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ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS

IN

CAMDEN'S ANNALES.

I.

In the opening of the fourth book of his Annales (Hearne's edition, p. 593.) Camden describes an attempt made by some of the Scotch nobles, at the instigation of Spain, to seize the person of the King, under pretence of delivering him from the custody of Chancellor Maitland and the English faction. He tells us that the King received intelligence one day when he was hunting, that Bothwell was at hand on one side with troops of borderers, and Huntley approaching on the other with a strong army from the North: upon which, nil perterrefactus, sed animo et consilio plane regio, (no way dismayed, but with spirit and judgment truly king-like,) he proclaimed them traitors, mustered his faithful subjects, and so frustrated the enterprise; Bothwell taking at once to flight, and Huntley being presently reduced to submission.

The words nil perterrefactus, &c. (Faust. F. viii. fo. 2.) are in Bacon's hand.

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II.

In his account of the trial of the Earl of Arundel (p. 595.) Camden had stated that the Justices assessors (justiciarii assessores), being asked by the prisoner whether an indictment were lawful which contained errors in the description both of places and times, declared that those things were not to be regarded, so the fact were proved (ista minime attendenda esse, modo factum probetur). For these words Bacon substitutes (Faust. F. viii. fo. 4.) ista regulariter non attendenda esse, nisi criminis ipsius naturam varient: that the rule was, that such points should not be regarded unless the nature of the crime itself were affected by them.'

III.

In April 1589, an expedition against Spain was undertaken by Sir John Norris and Sir Francis Drake, with the Queen's permission, but not at the public charge. The Earl of Essex followed soon after, unknown to the Queen, and joined the fleet. In allusion to this circumstance Camden had said (p. 602.) that he committed himself to the sea without the Queen's knowledge, yea to the incurring of her displeasure ; for he had no hope to obtain leave of the Queen to go, who was unwilling that any of the prime nobility should hazard themselves in this voyage; (quæ neminem e primaria nobilitate in hâc expeditione periclitari voluit.)

Instead of this, Bacon suggests (Faust. F. viii. fo. 9.) quæ1 nec absentiam aut periculum ejus libenter ad

1 The words nec enim a Regina veniam abeundi impetrare speravit, quæ are omitted from the text by Hearne; who prints nec absentiam . . . vellet,

missura esset, et expeditionem ipsam potius a privatorum alacritate quam Principis designatione susceptam videri vellet: who would not only have been unwilling to let Essex himself be absent or in danger, but wished besides that the expedition itself should seem to have been undertaken rather by the eagerness of private persons than by appointment of the sovereign.'

IV.

A little further on (p. 604.), where Camden mentions the blame which was cast on Sir Francis Drake for not supporting the land-forces with his fleet, Bacon adds (Faust. F. viii. fo. 10.) quique militiâ navali bonus, terrestri impar habebatur: that Drake was accounted an able commander for naval warfare, but not equal to warfare by land.'

V.

The same year, after describing the confusions in France and the conspiracy against the King which ensued upon the murder of Henry Duke of Guise, the great head of the Catholic party, Camden proceeds to say (p. 608.) that hereupon the King was forced to betake himself to the Protestants whom he had persecuted; and the conspirators resorting to a detestable crime murdered him by the hands of James Clement, a monk. (Adeo ut Rex necessario ad Protestantes quos exagitaverat confugeret, et isti ad detestabile scelus conversi illum per Jacobum Clementem monachum parricidio

as an independent sentence. The correction is inserted in Rawlinson's copy between the lines, but without any mark to show where it is to come in: the writer not having attended to the line drawn by Bacon under the words for which he meant this sentence to be substituted; though the direction is quite distinct.

tollerent.) Here Bacon merely, inserts in place of åt isti (Faust. F. viii. fo. 13.) the words unde duplicatâ invidia conjurati: 'whereby the conspirators, more enraged than ever,' &c.

Hearne suggests in a note that for tollerent we should read sustulerunt. Rightly, no doubt. The introduction of Bacon's words alters the construction, which the transcriber had overlooked. But he is wrong in retaining the words et isti, which are not erased in the corrected volume, but which Bacon has underlined in the manuscript, clearly meaning that they should be struck out and his own words substituted.

VI.

A few lines further on (p. 609.) Camden had said that the Duke de Mayenne was proclaimed LieutenantGeneral of the Crown of France. Bacon corrects this (Faust. F. viii. fo. 14.) to statûs et corona: 'Lieutenant-General of the State and Crown of France.'

VII.

In 1591, Hacket, a religious madman, was executed for treason. Having spent his youth in riot and profaneness, and ruined himself by prodigality, Camden tells us (p. 630.) that he suddenly assumed a character of admirable sanctity, spent all his time in hearing sermons and learning the Scriptures, and pretended heavenly revelations and an extraordinary mission. Here Bacon inserts (Faust. F. viii. fo. 32.) the following curious passage: : Ante omnia vero, miro et peregrino quodam fervore preces fundebat, in faciem concidens, et veluti extasi correptus et cum Deo quasi expostulans. Attamen unum ex ejus asseclis, cæteris forte

perspicaciorem, abalienavit formulâ quâdam orationis quæ illi erat familiaris. Nam cum omnes soleant Dei præsentiam in invocando implorare, ille solus Deum rogare consueverat ut a cœtu precantium abesse et se subtrahere vellet; quod licet auditores ad excessum quendam humilitatis trahebant, tamen potuit quoque esse vox plane Satanica, a Dæmone malo qui eum obsidebat dictata. 'Above all, he poured forth prayers with a certain strange and outlandish fervour, falling upon his face, and rapt as it were in extasy, and like a man expostulating with God. Moreover there was one of his followers, who, being clearer sighted perhaps than the rest, forsook him in consequence of a form of speech which was familiar to him. For whereas all other men are wont in their invocations to implore God's presence, he alone used to ask of God that he would be pleased to absent and withdraw himself from the assembly of those who prayed: which the hearers imputed to excess of humility; and yet it may have been the voice of Satan himself, put into Hacket's mouth by the evil spirit that possessed him.'

VIII.

A little further on (p. 632.) where Camden says that this Hacket had persuaded himself that God had ordained him to be King of Europe, Bacon inserts (Faust. F. viii. fo. 33.) the words homo ex vilissima face Anabaptistarum renatus: being a man newborn from the vilest dregs of the Anabaptists.'

IX.

In the next page, Camden describes him as assuming to be Christ himself, and sending his disciples to pro

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