NOTE 4 T. 



4 F. Life, p. xc. 



In the Harl. MS. No. 6854, fol. 188, entituled a description of the arraign- 

 icnt of Robert, Earl of Essex, and Henry, Earl of Southampton, the 19th day 

 f February, 1600, is the following speech of Lord Bacon s : 



Then Mr. Bacon entered into a speeche much after this fashion, in speaking 

 of this late and horrible rebellion which hath been in the eis and eares of all 

 men. I shall save my self much labour in opening and enforceing the particular 

 poinctes therof, insomuch as I spake not before cuntrey jury of ignoraunt 

 people, but before a most honorable assemblie of the gravest and sagest peeres 

 of the real me, whose wisdomes conceaves farr more then my tonge can utter ; 

 yet with your gratious and honorable favours, I will presume, if not for infor- 

 macion of your lordshipps, yet for dischardge of my duetie to saie this much, 

 that there was never any tray tor hard of soe shameleslie desperat that durste 

 directlie attempt the seale of his liege soveraigne, but alwais covered his prac 

 tizes with some plausible pretence, for God hath ymprinted such a majestic in 

 the face of princes, that noe subiect dare aproach the person of his soveraigne 

 with any open traitorous yntent, and therefore they runne another side course 

 oblique and altare, makeing shew to reforme some corrupcion in the state of 

 religion, to reduce some auncyent libertie, or to remove some persons in highe 

 places, yet still ayming at the subversion of the estate and destruction of their 

 princes : so Cayne, the first murtherer, tooke upp an excuse, as shameing to out 

 face that fact with impudency ; and soe this tray tor Essex made his collour the 

 scowrmg of some noble men and councellors from her majesties favour and the 

 feare he stood in of his pretended enemies, lest they should murther hime. 

 Therefore he said he was compelled to fly into the cittie for favour and defence, 

 not much unlike Pisistrates, of whom yt is so auncyentlie written, how he gasht 

 and wounded himself and in that sort rann cryeing into Athens that his lief was 

 sought, and like to have been taken awaie, thinking to move the people to have 

 pittie on him by such counterfeit dainger and harme, wheras his ayme was to 

 take the government of the cittie into his handes ; and after the forme therof, 

 with like pretence of dainger and assaultes, the Erie of Essex entered the cittie 

 of London throw the bowels therof, wheras he had noe such enemyes nor such 

 daingers. But you, my lo. should know, that althoughe princes geve their 

 subiectes causes of discontent, thoughe they take away the honors they heaped 

 uppon them, thoughe they bringe them to a lower estate from whence they first 

 raysed them, yet ought they not to be soe forgetfull of their alleageaunce, that 

 therfore they should enter into any undutifull action, lesse upon rebellion, as 

 they have donn. 



Here the Erie of Essex spake to answer Mr. Bacon. I muste call foorth 

 Mr. Bacon against Mr. Bacon : you must then that Mr. Bacon hath written 

 twoe severall lettres, the one artificialie framed in my name, haveing first 

 framed one from me ; and Bacon, to provoke me, he layed doune the groundes 

 of my discontement, and the resons 1 pretended against my enemys much like 

 such a lettre as my sister Lady Rich wrott, and was therfore called before your 

 lordshipps ; yf those resons were then iuste and true, not counterfeit, how can 

 yt be that now my pretences are false, and injurious, ffor ther Mr. Bacon joyned 

 with me in opinion and poincted out those to be my enemyes, and hold me in 

 disgrace with her majesty, whom now he seemeth to cleere of any such mynde 

 towards me, and therfore leave the truth of what I saie, and he opposeth to 

 your lordshipps indifferent consideracions. Then said Mr. Bacon, for those 

 lettres, my lord, if they were here they would not blushe for any thing con- 

 teigned in them. I thinke soe, said the Erie of Essex ; for you have thrust 

 them into many men s handes. Well, my lo. said Mr. Bacon, I have spent 

 more houres in vame, in studiing how to make you a good servaunt to her 

 majestic and state then I have donn in any thing ells. Who, 1 1 Mr. Bacon 

 a good subject by your studye, said the erle with scornful countenance. 



