himself up at Gorhambury till the spring of the following year. For some time he was most irksomely occupied with his pecuniary accounts; and he found it difficult to provide for the day that was passing over him. To Buckingham he writes,"I have lived hitherto upon the scraps of my former fortune; and I shall not be able to hold out longer.' To the King,"The honours which your Majesty hath done me have put me above the means to get my living, and the misery I am fallen into hath put me below the means to subsist as I am.” These representations produced such an impression that an arrangement was made, which, with common prudence, might have enabled him to live in comfort during the rest of his days. The fine of 40,000l. was in truth remitted; but, to protect his property from his more importunate creditors, it was assigned to trustees for his benefit. A pension was granted to him of 1200. a year; he drew 6007. from the Alienation Office, and the rents of his estate amounted to a further sum of 7001. a year, making altogether an income equal, probably, to that of many of the hereditary nobility. The nation would not yet have endured an entire remission of his sentence, whereby he would have been entitled to sit in parliament, and to hold office under the Crown; but the King signed a warrant for a qualified pardon to be made out for him. This was opposed by the new Lord Keeper, who began to be alarmed lest his predecessor might ere long be his successor, and wrote him a letter, proposing to suspend the sealing of the pardon till after the close of the ensuing session of parliament. Williams, at the same time, strongly remonstrated with Buckingham against it-suggesting that the two Houses would consider themselves mocked and derided by such a proceeding. He likewise attempted to do Bacon a permanent injury, by representing that he had been guilty of a gross fraud in the manner in which the fine had been kept alive and assigned for his benefit." This malicious attempt was defeated; a peremptory order z Buckingham, in the King's name, sent him a refusal to reside in London,-" which being but a small advantage to you, would be a great and general distaste, as you cannot but easily conceive, to the whole state." a "The pardoning of his fine is much spoken against, not for the matter (for no man objects to that), but for the manner, which is full of knavery, and a wicked prece dent. For by this assignation of his fine he is protected from all his creditors, which I dare say was neither his Majesty's nor your lordship's meaning. His lordship was too cunning for me. He passed his fine (whereby he hath deceived his creditors) ten days before he presented his pardon to the seal."Williams to Buckingham. A.D. 1622. HIS HISTORY OF HENRY VII. 121 from the King came to speed the pardon, and, on the 17th of October, it passed the Great Seal. Williams's fears were very natural; for Bacon certainly had now hopes of recovering his ascendency. When he wrote to the King-counting a little upon royal ignorance-with this view he did not scruple slightly to pervert history, that he might quote parallel cases of reintegration: "Demosthenes was banished for bribery of the highest nature, yet was recalled with honour. Marcus Lucius was condemned for exactions, yet afterwards made consul and censor. Seneca was banished for divers corruptions, yet was afterwards restored, and an instrument in that memorable Quinquennium Neronis." b Although he still cast a longing, lingering look behind at the splendours of office, and the blandishments of power, he now magnanimously and vigorously resumed his literary labours,-inspired by the nobler ambition of extending the boundaries of human knowledge, and enlarging the stores of material and intellectual enjoyment. 6 с Great expectation was excited, both at home and on the Continent, by the announcement that he was engaged upon an historical work, The Life and Reign of Henry VII.' He finished it at Gorhambury, and was allowed to come to London to superintend the printing of it in the beginning of 1622. It was dedicated to the Prince as a mark of gratitude for the generous interest Charles had taken in his misfortunes. He sent a copy to the Queen of Bohemia, with a letter strongly showing the feelings of a disgraced minister: "Time was, I had honour without leisure; and now I have leisure without honour." Of all his works this gave the least satisfaction to the public; and after recently again perusing it, I must confess that it is hardly equal to Sir Thomas More's History of Richard III., or to Camden's of Queen Elizabeth,-leaving the reproach upon our literature of being lamentably deficient in historical composition till the days of Hume, Robertson, and Gibbon. Some have accounted for Bacon's failure by supposing a decline in his faculties; but he afterwards showed that they remained in their pristine vigour to the very close of his career. The true solution probably is, that he undertook the b Works, v. 559. A learned Italian, writing to the Earl of Devonshire, says "he should impatiently look for the promised history of Lord Chancellor Bacon, as a thing that would be singularly perfect, as the character of Henry VII. would exercise the talent of his divine understanding."-Rawley's Life of Bacon. subject to please the King, with a view of doing honour to the ancestor of the reigning family, who had united the Roses by his own marriage, and had united the kingdoms by the marriage of his daughter. The manuscript was from time to time submitted to James, and he condescended to correct it. Bacon was therefore obliged by anticipation to consider what would be agreeable to the royal censor, and could neither use much freedom with the character of his hero, nor introduce any reflections inconsistent with the maxims of government now inculcated from the throne. He gives us, therefore, a tame chronological narrative, filled up with proclamations and long speeches, descending to such minute facts as a call of serjeants, and, though interspersed with some passages of deep thought, by no means abounding in the delineations of men and manners which might have been expected from so great an artist. 66 d This task being performed, he returned to philosophy, and was himself again." It is most consolatory to think of the intervals of pleasure and contentment which he now enjoyed. He was compared to a mariner, who, being wrecked on an island with a rocky and savage shore, on going into the interior finds it covered with beautiful verdure, watered with clear streams, and abounding with all sorts of delicious fruits. 