CONCERNING THE EARL OF ESSEX. 249 



foreign, I did likewise knit his service to be at my 

 lord s disposing. And on the other side, I must and 

 will ever acknowledge my lord s love, trust, and fa 

 vour towards me ; and last of all his liberality, hav 

 ing infeoffed me of land which I sold for eighteen 

 hundred pounds to Mr. Reynold Nicholas, which, I 

 think, was more worth ; and that at such a time, 

 and with so kind and noble circumstances, as the 

 manner was as much as the matter ; which, though 

 it be but an idle digression, yet because I am not 

 willing to be short in commemoration of his be 

 nefits, I will presume to trouble your lordship 

 with relating to you the manner of it. After the 

 queen had denied me the solicitor s place, for the 

 which his lordship had been a long and earnest 

 suitor on my behalf, it pleased him to come to me 

 from Richmond to Twickenham Park, and brake 

 with me, and said : &quot; Mr. Bacon, the queen hath 

 &quot; denied me the place for you, and hath placed an- 

 &quot; other ; I know you are the least part of your own 

 &quot; matter, but you fare ill because you have chosen 

 &quot; me for your mean and dependence : you have 

 &quot; spent your time and thoughts in my matters ; I 

 &quot; die,&quot; these were his very words, &quot; if I do not some- 

 &quot; what towards your fortune, you shall not deny to 

 &quot; accept a piece of land which I will bestow upon 

 &quot; you.&quot; My answer, I remember, was, that for my 

 fortune it was no great matter ; but that his lordship s 

 offer made me call to mind what was wont to be said, 

 when I was in France, of the duke of Guise, that 

 he was the greatest usurer in France, because he had 



