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Lord Bacon's Letter to the King.

It may please your most excellent majestie, -I think myself infinitely bounden to your majestie, for vouchsafing me accesse to your royal person, and to touch the hemme of your garment. I see your majestie imitateth him that would not break the broken reede, nor quench the smoking flax; and as your

Bushel, who had large property at Eustone, near Oxford, was, when he was fifteen years old, admitted into the family of Lord Bacon, and that he was under great obligation to him. Bushel's words are "his acceptance of me for his servant at fifteen years of age upon my own address, his clearing all my debts three several times with no smaller sum in the whole than 3000l. his preferring me in marriage to a rich inheritrix, and thereupon not only allowing me 400l. per annum, but to balance the consent of her father in the match, promised upon his honour to make me the heir of his knowledge in mineral philosophy.

Aubrey, in his anecdotes, when describing the walks at Gorhambury, says, "Here his lordship much meditated, his servant Mr. Bushel attending him with his pen and ink-horn to set down present notions."

He was born about 1602, and was, therefore, in 1620, at the time of Lord Bacon's fall, about eighteen years old and about twenty-six, in 1626, when Lord Bacon died.

After the death of Lord Bacon Bushel retired to the Isle of Man, as he relates in his own work, and as is thus stated in Wood's History of the Isle of Man.

"This island (the Isle of Man) is said to have been the retreat of two hermits, one of whom, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, murdered a beautiful woman in a sudden fit of jealousy, and spent the remainder of his life in solitude, penance, and the severest mortifications; the other, Thomas Bushel, in the reign of James, made it his abode for only a few years. A supposed letter of his still extant is to this effect.

"The embrions of my mines proving abortive by the fall and death of Lord Chancellor Bacon, were the motives which persuaded my pensive retirement to a three years' solitude in the desolate isle, called the Calf of Man, where, in obedience to my dear lord's philosophical advice, I resolved to make a perfect experiment upon myself for the obtaining a long and healthy life, most necessary for such a repentance as my former debauchedness required, by a parsimonious diet of herbs, oil, mustard, honey, with water sufficient, most like to that of our long lived fathers before the flood, as was conceived by that lord, which I most strictly observed, as if obliged by a religious vow, till Divine Providence called me to a more active life."

As this tract was published in 1659, he was then near sixty years of age, as is explained in part of the tract, viz.

In the address to the reader, in the beginning of this tract, he says: "But now seriously considering that the taper of my life burns in the socket (I having already numbered twelve lustres of years)," and as by a lustre I understand five years, I conclude therefore that Bushel was sixty years in 1659.

Bushel always speaks of Lord Bacon in terms of the most grateful respect. With such expressions as the following his work abounds, "My old master, the Lord Chancellor Bacon, would often say, &c." Again, "Dedicated by my obliged gratitude to my Lord Bacon."

He died at the age of eighty in 1684.

He lay sometime at Captain Norton's, in the gate at Scotland Yard, where he died seven years since (now 1684) about eighty ætat. Buried in the little cloysters at Westminster Abbey, somebody put B. B. upon the stone (now, 1787, all new paved).-Awbrey, 260.

* See Plot's History of Oxfordshire.

majestie imitateth Christ, so I hope assuredly my lords of the upper house will imitate you, and unto your majestie's grace and mercy, and next to my lords I recommend myself. It is not possible, nor it were not safe, for me to answer particulars till I have my charge; which when I shall receive, I shall without figg leaves or disguise excuse what I can excuse, extenuate what I can ex

