the person of a party into a peace-maker; so as I was forced upon my knees to beg of his Majesty that he would put no public act of disgrace upon you, and, as I dare say, no other person would have been patiently heard in this suit by his Majesty but myself, so did I (though not without difficulty) obtain thus much—­that he would not so far disable you from the merit of your future service as to put any particular mark of disgrace upon your person.  Only thus far his Majesty protesteth, that upon the conscience of his office he cannot omit (though laying aside all passion) to give a kingly reprimand at his first sitting in council to so many of his councillors as were then here behind, and were actors in this business, for their ill behaviour in it.  Some of the particular errors committed in this business he will name, but without accusing any particular persons by name.

“Thus your Lordship seeth the fruits of my natural inclination; and I protest all this time past it was no small grief unto me to hear the mouth of so many upon this occasion open to load you with innumerable malicious and detracting speeches, as if no music were more pleasing to my ears than to rail of you, which made me rather regret the ill nature of mankind, that like dogs love to set upon him that they see once snatched at.  And to conclude, my Lord, you have hereby a fair occasion so to make good hereafter your reputation by your sincere service to his Majesty, as also by your firm and constant kindness to your friends, as I may (your Lordship’s old friend) participate of the comfort and honour that will thereby come to you.  Thus I rest at last

     “Your Lordship’s faithful friend and servant,
     “G.B.”

“MY EVER BEST LORD, now better than yourself,—­Your Lordship’s pen, or rather pencil, hath pourtrayed towards me such magnanimity and nobleness and true kindness, as methinketh I see the image of some ancient virtue, and not anything of these times.  It is the line of my life, and not the lines of my letter, that must express my thankfulness; wherein if I fail, then God fail me, and make me as miserable as I think myself at this time happy by this reviver, through his Majesty’s singular clemency, and your incomparable love and favour.  God preserve you, prosper you, and reward you for your kindness to

     “Your raised and infinitely obliged friend and servant,
     “Sept. 22, 1617. 
     FR. BACON, C.S.”

Thus he had tried his strength with Buckingham.  He had found that this, “a little parent-like” manner of advising him, and the doctrine that a true friend “ought rather to go against his mind than his good,” was not what Buckingham expected from him.  And he never ventured on it again.  It is not too much to say that a man who could write as he now did to Buckingham, could not trust himself in any matter in which Buckingham, was interested.