NOTE 4 . 



were napossibility of recovering her majesty s favour ; and as if the best of your 

 condition were to live a private and retired life, out of want, out of peril, and 

 out of manifest disgrace. And so, in this persuasion to your lordship-wards, to 

 frame and accommodate your actions and mind to that end ; I fear (I say) that 

 this untimely despair may in time bring forth a just despair, by causing your 

 lordship to slacken and break off your wise, loyal, and seasonable endeavour 

 and industry for redintegration to her majesty s favour, in comparison whereof 

 all other circumstances are but as atoms, or rather as a vacuum, without any 

 substance at all. Against this opinion, it may please your lordship to consider 

 of these reasons, which I have collected ; and to make judgment of them, neither 

 out of the melancholy of your present fortune, nor out of the infusion of that 

 which cometh to you by other s relation, which is subject to much tincture, but 

 &quot; ex rebus ab ipsis,&quot; out of the nature of the persons and actions themselves, as 

 the truest, and less deceiving ground of opinion. For, though I am so unfortu 

 nate as to be a stranger to her majesty s eye, much more to her nature and 

 manners, yet by that which is extant I do manifestly discern that she hath that 

 character of the divine nature and goodness, as &quot;quos amavit, amavit usque ad 

 finem ;&quot; and where she hath a creature, she doth not deface nor defeat it : 

 insomuch as, if I observe rightly, in those persons whom heretofore she hath 

 honoured with her special favour, she hath covered and remitted, not only de 

 fections and ingratitudes in affection, but errors in state and service. 



2. If I can, scholar-like, spell and put together the parts of her majesty s 

 proceedings now towards your lordship, I cannot but make this construction ; 

 that her majesty, in her royal intention, never purposed to call your doings into 

 public question, but only to have used a cloud without a shower, and censuring 

 them by some restraint of liberty, and debarring from her presence. For both 

 the handling the cause in the Star Chamber was enforced by the violence of 

 libelling and rumours, wherein the Queen thought to have satisfied the world, 

 and yet spared your appearance : and then after, when that means, which was 

 intended for the quenching of malicious bruits, turned to kindle them, because 

 it was said your lordship was condemned unheard, and your lordship s sister 

 wrote that private letter, then her majesty saw plainly that these winds of ru 

 mours could not be commanded down, without a handling of the cause, by 

 making you party, and admitting your defence. And to this purpose I do 

 assure your lordship, that my brother Francis Bacon, who is too wise to be 

 abused, though he be both reserved in all particulars more than is needful, yet 

 in generality he hath ever constantly, and with asseveration affirmed to me, that 

 both those days, that of the Star Chamber, and that at my Lord Keeper s, were 

 won of the Queen, merely upon necessity and point of honour, against her own 

 inclination.&quot; 



3. In the last proceeding, I note three points, which are directly significant, 

 that her majesty did expressly forbear any point which was irrecuperable, or 

 might make your lordship in any degree uncapable of the return of her favour, 

 or might fix any character indelible of disgrace upon you : for she spared the 

 public places, which spared ignominy j she limited the charge precisely, not to 

 touch disloyalty, and no record remaineth to memory of the charge or sentence. 



4. The very distinction which was made in the sentence of sequestration, from 

 the places of service in state, and leaving to your lordship the place of master of 

 the horse, doth in my understanding point at this, that her majesty meant to use 

 your lordship s attendance in court, while the exercises of other places stood 

 suspended. 



5. I have heard, and your lordship knoweth better, that now since you were 

 in your own custody, her majesty, &quot; in verbo regio,&quot; and by his mouth to whom 

 she committeth her royal grants and decrees, hath assured your lordship she 

 will forbid, and not suffer your ruin. 



6. As I have heard her majesty to be a prince of that magnanimity, that she 

 will spare the service of the ablest subject or peer, where she shall be thought 

 not to stand in need of it ; so she is of that policy, as she will not blaze the 

 service of a meaner than your lordship, where it shall depend merely upon her 

 choice and will. 



