256 LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 



of the seat of justice, that they may still be well munited, 

 being principal sinews of his majesty s authority. There 

 fore the course will be (as I am advised) that for this heinous 

 misprision (that the party without all colour or shadow of 

 cause should threaten the life of his judge, and of the 

 highest judge of the kingdom next his majesty) he be first 

 examined, and if he confess it, then an ore terms; if he 

 confess it not, then an information in the Star-chamber, 

 and he to remain where he is till the hearing. But I 

 do purposely forbear yet to have him examined till the 

 decree or agreement between him and my Lord Aubigny 

 (which is now ready) be perfected, lest it should seem an 

 oppression by the terror of the one to beat him down in 

 the other. Thus I ever rest 



Your Lordship s true Friend and devoted Servant, 



York House, pR. BACON, Cane. 



Jan. 25th, 161 7. 



I pray your lordship to pardon me if, in respect of a 

 little watering in one of mine eyes, I have written this 

 letter, being long and private business, in my Secretary s 

 hand. 



To the King. 

 It may please your most Excellent Majesty, 



Finding as well by your majesty s dispatches and di 

 rections to your council, as now by speech with Mr. Se 

 cretary Laque, that your majesty is content to be troubled 

 with business of sundry natures, I thought good, according 

 to the duty of my place and the necessity of the occasion, 

 to put your majesty in mind, that on this day sennight, 

 being Friday in the morning, I am, according to custom, 

 to give a charge and admonition to the judges and justices 

 of peace now before the circuits, wherein I am humbly to 

 crave your majesty s pleasure and directions. 



I have for your majesty s better ease set down the heads, 

 which by the prescript of your book, and out of the con 

 sideration of the present times, I have thought fittest to 

 be remembered. I have also sent your majesty the last 

 account of the judges circuits, not to trouble you with the 

 reading of them all; but to the end, that if upon my 

 memorial, or otherwise out of your majesty s own memory, 

 which is above memorials, you should have occasion to 

 resort to those accounts, the papers may be by you. 



The point of greatest weight in my opinion is the carrying 

 of a balanced hand at this time in the matter of recusants, 