6 In the following year he gave to the world his celebrated treatise, 'De Augmentis Scientiarum,' which not only further raised his reputation among his countrymen, but was immediately republished on the Continent, and translated into French and Italian. His Advancement of Learning' was the basis of this work; but he recast it, and enriched and improved it to such a degree, that he again made a sensation among the learned, as if a new prodigy had suddenly appeared in the world. He soon followed this up with his 'Historia Vitæ et Mortis,' -with several of his minor publications,—and with another edition of his Essays, adding several new ones, which gave striking proof of his incessant industry and the fertility of his genius. As far as his literary fame is concerned, his political misfortunes are not to be regretted. More than any man who ever lived he could mix refined speculation with grovelling occupations; but if he had continued to preside at the Council d His letters, accompanying the copies he sent to the King, Buckingham, and the Lord Keeper, are still preserved; but they contain nothing beyond commonplace compliments. e James even made him expunge a legal axiom, "that on the reversal of an attainder the party attainted is restored to all his rights." A.D. 1622. LOVE OF SHOW, AND ACTUAL DESTITUTION. 123 Board, in the Star Chamber, in the Court of Chancery, and on the Woolsack, till carried off by disease, we should have had but a small portion of those lucubrations which illustrated the five last years of his life. In his happier mood, no one could make a juster estimate of the superiority, both for present enjoyment and lasting fame,-of success in literature and science, over the glittering rewards of vulgar ambition." But he was now struggling with penury. Though his income was large, his old debts were very heavy; and one of his weaknesses was a love of show. He had been obliged to sell York House, with all its splendid furniture,-very much to reduce his establishment at Gorhambury, and to confine himself chiefly to his "lodgings" in Gray's Inn. Yet when he came into public, or made a journey into the country, he still insisted on appearing in a handsome equipage, attended with a numerous retinue. About this time, Prince Charles, falling in with him on the road, exclaimed with surprise, "Well! do what we can, this man scorns to go out in snuff." The consequence was, that his embarrassments multiplied upon him, instead of being cleared off. He was obliged to write (very irregularly) to the Lord Keeper, praying him not to issue an extent on a security he had given to a goldsmith for a shop debt twelve years before. He often wanted funds for his most pressing necessities; and was obliged to borrow small sums from his friends. The steadiest of these was Sir Julius Cæsar, the Master of the Rolls, who had married his niece,and now not only lent him money, but occasionally received him into his house in Chancery Lane. There is even a tradition, that not liking the beer of Gray's Inn, and not having credit with the publicans of Holborn, the Ex-Chancellor sent to borrow a bottle of beer from Greville Lord Brooke, who lived in the neighbourhood, and that, having done this so often, the butler had at last orders to deny him." Yet he f Several Englishmen owe their distinction as authors to their crosses as politicians. If my Lives of the Chancellors' gain any celebrity, my humble name may be added to the class adorned by Clarendon and Polingbroke. I shall then be highly contented with my lot. I do not undervalue great judicial reputation, but I would rather have written Hyde's character of Falkland, than have pronounced the most celebrated judgments of Lord Hardwicke or Lord Eldon.* May 30, 1622. h Wilson's Hist. James I. Kennet, vol. ii. 736. * Written in 1845, when I was Ex-Chancellor of Ireland, without prospect of ever again being in office. My success as a Biographer makes me cordially rejoice that for near seven years I remained without office, profession, salary, or pension.-Note to 3rd Edition. would not allow his woods to be cut down at Gorhambury, from which he might have had a handsome supply ;— exclaiming, "I will not be stripped of my feathers." i The provostship of Eton becoming vacant, he pressingly applied for the situation, in terms which should have insured his success. "It were a pretty cell for my fortune. The college and school, I do not doubt but I shall make to flourish." Every one must wish that he had succeeded; not only from a kindly feeling towards him, but for the benefit of this great seminary, and the cause of good education in England. The Lord Keeper spitefully interposed with his wise saws: "It is somewhat necessary to be a good scholar; but more that he be a good husband, and a careful manager, and a stayed man; which no man can be that is so much indebted as the Lord St. Alban." m A prior promise to Sir William Beecher was the first excuse; but the place was finally jobbed to Sir Henry Wotton, on his releasing a reversionary grant of the Mastership of the Rolls, to be conferred on a rapacious dependent of Buckingham, who could still do him service. Bacon received the news of this appointment while he was dictating to Rawley, his chaplain and secretary; and when the messenger was gone, he said calmly, "Well, Sir, yon business won't go on; let us go on with this, for this is in our power;"—and then he dictated to him afresh for some hours without the least hesitation of speech, or interruption of thought. When fresh grievances and conflicts had made the people forget the Ex-Chancellor's offences and his punishment, the part of his sentence, "that he should not come within the verge of the Court," was disregarded; and at his earnest entreaty, the King agreed to see him privately at Whitehall. We have an account of what passed at this interview by Bacon himself, which he drew up and sent to the King, that the impression might be more lasting. Amidst a great deal of flattery heaped upon his Majesty, he seems not to have overlooked his own merits and services; dwelling as he was often wont to do on the assertion, that "no measure be had ever brought forward had miscarried, and that though unfortunate for himself, he had always been successful for the Crown." He then strongly pressed that he might be again employed; promising, that in that case, "he would so live and spend his time, as neither discontinuance should disable A.D. 1623. i Wilson's Hist. James I. Kennet, vol. ii. 736. k I. |