450

SIR GILES OVERREACH.

in mistake, and will at once replace him if he desire it; and on the 23rd, a letter acknowledging "your favour to Sir George Tipping," from Buckingham. On the 28th, again, on behalf of Mr. John Huddy: "My desire unto your Lordship is, that you would shew the said John Huddy, what favour you lawfully may, and as his cause will bear when it cometh before you, for my sake." Again, on the 4th of February, for Robert Maxwell, and John Hunt, "for the making of sheriffs and escheatus patents;" and on the same day, a suit between party and party; Sir Thomas Monk, who is a friend of my noble friend the Lord Norris, and who has a suit with Sir Robert Bassett, desiring what favour you lawfully may, as of old; and on the 7th, we arrive at another link in the chain which is to bind Bacon, Prometheus fashion, to the rock when he is hurled down, viz., the complicity of Bacon in the Monpesson patents for gold thread.

Sir Giles Monpesson, a man of an avaricious, sordid, and, by tradition, vile and malicious character-the original of the Sir Giles Overreach of Massinger's play, and of the Justice Greedy of Ben Jonson-is in league with Villiers' brother John, in a patent for gold lace. In other words the better to defraud the public, he has taken into partnership one of Villiers' brothers. By the favourite's and the Chancellor's aid they secure to themselves a patent to plunder the public by manufacturing gold lace- obtaining the colour of a legal sanction to enable them to pass off counterfeit gold and silver lace of the worst materials at the prices of gold and silver. The iniquity of the whole proceeding cannot be exaggerated. A licence to pass counterfeit money would hardly be more profitable

THE GOLD LACE PATENT.

451

or-pernicious. The whole country from end to end adorns itself with trappings of gold and silver thread. It is as much the fashion as ribbons or broad cloth to-day. The serving man, the knights, the prentices, the aldermen, all wear it. The imposition is, of course, eminently profitable, while the quality of the article vended is so notoriously bad, that it is said to cut and corrode its way into the flesh of those who use it.* It is the culminating and crowning iniquity of Monopolies. Other patents have been granted touching matters of more absolute necessity, but none in which so overwhelming a fraud on the public has been contemplated or accomplished. We have seen that Egerton, compliant and courtier-like as he was, refused to seal this and another patent for the licensing of inns, granted to the same persons. On the 7th of February, Buckingham writes, "marvelling that his Majesty heareth nothing of the business touching the gold and silver thread "-an allusion which shows first his interest, next the Chancellor's complicity, and, as he refers to his Majesty, either his fear or dislike to be identified with the fraud.

Five days after, and during Hilary Term, there is a letter of Buckingham's, acknowledging Bacon's services and kindness for a favour done to one of his suitors, Edward Hawkins; and again, at the opening of Easter Term, another interference between party and party, in behalf of Sir Rowland Cotton, in a suit against John Gawen; and in Trinity Term, again in behalf of a Mr. Hansbye. This being one of the cases in which, like the Egertons', Bacon not only served his patron Villiers, but also served him

* Disraeli the elder.

452 AID GIVEN BY THE CHANCELLOR TO THE PATENT.

self, by obtaining from the suitors a large sum of money in the form of a gift or bribe-thus doubly benefiting in favour and in purse. It is not many judges who would have ingenuity so to combine advantages, while maintaining the semblance of justice. But Francis Bacon was no ordinary tactician.

On the 15th of June, Buckingham writes again in a suit of Lady Vernon's, avowedly on behalf of the king. Three days after to intercede for Sir Rowland Cotton, in his suit in Chancery in the matter of costs. Although the decision has been against Sir Rowland, "yet he acknowledges himself much bound to your lordship for his noble and patient hearing." This letter is precise and emphatic, "because I am certainly informed Sir Rowland Cotton had just cause of complaint. I hope your lordship will not give any (costs) against him." Buckingham writes to Bacon in August a long and important letter concerning this gold lace patent. A petition against it has been presented to the King his Majesty refers it to Bacon. The patentees are being injured by the smuggling in, from foreign parts of gold and silver thread, as well as by the large quantities now remaining in merchants' hands. Bacon is requested to interfere; "he is to prosecute the cause he has so worthily begun, for prevention of further abuses therein; so as the agents may receive encouragement to go on quietly in the work without disturbance.” *

On the 4th of October we find that the Chancellor with his old colleagues,-Montagu, Yelverton, Coventry, all now in office-are appointed by the King into a commission in the gold and silver thread business. This

* Birch; Montagu, vol. xii., 353.

RALEIGH SACRIFICED TO SPAIN.

453

month Buckingham is again interceding for a suitor, Sir Henry Englefield. On the 22nd, a peremptory note from Buckingham desires the prompt and final settlement, "full arbitration and final end" of a suit of Mr. Francis Foljambe v. F. Hansbye, and so the correspondence goes on-Buckingham asking favours for suitors, Bacon indubitably granting them.

This proposition may not seem self-evident, yet can it be supposed that Buckingham would persist in writing useless letters? that he would acknowledge favours never granted? that suitors would seek him and so strengthen his influence at court, if they were not sure of gaining their ends? In November, and the following months, we find "a recommendation of the business of Mr. Wyche,' a second application, the time of trial drawing nigh; a letter "in behalf of Dr. Steward." The last contains this sentence-"I have thought fit to use all freedom with you in this as in other things," and on the latter, Bacon answers: "I forget not your doctor's matter; I shall speak with him to-day, having received your lordship's letter, and what is possible shall be done."

About this time Bacon's iniquities grow apace. First, James, out of his cowardly fears, desires, as he thinks with good policy, to unite with the Spaniards. To this end he will sacrifice Raleigh, their old foe in England. The motive for James' Spanish tendencies can only be found in his fears. He weakly thinks that it will be a good pact, to disarm an enemy by making him your friend. In some cases this may be, but never where there is so great an antipathy of blood, and race, and religion as then existed. Raleigh, however, was in the way, and the

454

BACON ASSISTS IN HIS SLANDER.

King wished his removal. In 1603, he had been tried for high treason, and his sentence was then commuted. He was afterwards employed by James, with very full and complete powers, to colonize America, though he has never prospered since Essex's death, having become eminently unpopular for his carriage towards that unfortunate nobleman.

James would have him executed on the old sentence. Bacon as a lawyer, knows this will never do-that such a punishment would be contrary to all law. He prefers, as usual, more insidious courses. On the 18th of October he writes a long letter, directing the King how to proceed. On the 24th, Raleigh is told he will be executed; on the 28th, he is sentenced; on the 29th, beheaded. At the end of November, we find that he has issued a pamphlet to blast Raleigh's character with the nation, as a justification of his recent execution, just as he had done for Essex. The composition bears unmistakeable proof of Bacon's hands, and should long since have been incorporated in his works. This Declaration of the Demeanour and Carriage of Sir Walter Raleigh, knight,' was printed at London, in quarto, early in December. A part is absolutely in Bacon's hand, it was certainly under his supervision. His own letter says: "We have put the declaration touching Raleigh to the press with his Majesty's additions, which were very material and fit to proceed from his Majesty."

Next, Bacon's care is to suggest to the King a mode of raising funds by making aliens denizens of this country. It was a private suggestion contained in a book

* Vide Appendix.