face at the Dukes foot kissing it vowing never to rise till he had his pardon then was he againe reconciled and since that time so very a slave to the Duke and all that Family that he durst not deny the command of the meanest of the kindred nor oppose anything by this you see a base spirit is ever most concomitant with the proudest minde and surely never so many brave parts and so base and abject a spirit tenanted together in any one earthen Cottage as in this one man I shall not remember his basenesse being out of his place of pinning himselfe for very scraps on that Noble Gentleman Sir Julius Caesars Hospitality that at last he was forced to get the Kings Warrant to remove him out of his house yet in his prosperity the one being Chancellor and the other Master of the Rolls did so scorne and abuse him as he would alter any thing the other did And now Buckingham having the Chancellor Treasurer and all great Officers his very slaves swels in the height of pride summons up all his Country kindred the old Countesse providing a place for them to learne to carry themselves in a Court-like garbe but because they could not learne the French Dances so soon as to be suitable to their gay Clothes Country Dances for their sakes only must be the garbe of the Court and none else must be used Then must these women-kindred be married to Earles Earles eldest Sonnes Barons or chiefe Gentlemen of greatest estates insomuch that the very female kindred were so numerous as were sufficient to have peopled any Plantation nay very Kitchin-wenches were married to Knights eldest sonnes yet as if England had not matches enough in the Kingdome they married like the house of Austria in their own kindred witnesse the Earle of Anglesea married a cousen German to whom he had given earnest before so that King James that naturally in former times hated women had his Lodgings replenished with them and all of the Kindred The Brethren great Earls Little children did run up and downe the Kings Lodgings like little Rabbitstarters about their boroughs Here was a strange change that the King who formerly would not endure his Queen and children in his Lodgeings now you would have judged that none but women frequented them nay that was not all but the kindred had all the houses about White-Hall as if they had been Bulwarks and Flankers to that Cittadell But above all the Miracles of those times old Sir Anthony Ashley who never loved any but boyes yet he was snatcht up for a kinswoman as if there had been a concurrency thorow the Kingdom that those that naturally hated women yet should love his kindred as well as the King him And the very old Midwives of that kindred flockt up for preferment of which old Sir Christopher Perkins a woman-hater that never meant to marry nay it was said he had made a vow of Virginity yet was coupled to an old Midwife so that you see the greatnesse of this Favourite who could force by his power over the King though against Nature But I must tell you this got him much hatred to raise brothers and brother-in-laws to the highest rank of Nobility which were not capable of the place of scarce a Iustice of the Peace only his brother Purbeck had more wit and honesty then all the kindred beside and did keep him in some bounds of honesty and modesty whilst he lived about him and would speake plaine English to him for which plainnesse when they had no colour to put him from his brother they practised to make him mad and thought to bring that wicked stratagem to effect by countenancing a wicked Woman his Wife the Lord Cookes Daughter against him even in her base and lewd living And now is Purbeck mad indeed and put from Court Now none great with Buckingham but Bawds and Parasites and such as humoured him in his unchaste pleasures so that since his first being a pretty harmlesse affable Gentleman he grew insolent cruell and a monster not to be endured And now is Williams sometimes Chaplaine to the Lord Keeper Egerton brought into play made a privie-Councellor Deane of Westminster and of secret Councell with the King he was also made Bishop of Lincolne and was generally voyced at his first step to marry Buckinghams Mother who was in her husbands time created a Countesse he remaining still a C. silly drunken sot and this was the first president of this kinde ever known Williams held her long in hand and no doubt in nature of her Confessor was her secret friend yet would not marry at present which afterwards was cause of his downfall Then was there a Parliament summoned in which Bacon for his bribery and injustice was thrust out being closely prosecuted by one Morby a Woodmonger and one Wrenham formerly deeply censured in the Star-Chamber for accusing him of bribery and injustice Bacon was by Parliament justly put out of his place and but only for the Votes of the Bishops had been degraded the Bishops might have done better to have kept their voyces to have done themselves service at this time but surely that with some other injustice of theirs had so filled up their measure of iniquity that now Gods anger is kindled against them In Bacons place comes Williams a man on purpose brought in at first to serve turnes but in this place to doe that which none of the Layity could be found bad enough to undertake whereupon this observation was made that first no