The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

98 LETTERS FROM BIRCH.
to a great king, to be solicitor for one of the MR. TOBIE MATTIIEW TO SIR FRANCIS BACON
meanest subjects that he hath. ATTORNEY-GENERAL.
I send my letter to my lord's grace open, that MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOUR,
before you seal it (if you shall think fit to seal it, Such as know your honour may congratulate
and rather not to deliver it open) you may see the with you the favour which you have lately received
reasons that I have; which, if I be not partial, are from his majesty, of being made a counsellor of
very pregnant. Although I confess, that till it state: but as for me, I must have leave to conwas now very lately motioned to me by some gratulate with the council-table, in being so happy
honourable friends, who have already procured to as to have you for an assessor. I hope these are
Jisimpression his majesty of some hard conceit but beginnings, and that the marriage, which now
he had me in, I did not greatly think thereof; I perceive that fortune is about to make with
and now I am full of hope that I shall prevail. virtue, will be consummate inyour persor. I canFor supposing that my Lord of Canterbury's mind not dissemble, though I am ashamed to mention,
is but made of iron, the adamant of your persua- the excessive honour which you have vouchsafed
sion will have power to draw it. It may please to do unto my picture. But shame ought not to
you either to send a present answer hereunto, or, be so hateful as sin; and without sin I know not
since I am-not worthy of so much favour, to tell how to conceal the extreme obligation, into which
either of those honourable persons aforenamed what I amn entered thereby, which is incomparably more
theansweris, that accordingly theymay co-operate. than I can express, and no less than as much as I
This letter goes by Sir Edward Parham, a gen- am able to conceive. And as the copy is more
tleman whom I have been much beholden to. I fortunate than the original, because it hath the
know him to be a perfect honest man; and since, I honour to be under your eye, so the original, being
protest, I had rather die than deceive you, I will much more truly yours than the copy can be,
humbly pray, that he may rather receive favour aspires, by having the happiness to see you, to
froin you than otherwise, when he shall come in put the picture out of countenance.
your way, which at one time or other all the I understand by Sir George Petre,t who is arworld there must do. And I shall acknowledge rived here at the Spn, and is so wise as to honour
myself much bound to you, as being enabled by you extremely, though he have not the fortune to
this means to pay many of my debts to him. be known to your honour, that he had heard how
I presume to send you the copy of a piece cf a my Lord of Canterbury had been moved in my
letter, which Galileo, of whom I am sure you behalf, and that he gave way unto my return.
have heard, wrote to a monk of my acquaintance This, if it be true, cannot have happened without
in Italy, about the answering of that place in some endeavour of your honour; and, therefore,
Joshua, which concerns the sun's standing still, howsoever I have not been particularly advertised
And approving thereby the pretended falsehood of that your honour had delivered my letter to his
Coperrilcus's opinion. The letter was written by grace; yet now methinks I do as good as know it,
occasion of the opposition, which some few in and dare adventure to present you with my humItaly did make against Galileo, as if he went blest thanks for the favour. But the main point
about to establish that by experiments which ap- is, how his majesty should be moved; wherein
pears to be contrary to Holy Scripture. But he my friends are straining courtesy; and unless I
makes it appear the while by this piece of a let- have your honour for a master of the ceremonies to
ter which I send you, that if that passage of take order, who shall begin, all the benefit, that I
Scripture doth expressly favour either side, it is can reap by this negotiation, will be to have the
for the affirmative of Copernicus's opinion, and reputation of little judgment in attempting that
for the negative of Aristotle's. To an attorney- which I was not able to obtain; and that howsoever
general in the midst of a town, and such a one I have shot fair, I know not how to hit the mark.
as is employed in the weightiest affairs of the I have been directed by my Lord Roos, who was
kingdom, it might seem unseasonable for me to the first mover of this stone, to write a letter,
interrupt you with matter of this nature. But I which himself would deliver to the Master of the
know well enough in how high account you have Horse,4 who doth me the honour to wish me very
the truth of things: and that no day can pass, well: and I have obeyed his lordship, and beseech
wherein you give not liberty to your wise thoughts your honour, that you will be pleased to prevent,
of looking upon the works of nature. It may or to accompany, or second it with your commenplease you to pardon the so much trouble which dation, lest otherwise the many words that I have
I give you in this kind; though yet, I confess, I used have but the virtue of a single 0, or cipher.
do not deserve a pardon, because I find not in But, indeed, if I had not been overweighed by the
myself a purpose of forbearing to do the like here- * Sir Francis Bacon was sworn at Greenwich of the privyafter. I most humbly kiss your hand. council, June 9, 1616.
EYour most faithful aand affectionate servant,.f Grandson of John, the first Lord Petre, and son of William, second baron of that name.
TOBIE MATTHEW. j Sir George Villiers, who was appointed to that office,
Brussels, this 21st of April, 1616. January 4, 1615-6.