The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

84 LETTERS FROM STEPHENS.
of his pleasure upon the endorsement of the bill hath been yielded commu~nibus annis, by a medium
signed, I take it I may lawfully do it. of seven years. If the king be pleased to grant
I am here rejoicing with my neighbours, the me this, it will a little warm the honour he hath
townsmen of St. Albans, for this happy day, the given me; and I shall have a new occasion to be
5th of August, 1618. as I ever have been, and shall be
Your lordship's most obliged Your lordship's obliged friend
friend and faithful servant, and faithful servant,
FR. VERULAM, Cane. FR. VERULAMI, Cane.
Gorhambury. York House,
October 9th, 1618.
TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
MY VERY GOOD LORD, TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
I thank your lordship for your last loving letter. MY VERY GOOD LORD,
I now write to give the king an account of the This morning Mr. Attorney came to me and
patent I have stayed at the seal. It is of licence desired of me many writs of ne exeat regnumn
to give in mortmain eight hundred pounds land, against most of the Dutch merchants, and withal
though it be in tenure in chief to Allen, that was let me understand that there was a discovery of
the player, for an hospital. an infinite transportation of gold and silver out
I like well that Allen playeth thelast act of his of this realm, by the said Dutch merchants,
life so well; but if his majesty give way thus to amounting to millions; and that Sir John Britten
amortize his tenures, his courts of wards will had made a book thereof, and presented the same
decay, which I had well hoped should improve. to his majesty; and further that his majesty had
But that which moved me chiefly is, that his directed him to prosecute the same; and had also
majesty now lately did absolutely deny Sir Henry given to Sir Thomas Vavisor the forfeiture of
Savile for two hundred pounds, and Sir Edwin such ten of them as he should choose.
Sandys for one hundred pounds, to the perpetuat- Hereupon, I thought it my duty, as in a matter
ing of two lectures, the one in Oxford, the other in of great weight, to signify to his majesty, by your
Cambridge, foundations of singular honour to his lordship, what I conceive.
majesty, (the best learned of kings,) and of which The discovery I think very happy: for, if it be
there is great want; whereas, hospitals abound, true, it will be a great benefit to his majesty; it
and beggars abound never a whit the less. will also content his people much, and it will
If his majesty do like to pass the book at all; demonstrate also that Scotland is not the leech
yet if he would be pleased to abridge the eight (as some discoursers say,) but the Netherlanders
hundred pounds to five hundred pounds, and then that suck the realnf of treasure; so that the thing
give way to the other two books for the Univer- is very good.
sity, it were a princely work. And I would make But, two things I must represent to his maan humble suit to the king, and desire your lord- jesty: the first, that if I stay merchants from
ship to join in it, that it might be so. God ever their trading by this writ, I must do it either ex
preserve antd prosper you. ffcio, or by special warrant from his majesty.
Your lordship's most obliged If ex officio, then 1 must have more than a bare
friend and faithful servant, surmise to grant the writ upon, so as I must be
FR. VERULAM, Cane. acquainted with the grounds, or at least appearYork House, this ance of proofs. If by special warrant, then I
desire to receive the same. The other is that I
I have written to my Lord Chamberlain, being humbly beseech his majesty that these royal
Chancellor of Oxford, to help in the business. boughs of forfeiture may not be vintaged, or
cropped by private suitors, (considering his majesty's state as it is,) but that Sir Thomas Vivasor or Sir John Brittain may have a bountiful and
TO THE ARUI OF BUCIN. gracious reward of their discovery, but not the
My VERY GOO.) LORD, prime, or without stint.
Looking for matter of service, I have found out In sum, I would wish his majesty to refer the
a suit for myself, and it is proper for me more whole business and carriage of the same for his
than all men, because it is within the accompt of honour and profit to the commissioners of treathe hanaper. But I have made a law to myself, sure, or because itis alegal forfeiture to myself, Mr.
that I will never beg any thing, which shall not Chancellor, Sir Edward Coke, and my Lord Chief
bring a gain to the king; therefore, my suit is to Justice of England, and by us his majesty shall
farns the profits of the alienations, yielding a be assured to know the best cause for his justice,
thousand pounds a year more to the king than honour, and profit, and that he may dispose what