The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 183
but meaning, as I said, to deal fairly and plainly with the good lilting of the House, and that cup
with your lordships, and to put myself upon your may pass from me, it is the utmost of my desires.
honours and favours; I pray God to bless your This I move with the more belief, because I
counsels and persons. And rest assure myself, that if it be reformation that is
Your lordships' humble servant, sought, the very taking away of the seal, upon
FR. ST. ALBAN, Cane. my general submission, will be as much in
March 19th, 1620. example, for these four hundred years, as any
further severity.
The means of this I most humbly leave unto
TO THE KING.
your majesty, but surely I should conceive, that
IT MAY PLEASE YOUR MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY, your majesty opening yourself in this kind to the
I think myself infinitely bounden to your ma- lords, counsellors, and a motion of the prince,
jesty, for vouchsafing me access to your royal after my submission, and my lord marquis using
person, and to touch the hem of your garment. I his interest with his friends in the House, may
see your majesty irnitateth him that would not affect the sparing of the sentence; I making my
break the broken reed, nor quench the smoking humble suit to the House for that purpose, joined
flax; and as your majesty imitateth Christ, so I with the delivery up of the seal into your majeshope assuredly my lords of the Upper House will ty's hands. This is my last suit that I shall
imitate you, and unto your majesty's grace and make to your majesty in this business, prostrating
mercy, and next to my lords, I recommend myself. myself at your mercy-seat, after fifteen years'
It is not possible, nor it were not safe, for me to service, wherein I have served your majesty in
answer particulars till I have my charge; which, my poor endeavours, with an entire heart. And,
when I shall receive, I shall, without fig-leaves or as I presume to say unto your majesty, am still
disguise, excuse what I can excuse, extenuate what a virgin, for matters that concern your person or
I can extenuate, and ingenuously confess what I crown, and now only craving that after eight steps
can neither clear nor extenuate. And if there be of honour, I be not precipitated altogether.
any thing which I might conceive to be no offence, But, because he that hath taken bribes is apt
and yet is, I desire to be informed, that I may be to give bribes, I will go further, and present your
twice penitent, once for my fault, and the second majesty with bribe; for if your majesty give me.
time for my error, and so submitting all that I am peace and leisure, and God give me life, I will
to your majesty's grace, I rest. present you with a good history of England, and
April 20, 1621. a better digest of your laws. And so concluding
with my prayers, I rest
Clay in your majesty's hands,
TO THE KING. FR. ST. ALBAN.
IT MAY PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY, May 2,1621.
It hath pleased God for these three days past,
to visit me with such extremity of headach upon
the hinder part of my head, fixed in one place, TO TIE PRINCE OF WALES.
that I thought verily it had been some imposthumination; and then the little physic that I have IT MAY PLEASE YOUR HIGHNESS,
told me that either it must grow to a congelation, When I called to mind how infinitely I am
and so to a lethargy, or to break, and so to a bound to your highness, that stretched forth your
mortal fever or sudden death; which apprehen- arm to save me from a sentence, that took hold
sion, and chiefly the anguish of the pain, made of me to keep me from being plunged deep in a
me unable to think of any business. But now sentence, that hath kept me alive in your gracious
that the pain itself is assuaged to be tolerable, memory and mention since the sentence, pitying
I resume the care of my business, and therein me, as I hope I deserve, and valuing me far above
prostrate myself again, by my letter, at your that I can deserve, I find my words almost
majesty's feet. as barren as my fortunes, to express unto your
Your majesty can bear me witness, that at my highness the thankfulness I owe. Therefore, I
last so comfortable access, I did not so much as can but resort to prayers to Almighty God to
move your majesty by your absolute power of clothe you with his most rich and precious blesspardon, or otherwise, to take my cause into your ings, and likewise joyfully to meditate upon
hands, and to interpose between the sentence of those he bath conferred upon you already; in that
the House. And according to my desire, your he hath made you to the king your father a prinmajesty left it to the sentence of the House by cipal part of his safety, contentment, and conmy lord treasurer's report. tinuance; in yourself so judicious, accomplished:
Butnow, if notper omniipotentiam, as the divines and graceful in all your doings, with more virtues
say, but per potestatem stiaviter disponentem, your in the buds, which are the sweetest that have
majesty will graciously save me from a'sentence, been known in a young prince of long time; with