Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Sir Francis Bacon's MSS relating to Ireland (Author: Francis Bacon)

Document 23

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Letter of Francis Bacon to the King, ?February 1614

Spedding, Letters & Life, V, 1–2

To the King
It may please your most excellent Majesty,

I most humbly pray your Majesty to receive into your royal remembrance that one point whereof you spoke unto me: which

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is this; to put but this case to those gentlemen which profess to do you service in Parliament, and desire (as they say) but to have some matter thereupon to work: If your Majesty be resolved not to buy and sell this Parliament, but to perform the part of a King, and not of a merchant or contractor, what they can desire or propound for the satisfaction and comfort of your people.

Of this three uses may be made.

First, if they fall upon an answer as to say, that the Parliament is so now in taste with matters of substance and profit, as it is in vain to think to draw them on but by some offer of that nature, then for their part I shall little esteem their service if they confess themselves to be but brokers for bargains.

Secondly, if they do devise and propound anything that is fit, then that it be followed and pursued, because they are likest to be in love with their own child and to nourish it.

Thirdly, if they show good will to devise some such thing, but that their invention prove barren, in that their proposition be not such but that better may be found, then they may be helpen by some better proposition from your Majesty whereupon they may work.

This, because time runneth, I beseech your Majesty may be put unto them by some such mean as your Majesty is pleased to use, as soon as may be.

I most humbly pray your Majesty also to take into consideration that it may be inconvenient for your Majesty to have a parliament in England and a parliament in Ireland at one time. And therefore I do wish that the Parliament of Ireland (when time shall be) may upon some occasion fitly taken be put off. For I beseech your Majesty to observe this argument further: that the unsettled business of the parliament of Ireland is a just ground for the parliament of England to furnish your Majesty with treasure in omnem eventum. And on the other side the loving and frank proceeding with you by your parliament of England will daunt the ill affected part of the parliament of Ireland.

If your Majesty had heard and seen the thunder of the bells and the lightening of the bonfires for your grandchild, you would say there is little cause to doubt the affections of the people of England in puris naturalibus. God preserve your Majesty. I rest

Your Majesty's most bounden servant,

Fr. Bacon

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