Lay-man could be found so dishonest as a Clergy man next as Bacon the Father of this Bacon did receive the seales from a Bishop so a Bishop againe received them from a Bacon and at this did the Lawyers fret to have such a flower pulled out of their Garland This Williams though he wanted much of his Predecessors abilities for the Law yet did he equall him for learning and pride and beyond him in the way of bribery this man answering by Petitions in which his servants had one part himselfe another and so was calculated to be worth to him his servants 3000. l. per annum by a new way never found out before And now being come to the height of his preferment he did estrange himselfe from the company of the old Countesse having much younger ware who had keyes to his chamber to come to him yet was there a necessity of keeping him in this place for a time the Spanish Match being yet in chase and if it succeeded this man was to clap the great Seale through his ignorance in the Lawes to such things that none that understood the danger by knowing the Lawes would venture upon and for this designe was he at first brought in no Prince living knowing how to make use of men better then King James Now was also Suffolke turned out of his place of Lord Treasurer and a fellow of the same Batch that Williams was brought into his place
imprecations for their reliefe and assistance wherein they put some confidence was meerly betrayed by him insomuch that when the Rochel Agents found themselves abused through their whole yeares attendance they left this bitter jeere upon him that now they could rightly call England the Land of Promise He seldome loved any but to serve his turne and would himselfe serve a turne to doe any mischiefe as was to be seene by his saying Amen to every full point of Buckinghams Accusation in the face of the Parliament against Bristol for his miscarriage in Spaine when it appeared by Bristols defence in Publick before the face of that same Parliament that there was not scarce one syllable had any truth in it who also freely put himself upon the Test that if there were any truth in that combined Accusation against him he would yeeld himselfe guilty of it all He was of a very poore spirit which may be conceived amongst other things by his making Buckingham his Privado after he came to the Crown otherwise would he never have forgotten those unsufferable insolencies offered him being Prince what they were you have already heard His Predecessor Henry the fifth and so his brother Henry would have instructed him otherwise for although its true noble mindes should forget injuries so as not to revenge them yet so as not to countenance the doers of them especially to take them into so much nearnesse and dearnesse as he did him after those two proud affronts which argued in him as I said before a poore and ignoble spirit He had all his Kingdomes left in peace and tranquility by his Father which he soone after made a shift to distemper by a foolish Warre upon France and Spaine and by a more foolish conduct of either ignorant unexperienced or cowardly Commanders And in truth if you will give credit to Vox populi the Booke so called written by one Scot they were suitable to the grounds of such Quarrels being no fairer than the satisfying the beastly appetite of his Favourite who must be reveng'd forsooth upon those States In which I admire Gods Justice that he who unjustly made War upon unwarrantable grounds should have Warre thus brought home unto him so that now God hath given him the same measure he hath met to others even full pressed down and running over I wish I may have a time to give him a fairer Character when he is dead then are my observations in his life but I may rather wish then hope in that course he yet continues Certaine observations before Queene Elizabeths death I Cannot but admire Gods Providence in bringing Peace when nothing was thought of but War and now bringing a cruell Warre when nothing could be expected but peace Peace with all forraigne Estates peace at Home Not long before the death of Queene Elizabeth all the discourse was in a secret whispering on whom the Succession would fall some said the Lady Arabella some the King of Scotland and reason given pro and con on both sides they who were for her saying the Lady Arabella was a Native and a Maid and that this Kingdome never flourished more then under a Maidens Reigne Others for the Scot said that the King of Scots was more neare to the Crowne by descent farther off say others as being a Stranger and that Nation ever in Hostility against us Nor did the King himselfe beleeve he should have come in with a sheathed Sword which appeared by that Letter he produced of the Earle of Northumberlands that if he made any doubt hereof he would bring him forty thousand Catholicks should conduct him into England But the Queene dyed the King comes in peaceably even to the admiration of all Forraigne Princes and to the gnashing of their teeth but the reason was they had lived in obedience under a just Sovereigne who was wont ever to say when any great man had opprest a poore Gentleman that Petitioned her for redresse against such oppression when all the great Lords and Officers would hold together to support the Suppressor and trample upon the oppressed My Lords quoth she