LORD KEEPER. CC111 



the oriental customs of the times, statesmen were then 

 seldom approached by a suitor without some acceptable 

 offering. 



The new year s gifts, regularly presented to the King, 

 were of immense value, and were given by the great officers 

 of state, peers and peeresses, the bishops, knights, and 

 their ladies, gentlemen and gentlewomen, and even from 

 the tradesmen, and all the officers of the household. These 

 presents were chiefly in money, but sometimes varied by 

 the taste of the donors. As a matter of curiosity, it may 

 be noticed, that Sir Francis Bacon gave to the Queen &quot;one 

 pettycoat of white sattin, embrodered all over like feathers 

 and billets, with three broad borders, fair embrodered with 

 snakes and fruitage, emblems of wisdom and bounty ;* 

 exhibiting, even at that day, a fancy delighting in splen 

 dour and allegory ;&quot; (a) and so general was the practice, 

 that when Bacon applied to the Queen to be appointed 

 Solicitor General, his application was accompanied by the 

 present of a jewel, (b) 



This custom of making presents to persons in power 

 was not confined to the reigning monarch, but extended 

 to statesmen. They were made, as of course, to Lord 

 Salisbury, to Lord Burleigh, and to all persons in office, 

 and made by the most virtuous members of the com 

 munity, (c) The same custom extended to the Chan- 



(a) See note Z Z Z Z at the end. 



(b) See ante, p. xxxii, and note R R at the end. 



(c) In April, 1595, the Bishop of Durham thus wrote to Lord Burleigh : 

 &quot; Right Honourable, Your L. having alwaies been an especial patron to 

 the see of Duresme, wherein it hath now pleased God and her majesty to 

 place me, thoughe unworthie ; and myself reaping the fruite of your L. 

 and extraordinarie furtherance in obtayning the same, I could not without 

 great note of ingratitude (the monster of nature) but yelde your L. some 

 signification of a thankful minde. And seeking by all good means, but 

 contrary to myne expectation, not finding any office or other particular 



