Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

put on his cloaths; and when his master bad him, take them you, for they are the hangman's fees.

70. There was a lady of the west country, that gave great entertainment at her house to most of the gallant gentlemen thereabouts, and amongst others, Sir Walter Rawleigh was one. This lady, though otherwise a stately dame, was a notable good housewife; and in the morning betimes, she called to one of her maids that looked to the swine, and asked, are the pigs served? Sir Walter Rawleigh's chamber was fast by the lady's, so as he heard her; a little before dinner, the lady came down in great state into the great chamber, which was full of gentlemen; and as soon as Sir Walter Rawleigh set eye upon her; Madam, saith he, are the pigs served? The lady answered; You know best whether you have had your breakfast.

71. There were fishermen drawing the river at Chelsea: Mr. Bacon came thither by chance in the afternoon, and offered to buy their draught; they were willing. He asked them what they would take? They asked, thirty shillings. Mr. Bacon offered them ten. They refused it. Why then, saith Mr. Bacon, I will be only a looker on. They drew and catched nothing. Saith Mr. Bacon, Are not you mad fellows now, that might have had an angel in your purse, to have made merry withal, and to have warmed you throughly,

and now you must go home with nothing. Ay but, saith the fishermen, we had hope then to make a better gain of it. Saith Mr. Bacon, well my master, then I'll tell you, hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.

72. When Sir Francis Bacon was made the king's attorney, Sir Edward Coke was put up from being lord chief justice of the common pleas, to be lord chief justice of the king's bench; which is a place of greater honour, but of less profit; and withal was made privy counsellor. After a few days, the Lord Coke meeting with the king's attorney, said unto him; Mr. Attorney, this is all your doing: It is you that have made this stir. Mr. Attorney answered: Ah, my lord! your lordship all this while hath grown in breadth; you must needs now grow in height, or else you would

be a monster.

73. One day Queen Elizabeth told Mr. Bacon, that my Lord of Essex, after great protestation of penitence and affection, fell in the end, but upon the suit of renewing his farm of sweet wines. He answered; I read that in nature, there be two kinds of motions or appetites in sympathy; the one as of iron, to the adamant for perfection; the other as of the vine, to the stake for sustentation; that her majesty was the one, and his suit the other.

74. Mr. Bacon, after he had been vehement in parliament against depopulation and inclosures; and that soon after the queen told him, that she had referred the hearing of Mr. Mills's cause, to certain counsellors and judges; and asked him how he liked of it? Answered; Oh madam! my mind is known; I am against all inclosures, and especially against inclosed justice.

75. When Sir Nicholas Bacon the lord keeper lived, every room in Gorhambury was served with a pipe of water from the ponds, distant about a mile off. In the life-time of Mr. Antony Bacon, the water ceased. After whose death, his lordship coming to the inheritance, could not recover the water without infinite charge; when he was lord chancellor, he built Verulam House, close by the pond-yard, for a place of privacy, when he was called upon, to dispatch any urgent business. And being asked, why he built that house there; his lordship answered, that since he could not carry the water to his house, he would carry his house to the water.

76. Zelim was the first of the Ottomans that did shave his beard, whereas his predecessors wore it long. One of his bashaws asked him, why he altered the custom of his predecessors? He answered, because you bashaws may not lead me by: the beard, as you did them.

77. Charles king of Sweden, a great enemy of the Jesuits, when he took any of their colleges, he would hang the old Jesuits, and put the young to his mines, saying; that since they wrought so hard above ground, he would try how they could work under ground.

78. In chancery, at one time when the counsel of the parties set forth the boundaries of the land in question, by the plot; and the counsel of one part said, we lie on this side, my lord; and the counsel of the other part said, and we lie on this side: the lord chancellor Hatton stood up and said; if you lye on both sides, whom will you have me to believe?

79. Sir Edward Coke was wont to say, when a great man came to dinner to him, and gave him no knowledge of his coming; sir, since you sent me no word of your coming, you must dine with me ; but if I had known of it in due time, I would have dined with you.

80. Pope Julius the third, when he was made pope, gave his hat unto a youth, a favourite of his, with great scandal. Whereupon at one time a cardinal that might be free with him, said modestly to him; what did your holiness see in that young man, to make him cardinal? Julius answered, what did you see in me to make me pope?

81. The same Julius, upon like occasion of speech, why he should bear so great affection to the same young man, would say; that he found by astrology, that it was the youth's destiny to be a great prelate; which was impossible except himself were pope. And therefore that he did raise him, as the driver on of his own fortune.

82. Sir Thomas More had only daughters at the first, and his wife did ever pray for a boy. At last she had a boy, which being come to man's estate, proved but simple. Sir Thomas said to his wife, thou prayedst so long for a boy, that he will be a boy as long as he lives.

83. Sir Fulk Grevil, afterwards lord Brook, in parliament, when the house of commons in a great business, stood much upon precedents, said unto them; why do you stand so much upon precedents? The times hereafter will be good or bad. If good, precedents will do no harm; if bad, power will make a way where it finds none.

84. Sir Thomas More, on the day that he was beheaded, had a barber sent to him, because his hair was long; which was thought, would make him more commiserated with the people. The barber came to him and asked him, whether he would be pleased to be trimm'd? In good faith, honest fellow, (saith Sir Thomas) the king and I have a suit for my head; and till the title be cleared, I will do no cost upon it.

« ZurückWeiter »