228 CHARGE AGAINST ROBERT 



jesty s eyes, will strengthen me in his majesty s ser 

 vice. I ever rest 



Your true and devoted servant, 

 April 18, 1616. FR. BACON. 



To requite your postscript of excuse for scrib 

 bling, I pray you excuse that the paper is not gilt, 

 I writing from Westminster-Hall, where we are not 

 so fine. 



A LETTER TO THE KING, WITH HIS MAJESTY S 

 OBSERVATIONS UPON IT. 



It may please your most excellent Majesty, 



YOUR MAJESTY hath put me upon a work of pro 

 vidence in this great cause, which is to break and 

 distinguish future events into present cases ; and so 

 to present them to your royal judgment, that, in 

 this action, which hath been carried with so great 

 prudence, justice, and clemency, there may be, for 

 that which remaineth, as little surprise as is possible ; 

 but that things duly foreseen may have their remedies 

 and directions in readiness ; wherein I cannot forget 

 what the poet Martial saith ; &quot; O quantum est su- 

 bitis casibus ingenium !&quot; signifying, that accident is 

 many times more subtle than foresight, and over- 

 reacheth expectation ; and besides, I know very well 

 the meanness of my own judgment, in comprehend 

 ing or forecasting what may follow. 



It was your majesty s pleasure also, that I should 

 couple the suppositions with my opinion in every of 

 them, which is a harder task ; but yet your ma- 



