being the Monday and Tuesday before Trinity The learned counsel have now attended me
term. twice at my chamber, to confer upon that which
Now, for Sir William Mounson, if it be his his majesty gave us in commandmentfor our opl