content you I am Queene of the Valleys as well as of the Hills and I must not suffer the Hills to ore-top nor yet to over-shade the Valleys A worthy saying which if it had been imitated by her Successors these our miseries had never happened but I say and this is it I now drive at her Justice made her Subjects to beleeve there could be no injustice in Monarchy and that was it did facilitate the Kings peaceable entrance In that tranquility did the Kingdome continue all his dayes and about fifteen yeares of his Sons Reign when behold there was nothing but jollity in the Court as if saying to themselves Who dares molest us the King having now a plentifull Issue for let me tell you the Kings Issue made Him and his Courtiers the more to trample on the country Gentry But behold when nothing but peace peace sudden destruction came on them and us unawares and God sends such a War as no man could dreame of Now the corollary of all is this the high injustice of Church and State was the cause of this Warre And O may not the continuing of that in any other Government prove the continuance of this war there being a farre greater appearance of the continuance thereof then ever there was of the beginning But Gods will be done The Contents QVeene Elizabeth died at Richmond house on March 24 1602. page 1 2â— The first that carryed newes thereof into Scotland was Sir Rob. Carew who was afterward made Governor of the Kings then second Son Charles Duke of York p. 2 3â— The first man imployed from Scotland to the English Nobility for preparations of the Kings comming into England was Sir Roger Aston p. 4â— He was afterwards made from the Kings Barbar 〈◊〉 gentleman of his Bed-Chamber p. 6â— The Kings Favourites 1 Sir George Hewme a kind of Favourite for having been of some secret councels with the King whilsâ— in Scotland the cheife of which was that of Gourieâ— Conspiracy p. 7 8â— 2 Sir Robert Cicill a Favourite p. 9â— His il offices he did this Nation p. 1â— His Herodian disease and end p. 1â— 3 4. Hen Howard Tho. Howard Favorites p. 1â— The principall managers of the State affaires in Englanâ— then were Salisbury Suffolke c. p. 1â— 5 Mr. James Hay an high Favourite c. See his riâ— c. p. 17 18 1â— Passages concerning Sir Walter Rawleigh p. 27 â— A notable discovery made by Sir Rob. Mansel of a Spaniards stealing plate which cleared the false imputation laid by them on the English p. 40. c. The King easily perswaâ—ed to retire himselfe by those Managers of the State of which Salisbury was the cheif p. 46 47 48 Secretary Lake p. 49 c. Salisbury Suffolk Northampton great getters more then the whole bunch of the Scots Dunbar excepted p. 54 Kelly Annandale
distemper at so late a season Moore tells him he must speake with the King Leveston replyes he is quiet which in the Scottish dialect is fast asleep Moore sayes you must awake him Moore was called in the Chamber left to the King and Moore he tels the King those passages and desired to be directed by the King for he was gone beyond his owne reason to heare such bold and undutifull expressions from a faulty Subject against a just Soveraigne The King falls into a passion of teares On my soule Moore I wot not what to doe thou art a wise man helpe me in this great straight and thou shalt finde thou dost it for a thankfull Master with other sad expressions Moore leaves the King in that passion but assures him he will prove the utmost of his wit to serve his Majesty and was really rewarded with a suit worth to him 1500. l. although Annandale his great friend did cheat him of one halfe so was there falshood in friendship Sir George Moore returnes to Somerset about three next morning of that day he was to come to triall enters Somersets chamber tels him he had been with the King found him a most affectionate Master unto him and full of grace in his intentions towards him but said he to satisfie Iustice you must appeare although returne instantly againe without any further proceedings only you shall know your enemies and their malice though they shall have no power over you With this tricke of wit he allayed his fury and got him quietly about eight in the morning to the Hall yet feared his former bold language might revert againe and being brought by this trick into the toile might have more inraged him to fly out into some strange discovery for prevention whereof he had two servants placed on each side of him with a Cloak on their armes giving them withall a peremptory order if that Somerset did any way fly out on the King they should instantly hoodwink him with that Cloak take him violently from the Bar and carry him away for which he would secure them from any danger and they should not want also a bountifull reward But the Earle finding himselfe over-reached re-collected a better temper and went on calmly in his Tryall where he held the company untill 7. at night But who had seene the Kings restlesse motion all that day sending to every Boat he saw landing at the Bridge cursing all that came without tydings would have easily judged all was not right and there had been some grounds for his feares of Somersets boldnesse but at last one bringing him word he was condemned and the passages All was quiet This is the very relation from Moores owne mouth and this he told verbatim in Wanstead Parke to two Gentlemen