ing a matter of arrangement, which would require the concurrence beforehand both of the King and the Lords, who had a personal and legal interest in it, they judged it necessary to begin with a conference and the result of their deliberations was reported to the House by Bacon on the 26th of March. Of whose report I find in the Journals the following note.

Sir Francis Bacon, one of his Majesty's Counsel learned, maketh report of the meeting of the Committees touching the matters formerly propounded by Sir Robert Wroth, and of the first endeavours and travel on the point of Wardship of men's children; relating briefly what was said pro et contra, viz.,

1. That it was a thing never petitioned; never won of any King.

Answ. But having his ground from the tenure of Scutagium, Voyage Royal in Escosse, that now determines, by his Majesty's possession of the Crown.

2. Next, the King's honour was considered.

Answ. It was the greatest honour to govern subjects moderately free.

3. The justice of the matter was propounded, in respect it concerned divers officers in their right of credit, of profit, &c., divers mean Lords in their right of possession, of interest, &c.

Answ. This House may take away the office, the countenance, the credit of any man: but that power the House hath always used tenderly. This no new thing; for King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, and Queen Mary had a power granted them by Parliament to dissolve the Court of Wards. That the intention of the House was, that both the King and mean Lords should be comprehended.

The first resolution was for the matter, that petition should be made to the King: Then for the manner it was debated: 1. Whether first to agree upon the plot, and to offer to the King the matter plotted. 2, or first to ask leave to treat; and then, whether first to pray a conference with the Lords, touching a petition to be offered to his Majesty for liberty to treat. Which last was thought the best course, and so resolved by the House."

The Lords were quite ready to confer, and only desired that some other things of the same kind,-as Respite of Homage, Licence of

Alienation, and the general abuse of Purveyors and Car-takers,— might be included in the consultation. To this the Commons readily agreed, and the proper number of Committees being appointed, the Conference took place the same afternoon of which Bacon, though he had not taken any part in the discussion, was again employed to make the report; which is thus recorded in the Journals.

"Sir Fr. Bacon maketh report of the conference yesterday between the Lords and this House; where, he said, he was merely a relator, no actor: and said further, that the Lords upon their first meeting desired the Committees of this House to make the proposition. Whereupon it was thought fit by the said Committee not to mention any objections, but only to show, 1. their dutiful respect in the handling of the matter: and secondly to open the grief: adding some cautions and considerations to prevent mistaking.

The grief was, That every man's eldest son or heir (the dearest thing he hath in the world) was, by Prerogative warranted by the laws of the land, to be in ward to the King for his body and lands; than which they conceived (to a free nation) nothing to be more grievous.

But they esteemed it only a grief, no wrong: sithence it hath been patiently endured by our ancestors, and by ourselves; and therefore they did press to offer it to the King's grace, and not to his justice. They knew it concerned the King in two

sorts :

1. In his revenue:

2. And in reward to his well-deserving servants, and officers of his wards.

That the discharge of the wardship of mean Lords was also to be thought on.

And concluded, that their desire and resolution was, not to proceed by way of Bill, but by way of petition to his Majesty, for licence to treat, etc.

Of the Lords, first, one answered that they had as much feeling as any of the burden; and that with a double respect, because their families were planted in honour. That there was one other great grievance much complained of, in the matter of Respite of Homage; wherein though the King were interested in honour and profit, yet their desire was that it might be coupled in the petition with the matter of wardship, as growing upon that root.

It was affirmed by another Lord, that in the matter of Respite of Homage present order was to be taken, by special direction from his Majesty; and that for the grievance of Purveyors, there was some order taken already, and all convenient means daily thought on for relief and ease of the subject: But they knew the House did not intend to decry or dismiss the King of his Prerogative; and that this grievance was to be reformed by law, and not by petition.

Sir Francis continued his report of another Lord's speech, which (he said) he did but only report, not deliver as a message. It contained three points:

1. His affection to the House of the Commons.

2. His good wishes unto it.

3. The great benefits the King bringeth with him; as the peace we have by him, and the latitude and prospect of that peace.

That the King was born for us :-That a people may be without a King, a King cannot be without a people.--A persuasion that the House would answer him in all good correspondence: 1. In modesty, that our desires be limited.

