at he was a fit
man to keep things from growing worse, but no very fit man to
reduce things to be much better. For he loved to have the eyes of
all Israel a little too much upon himself, and to have all business
still under the hammer, and like clay in the hands of the potter,
to mould it as he thought good; so that he was more _in operatione_
than _in opere_. And though he had fine passages of action, yet the
real conclusions came slowly on. So that although your Majesty hath
grave counsellors and worthy persons left, yet you do as it were
turn a leaf, wherein if your Majesty shall give a frame and
constitution to matters, before you place the persons, in my simple
opinion it were not amiss. But the great matter and most instant
for the present, is the consideration of a Parliament, for two
effects: the one for the supply of your estate, the other for the
better knitting of the hearts of your subjects unto your Majesty,
according to your infinite merit; for both which, Parliaments have
been and are the antient and honourable remedy.

"Now because I take myself to have a little skill in that region,
as one that ever affected that your Majesty mought in all your
causes not only prevail, but prevail with satisfaction of the inner
man; and though no man can say but I was a perfect and peremptory
royalist, yet every man makes me believe that I was never one hour
out of credit with the Lower House; my desire is to know whether
your Majesty will give me leave to meditate and propound unto you
some preparative remembrances touching the future Parliament."

Whether he sent this or not, he prepared another draft. What had
happened in the mean while we know not, but Bacon was in a bitter mood,
and the letter reveals, for the first time, what was really in Bacon's
heart about the "great subject and great servant," of whom he had just
written so respectfully, and with whom he had been so closely connected
for most of his life. The fierceness which had been gathering for years
of neglect and hindrance under that placid and patient exterior broke
out. He offered himself as Cecil's successor in business of State. He
gave his reason for being hopeful of success. Cecil's bitterest enemy
could not have given it more bitterly.

"My principal end being to do your Majesty service, I crave leave
to make at this