The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

DECLARATION OF THE TREASON OF ROBERT, EARL OF ESSEX. 353
his own life, as himself termed himself at the stirred, this matter fell asleep, and the thread of
bar, did not applaud to this his purpose, and his purposes was cut off. For coming over about
thereby doubting how coldly he should find others the end of September, and not denied access and
minded, that were not so near to him; and, there- conference with her majesty, and then being
fiore, condescending to Blunt's advice to surprise commanded to his. chamber at court for some
thie court, he did pursue that plot accordingly, and days, and from thence to the lord keeper's house,
came over with a selected company of captains it was conceived that these were no ill signs. At
and voluntaries, and such as he thought were my lord keeper's house he remained till some few
most affectionate unto himself, and most resolute, days before Easter, and then was removed to his
though not knowing of his purpose. So as even own house, under the custody of Sir Richard
at that time every man noted and wondered what Barkley, and in that sort continued till the end of
the matter should be, that my lord took his most Trinity term following.
particular friends and followers from their com- For her majesty, all this while looking into his
panies, which were countenance and means unto faults with the eye of her princely favour, and
them, to bring them over. But his purpose, as in loath to take advantage of his great offences, in
part was touched before, was this; that if he held other nature than as contempts, resolved so to
his greatness in court, and were not committed, proceed against him, as might, to use her mLiajeswhich, in regard of the miserable and deplored ty's own words, tend 6" ad correctionem, et non ad
estate he left Ireland in, whereby he thought the ruinam."
opinion here would be that his service could not Nevertheless, afterwards, about the end of Tribe spared, he made full account he should not be, nity term the following, for the better satisfaction
then, at the first opportunity, he would execute of the world, and to repress seditious bruits and
the surprise of her majesty's person. And if he libels which were dispersed in his justification,
were committed to the Tower, or to prison, for his and to observe a form of justice before he should
contempts, for, besides his other contempts, he be set at full liberty; her majesty was pleased to
came over expressly against the queen's prohibi- direct, that there should be associated unto her
tion under her signet, it might be the care of some privy council some chosen persons of her nobility,
of his principal friends, by the help of that choice and of her judges of the law, and before them
and resolute company which he brought over, to his cause, concerning the breaking of his instrucrescue hin. tions for the northern prosecution, and the manBut the pretext of his coming over was, by the ner of his treating with Tyrone, and his coming
efficacy of his own presence and persuasion to over, and leaving the kingdom of Ireland contrary
have moved and drawn her majesty to accept of to her majesty's commandment, expressed as
such conditions of peace as he had treated of with well by signification thereof, made under her
Tyrone in his private conference; which was royal hand and signet, as by a most bindingc and
indeed somewhat needful, the principal article of effectual letter written privately to himself, to
them being, That there should be a general resti- receive a hearing; with limitation, nevertheless,
tution of rebels in Ireland to all their lands and that he should not be charged with any point of
possessions, that they could pretend any right to disloyalty; and with like favour directed, that he
befnre their going out into rebellion, without should not be called in question in the open and
reservation of such lands, as were by act of par- ordinary place of offenders, in the Star Chamber,.
liament passed to the crown, and so planted with from which he had likewise, by a most penitent
English, both in the time of Queen Mary, and and humble letter, desired to be spared, as that
since; and without difference either of time of which would have wounded him forever, as he
their going forth, or nature of their offence, or affirmed, but in a more private manner, at my
other circumstance: tending in effect to this, that lord keeper's house. Neither was the effect of
all the queen's good subjects, in most of the pro- the sentence, that there passed against him, any
vinces, should have been displanted, and the more than a suspension of the exercise of some
country abandoned to the rebels, of his places: at which time also, Essex, that
When this man was come over, his heart thus could vary himself into all shapes for a time, infraughted with treasons, and presented himself to finitely desirous, as by the sequel now appeareth,
her majesty; it pleased God, in his singular pro- to be at liberty to practise and revive his former
vidence over her majesty, to guide and hem in purposes, and hoping to set into them with better
her proceeding towards him in a narrow way of strength than ever, because he conceived the
safety between two perils. For neither did her people's hearts were kindled to him by his tronu
majesty leave him at liberty, whereby he might bles, and that they had made great demonstrations
have commodity to execute his purpose; nor of as much; he did transform himself into such
restrain him in any such nature, as might signify a strange and dejected humility, as if he had
or betoken matter of despair of his return to court been no man of this world, with passionate proand favour. And so the means of present mis- testations that he called God to witness, That he
chief being taken away, and the humours not had made an utter divorce with the world; and
VOL. II.-45 o 2