[Bacon (Francis, Viscount St Alban, Lord Chancellor, politician, and philosopher, 1561-1626)] A Letter of Advise written to Sr Edw. Coke Lo: Chiefe Justice..., manuscript in Secretary hand, 6½pp., first f. loose and with small tear in margin, slightly browned, disbound, Grapes watermark, folio, [?c. 1616].

⁂ "And so there is a tyme to speake & a time to be silent. - Bacon.

In 1616 a "case arose which pitted common-law rights against episcopal privilege. James supplemented the income of John Overall, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, with the profits of an additional rectory, granted in commendam, only to see a landowner challenge his action. James wrote to the judges that the case concerned his power to govern the church, and asked that they stay proceedings until he decided whether further consultation between judges and churchmen was required. His position was strengthened by a writ which Bacon produced, non procedendo rege inconsulto, allowing the king to intervene in cases close to royal interests, which the attorney-general had tested in other cases. The judges countered unanimously, in a reply drafted probably by Coke, that the king's letter was 'contrary to law' and that 'our oath in express words is that in case any letter comes to use contrary to law that we do nothing by such letters... . Responding forcefully, James summoned the judges before the privy council, tore up their letter, and demanded of each judge whether he would obey any future royal order. All the judges save Coke backed down." - Oxford DNB.

Another contemporary manuscript copy of this work is located at the Morgan Library in New York, in which the authorship of this tract is no longer considered to be by Bacon. This tract was published in Bacon's, The remaines of... Francis Lord Verulam Viscount of St. Albanes... Being essayes and severall letters to severall great personages, and other pieces... not heretofore published, [Wing B318; Gibson, 218], 1648.