The Works of Francis Bacon, Lord Chancellor of England

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: you, assuring myself that nothing is more firm than his trust, tried to your majesty's commandments; Your Majesty's most humble and most bounden subject and servant. April 28, 1616. Sir Francis Bacon, the King's Attorney General, to the Master of the Horse, upon the sending of his Bill for Viscount, sc. I send you the bill for his majesty's signature, reformed according to his majesty's amendments, both in the two places (which I assure you, were altered with great judgment) and in the third place, which his majesty termed a question only. But he is an idle body, that thinketh his majesty asketh an idle question; and therefore his majesty's questions are to be answered, by taking away the cause of the question, and not by replying. For the name, his majesty's will is a law in those things; and to speak the truth, it is a well-sounding, and noble name, both here and abroad: and being your proper name, I will take it for a good sign, that you shall give honour to your dignity, and not your dignity to you. Therefore I have made it Viscount Villiers, and for your barony, I will keep it for an earldom: for though the other had been more orderly, yet that is as usual, and both alike good in law. For Roper's place, I would have it by all means dispatched; and therefore I marvel it lingereth. It were no good manners, to take the business out of my lord treasurer's hands, and therefore I purpose to write to his lordship, if I hear not from him first, by Mr. Deckome; but if I hear of any delay, you will give me leave (especially since the king named me) to deal with Sir Joseph Roper myself; for neither I, nor my lord treasurers can deserve any great thanks in this business of yours considering the king hath spoken to Sir Joseph Roper, and he hath promised; and beside...