other speeches, hee complained much of our Histories of
England; and that the English Nation, which is inferiour to
none in Honourable actions, should be surpassed by all, in
leauing the memorie of them to posteritie....

I answered, that I conceiued these causes hereof; One,
that men of sufficiencie were otherwise employed; either
in publicke affaires, or in wrestling with the world, for
maintenance or encrease of their private estates. Another is,
for that men might safely write of others in maner of a tale,
but in maner of a History, safely they could not: because,
albeit they should write of men long since dead, and whose
posteritie is cleane worne out; yet some aliue, finding
themselues foule in those vices, which they see obserued,
reproued, condemned in others; their guiltinesse maketh them
apt to conceiue, that whatsoeuer the words are, the finger
pointeth onely at them. The last is, for that the Argument of
our _English_ historie hath been so foiled heretofore by some
unworthie writers, that men of qualitie may esteeme themselues
discredited by dealing in it....

Then he questioned, whether I had wrote any part of our
_English_ Historie, other then that which had been published;
which at that time he had in his hands. I answered, that I
had wrote of certaine of our _English_ Kings, by way of a
briefe description of their liues: but for historie, I did
principally bend, and binde my selfe to the times wherein
I should liue; in which my owne obseruations might somewhat
direct me: but as well in the one as in the other I had at
that time perfected nothing.