he was so jealous of the least imagination that he
should inclyne to praeferment, that he affected even a morosity to the
Courte, and to the Courtyers, and left nothinge undone which might
prevent and deverte the Kings or Queenes favour towards him, but
the deservinge it: for when the Kinge sent for him once or twice, to
speake with him, and to give him thankes for his excellent comportment
in those Councells, which his Majesty gratiously tearmed doinge him
service, his answers were more negligent and lesse satisfactory than
might be exspected, as if he cared only that his Actions should be
just, not that they should be acceptable, and that his Majesty should
thinke that they proceeded only from the impulsyon of conscience,
without any sympathy in his affections, which from a Stoicall and
sullen nature might not have bene misinterpreted, yet from a person
of so perfecte a habitt of generous and obsequious complyance with
all good men, might very well have bene interpreted by the Kinge as
more then an ordinary aversenesse to his service, so that he tooke
more paynes, and more forced his nature to actions unagreable and
unpleasant to it, that he might not be thought to inclyne to the
Courte, then any man hath done to procure an office ther; and if any
thinge but not doinge his duty could have kept him from receavinge a
testimony of the Kings grace and trust at that tyme, he had not bene
called to his Councell: not that he was in truth averse to the Courte,
or from receavinge publique imployment: for he had a greate devotion
to the Kings person, and had before used some small endeavour to be
recommended to him for a forrainge negotiation, and had once a desyre
to be sent Ambassadour into France, but he abhorred an imagination
or doubte should sinke into the thoughts of any man, that in the
discharge of his trust and duty in Parliament he had any byas to the
Court, or that the Kinge himselfe should apprehende that he looked for
a rewarde for beinge honest.

For this reason when he heard it first whispered that the Kinge had
a purpose to make him a Counsellour, for which in the beginninge
ther was no other grounde, but because he was knowne sufficient, haud
semper errat fama, aliquando et elegit, he resolved to declyne it,
and at last suffred himselfe only to be overruled by the advice, and
persuasions of his frends to submitt to it; afterwards when he founde
that the Kinge intended to make him his Secretary of State, he was