of which the Author was one who were both left by him to their own freedome without engaging them even in those times of high distemperatures unto a faithfull secresie in concealing it yet though he failed in his wisdome they failed not in that worth inherent in every Noble spirit never speaking of it till after the Kings death And there were other strong inducements to beleeve Somerset knew that by the King he desired none other in the world should be partaker of and that all was not peace within in the Peace-maker himselfe for he ever courted Somerset to his dying day and gave him 4000. l. per annum for Fee-farme Rents after he was condemned which he took in his servants names not his owne as then being condemned not capable of and he then resolved never to have a pardon I have heard it credibly reported he was told by a Wizzard that could he but come to see the Kings face againe he should be re-invested in his former dearnesse with him this had been no hard experiment but belike he had too much Religion to trust to Wizzards or else some friends of his had trusted them and been deceived by them that he had little reason to put confidence in them Many beleeved him guilty of Overburies death but the most thought him guilty only of the breach of friendship and that in a high point by suffering his imprisonment which was the high-way to his murther and this conjecture I take to be of the soundest opinion for by keeping him out of the action if it were discovered his greatnesse fortified with innocency would carry their nocencies through all dangers For the Gentleman himselfe he had misfortune enough to marry such a woman in such a Family which first undermined his Honour afterwards his life at least to be dead in Law nor did any thing reflect upon him in all his time of Favourite but in and by that Family first in his adulterous marriage then in so hated a Family and the bringing in Cranfield and Ingram as Projectors all by his Wives and friends meanes otherwise had he been the bravest Favourite of our time full of Majesty imploying his time like a Statesman and the King kept correspondency with him by Letters almost weekly to his dying day And here have we brought this great mans glory to its period with his fatal Countesse who some years after it dyed miserably at Chiswick Mris. Turner Weston Franklin and Elwayes dyed in the Tower Weston ever saying it never troubled him to dye for the Blue Ribbons sake and so was concluded that grand businesse the grosse production of a then foul State and Court wherein Pride Revenge and Luxury abounded Yet and it s verily beleeved when the King made those terrible Imprecations on himselfe and Deprecations of the Iudges it was intended the Law should run in its proper channell but was stopt and put out of course by the folly of that great Clerke though no wise man Sir Edward Cooke who in a vaine-glorious speech to shew his vigilancy enters into a rapture as he then sat on the Bench saying God knows what became of that sweet Babe Prince Henry but I know somewhat surely in searching the Cabinets he lighted on some Papers that spake plain in that which was ever whispered which had he gon on in a gentle way would have falne in of themselves not to have been prevented but this folly of his tongue stopt the breath of that discovery of that so foule a murder which I fear cryes still for vengeance And now begins the new Favourite to reign without any concurrent now hee rises in honour as well as swells with pride breaking out of those modest bounds which formerly had impaled him to the high-way of pride and scorne turning out and putting in all he pleased First he must aspire to the Admiralls Office himselfe and would not let the old Gentleman so well deserving in that place dye with that Title but the King must put himselfe to a great charge to put out the better and take in the worse yet for all his immense greatnesse would he never let him be Admiral untill he had first setled Sir Robert
Mansell Vice-Admirall of England during his life by Patent in which he not onely manifested his love to his Noble friend though sometime his servant but his care to the State that his experience and abilities might support the others inabilities wel knowing that the Honour and safety of the Kingdome consisted in the wel-ordering and strength of the Navy Next Egerton had displeased him by not giving way to his exorbitant desires he must out and would not let him seale up his dying eyes with the seals which he had so long carryed and so well discharged and to despite him the more and to vex his very soule in the last Agony he sent Bacon one he hated yet to be his Successor for the Seales which the old mansspirit could not brook but sent them by his owne servant to the King and shortly after yeelded his soul to his Maker And to the end you may know what men were made choyce of to serve turnes I shall set you downe a true story This great Favourite sent a Noble Gentleman and of much worth to Bacon with this Message that he knew him to be a man of excellent parts and as the times were sit to serve his Master in the Keepers place but hee also knew him of a base and ingratefull dispotion and an arrant Knave apt in his prosperity to ruine any that had raised him from adversity yet for all this hee did so much study