The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

A SPEECH TOUCHING PURVEYORS. 267
majesty to conceive, that your majesty doth not name; for instead of takers, they become taxers;
hear our opinions or senses, but the very groans instead of taking provision for your majesty's
and complaints themselves of your Commons, service, they tax your people cad redimendam
more truly and vively, than by representation. vexationem:" imposing upon them, and extorting
For there is no grievance in your kingdom so from them, divers sums of money, sometimes in
general, so continual, so sensible, and so bitter gross, sometimes in the nature of stipends annuunto the common subject, as this whereof we now ally paid, " ne noceant,"' to be freed and eased
speak; wherein it may please your majesty to of their oppression. Again, they take trees,
vouchsafe me leave, first, to set forth unto you the which by law they cannot do; timber trees,
dutiful and respective carriage of our proceeding; which are the beauty, countenance, and shelter
next, the substance of our petition; and, thirdly, of men's houses; that men have long spared
some reasons and motives which in all humble- from their own purse and profit; that men esteem,
ness we do offer to your majesty's royal considera- for their use and delight, above ten times the
tion or commiseration; we assuring ourselves that value; that are a loss which men cannot repair
never king reigned that had better notions of head, or recover. These do they take, to the defacing
and motions of heart, for the good and comfort of and spoiling of your subjects' mansions and dwellhis loving subjects. ings, except they may be compounded with to
For the first: in the course of remedy which their own appetites. And if a gentleman be too
we desire, we pretend not, nor intend not, in any hard for them while he is at home, they will
sort, to derogate from your majesty's prerogative, watch their time when there is but a bailiff or a
nor to touch, diminish, or question any of your servant remaining, and put the axe to the root of
majesty's regalities or rights. For we seek no- the tree, ere ever the master can stop it. Again,
thing but the reformation of abuses, and the they use a strange and most unjust exaction, in
execution of former laws whereunto we are born. causing the subjects to pay poundage of their own
And although it be no strange thing in parliament debts, due from your majesty unto them; so as a
for new abuses to crave new remedies, yet, never- poor man, when he hath had his hay, or his wood,
theless, in these abuses, which, if not in nature, or his poultry, which perchance he was full loath
yet in extremity and height of them, are most to part with, and had for the provision of his own
of them new, we content ourselves with the old family, and not to put to sale, taken from him,
laws; only we desire a confirmation and quicken- and that not at a just price, but under the value,
ing of them in their execution; so far are we and cometh to receive his money, he shall have
from any humour of innovation or encroachment. after the rate of twelve pence in the pound abated
As to the court of the green-cloth, ordained for for poundage of his due payment, upon so hard
the provision of your majesty's most honourable conditions. Nay, farther, they are grown to that
household, we hold it ancient, we hold it reverend. extremity, as is affirmed, though it be scarce creOther courts respect your politic person, but that dible, save that in such persons all things are
respects your natural person. But yet, notwith- credible, that they will take double poundage,
standing, most excellent king, to use that freedom once when the debenture is made, and again the
which to subjects that pour out their griefs before second time when the money is paid.
so gracious a king, is allowable, we may very For the second point, most gracious sovereign,
well allege unto your majesty a comparison or touching the quantity which they take, far above
similitude used by one of the fathers* in another that which is answered to your majesty's use:
matter, and not unfitly representing our case in they are the only multipliers in the world; they
this point: and it is of the leaves and roots of have the art of multiplication. For it is affirmed
nettles; the leaves are venomous and stinging unto me by divers gentlemen of good report, and
where they touch; the root is not so, but is with- experience in these causes, as a matter which I
out venom or malignity; and yet it is that root may safely avouch before your majesty, to whom
that bears and supports all the leaves. This needs we owe all truth, as well of information as subno farther application. jection, that there is no pound profit which reTo come now to the substance of our petition. doundeth to your majesty in this course, but
It is no other, than by the benefit of your majes- induceth and begetteth three pound damage upon
ty's laws to be relieved of the abuses of purvey- your subjects, besides the discontentment. And
ors; which abuses do naturally divide themselves to the end they may make their spoil more seinto three sorts; the first, they take in kind that curely, what do they' Whereas divers statutes
they ought not to take; the second, they take in do strictly provide, that whatsoever they take,
quantity a far greater proportion than cometh to shall be registered and attested, to the end that,
your majesty's use; the third, they take in an by making a collation of that which is taken from
unlawful manner; in a manner, I say, directly the country, and that which is answered above,
and expressly prohibited by divers laws. their deceits might appear; they, to the end to
For the first of these, I am a little to alter their obscure their deceits, utterly omit the observation
* St. Augustine. of this, which the law prescribeth.