II. Observations upon the Account given by Bushel.

The author of Bacon's Life, in the Biographia Britannica, says, "We have a long and formal detail of this matter, from one who might certainly be presumed to know a great deal of it: viz. Mr. Bushel, who was his lordship's servant at that time, and who having ruined himself by engaging in the working of mines, upon pretence of following his lord's philosophical theory on that subject, endeavoured, while a prisoner in the Fleet, to apologize for his own conduct, by publishing a speech, which he asserts his master intended to have made to that parliament in which he was undone, upon this subject, and for procuring the establishment of a Royal Academy of Sciences, on the plan delivered in a work of his, entitled, his New Atlantis, which speech of his, though it may contain some thoughts of Lord Bacon's, is allowed by the learned Dr. Tenison to be in a great measure fictitious, and not only unworthy of that noble person, but such as it was impossible for him to have drawn. It is at the close of this speech, and in order to account for its not being spoken, that Mr. Bushel mentions his master's fall, which, he says, intervened before it could be spoken, and thereupon undertakes to give us all the circumstances of that extraordinary event from his own knowledge, which, if it could be depended upon, must be admitted to be a thing extremely worthy our notice: but I at present produce it with a view to gratify the inclination of the ingenious reader, of seeing whatever has been advanced on this subject on either side. In this light too, Mr. Bushel's account is a matter of some consequence, since it is the fullest and most circumstantial that has been hitherto given.

"Bushel was a very strange man, and has told so many improbable stories of his master, and so many silly ones of himself, that what he says deserves no credit, farther than as it agrees with other evidence."-Tenison's Account of Lord Bacon's Works, p. 97.

What authority there is for the assertion in the parts underlined, the reader may judge, by an examination of the observations in Archbishop Tenison's work, which is annexed. But that Archbishop Tenison did not doubt the correctness of Bushel's statement, appears from the following passage in the Archbishop's Baconiana.

"The great cause of his suffering, is to some, a secret. I leave them to find it out, by his words to King James, I wish (said he) that as I am the first, so I may be the last of sacrifices in your times.' And when from private appetite, it is resolved, that a creature shall be sacrificed; it is easie to pick up sticks enough, from any thicket whither it hath straid, to make a fire to offer it with."

But even if he had entertained doubts, we must judge by one of the fundamental rules in all reasoning. Is it most probable that Bushel should, at the age of sixty years, have invented this anecdote, or that it is true ?

The following is the passage in Archbishop Tenison's work, to which the editor of the Life, in the Biographia Britannica, refers.

Archbishop Tenison, in his account of Lord Bacon's works, says: "There is annexed a certain speech touching the recovery of drowned mineral works, prepared, as Mr. Bushel saith, for that parliament under which he fell. His lordship, no doubt, had such a project; and he might prepare a speech also, for the facilitating of it. But that this is a true copy of that speech, I dare not avouch. His lordship's speeches were wont to be digested into more method; his periods were more round, his words more choice, his allusions more frequent, and managed with more decorum. And as no man had greater command of words, for the illustration of matter, than his lordship; so here he had matter which refused not to be clothed in the best words."

tenuate, and ingenuously confess what I can neither clear nor extenuate. And if there be any thing which I mought conceive to be no offence, and yet is, I desire to be informed, that I may be twice penitent, once for my fault, and the second time for my error, and so submitting all that I am to your majestie's grace, I rest.-20th April, 1621.

A Speech touching the recovering of Drowned Mineral Works, prepared for the Parliament (as Mr. Bushel affirmed) by the Viscount of St. Albans, then Lord High Chancellor of England.

My lords and gentlemen, -The king, my royal master, was lately (graciously) pleased to move some discourse to me concerning Mr. Sutton's Hospital, and such like worthy foundations of memorable piety: which humbly seconded by myself, drew his ınajesty into a serious consideration of the mineral treasures of his own territories, and the practical discoveries of them by way of my philosophical theory: which he then so well resented, that, afterwards, upon a mature digestion of my whole design, he commanded me to let your lordships understand, how great an inclination he hath to further so hopeful a work, for the honour of his dominions, as the most probable means to relieve all the poor thereof without any other stock or benevolence, than that which Divine bounty should confer on their own industries and honest labours, in recovering all such drowned mineral works as have been, or shall be, therefore, deserted.

