LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 331 



To the Lord Keeper. 

 My Lord, 



I have received your lordship s letter by your man ; but 

 having so lately imparted my mind to you in my former 

 letters, I refer your lordship to those letters without making 

 a needless repetition, and rest 

 Ashton, the 25th Your Lordship s at command, 



of Aug. 1617. G. BUCKINGHAM. 



Indorsed To my honourable Lord, Sir Francis Bacon, 

 Knight, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of 

 England. 



Sir Henry Yelverton, Attorney-General, to the Lord 



Keeper Bacon. 

 My most worthy and honourable Lord, 



I dare not think my journey lost, because I have with 

 joy seen the face of my master the king, though more 

 clouded towards me than I looked for. 



Sir Edward Coke hath not forborne by any engine, to 

 heave at your honour, and at myself; and he works by the 

 weightiest instrument, the earl of Buckingham, who, as I 

 see sets him as close to him as his shirt, the earl speaking in 

 Sir Edward s praise, and as it were, menacing in his spirit. 



My lord, I emboldened myself to assay the temper of my 

 Lord of Buckingham to myself, and found it very fervent, 

 misled by information, which yet I find he embraced as 

 truth, and did nobly and plainly tell me he would not 

 secretly bite ; but whosoever had had any interest, or tasted 

 of the opposition to his brother s marriage, he would as 

 openly oppose them to their faces, and they should discern 

 what favour he had, by the power he would use. 



In the passage between him and me, I stood with much 

 confidence upon these grounds : 



First, that neither your lordship nor myself had any 

 way opposed, but many ways had furthered the fair passage 

 to the marriage. 



Secondly, that we only wished the manner of Sir Ed 

 ward s proceedings to have been more temperate, and more 

 nearly resembling the earl s sweet disposition. 



Thirdly, that the chiefest check in this business was Sir 

 Edward himself, who listened to no advice, who was so 

 transported with passion, as he purposely declined the even 

 way which your lordship and the rest of the lords left both 

 him, his lady, and his daughter in. 



