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ner to do the deed: and they shewed her the weapon wherewith he thought to have acted it. And therefore they advised her that she should go less abroad to take the air, weakly attended, as she used. But the queen answered; "That she had rather be dead, "than put in custody."

15. The lady Paget, that was very private with queen Elizabeth, declared herself much against the match with Monsieur. After Monsieur's death, the queen took extreme grief, at least as she made shew, and kept in within her bed-chamber and one antechamber for three weeks space, in token of mourning: at last she came forth into the privy-chamber, and admitted her ladies to have access unto her; and amongst the rest my lady Paget presented herself, and came to her with a smiling countenance. The queen bent her brows, and seemed to be highly displeased, and said to her, "Madam, you are not ignorant of my extreme grief, and do you come to me with a "countenance of joy ?" My lady Paget answered, "Alas, if it please your majesty, it is impossible for

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me to be absent from you three weeks, but that "when I see you, I must look cheerfully." "No, no,' said the queen, not forgetting her former averseness to the match, "you have some other conceit in it, "tell me plainly." My lady answered," I must "obey you; it is this. I was thinking how happy your majesty was, you married not Monsieur; for seeing you take such thought for his death, being "but your friend; if he had been your husband, sure "it would have cost you your life."

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16. Henry the Fourth of France his queen was young with child; count Soissons, that had his expectation upon the crown, when it was twice or thrice thought that the queen was with child before, said to some of his friends, "That it was but with a "pillow." This had someways come to the king's ear; who kept it till such time as the queen waxed great : then he called the count of Soissons to him, and said, laying his hand upon the queen's belly; "Come, "cousin, is this a pillow ?"-The count of Soissons

answered, "Yes, sir, it is a pillow for all France to sleep upon."

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17. King Henry the Fourth of France was so punctual of his word, after it was once passed, that they called him, "The king of the faith."

18. The said king Henry the Fourth was moved by his Parliament to a war against the Protestants: he answered, "Yes, I mean it; I will make every one "of you captains; you shall have companies assigned "you." The parliament observing whereunto his speech tended, gave over, and deserted his motion.

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19. Queen Elizabeth was wont to say, upon the commission of sales, "That the commissioners used "her like strawberry wives, that laid two or three great strawberries at the mouth of their pot, and "all the rest were little ones; so they made her two "or three good prizes of the first particulars, but fell straightways."

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20. Queen Elizabeth used to say of her instructions to great officers, "That they were like to garments, strait at the first putting on, but did by "and by wear loose enough."

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21. A great officer at court, when my lord of Essex was first in trouble; and that he and those that dealt for him would talk much of my lord's friends, and of his enemies, answered to one of them, "I will tell you, I know but one friend and one enemy my lord hath, and that one friend is the queen, and that "one enemy is himself."

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22. The book for deposing king Richard the Second, and the coming in of Henry the Fourth, supposed to be written by doctor Hayward, who was committed to the Tower for it, had much incensed queen Elizabeth; and she asked Mr. Bacon, being then of her counsel learned, "Whether there were any treason contained in it?" Who intending to do him a pleasure, and to take off the queen's bitterness with a merry conceit, answered, "No, madam, "for treason I cannot deliver opinion that there is any, but very much felony." The queen, apprehending it gladly, asked, "How? and wherein ?"

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Mr. Bacon answered, Because he had stolen many "of his sentences and conceits out of Cornelius "Tacitus."

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23. Queen Elizabeth being to resolve upon a great officer, and being by some, that canvassed for others, put in some doubt of that person whom she meant to advance, called for Mr. Bacon, and told him, "She was like one with a lanthorn seeking a man ;" and seemed unsatisfied in the choice she had of a man for that place. Mr. Bacon answered her, "That " he had heard that in old time there was usually painted on the church walls the day of doom, and "God sitting in judgment, and St. Michael by him, "with a pair of balances; and the soul and the good deeds in the one balance, and the faults and "the evil deeds in the other: and the soul's ba"lance went up far too light. Then was our lady painted with a great pair of beads, who cast them " into the light balance, and brought down the scale : "so, he said, place and authority, which were in her majesty's hands to give, were like our lady's beads, "which though men, through any imperfections, "were too light before, yet when they were cast in, "made weight competent."