And, my lords, all that is now desired of his majesty and your lordships, is no more than a gracious act of this present parliament to authorize them herein, adding a mercy to a munificence, which is, the persons of such strong and able petty-felons, who, in true penitence for their crimes, shall implore his majesty's mercy and permission to expiate their offences by their assiduous labours, in so innocent and hopeful a work.

For, by this unchangeable way (my lords) have I proposed to erect the academical fabric of this island's Salomon's House, modelled in my New Atlantis. And I can hope (my lords) that my midnight studies to make our countries flourish and outvy European neighbours in mysterious and beneficent arts, have not so ingratefully affected the whole intellects, that you will delay or resist his majesty's desires, and my humble petition in this benevolent, yea, magnificent affair; since your honourable posterities may be inriched thereby, and my ends are only, to make the world my heir, and the learned fathers of my Salomon's House, the successive and sworn trustees in the dispensation of this great service, for God's glory, my prince's magnificence, this parliament's honour, our countries general good, and the propagation of my own memory.

And I may assure your lordships, that all my proposals in order to this great architype, seemed so rational and feasable to my royal sovereign, our Christian Salomon, that I, thereby, prevailed with his majesty to call this honourable parliament, to confirm and impower me in my own way of mining, by an act of the same, after his majesty's more weighty affairs were considered in your wisdoms; both which he desires your lordships, and you gentlemen that are chosen as the patriots of your respective countries, to take speedy care of: which done, I shall not then doubt the happy issue of my undertakings in this design, whereby concealed treasures, which now seem utterly lost to mankind, shall be confined to so universal a piety, and brought into use by the industry of converted penitents, whose wretched carcases the impartial laws have, or shall dedicate, as untimely feasts, to the worms of the earth, in whose womb those deserted mineral riches must ever lie buried as lost abortments, unless those be made the active midwives to deliver them. For, my lords, I humbly conceive thein to be the fittest of all men to effect this great work, for the ends and causes which I have before expressed.

All which, my lords, I humbly refer to your grave and solid judgments to conclude of, together with such other assistances to this frame, as your own oraculous wisdom shall intimate for the magnifying our Creator, in his inscrutable Providence, and admirable works of nature.

VOL. XV.

25

Memoranda of what the Lord Chancellor intended to deliver to the King, April 16, 1621, upon his first access to his Majesty after his troubles.

That howsoever it goeth with me, I think myself infinitely bound to his majesty for admitting me to touch the hem of his garment; and that, according to my faith, so be it unto me. That I ought also humbly to thank his majesty for that, in that excellent speech of his, which is printed, that speech of so great maturity, wherein the elements are so well mingled, by kindling affection, by washing away aspersion, by establishing of opinion, and yet giving way to opinion, I do find some passages which I do construe to my advantage.

And lastly, that I have heard from my friends, that notwithstanding these waves of information, his majesty mentions my name with grace and favour.

In the next place, I am to make an oblation of myself into his majesty's hands, that, as I wrote to him, I am as clay in his hands, his majesty may make a vessel of honour or dishonour of me, as I find favour in his eyes; and that I submit myself wholly to his grace and mercy, and to be governed both in my cause and fortunes by his direction, knowing that his heart is inscrutable for good. Only I may express myself thus far, that my desire is, that the thread, or line, or my life, may be no longer than the thread, or line of my service: I mean, that I may be of use to your majesty in one kind or other.

Now for any further speech, I would humbly pray his majesty, that whatsoever the law of nature shall teach me to speak for my own preservation, your majesty will understand it to be in such sort, as I do nevertheless depend wholly upon your will and pleasure. And under this submission, if your majesty will graciously give me the hearing, I will open my heart unto you, both touching my fault and fortune.

For the former of these, I shall deal ingenuously with your majesty, without seeking fig-leaves, or subterfuges.

There be three degrees or cases, as I conceive, of gifts and rewards given to a judge.

The first is of bargain, contract, or promise of reward, pendente lite. And this is properly called venalis sententia, or baratria, or corruptela munerum. And of this my heart tells me I am innocent; that I had no bribe or reward in my eye or thought when I pronounced any sentence or order.

