N OT K 



tenuate, and ingenuously confess what I can neither clear nor extenuate. And 

 if there be any thing which I mought conceive to be no offence, and yet is, I 

 desire to be informed, that I may be twice penitent, once for my fault, and the 

 second time for my error, and so submitting all that I am to your majestie s 

 grace, I rest. 20th April, 1621. 



A Speech touching the recovering of Drowned Mineral Works, prepared for the 

 Parliament (as Mr. Bushel affirmed) by the Viscount of St. Albans, then 

 Lord High Chancellor of England. 



My lords and gentlemen, The king, my royal master, was lately (gra 

 ciously) pleased to move some discourse to me concerning Mr. Sutton s Hos 

 pital, and such like worthy foundations of memorable piety : which humbly 

 seconded by myself, drew his majesty into a serious consideration of the mine 

 ral treasures of his own territories, and the practical discoveries of them by 

 way of my philosophical theory : which he then so well resented, that, after 

 wards, upon a mature digestion of my whole design, he commanded me to let 

 your lordships understand, how great an inclination lie hath to further so hopeful 

 a work, for the honour of his dominions, as the most probable means to relieve 

 all the poor thereof without any other stock or benevolence, than that which 

 Divine bounty should confer on their own industries and honest labours, in 

 recovering all such drowned mineral works as have been, or shall be, therefore, 

 deserted. 



And, my lords, all that is now desired of his majesty and your lordships, is 

 no more than a gracious act of this present parliament to authorize them herein, 

 adding a mercy to a munificence, which is, the persons of such strong and able 

 petty-felons, who, in true penitence for their crimes, shall implore his majesty s 

 mercy and permission to expiate their offences by their assiduous labours, in so 

 innocent and hopeful a work. 



For, by this unchangeable way (my lords) have I proposed to erect the aca 

 demical fabric of this island s Salomon s House, modelled in my New Atlantis. 

 And I can hope ( rny lords) that my midnight studies to make our countries 

 flourish and outvy European neighbours in mysterious and beneficent arts, have 

 not so ingratefully affected the whole intellects, that you will delay or resist his 

 majesty s desires, and my humble petition in this benevolent, yea, magnificent 

 affair ; since your honourable posterities may be inriched thereby, and my ends 

 are only, to make the world my heir, and the learned fathers of my Salomon s 

 House, the successive and sworn trustees in the dispensation of this great ser 

 vice, for God s glory, my prince s magnificence, this parliament s honour, our 

 countries general good, and the propagation of my own memory. 



And I may assure your lordships, that all my proposals in order to this great 

 architype, seemed so rational and feasable to my royal sovereign, our Christian 

 Salomon, that I, thereby, prevailed with his majesty to call this honourable 

 parliament, to confirm and impower me in my own way of mining, by an act of 

 the same, after his majesty s more weighty affairs were considered in your wis 

 doms ; both which he desires your lordships, and you gentlemen that are chosen 

 as the patriots of your respective countries, to take speedy care of: which done, 

 I shall not then doubt the happy issue of my undertakings in this design, 

 whereby concealed treasures, which now seem utterly lost to mankind, shall be 

 confined to so universal a piety, and brought into use by the industry of con 

 verted penitents, whose wretched carcases the impartial laws have, or shall 

 dedicate, as untimely feasts, to the worms of the earth, in whose womb those 

 deserted mineral riches must ever lie buried as lost abortments, unless those be 

 made the active midwives to deliver them. For, my lords, I humbly conceive 

 them to be the fittest of all men to effect this great work, for the ends and causes 

 which I have before expressed. 



All which, my lords, I humbly refer to your grave and solid judgments to 

 conclude of, together with such other assistances to this frame, as your own 

 oiaculous wisdom shall intimate for the magnifying our Creator, in his inscru 

 table Providence, and admirable works of nature. 



VOL. xv. 25 



