CV111 LIFE OF BACOX. 



To his address, clothed in language the most respectful, 

 yet distinctly pointing out what was expected by the people, 

 the King listened with the patience due from a sovereign 

 to his suffering and oppressed subjects; and, instead of the 

 displeasure felt by Elizabeth at his firm and honest bold 

 ness, (a) he received it kindly, and replied to it graciously. 



Many of his speeches are fortunately preserved : (x) they 

 are all distinguished for their fitness for the hearers and 

 the occasion, their knowledge of affairs, and their pithy, 

 weighty eloquence. 



The King had hitherto continued to employ Bacon, in 

 the same manner in which he had served the late Queen ; 

 but he now thought fit to shew him higher marks of favour 

 than he had received from her majesty; and accordingly, 

 on the 25th of August, 1604, constituted him by patent 

 his counsel learned in the law, with a fee of forty pounds 

 a year, which is said to have been a &quot; grace scarce known 

 before ;&quot; (b) and he granted him the same day, by another 

 patent under the great seal, a pension of sixty pounds a 



subjects. The abuses of purveyors are of three sorts: 1st. 

 They take in kind what they ought not to take. 2. They 

 take in quantity a greater proportion than comes to your 

 majesty s use. 3. They take it in an unlawful manner; 

 instead of takers they become taxors, imposing and extort 

 ing divers sums of money, sometimes in gross, sometimes 

 as stipends annually paid to be free from their oppressors. 

 They take trees, which they cannot do by law, which are 

 the beauty, shelter, and countenance of men s houses, and 

 that under the value; nay, they are grown to that extremity 

 that they will take double poundage, once when the de 

 benture is made, and again when the money is paid.&quot; 

 See vol. vi. p. 3, for the whole speech. 



(a) Ante, p. xxxi. (*) See vols. v. and vi. 



(6) See Rawley s Life. 



