[296]Apothegmata.
His lordship being in Yorke-house garden lookeing on fishers as they were throwing their nett, asked them what they would take for their draught; they answered so much: his lordship would offer them no more but so much. They drew-up their nett, and <in> it were only 2 or 3 little fishes: his lordship then told them it had been better for them to have taken his offer. They replied, they hoped to have had a better draught; 'but,' sayd his lordship, 'Hope is a good breakfast, but an ill supper.'
When his lordship was in dis-favour, his neighbours hearing how much he was indebted, came to him with a motion to buy Oake-wood of him. His lordship told them, 'He would not sell his feathers.'
The earle of Manchester being removed from his place of Lord Chiefe Justice of the Common Pleas[297] to be Lord President of the Councell, told my lord (upon his fall) that he was sorry to see him made such an example. Lord Bacon replied 'It did not trouble him since he was made a President.'
The bishop of London did cutt-downe a noble clowd of trees at Fulham. The Lord Chancellor told him that he was a good expounder of darke places.
Upon his being in dis-favour his servants suddenly went away; he compared them to the flying of the vermin when the howse was falling.
One told his Lordship it was now time to looke about him. He replyed, 'I doe not looke about me, I looke above me.'
Sir Julius Cæsar (Master of the Rolles) sent to his lordship in his necessity a hundred pounds for a present[XIV.]; quaere + de hoc of Michael Malet.
[XIV.] Most of these enformations I have from Sir John Danvers.
His Lordship would often drinke a good draught of strong beer (March beer) to-bedwards, to lay his working fancy asleep: which otherwise would keepe him from sleeping great part of the night.