300 EXPOSTULATION TO LORD 



your integrity and knowledge, they should be de 

 ceived with your skill armed with authority. Your 

 too much love of the world is too much seen, when 

 having the living of a thousand, you relieve few or 

 none : the hand that has taken so much, can it give 

 so little ? Herein you shew no bowels of compassion, 

 as if you thought all too little for yourself; or that 

 God hath given you all that you have, if you think 

 wealth to be his gift, I mean that you get well, for 

 I know sure the rest is not, only to that end you 

 should still gather more, and never be satisfied ; but 

 try how much you would gather, to account for all 

 at the great and general audit-day. We desire you 

 to amend this, and let your poor tenants in Norfolk 

 find some comfort ; where nothing of your estate is 

 spent towards their relief, but all brought up hither, 

 to the impoverishing of your country. 



In your last, which might have been your best, 

 piece of service to the state, affectioned to follow that 

 old rule, which giveth justice leaden heels and iron 

 hands, you used too many delays till the delinquents 

 hands were loosed, and yours bound : in that work 

 you seemed another Fabius, where the humour of 

 Marcellus would have done better ; what need you 

 have sought more evidences than enough ? while you 

 pretended the rinding out of more, missing your aim, 

 you discredited what you had found. This best judg 

 ments think ; though you never used such speeches 

 as are fathered upon you, yet you might well have 

 done it, and but rightly ; for this crime was second 



to none, but the powder-plot : that would have blown 



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