r the truth whereof I refer myself to all that were present._

"I moved to have a reseizure of the lands of Geo. Moore, a relapsed
recusant, a fugitive and a practising traytor; and showed better
matter for the Queen against the discharge by plea, which is ever
with a _salvo jure_. And this I did in as gentle and reasonable
terms as might be.

"Mr. Attorney kindled at it, and said, '_Mr. Bacon, if you have any
tooth against me pluck it out; for it will do you more hurt than
all the teeth in your head will do you good._' I answered coldly in
these very words: '_Mr. Attorney, I respect you; I fear you not;
and the less you speak of your own greatness, the more I will think
of it._'

"He replied, '_I think scorn to stand upon terms of greatness
towards you, who are less than little; less than the least;_' and
other such strange light terms he gave me, with that insulting
which cannot be expressed.

"Herewith stirred, yet I said no more but this: '_Mr. Attorney, do
not depress me so far; for I have been your better, and may be
again, when it please the Queen._'

"With this he spake, neither I nor himself could tell what, as if
he had been born Attorney-General; and in the end bade me not
meddle with the Queen's business, but with mine own; and that I was
unsworn, etc. I told him, sworn or unsworn was all one to an honest
man; and that I ever set my service first, and myself second; and
wished to God that he would do the like.

"Then he said, it were good to clap a _cap. ultegatum_ upon my
back! To which I only said he could not; and that he was at fault,
for he hunted upon an old scent. He gave me a number of disgraceful
words besides, which I answered with silence, and showing that I
was not moved with them."

The threat of the _capias ultegatum_ was probably in reference to the
arrest of Bacon for debt in September, 1593. After this we are not
surprised at Bacon writing to Coke, "who take to yourself a liberty to
disgrace and disable my law, my experience, my discretion," that, "since
I missed the Solicitor's place (the rather I think by your means) I
cannot expect that you and I shall ever serve as Attorney and Solicitor
together, but either serve with another on your remove, or step into
some other course." And Coke, no doubt, took care that it should be so.
Cecil, too,