372 LETTERS RELATING TO 



thereof unto him, or in his misconceiving of the same, 

 it was thought good to deliver unto him a true copy. 

 Upon consideration whereof, and upon advised deli 

 beration, he did yesterday in the afternoon return 

 unto me, in the presence of all your learned counsel, 

 a copy of the five points before mentioned, and his 

 answer at large to the same, which I make bold to 

 present herewith to your majesty, who can best dis 

 cern and judge both of this little which is done, and 

 what may be expected of the multiplicity of other 

 cases of the like sort, if they shall be brought to 

 further examination. All that I have done in this 

 hath been by your majesty s commandment and 

 direction, in presence of all your learned counsel, and 

 by the special assistance and advice of your attorney 

 and solicitor. 



I know obedience is better than sacrifice ; for 

 otherwise I would have been an humble suitor to 

 your majesty to have been spared in all service con 

 cerning the lord chief justice. I thank God, I forget 

 not the fifth petition, &quot; Dimitte nobis debita nostra 

 sicut, etc/ but withal I have learned this distinction : 

 there is, 1. &quot; Remissio vindictse.&quot; &quot;2. Remissio pcenae.&quot; 

 3. &quot; Remissiojudicii.&quot; The two first I am past, and 

 have freely and clearly remitted. But the last, 

 which is of judgment and discretion, I trust I may 

 in Christianity and with good conscience retain, and 

 not to trust too far, etc. 



I must beseech your majesty s favour to excuse 

 me for all that I have here before written, but spe 

 cially for this last needless passage ; wherein I fear 



