Immediately on the accession of King JAMES, Sir Robert COTTON greeted the new monarch with two other and far more remarkable tractates on a subject bearing closely on our relations with Spain. Their political interest, as contributions to the history of public opinion, is great. Their biographical interest is still greater. But I postpone the consideration of them until we reach a momentous crisis in Sir Robert’s life on which they have a vital bearing. He also wrote,—almost simultaneously,—a much more courtierlike ‘_Discourse of his Majesty’s descent from the Saxon Kings_,’ which was graciously welcomed. [Sidenote: _Domestic Correspondence_, James I, vol. i, f. 3 (R. H.).] In the following September he received the honour of knighthood. [Sidenote: RETURNED TO PARLIAMENT.] In JAMES’ first Parliament he sat for the County of Huntingdon, in fellowship with Sir Oliver CROMWELL, uncle of the future Protector. There is no evidence that at this period he took any active part in debate. Nor did he, at any time, win distinction as a debater. But in the labours of Committees he was soon both zealous and prominent. Two classes of questions, in particular, appear to have engaged his attention:—questions of Church discipline, and questions of administrative reform. [Sidenote: _Dom. Cor._ as above; vol. xix, pp. 37 seqq.; vol. xxvii, pp. 44 seqq. (R. H.); MS. Cott. Jul. C., iii, p. 10. (B. M.)] He also assisted Bacon in the difficult attempt to frame acceptable measures for a union with Scotland. The fame of his library and of his museum of antiquities continued to spread farther and wider. He had many agents on the Continent who sought diligently to augment his collections. His correspondence with men who were busied in like pursuits both at home and abroad increased. Much of it has survived. On that interesting point at which a glance has been cast already, its witness is uniform. He was always as ready to impart as he was eager to collect. Few, if any, important works of historical research were carried on in his day to which he did not, in some way or other, give generous furtherance. At a time when he was most busy in forming his own library, he helped BODLEY to lay the foundation of the noble library at Oxford. [Sidenote: FURTHER GROWTH AND SOURCES OF THE COTTONIAN LIBRARY.]