To his deep distress and horror he had to go to the Tower to satisfy the terms of his sentence.

"Good my Lord," he writes to Buckingham, May 31, "procure my warrant for my discharge this day.

Death is so far from being unwelcome to me, as I have called for it as far as Christian resolution would permit any time these two months.

But to die before the time of his Majesty's grace, in this disgraceful place, is even the worst that could be." He was released after two or three days, and he thanks Buckingham (June 4) for getting him out to do him and the King faithful service--"wherein, by the grace of God, your Lordship shall find that my adversity hath neither _spent_ nor _pent_ my spirits." In the autumn his fine was remitted--that is, it was assigned to persons nominated by Bacon, who, as the Crown had the first claim on all his goods, served as a protection against his other creditors, who were many and some of them clamorous--and it was followed by his pardon.

His successor, Williams, now Bishop of Lincoln, who stood in great fear of Parliament, tried to stop the pardon.