NOTF. GOG. 



To the King s most excellent Majesty. 



It may please your Majesty, It hath pleased God, for these three days past, 

 to visit me with such extremity of headach, upon the hinder part of my head, 

 fixed in one place, that I thought verily it had been some imposthumation ; and 

 then the little physic that I have told me that either it must grow to a congela 

 tion, and so to a lethargy, or to break, and so to a mortal fever and sudden 

 death ; which apprehension, and chiefly the anguish of the pain, made me 

 unable to think of any business. But now that the pain itself is assuaged to be 

 tolerable, I resume the care of my business, and therein prostrate myself again, 

 by my letter, at your majesty s feet. 



Your majesty can bear me witness, that at my last so comfortable access, I 

 did not so much as move your majesty, by your absolute power of pardon, or 

 otherwise, to take my cause into your hands, and to interpose between the sen 

 tence of the house ; and, according to my own desire, your majesty left it to the 

 sentence of the house, and it was reported by my Lord Treasurer. 



But now, if not per omnipotentiam, as the divines speak, but per potestatem 

 snaviter disponentem, your majesty will graciously save me from a sentence, with 

 the good liking of the house, and that cup may pass from me, it is the utmost 

 of my desires. This I move with the more belief, because I assure myself that 

 if it be reformation that is sought, the very taking away the seal, upon my 

 general submission, will be as much in example, for this four hundred years, as 

 any farther severities. 



The means of this I most humbly leave unto your majesty. But surely I 

 conceive, that your majesty opening yourself in this kind to the lords counsellors, 

 and a motion from the prince, after my submission, and my lord marquis using 

 his interest with his friends in the house, may effect the sparing of a sentence, 

 I making my humble suit to the house for that purpose, joined with the delivery 

 up of the seal into your majesty s hands. This is my last suit that I shall 

 make to your majesty in this business, prostrating myself at your mercy seat, 

 after fifteen years service, wherein I have served your majesty in my poor 

 endeavours, with an entire heart. And, as I presume to say unto your majesty, 

 am still a virgin, for matters that concern your person or crown, and now only 

 craving, that after eight steps of honour, I be not precipitated altogether. 



But because he that hath taken bribes is apt to give bribes, I will go further, 



and present your majesty with bribe ; for if your majesty give me peace and 

 leisure, and God give me life, I will present you with a good history of England 

 1 a better digest o&quot; 

 in your majesty 

 2nd May, 1621 



and a better digest of your laws. And so concluding with my prayers, I rest 

 clay in your majesty s hands. FR. ST. ALBAN. 



[From the Tract.] 



Jovis, 3 Maii, 1621. A message from the Lords, that they were ready to 

 pronounce sentence against the late Lord Chancellor, if it please the house, 

 with the Speaker, to come and demand judgment. 



So the house went up, and the Speaker demanded judgment. 



The Lord Chief Justice being Speaker in the higher house) said, that the 

 Lords had duly considered of the complaints presented by the Commons against 

 the Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Albans, late Lord Chancellor, and have found 

 him guilty, as well by oath of witnesses, as by his own confession, of those and 

 many other corruptions, for which they have sent for him to come and answer ; 

 and upon his sincere protestation of sickness, we admitting his excuse of 

 absence, have yet notwithstanding proceeded to his judgment, viz. That he be 

 fined 40,000/. to be imprisoned in the Tower during the King s pleasure, made 

 incapable to bear office in the commonwealth, never to sit in parliament, nor to 

 come within the verge, which is within twelve miles of the court. 



VOL. xv. 27 



