10 PREFACE. 



Lambeth Library. I immediately applied to the 

 Archbishop of Canterbury for permission to read and 

 take extracts from them. With this application his 

 Grace, with his usual courtesy and kindness, most 

 readily complied. 



In one of the letters there is the following passage 

 in Greek characters : 



Q(j&amp;gt; p,y o&amp;lt;j)(j)vc;, (j&amp;gt;ap j3e IT (j)OO/uL /LIE TO &amp;lt;ray, Sar vsvia/u 

 Kopvig j VE^CIT KevGvpa KO\v/Lif3dQ : j3vT i (t)i\\ day OUT i 

 ave yoo wappdVT &amp;lt;op : 0ey wepe vor ypsdTEGT otytytvSepG 

 iv lo-^aeX VTTOV wyo/Ji 6s waXX (j)t\\. (tf) 



In another letter he says, &quot; And for the briberies 

 and gifts wherewith I am charged, when the books 

 of hearts shall be opened, I hope I shall not be found 

 to have the troubled fountain of a corrupt heart, in a 

 depraved habit of taking rewards to pervert justice ; 

 howsoever I may be frail, and partake of the abuses 

 of the times.&quot; (V) 



From this ambiguity by a man so capable of 

 expressing himself clearly, and whose favourite maxim 

 was, &quot; Do not inflate plain things into marvels, but 

 reduce marvels to plain things,&quot; I was confirmed in 

 the opinion which I had formed. I, therefore, pro 

 ceeded to collect the evidence. 



After great deliberation I arranged all the mate 

 rials ; and, from the chance that I might not live to 



(a) Decyphered it is as follows : Of my offence, far be it 

 from me to say, dat veniam corvis ; vexat censura Columbus : 

 but I will say that I have good warrant for : they were not the 

 greatest offenders in Israel upon whom the wall fell. 



(b) Letter to the King, May 25, 1620. 