his Masters service knowing how fit an instrument he might be for him that he had obtained the Seales for him but with this assurance should he ever requite him as he had done some others to whom he had been more bound he would cast him downe as much below scorne as he had now raised him high above any Honour he could ever have expected Bacon was at that time Attorney Generall who patiently hearing this Message replyed I am glad my noble Lord deales so friendly and freely with me and hath made that choyce of so discreet and Noble a friend that hath delivered his Message in so plaine language but saith he can my Lord know these abilities in me and can hee thinke when I have attained the highest preferment my profession is capable of I shall so much faile in my judgement and understanding as to lose these abilities and by my miscarriage to so noble a Patron cast my selfe headlong from the top of that honour to the very bottome of contempt and scorne Surely my Lord cannot thinke so meanly of me The Gentleman replyed I deliver you nothing from my selfe but the words are put into my mouth by his Lordship to which I neither adde nor diminish for had it been left to my discretion surely though I might have given you the substance yet should I have apparelled it in a more moddest attire but as I have faithfully delivered my Lords to you so will I as faithfully returne yours to his Lordship You must understand the reason of this Message was his ungratefulnesse to Essex which every one could remember for the Earle saved him from starving and he requited him so as his Apology must witnesse were there not a great fault there needed no Apology nor could any age but a worthlesse and corrupt in men and manners have thought him worthy such a place of honour Well Lord Keeper he was for which he paid nothing nor was hee able for now was there a new trick to put in dishonest and necessitous men to serve such turnes as men of plentifull fortunes and fair reputations would not accept of and this filled the Church and Common-wealth full of beggerly fellowes such daring to venture on any thing having nothing to lose for it is riches makes men cowards Poverty daring and valiant to adventure at any thing to get something yet did not Buckingham doe things gratis but what their purses could not stretch unto they paid in pensions out of their places all which went to maintaine his numerous beggerly kindred Bacon paid a Pension Heath Atturney paid a Pension Bargrave Deane paid a Pension with many others Nor was this any certaine rule for present portions must be raised for the Marriage of a poore Kitchin Maid to be made a great Count esse so Fotherby made Bishop of Sarum paid 3500. l. and some also worthy men were preferred gratis to blow up their Fames and Trumpet forth their Noblenesse as Tolson a worthy man paid nothing in Fine or Pension after him Davenant in the same Bishoprick but these were but as Musick before every sceane nor were fines or pensions certaine but where men were rich there Fines without reservation of rent where poore and such as would serve turnes there Pensions no Fines so Weston and many others There were books of rates on all the Offices Bishopricks Deaneries in England that could tell you what Fines what Pensions otherwise it had been impossible such a numerous kindred could have been maintained with the three Kingdomes Revenue Now was Bacon invested in his Office and within ten dayes after the King goes to Scotland Bacon instantly begins to believe himselfe King lyes in the Kings Lodgings gives audience in the great Banqueting House makes all other Councellors attend his motions with the same state the King used to come out to give audience to Embassadours when any other Councellour sate with him about the Kings affaires would if they sate neare him bid them know their distance upon which Secretary Wynwood rose went away and would never sit more under his encroached State but instantly dispatcht one to the King to desire him to make haste back for even his very Seat was already usurped At which I remember the King reading it unto us both the King and we were very merry and if Buckingham had sent him any Letters would not vouchsafe the opening or reading them in publique though it was said requiring speedy dispatch nor would vouchsafe him any answer In this posture he lived untill he heard the King was returning and began to beleeve the Play was almost at an end he might personate a Kings part no longer and therefore did againe re-invest himselfe with his old rags of basenesse which were so tattered and poore at the Kings comming to Windsor he attended two dayes at Buckinghams Chamber being not admitted to any better place then the roome where Trencher-scrapers and Lacquies attended there sitting upon an old wooden chest amongst such as for his basenesse were only fit companions although the Honour of his place did merit farre more respect with his Purse and Seale lying by him on that chest My selfe told a servant of my Lord of Buckinghams it was a shame to see the Purse and Seale of so little value or esteeme in his Chamber though the Carryer without it merited nothing but scorne being worst among the basest He told me they had command it must be so after two dayes he had admittance at first entrance he fell downe flat on his