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24. Queen Elizabeth was dilatory enough in suits, of her own nature; and the lord treasurer Burleigh, being a wise man, and willing therein to feed her humour, would say to her; "Madam, you do well to "let suitors stay; for I shall tell you, bis dat, qui cito "dat; if you grant them speedily, they will come "again the sooner."

25, Sir Nicholas Bacon, who was keeper of the great seal of England, when queen Elizabeth in her progress came to his house at Gorhambury, and said to him, "My lord, what a little house have you got"ten!" answered her, "Madam, my house is well, but it is you that have made me too great for my "house."

26. There was a conference in parliament between the lords house and the house of commons, about a bill of accountants, which came down from the lords

to the commons; which bill prayed, That the lands of accountants, whereof they were seized when they entered upon their office, might be liable to their ar rears to the queen. But the commons desired, That the bill might not look back to accountants that were already, but extend only to accountants hereafter. But the lord treasurer said, " Why, I pray you, if "you had lost your purse by the way, would you "look forwards, or would you look back? The queen hath lost her purse."

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27. The lord keeper, Sir Nicholas Bacon, was asked his opinion by my lord of Leicester, concerning two persons whom the queen seemed to think well of: " By my troth, my lord, said he, the one is a grave counsellor; the other is a proper young man; " and so he will be as long as he lives."

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28. My lord of Leicester, favourite to queen Elizabeth, was making a large chace about Cornbury-park ; meaning to inclose it with posts and rails; and one day was casting up his charge what it would come to. Mr. Goldingham, a free spoken man, stood by, and said to my lord, "Methinks your lordship goeth not "the cheapest way to work.” "Why, Golding"ham?" said my lord. Marry, my lord," said Goldingham, "count you but upon the posts, for "the country will find you railing."

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29. The lord keeper, Sir Nicholas Bacon, was asked his opinion by queen Elizabeth of one of these monopoly licences? And he answered, "Madam, "will you have me speak the truth? Licentia omnes "deteriores sumus: We are all the worse for "licences,"

30. My lord of Essex, at the succour of Roan, made twenty-four knights, which at that time was a great number. Divers of those gentlemen were of weak and small means; which when queen Elizabeth heard, she said, "My lord might have done well "to have built his alms-house, before he made his "knights."

31. The deputies of the reformed religion, after the massacre which was at Paris upon St. Bartholomew's

day, treated with the king and queen-mother, and some other of the council, for a peace. Both sides were agreed upon the articles. The question was, upon the security for the performance. After some particulars propounded and rejected, the queen-mother said, Why, is not the word of a king sufficient "security?" One of the deputies answered, “No, "by St. Bartholomew, madam."

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32. There was a French gentleman speaking with an English, of the law Salique; that women were excluded from inheriting the crown of France. The English said, "Yes; but that was meant of the "women themselves, not of such males as claimed by "women." The French gentleman said, “Where "do you find that gloss ?" The English answered, "I'll tell you, Sir: look on the backside of the re"cord of the law Salique, and there you shall find it "indorsed:" implying there was no such thing as the law Salique, but that it is a mere fiction.

33. A friar of France, being in an earnest dispute about the law Salique, would needs prove it by Scripture; citing that verse of the Gospel; Lilia agri non laborant neque nent: the lilies of the field do neither labour nor spin; applying it thus: That the flower-de-luces of France cannot descend, neither to the distaff, nor to the spade: that is, not to a woman, nor to a peasant.

34. When peace was renewed with the French in England, divers of the great counsellors were presented from the French with jewels: the lord Henry Howard, being then earl of Northampton, and a counsellor, was omitted. Whereupon the king said to him, "My lord, how happens it that you have not a jewel as well as the rest ?" My lord answered, according to the fable in Æsop; Non sum Gallus, itaque non reperi gemmam.

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35. The same earl of Northampton, then lord privy seal, was asked by king James, openly at the table, where commonly he entertained the king with discourse; the king asked him upon the sudden, My "lord, have you not a desire to see Rome?" My

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