56 MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS. 



ceit touching the news which your lordship last told me 

 from the queen, concerning a condition in law knit to an 

 interest, which your lordship remembereth, and is supposed 

 to be broken by misfeyance. Wherein surely my mind, as 

 far as it appertained! to me, is this, that as I never liked 

 not so much as the coming in upon a lease by way of for 

 feiture, so I am so much enemy to myself as I take no con 

 tentment in any such hope of advantage. For as your 

 lordship can give me best testimony, that I never in my 

 life propounded any such like motion, though I have been 

 incited thereto ; so the world will hardly believe, but that 

 it is underhand quickened and nourished from me. And 

 truly, my lord, I would not be thought to supplant any man 

 for great gain; and I humbly pray your lordship to con 

 tinue your commendations and countenance to me in the 

 course of the Queen s service that I am entered into : which 

 when it shall please God to move the Queen to profit*, I 

 hope I shall give cause for your lordship to obtain as many 

 thanks as you have endured chid ings. And so I commend 

 your good lordship to God s good preservation. 



Your Lordship s, 

 Most humbly at your honourable commandment, 



From Gray s Inn, I 7 R. BACON. 



the llth of June, 1595. 



To the Right Honourable the Lord Keeper, c.f 



It may please your Lordship, 



There hath nothing happened to me in the course of my 

 business more contrary to my expectation, than your lord 

 ship s failing me, and crossing me now in the conclusion, 

 when friends are best tried. But now I desire no more 

 favour of your lordship, than I would do if I were a suitor 

 in the Chancery ; which is this only, that you would dome 

 right. And I for my part, though I have much to allege, 

 yet, nevertheless, if I see her majesty settle her choice upon 

 an able man, such a one as Mr. Serjeant Fleming, I will 

 make no means to alter it. On the other side, if I perceive 

 any insufficient, obscure,^ idol man offered to her majesty, 

 then I think myself double bound to use the best means I 

 can for myself; which I humbly pray your lordship I may 

 clo with your favour, and that you will not disable me far- 



* /. Pt-iiect. t Hail MSS. vol. 6997, No. 37. J Ita. MSS. 



