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210Sir Francis Bacon’s Journalsand will write an expostulating letter to her. I will be here again, and follow on the samecourse, stirring a discontentment in her.” I cannot but answer thus: 9It May Please Your Good Lordship.I am very sorry her Majesty should take my motion to travail in offence. But surely, underher Majesty’s royal correction, it is such an offence as it should be an offence to the sun,when a man to avoid the scorching heat thereof, fl yeth into the shade. And your Lordshipmay easily think that having now these twenty years, (for so long it is and more sinceI went with Sir Amyas Paulet, into France, from her Majesty’s royal hand,) I made herMajesty’s service the scope of my life: I shall never fi nd a greater grief than this, relinquereamorem primum. But since principia ætionum, funt tantum, in nostra potestate; I hope,her Majesty, of her clemency, yea and justice will pardon me, and to force me to pine herewith melancholy. For though mine heart be good, yet mine eyes will be sore; so as I shallhave no pleasure to look abroad, and if I should otherwise be affected, her Majesty, in herwisdom, will but think me, an impudent man that would face out a disgrace.Therefore, as I have ever found you my good Lord, and true friend, so I pray open to matterso to her Majesty as she may discern the necessity of it, without adding hard conceit to herrejection; of which I am sure that latter I never deserved. Thus, &c.,Fra. Bacon.Alas! A black letter of advertisement from Knightsbridge to the honourable Council:they beseech the honours Excellency’s Canton of Knightsbridge where do haunt certainforeigners that seize upon all passengers, taking from them by force their goods, underpretence, that, being merchant strangers, and using traffi c into his Highness’ territoriesof Clerkenwell, Islington, and elsewhere, they have been robbed of their goods, spoiled oftheir wares; whereby they were utterly undone: and that his honour, of his good will, hathbeen pleased to grant them letters of reprisal, to recover their loss of them that come nestto their hands: by colour whereof, they lay hold of all that pass by, without respect. Someof their names, as I understand, are, Johannes Shagbag, Robertus Untruss, James Rapax,(alias Capaxs.)” 10The Queen go well content and leaveth for Greenwich to where I also travel, but haveno success in seeing her. I write to Lord Keeper Puckering from Greenwich, that I amwished to be here ready in expectation of some good effect; and therefore I commend myfortune to his Lordship’s kind and honourable furtherance. If he consider my nature, mycourse, my friends, my opinion with her Majesty, I hope he will think I am no unlike pieceof wood to shape him a true servant of. A sea of melting pearl, which some call tears, dripfrom eyes upon Cousin Fulke Greville’s note that it pleased her Majesty withal to tell of the910William Rawley, in Resuscitatio published 1657, comments that this letter “I fi nd not in hisLordship’s register book, of letters; but I am induced by the style and other characters to ownthem to be his.”See Basil Brown: Law Sports at Gray’s Inn, 1921 courtesy of (www.sirbacon.org)