78 MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS. 



templations without looking back. I humbly pray your 

 lordship to pardon me for troubling you with my melan 

 choly. For the matter itself, I commend it to your love; 

 only I pray you communicate afresh this day with my Lord 

 Treasurer and Sir Robert Cecil ; and if you esteem my for 

 tune, remember the point of precedency. The objections 

 to my competitors your lordship knoweth partly. I pray 

 spare them not, not over the Queen, but to the great ones, 

 to show your confidence, and to work their distrust. Thus 

 longing exceedingly to exchange troubling your lordship 

 with serving you, I rest 



Your Lordship s, 

 in most intire and faithful service, 



March 30, 1594. FANCIS BACON. 



I humbly pray your lordship I may hear from you some 

 time this day. 



Mr. Francis Bacon to Sir Robert Cecil.* 

 My most honourable good Cousin, 



Your honour in your wisdom doth well perceive, that rny 

 access at this time is grown desperate in regard of the hard 

 terms, that as well the Earl of Essex as Mr. Vice-Cham 

 berlain, who were to have been the means thereof, stand in 

 with her majesty, according to their occasions. And there 

 fore I am only to stay upon that point of delaying and pre 

 serving the matter intire till a better constellation ; which, 

 as it is not hard, as I conceive, considering the French 

 business and the instant progress, &c. so I commend in 

 special to you the care, who in sort assured me thereof, and 

 upon whom now, in my Lord of Essex s absence, I have 

 only to rely ; and, if it be needful, I humbly pray you to 

 move my lord your father to lay his hand to the same de 

 lay. And so I wish you all increase of honour. 

 Your Honour s poor kinsman, 



in faithful service and duty, 



From Gray s Inn FRANCIS BACON. 



this 1st of May, 1594. 



Sir Robert Cecil s Answer.* 

 Cousin, 



I do think nothing cut the throat more of your present 

 access than the earl s being somewhat troubled at this time. 



* Among- the papers of Antony Bacon, Esq. vol. iv. fol. 122, in the Lam 

 beth Library, 

 t Ibid. fol. 122. 



