340 LETTERS FROM BIRCH. 



true, that now this very evening I have made even with the 

 causes of Chancery, and comparing with the causes heard 

 by my lord,* that dead is, of Michaelmas term was twelve 

 month, I find them to be double so many and one more ; 

 besides that the causes that I dispatch do seldom turn 

 upon me again, as his many times did ; yet nevertheless, I 

 do assure your lordship, that should have been no excuse 

 to me, who shall ever assign both to the causes of the sub 

 ject, yea and to my health, but the leavings of times after 

 his majesty s business done. But the truth is, I could not 

 speak with Sir Lionel Cranfield, with whom of necessity 

 I was to confer about the names till this afternoon. 



First, therefore, I send the names by his advice, and 

 with mine own good allowance of those, which we wish his 

 majesty should select; wherein I have had respect some 

 what to form, more to the avoiding of opposition, but most 

 to the service. 



Two most important effects his majesty s letter hath 

 wrought already : the one, that we perceive his majesty 

 will go through stitch, which goeth to the root of our dis 

 ease. The other, that it awaketh the particular officers, 

 and will make their own endeavours and propositions less 

 perfunctory, and more solid and true for the future. Some 

 what is to be done presently, and somewhat by seasonable 

 degrees. For the present my advice is, his majesty would 

 be pleased to write back to the table, that he doth well ap 

 prove that we did not put back or retard the good ways we 

 were in of ourselves ; and that we understood his majesty s 

 right: that his late direction was to give help, and not 

 hindrance to the former courses ; and that he doth expect 

 the propositions we have in hand, when they are finished : 

 and that for the sub-commissions, he hath sent us the 

 names he hath chosen out of those by us sent and pro 

 pounded; and that he leaveth the particular directions 

 from, time to time, in the use of the sub-commissioners, 

 wholly to the table. 



This I conceive to be the fairest way ; first to seal the 

 sub-commission without opening the nature of their employ 

 ments, and without seeming that they should have any 

 immediate dependence upon his majesty, but merely upon 

 the table. 



As for that which is to be kept in breast, and to come 

 forth by parts, the degrees are these : 



* Chancellor Ellesmere. 



