ACCOUNT OF COUNCIL BUSINESS, ETC. 127 



Lord of Canterbury, upon whom the king laid it, and upon 

 Secretary Winwood ; and because it is matter of the ex 

 chequer, with my lord treasurer and Mr. Chancellor, and 

 after to take the assistance of Mr. Attorney and the learned 

 counsel, and when we have put it in a frame to certify his 

 majesty. 



The business of the pirates is, I doubt not, by this time 

 come to his majesty upon the letters of us the commis 

 sioners, whereof I took special care. And I must say I 

 find Mr. Vice-Chamberlain a good able man with his pen. 

 But to speak of the main business, which is the match 

 with Spain, the king knows my mind by a former letter ; 

 that I would be glad it proceeded with a united counsel ; 

 not but that votes and thoughts are to be free. But yet, 

 after a king hath resolved, all men ought to cooperate, 

 and neither to be active nor much loquutive in oppositum ; 

 especially in a case where a few, dissenting from the rest, 

 may hurt the business in foro fa-ma. 



Yesterday, which was my weary day, I bid all the judges 

 to dinner (which was not used to be), and entertained them 

 in a private withdrawing chamber, with the learned counsel. 

 When the feast was passed, I came amongst them, and set 

 me down at the end of the table, and prayed them to think 

 I was one of them, and but a foreman. I told them I was 

 weary, and therefore must be short, and that I would now 

 speak to them upon two points. Whereof the one was that 

 I would tell them plainly, that I was firmly persuaded, that 

 the former discords and differences between the Chancery 

 and other courts were but flesh and blood ; and that now 

 the men were gone, the matter was gone; and that, for my 

 part, as I would not suffer any the least diminution or dero 

 gation from the ancient and due power of the Chancery, so 

 if any thing should be brought to them at any time, touch 

 ing the proceedings of the Chancery, which did seem to 

 them exorbitant or inordinate ; that they should freely and 

 friendly acquaint me with it, and we should soon agree ; or 

 if not, we had a master that could easily both discern and 

 rule. At which speech of mine, besides a great deal of 

 thanks and acknowledgment, I did see cheer arid comfort 

 in their faces, as if it were a new world. 



The second point was, that I let them know how his 

 majesty at his going gave me charge to call and receive 

 from them the accounts of their circuits, according to his 

 majesty s former prescript, to be set down in writing. And 

 that I was to transmit the writings themselves to his ma 

 jesty, and accordingly as soon as I have received them, I 

 will send them to his majesty. 



