MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS. 85 



Letter of Mr. Francis Bacon to Sir Robert Cecil ;* a 

 copy of which was sent with the preceding to Mr. 

 Antony Bacon. 



Sir, 



Your honour may remember, that upon relation of her 

 majesty s speech concerning my travel, I asked leave to 

 make answer in writing; not but I knew then what was 

 true, but because I was careful to express it without doing 

 myself wrong. And it is true, I had then opinion to have 

 written to her majesty : but, since weighing with myself, 

 that her majesty gave no ear to the motion made by 

 yourself, that I might answer by mine own attendance, I 

 began to doubt the second degree, whether it might not be 

 taken for presumption in me to write to her majesty ; and 

 so resolved, that it was best for me to follow her majesty s 

 own way in committing it to your report. 



It may please your honour to deliver to her majesty, 

 first, that it is an exceeding grief to me, that any not 

 motion (for it was not a motion) but mention, that should 

 come from me, should offend her majesty, whom for these 

 one and twenty years (for so long it is, that I kissed her 

 majesty s hands upon my journey into France) I have used 

 the best of my wits to please. 



Next, mine answer standing upon two points, the one, 

 that this mention of travel to my Lord of Essex was no 

 present motion, suit, or request; but casting the worst 

 of my fortune with an honourable friend, that had long 

 used me privately, I told his lordship of this purpose of 

 mine to travel, accompanying it with these very words, 

 that upon her majesty s rejecting me with such circum 

 stance, though my heart might be good, yet mine eyes 

 would be sore, that I should take no pleasure to look upon 

 my friends; for that I was not an impudent man, that 

 could face out a disgrace; and that I hoped her majesty 

 would not be offended, that, not able to endure the sun, I 

 fled into the shade. The other, that it was more than this ; 

 for I did expressly and particularly (for so much wit God 

 then lent me), by way of caveat, restrain my lord s good 

 affection, that he should in no wise utter or mention this 

 matter till her majesty had made a solicitor; wherewith 

 (now since my looking upon your letter) I did in a dutiful 

 manner challenge my lord, who very honourably acknow- 



* Among the papers of Antony Bacon, Esq. vol. iv. fol. 31. 