2. In plainness, that we lay ourselves open in the naked truth of our hearts.

3. In order and comeliness of proceeding, which is the band and ornament of all societies.

The same Lord touched the case of Sir Francis Goodwin, as a thing he had heard at large, but did not understand it; and therefore desired to know it more particularly from this House. Answer was made that they had no warrant from the House to speak of it." 1

Bacon will reappear hereafter in a more prominent position in connexion with this question of Wardship: but in the subsequent proceedings during the present session I do not find any notice of the part he took, or whether he took any part. The cause appears to have been under the special charge of Sir Edwyn Sandys-one of the ablest of the independent members: but it made no further way. Many accidents intervened to postpone the proposed conference; and by the time it took place (which was not before the end of May) tempers were altered, and the result was unsatisfactory. But of this I shall have occasion to speak further on, in connexion with the circumstances which brought the session to a somewhat sullen and cloudy end.

4.

The movement against the Purveyors, in the mean time, had fared a little better. Though the Commons had readily assented to the proposal of the Lords that this subject among others should be discussed at the Conference, they would not allow it to be put into the same boat with Wardship and Tenures, but resolved to deal with it separately. Instead however of dealing with it directly by a Billwhich was their first intention-they concluded upon further consideration that it would be more prudent to feel and prepare their way by a petition to the King, to be delivered "with some speech of introduction and explanation," and that speech to be made by Bacon: which was accordingly done (27th April): and of the way in which it was done we have on this occasion better means than usual of

judging; a full report of his speech having been fortunately preserved by Bacon himself.

It was first printed in the Resuscitatio (p. 5): But I take my text from a manucript in the Harleian collection, which has corrections in Bacon's own hand.

A SPEECH MADE BY SIR FRANCIS BACON, KNIGHT, CHOSEN BY THE COMMONS TO PRESENT A PETITION TOUCHING PURVEYORS, DELIVERED TO HIS MAJESTY IN THE WITHDRAWING CHAMBER AT WHITEHALL IN THE PARLIAMENT HELD 1° ET 2do JAC, THE FIRST SESSION.1

It is well known to your Majesty (excellent King) that the Emperors of Rome for their better glory and ornament did use in their titles the additions of the countries and nations where they had obtained victories, as Germanicus, Britannicus, and the like; but after all those names, as in the higher place, followed the name of Pater Patriæ, as the greatest name of all human honour immediately preceding that name of Augustus, whereby they took themselves to express some affinity that they had (in respect of their office) with divine honour. Your Majesty mought with good reason assume unto yourself many of those other names, as Germanicus, Saxonicus, Britannicus, Francicus, Danicus, Gothicus, and others, as appertaining to you, not by bloodshed (as they bare them) but by blood; your Majesty's royal person being a noble confluence of streams and veins, wherein the royal

1 Harl. MSS. 6797, f. 170. The last leaf, which has been displaced, will be found at f. 17 of the same volume. There is another copy f. 178, but it represents the MS. before Bacon corrected it.

e;

blood of many kingdoms of Europe are met and united. But no name is more worthy of you, nor may more truly be ascribed unto you, than that name of father of your people, which you bear and express, not in the formality of your stile, but in the real course of your government. We ought not to say unto you as was said to Cæsar Julius, Quæ miremur habemus, quæ laudemus expectamus: that we have already wherefore to admire you, and that now we expect somewhat for which to commend you; for we may (without suspicion of flattery) acknowledge that we have found in your Majesty great cause both of admiration and commendation. For great is the admiration wherewith you have possessed us since this Parliament began, in those two causes wherein we have had access unto you, and heard your voice that of the return of Sir Francis Goodwin; and that of the Union. Whereby it seemeth unto us, the one of these being so subtile a question of law and the other so high a cause of estate, that as the Scripture saith of the wisest king that his heart was as the sands of the sea; which though it be one of the largest and vastest bodies, yet it consisteth of the smallest motes and portions; so (I say) it appeareth unto us in these two examples, that God hath given your Majesty a rare sufficiency, both to compass and fadom the greatest matters, and to discern the least. And for matter of praise and commendation, which chiefly belongeth to goodness, we cannot but with great thankfulness profess, that your Majesty, within the circle of one year of your reign, infra orbem anni vertentis, hath endeavoured to unite your Church which was divided, to supply your nobility which was diminished, and to ease your people in cases where they were burdened and oppressed.

In the last of these your high merits, that is, the ease and comfort of your people, doth fall out to be comprehended the message which I now bring unto your Majesty, concerning the great grievance arising by the manifold abuses of Purveyors, differing in some degree from most of the things wherein we deal and consult; for it is true that the knights citizens and burgesses in parliament assembled are a representative body of your Commons and third estate, and in many matters, although we apply ourselves to perform the trust of those that chose us, yet it may be we do speak much out of our own senses and discourses. But in this grievance, being of that