NOTES Q Q R R. 



both give him the place, and give it with favour and some extraordinary advan 

 tage. I wish your lordship all honour and happiness, and rest, 



Your Lordship s very assured, ESSEX. 

 Greenwich, this 14th of January, [1594.] 

 Endorsed My Lord of Essex, for Mr. Fran. Bacon to be Solicitor. 



Earl of Essex to Lord Keeper Puckering. 



My Lord, My short stay at the court made me fail of speaking with your 

 lordship, therefore I must write that which myself had told you ; that is, that 

 your lordship will be pleased to forbear pressing for a solicitor, since there is no 

 cause towards the end of a term to call for it ; and because the absence of Mr. 

 Bacon s friends may be much to his disadvantage. 1 wish your lordship all 

 happiness, and rest your Lordship s very assured to be commanded, ESSEX. 

 Wanstead, this 4th of May, 1594. 



Q Q. Life, p. xxxii. 



Mr. Francis Bacon to the Queen. 



Madam, Remembering that your majesty had been gracious to me both in 

 countenancing me, and conferring upon me the reversion of a good place, and 

 perceiving that your majesty had taken some displeasure towards me, both these 

 were arguments to move me to offer unto your majesty my service, to the end to 

 have means to deserve your favour, and to repair my error. Upon this ground, 

 J affected myself to no great matter, but only a place of my profession, such as 

 I do see divers younger in proceeding to myself, and men of no great note, do 

 without blame aspire unto. But if any of my friends do press this matter, I do 

 assure your majesty my spirit is not with them. 



It sufficeth me that I have let your majesty know that I am ready to do that 

 for the service, which I never would do for mine own gain. And if your 

 majesty like others better, I shall, with the Lacedemonian, be glad that there is 

 such choice of abler men than myself. Your majesty s favour indeed, and 

 access to your royal person, 1 did e^er, encouraged by your own speeches, seek 

 and desire ; and l would be very glad to be reintegrate in that. But I will not 

 wrong mine own good mind so much as to stand upon that now, when your 

 majesty may conceive I do it but to make my profit of it. But my mind 

 turneth upon other wheels than those of profit. The conclusion shall be, that 

 I wish your majesty served answerable to yourself. Principis est virtus maxima 

 nosse suos. Thus 1 most humbly crave pardon of my boldness and plainness. 

 God preserve your majesty. 



R R. Life, p. xxxii. 



Foulke Grevill, Esq. to Mr. Francis Bacon. 



Mr. Francis Bacon, Saturday was my first coming to the court, from whence 

 I departed again as soon as I had kissed her majesty s hands, because I had no 

 lodging nearer than my uncle s, which is four miles off. This day I came 

 thither to dinner, and waiting for to speak with the Queen, took occasion to tell 

 how I met you, as 1 passed through London ; and among other speeches, how 

 you lamented your misfortune to me, that remained as a withered branch of her 

 roots, which she had cherished and made to flourish in her service. I added 

 what I thought of your worth, and the expectation for all this, that the world 

 had of her princely goodness towards you : which it pleased her majesty to con 

 fess, that indeed you began to frame very well, insomuch as she saw an amends 

 in those little supposed errors, avowing the respect she carried to the dead, with 

 very exceeding gracious inclination towards you. Some comparisons there fell 

 out besides, which I leave till we meet, which I hope shall be this week. It 

 pleased her withal to tell of the jewel you offered her by Mr. Vice- Chamberlain, 

 which she had refused, yet with exceeding praise. 1 marvel, that as a prince 

 she should refuse those havings of her poor subjects, because it did include a 



VOL. XV. 4 



