458 REIGN Ofi 'ELIZABETH. L CH. 45. and on their knees they implored her to consider it and to give them an answer before the session closed. 1 Elizabeth had prepared her answer ; as soon as Bacon ceased, she drew herself up and spoke as follows :
- If the order of your cause had matched the weight
of your matter, the one might well have craved reward, and the other much the sooner be satisfied. But when I call to mind how far from dutiful care, yea rather how nigh a traitorous trick, this tumbling cast did spring, I muse how men of wit can so hardly use that gift they hold. I marvel not much that bridleless colts do not know their rider's hand, whom bit of kingly rein did never snaffle yet. Whether it was fit that so great a cause as this should have had this beginning in such a public place as that, let it be well weighed. Must all evil bodings that might be recited be found little enough to hap to my share ? Was it well meant, think you, that those that knew not how fit this matter was to be granted by the Prince, would prejudicate their Prince in aggravating the matter ? so all their arguments tended to my careless care of this my dear realm/ So far she spoke from a form which remains in her own handwriting. 2 She continued perhaps in the same style ; but her words remain only in the Spanish of de Silva. 1 She was not surprised at the Commons/ she said ;
- they had small experience and had acted like boys ;
1 D'EwES* Journals, 8 Elizabeth. MSS., Elizabeth, vol. xli. Roll*
- Answer to the Parliament by House
by the Queen ; Autograph : Domestic
