

NOTE 7. Z. 



For Mr. St. John, your majesty knoweth, the day draweth on ; and my lord 

 Chancellor s recovery, the season, and his age, promising not to be too hasty. 

 I spake with him on Sunday, at what time 1 found him in bed, but his spirits 

 strong, and not spent or wearied, and spake wholly of your business, leading me 

 from one matter to another ; and wished and seemed to hope that he might 

 attend the day for O.S. and it were, as he said, to be his last work to conclude 

 his services, and express his affection towards your majesty. I presumed to say 

 to him, that I knew your majesty would be exceeding desirous of his being 

 present that day, so as that it might be without prejudice to his continuance ; 

 but that otherwise your majesty esteemed a servant more than a service, espe 

 cially such a servant. Surely, in mine opinion, your majesty were better put 

 off the day than want his presence, considering the cause of the putting off is 

 so notorious ; and then the capital and the criminal may come together the 

 next term. 



I have not been unprofitable in helping to discover and examine, within these 

 few days, a late patent, by surreption obtained from your majesty, of the 

 greatest forest in England, worth 30,000/. under colour of a defective title, for 

 a matter of 400/. The person must be named, because the patent must be 

 questioned. It is a great person, my lord of Shrewsbury; or rather, as I think, 

 a greater than he, which is my lady of Shrewsbury. But I humbly pray your 

 majesty to know this first from my lord treasurer, who methinks groweth even 

 studious in your business. God preserve your majesty. Your Majesty s most 

 humble and devoted subject and servant, FR. BACON. 



Jan. 31, 1614. 



The rather, in regard to Mr. Murray s absence, I humbly pray your majesty 

 to have a little regard to this letter. 



A Letter to the King, touching Peacham s Cause, January 27, 1614. 



It may please your excellent Majesty, This day in the afternoon was read 

 your majesty s letters of direction touching Peacham, which, because it con- 

 cerneth properly the duty of my place, I thought it fit for me to give your 

 majesty both a speedy and private account thereof; that your majesty knowing 

 things clearly how they pass, may have the true fruit of your own wisdom and 

 clear seeing judgment in governing the business. First, for the regularity 

 which your majesty (as a master in business of estate) doth prudently prescribe 

 in examining, and taking examinations, I subscribe to it ; only I will say for 

 myself, that I was not at this time the principal examiner. For the course 

 your majesty directeth and commandeth, for the feeling of the judges of the 

 King s Bench their several opinions, by distributing ourselves and enjoining 

 secresy ; we did first find an encounter in the opinion of my lord Cooke, who 

 seemed to affirm, that such particular, and, as he called it, auricular taking of 

 opinions, was not according to the custom of this realm, and seemed to divine 

 that his brethren would never do it. But when I replied, that it was our duty 

 to pursue your majesty s directions ; and it were not amiss for his lordship to 

 leave his brethren to their own answers, it was so concluded ; and his lord 

 ship did desire that I might confer with himself, and Mr. Serjeant Montague 

 was named to speak with Justice Crooke, Mr. Serjeant Crew with Justice 

 Houghton, and Mr. Solicitor with Justice Dodderidge. This done, I took my 

 fellows aside, and advised that they should presently speak with the three 

 judges, before I could speak with my lord Cooke, for doubt of infusion ; and 

 that they should not in any case make any doubt to the judges, as if they mis 

 trusted they would not deliver any opinion apart, but speak resolutely to them, 

 and only make their coming to be, to know what time they would appoint to be 

 attended with the papers. This sorted not amiss ; for Mr. Solicitor came to me 

 this evening and related to me, that he had found Judge Dodderidge very ready 

 to give^opinion in secret, and fell upon the same reason, which upon your 

 majesty s first letter I had used to my lord Cooke at the council table, which 

 was, that every judge was bound expressly by his oath to give your majesty 

 counsel when he was called, and whether he should do it jointly or severally, 



