278 LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 



now to possess your honour, as one that ever I found careful 

 of my advancement, and yet more jealous of my wrongs, 

 with the truth of that which passed; deferring my farther 

 request, until I may attend your honour : and so I continue 



Gray s Inn, this Your Honour s very humble 



24th of April, 1601. and particularly bounden, 



Fn. BACON. 



To Robert, Lord Cecil.* 

 It may please your good Lordship, 



They say late thanks are ever best : but the reason was, 

 I thought to have seen your lordship ere this ; howsoever 

 I shall never forget this your last favour amongst others ; 

 and it grieveth me not a little, that I find myself of no use 

 to such an honourable and kind friend. 



For that matter, I think I shall desire your assistance 

 for the punishment of the contempt ; not that I would use 

 the privilege in future time, but because I would not have 

 the dignity of the king s service prejudiced in my instance. 

 But herein I will be ruled by your lordship. 



It is fit likewise, though much against my mind, that 

 I let your lordship know, that I shall not be able to pay 

 the money within the time by your lordship undertaken, 

 which was a fortnight. Nay, money I find so hard to come 

 by at this time, as I thought to have become an humble 

 suitor to your honour to have sustained me with your credit 

 for the present from urgent debts, with taking up three 

 hundred pounds till I can put away some land. But I am 

 so forward with some sales, as this request I hope I may 

 forbear. 



For my estate (because your honour hath care of it) it is 

 thus : I shall be able with selling the skirts of my living 

 in Hertfordshire *f to preserve the body, and to leave my 

 self, being clearly out of debt, arid having some money in 

 my pocket, three hundred pounds land per ami. with a fair 

 house, and the ground well timbered. This is now my 

 labour. 



For my purpose or course, I desire to meddle as little as 

 I can in the king s causes, his majesty now abounding in 

 council ; and to follow my private thrift and practice, and 

 to marry with some convenient advancement. For as for 

 any ambition, I do assure your honour, mine is quenched. 

 In the queen s, my excellent mistress s time, the quorum 

 was small ; her service was a kind of freehold, and it was 

 a more solemn time. All those points agreed with my 



* From the Ilatfield Collection. t Gorhambury. 