The second is a neglect in the judge to inform himself, whether the cause be fully at an end, or no, what time he receives the gift; but takes it upon the credit of the party that all is done, or otherwise omits to inquire.

And the third is, when it is received sine fraude, after the cause ended, which it seems by the opinion of the civilians is no offence. Look into the case of simony, &c.

Draught of another paper to the same purpose.

There be three degrees or cases of bribery, charged or supposed in a judge: The first, of bargain or contract, for reward to pervert justice.

The second, where the judge conceives the cause to be at an end, by the information of the party, or otherwise, and useth not such diligence as he ought to inquire of it. And the third, when the cause is really ended, and it is sine frande, without relation to any precedent promise.

Now if I might see the particulars of my charge, I should deal plainly with your majesty, in whether of these degrees every particular case falls. But for the first of them, I take myself to be as innocent as any born upon St. Innocent's day in my heart. For the second, I doubt in some particulars I may be faulty. And for the last, I conceived it to be no fault; but therein I desire to be better informed, that I may be twice penitent; once for the fact, and again for the erroг. For I had rather be a briber, than a defender of bribes.

I must likewise confess to your majesty, that at New-year's tides, and likewise at my first coming in (which was, as it were my wedding), I did not so precisely, as perhaps I ought, examine whether those that presented me had causes before me yea or no. And this is simply all that I can say for the present concerning my charge, until I may receive it more particularly. And all this while. I do not fly to that, as to say that these things are vitia temporis, and not vitia hominis.

For my fortune, summa summorum with me is, that I may not be made altogether unprofitable to do your majesty's service or honour. If your majesty continue me as I am, I hope I shall be a new man, and shall reform things out of feeling, more than another can do out of example. If I cast part of my burden, I shall be more strong and delivré to bear the rest. And, to tell your majesty what my thoughts run upon, I think of writing a story of England, and of recompiling of your laws into a better digest.

But to conclude, I most humbly pray your majesty's directions and advice. For as your majesty hath used to give me the attribute of care of your business, so I must now cast the care of myself upon God and you.

17th April.

The Lord Treasurer signified, that in the interim of this cessation, the Lord Chancellor was an humble suitor unto his majesty, that he might see his majesty and speak with him; and although his majesty, in respect of the Lord Chancellor's person, and of the place he holds, might have given his lordship that favour, yet, for that his lordship is under the trial of this house his majesty would not on the sudden grant it.

That, on Sunday last, the king calling all the lords of this house which were of his council before him, it pleased his majesty to shew their lordships what was desired by the Lord Chancellor, demanding their lordships' advice therein.

The lords did not presume to advise his majesty; for that his majesty did suddenly propound such a course as all the world could not advise a better; which was, that his majesty would speak with him privately.

That yesterday, his majesty admitting the Lord Chancellor to his presence, his lordship desired that he might have a particular of those matters wherewith he is charged before the lords of this house; for that it was not possible for him, who past so many orders and decrees in a year, to remember all things that fell out in them; and that, this being granted, his lordship would desire two requests of his majesty. 1. That, where his answers should be fair and clear to those things objected against him, his lordship might stand upon his innocency. 2. Where his answer should not be so fair and clear, there his lordship might be admitted to the extenuation of the charge; and where the proofs were full, and undeniable, his lordship would ingenuously confess them, and put himself upon the mercy of the lords.

Unto all which his majesty's answer was, he referred him to the lords of this house, and thereof his majesty willed his lordship to make report to their lordships.

It was thereupon ordered, that the Lord Treasurer should signify unto his majesty, that the lords do thankfully acknowledge this his majesty's favour, and hold themselves highly bound unto his majesty for the same.

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Agreed the Lords' committees to prepare the examinations against the Lord Chancellor.

Moved by the Lord Hunsdon, and ordered by the house, that the Lord Chief Justice do every morning, before the adjournment of the court, cause the names of the Lords' committees, appointed to meet that day in the afternoon, to be read by the clerk.

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