LETTERS FROM MATHEWS. 45 



well this will not irritate more ; being, indeed, to the Pre 

 face but as palma ad pugnum. Your own love expressed 

 to me I heartily embrace ; and hope that there will never 

 be occasion of other than entireness between us, which 

 nothing but majores charitates shall ever be able to break off. 



Sir Francis Bacon to a Friend, in Reflection upon 

 some Astrologers in Italy. 



Sir, 



I write to you chiefly now to the end that, by the con 

 tinuance of my acquaintance with you, by letters, you 

 may perceive how much I desire, and how much I do not 

 despair of the recontinuance of our acquaintance by conver 

 sation. In the mean time, I wish you would desire the 

 astronomers of Italy to amuse us less than they do with 

 their fabulous and foolish traditions, and come nearer to 

 the experiments of sense ; and tell us that when all the 

 planets, except the moon are beyond the line in the other 

 hemisphere for six months together, we must needs have a 

 cold winter, as we saw it was the last year. For, under 

 standing that this was general over all these parts of the 

 world, and finding that it was cold weather with all winds, 

 and namely west wind, I imagined there was some higher 

 cause of this effect ; though yet, I confess, I thought not 

 that ever I should have found that cause so palpable a one 

 as it proved : which yet, when I came quickly afterwards 

 to observe, I found also very clearly, that the summer must 

 needs be cold too ; though yet, it were generally thought 

 that the year would make a shift to pay itself; and that 

 we should be sure to have heats for our cold. You see 

 that though I be full of business yet I can be glad rather 

 to lay it all aside than to say nothing to you. But I long 

 much more to be speaking often with you ; and I hope I 

 shall not long want my wish. 



The Lord of St. Albans, Bacon, to an humble Servant, 

 my Lord believing his own Danger to be much less 

 than he found it. 



Sir, 



I say to you, upon the occasion which you give me in 

 your last, modic&fi&i quare dubitasti ? I would not have 

 my friends (though I know it to be out of love) too appre- 



