Neither was he (when there was Occafion), lefs Gracious with the Subjects of the Kingdom, than with the King himself. He was ever very acceptable to the House of Commons, whilft he was a Member thereof. Being the King's Attorney, and cliofen to a Place in Parliament, he was allow'd and difpens'd with, to fit in the Houfe, which was not permitted to other Attornies. And as he had the Reputation of a good Servant to his Mafter, being never, in 19 Years Service; (as himself averr'd) rebuked by the King, for any Offence relating to His Majefty; fo he had the Character of a good Master to his own Servants; and freely rewarded their long Attendance with good Places, when they fell into his Power which was the Caufe why he was almoft tired with Importunities to admit fo many young Gentlemen of Blood and Quality into the Number of his Retinue. And if any of them made an ill Ufe of his Grace and Favour, it must be imputed only to an Errour in the Goodness of his Nature, and be a perpetual Mark of Infamy and Indifcretion upon them.

This great Man was ftrictly Religious. For though the World be apt to brand great Politicians, and exalted Wits, with the Name of Atheists, yet He was converfant with God; as evidently appears by various Teftimonies, fcatter'd throughout the whole Thread of his Works. Otherwife he would have dé

ftroy'

ftroy'd, and overturn'd his own Principles, which were, That a fmattering in Philofophy draws the Mind from God, as attributing too much to fecond Caufes but a full Draught of Philofophy, brings it about again to God. Now that He was a deep Philofopher, I believe there is no one that will deny. And not only fo; but he was both a ble and ready to render à Reafon of the Hope, which was in him; which that Writing of his; The Confeffion of Faith, doth abundantly teftify. He repaired frequently (when his Health would permit him) to the Service of the Church to hear Sermons; to the administration of the Sacrament; and at last died in the true Faith, eftablifh'd in the Church of England.

This may be laid down for a certain Truth; That he was entirely void of all Malice which (as he faid himself) be neither bred, nor fed. As for revenging of Injuries, he ne ver fo much as thought of it; for which, if he had been fo difpos'd, he was arm❜d both with Opportunity and Power. He was no Heaver of Men out of their Places; as if the Ruin and Undoing of others were Fatness to his Bones. He was no Defamer of any Man to his Prince. One Day, when a great Statesman, that had been no Friend of his, was newly dead, the King ask'd him; What be thought of that Lord which was gone 3 to whom he made answer; That he was one VOL. II. that

that never would have advanc'd or improv❜d His Majesty's Eftate; but undoubtedly he would have done his best to keep it from being worfe. Which I reckon not among his moral, but his chriftian Virtues.

His Fame is greater, and founds louder abroad, and in foreign Parts, than at Home, in his own Nation; thereby verifying that divine Oracle, A Prophet is not without Honour, fave in his own Countrey, and in his own Houfe. Concerning which, I will give you a Tafte only, out of a Letter, written from Italy (the Store-House of refined Wits) to the late Earl of Devonshire, then the Lord Candish. It was thus : I will expect the NEW ESSAYS of my Lord Chancellor Bacon; as alfo bis Hiftory, and whatever elfe he is compofing, with great Impatience : But particularly, in his Hiftory I promise my Self a perfect and finish'd Piece, especially in Henry the Seventh, where he will have Scope to exercife the Talent of his divine Underftanding. This Lord is daily more and more known, and his Works here more and more delighted in; and thofe Men that have a more than ordinary Infight into human Affairs, esteem him one of the most capable, and moft fublime Spirits of this Age, and he is truly fuch.

Now his Fame does not decay by length of Time, but encreafes rather. Divers of his Books have been taught to speak other Languages, as well Learned as Modern, both

fome

fome time fince, and lately, by the Natives of those Countries. Several Perfons of Quality, during his Lordship's Life, crofs'd the Seas into England, for no other Reason but to fee him, and to gain an Opportunity of difcourfing with him. One of whom he presented with his Picture, at full length, to carry into France with him ; which that Stranger acknowledg'd would be a Thing moft acceptable to his Country-men, that fo they might enjoy the Image of his Perfon, as well as the Images of his Brain, his Books. Amongst the reft, Marquis Fiat, a French Nobleman, who came Ambaffador into England the first Year of Queen Mary, Wife to King Charles, was taken with an extraordinary Defire to see him. And meeting with an Ops portunity for it, when he was come into his Chamber, being then, through Weakness, confined to his Bed, he faluted him in a Stile a little of the grandeft; That his Lordship had ever been to kim like the Angels, of whom he bad beard much, and had alfo read much of them in Books, but was never indulg'd a Sight of them. After which Interview, fo intimate a Friendship was contracted between them, and the Marquis did fo much revere him, that befides frequent Vifits, Letters pafs'd between them under the Titles and Appellations of Father and Son. As for Salutations, without Number, by Letters from foreign Worthies, devoted to Wifdom, or good LearnC 2

ing

ing, I forbear to mention them; because this is a Thing common to other Men of Note, together with him.

But when I fpeak of his Fame, I would be understood not in the Exclusive, but in the Comparative only; for his Reputation is not decay'd, or weak, but ftrong and vigorous, among thofe of his Country alfo; efpecially fuch as are of a more acute and fublime Understanding; which I will exemplify but with two Teftimonies, and no more. The former is this: When his Hiftory of the Reign of Henry the Seventhwas ready for the Prefs, it was deliver'd by King James to the Lord Brook to perufe ; who, when he had difpatch'd it, return' it to the Author with this Elogy, Commend me to his Lordship, and defire him to get good Paper and Ink, for the Work is incomparable. The other fhall be that of Doctor Samuel Collins, late Profeffor of Divinity, and Provoft of King's College in Cambridge, a Man of no vulgar Wit, who affirm'd to me, (whether in Mirth or Earneft) That

ben be bad read the Book of the Advancement of Learning, he found himself in a cafe to begin bis Studies anew; and that he had loft all the Time of his Studying before.

It hath been defired by fome Perfons, that fomething thould be inferted touching his Diet, and the Regimen of his Health for that, by reafon of his univerfal Infight in

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