242 LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 



To the Earl of Buckingham. 

 My singular good Lord, 



I am now for five or six days retired to my house in the 

 country: for I think all my lords are willing to do as 

 scholars do, who though they call them holy-days, yet they 

 mean them play-days. 



We purpose to meet again on Easter Monday, and go all 

 to the Spittall sermon for that day, and therein to revive 

 the ancient religious manner when all the counsel used to 

 attend those sermons ; which some neglected in Queen Eli 

 zabeth s time, and his majesty s great devotion in the due 

 hearing of sermons himself with his counsel at the court 

 brought into desuetude. But now our attendance upon his 

 majesty by reason of his absence cannot be, it is not amiss 

 to revive. 



I perceive by a letter your lordship did write some days 

 since to my Lord Brackley, that your lordship would have 

 the king satisfied by presidents, that letters patents might 

 be of the dignity of an earldom without delivery of the 

 patent by the king s own hand, or without the ordinary 

 solemnities of a creation. I find presidents somewhat tend 

 ing to the same purpose, yet not matching fully. But 

 howsoever let me, according to my faithful and free manner 

 of dealing with your lordship, say to you, that since the 

 king means it, I would not have your lordship, for the satis 

 fying a little trembling or panting of the heart in my Lord 

 or Lady Brackley, to expose your lordship s self, or myself 

 (whose opinion would be thought to be relied upon) or the 

 king our master to envy with the nobility of this realm ; 

 as to have these ceremonies of honour dispensed with, 

 which in conferring honour have used to be observed, like 

 a kind of Doctor Bullatus without the ceremony of a com 

 mencement : the king and you know I am not ceremonious 

 in nature, and therefore you may think (if it please you) I 

 do it in judgment. God ever preserve you. 



Your Lordship s most faithful 



and devoted Friend and Servant, 



Gorhambury, April 13, 1617. FR. BACON, C. S. 



I purpose to send the presidents themselves by my Lord 

 of Brackley, but I thought fit to give you some taste of my 

 opinion before. 



