NOTE Z Z. 



Therefore, to straiten his course against all presumption of errors, he directed 

 two remonstrances ; the first, to the lord marquis, September the 8th, the other 

 to his majesty, October the 9th, 1622, which follow as he penned them. 



My most noble Lord, I am half ashamed of myself that any man durst be 

 so shameless as to lay upon me the least suspicion of corruption in that frugality 

 of life, poverty of estate, and retiredness from all acquaintance or dependencies 

 wherein I live ; but I have learnt one rule in the law, that knaves ever com 

 plain of generalities. And I long to be charged with any particular ; petitions 

 are things that never brought to any man in my place either profit or honour, 

 but infinite trouble and molestation. Three parts of four of them are poor 

 men s, and bring not a penny to my secretaries. The last part are so slighted 

 and disrespected by my orders, that they cannot be to my secretaries (whom I 

 take to be honest men, and well provided for) worth their trouble or attendance. 

 All petitions that I answer are of these kind. First, for ordinary writs to be 

 signed by my hand ; secondly, for motions to be made in court ; thirdly, for to 

 be placed in the paper of peremptories ; fourth, for license to beg ; fifth, for 

 referring for insufficient answers ; sixth, for a day to dispatch references recom 

 mended from the king ; seventh, for reigling commissions to be dispatched to 

 the country; eighth, for my letter to the next justices to compound braules ; 

 ninth, for commissions of bankrupts, certiorari, especial stay of an extent until 

 counsel be heard, &c. Let any man that understands himself be questioned by 

 your lordship whether any of these poor things can raise a bribe or a fee worth 

 the speaking of. I protest I am fain to allow 20. a year to a youth in my 

 chamber, to take care of the poor men s petitions, the secretaries do so neglect 

 them. 



In a while after thus to the King : 



May it please your most excellent Majesty to pardon the first boldness of this 

 kind of interrupting your majesty. Although I do find by search those parti 

 cular charges of chamber orders, showed unto me by my most noble Lord 

 Admiral, to be falsely laid and wilfully mistaken, as being either binding 

 decrees or solemn orders pronounced in open court, and pursued only to pro 

 cesses of execution by these private directions ; yet do I find withal, and I 

 have advisedly and with mature deliberation, upon my entering into this office, 

 made many dispatches upon the petitions of the subjects to mine own great 

 trouble, and to the ease of their partes many thousand pounds in the compass 

 of this year. For that motion, which upon a petition will cost the party nothing 

 if it be denied, nor above five shillings to the secretaries (unless the party play 

 the fool and wilfully exceed that expected fee) where it is granted, being put 

 into the mouth of a &quot;lawyer will cost the client, whether granted or denied, one 

 piece at the least, and for the most part five, ten, or twenty pieces, is noto 

 riously known to all the world ; yet have I most willingly observed in all orders 

 upon petitions, First, to order nothing in this kind without notice given to the 

 adverse part and oath made thereof. Secondly, to reverse, correct, or alter to 

 one syllable of any decree or order pronounced in court upon counsel heard on 

 both sides. Thirdly, to alter no possession unless it be in pursuance of a former 

 decree or order pronounced in open court upon counsel heard on both sides, or 

 to save by a sequestration to indifferent hands, some bona peritura, which 

 commonly be a tithe or a crop of hay or corn, which are ready to be carried 

 away by force by unresponsal men, and will not stay for a decree in court. 

 Kow I numbly crave your majesty s opinion whether I may go on this way, as 

 ancient as the court, for easing your majesty s subjects with these cautions and 

 limitations, the clamour of the lawyer and ignorance of some men, qui me per 

 ornamenta feriunt notwithstanding. For although no party grieved doth or 

 indeed can complain against these dispatches, and that in the corruptest times 

 it was never heard that any bribes have been taken for answers upon petitions, 

 yet what reason have 1 to overtoil myself in easing the purse of the subject, if it 

 be objected as a crime against me, and be not a service acceptable to your 



