advance able men in all kinds, degrees, and professions. For in the time of the Cecils, the father and the son, able men were by design and of purpose suppressed."*

Whatever Burleigh's motives might be, his purpose was unalterable. The supplications which Francis addressed to his uncle and aunt were earnest, humble, and almost servile. He was the most promising and accomplished young man of his time. His father had been the brother-in-law, the most useful colleague, the nearest friend of the minister. But all this availed poor Francis nothing. He was forced, much against his will, to betake himself to the study of the law. He was admitted at Gray's Inn, and, during some years, he laboured there in obscurity.

but as many years elapsed before it fell in, he was still under the necessity of labouring for his daily bread.

young barrister than his nearest kinsmen had been. In his twenty-sixth year he became a bencher of his Inn; and two years later he was appointed Lent reader. At length, in 1590, he obtained for the first time some show of favour from the court. He was sworn in Queen's Counsel extraordinary. But this mark of honour was not accompanied by any pecu. niary emolument. He continued, therefore, to solicit his powerful relatives for some provision which might enable him to live without drudging at his profession. He bore with a patience and serenity, which, we fear, bordered on meanness, the morose humours of his uncle, and the sneering reflections which his cousin cast on speculative men, lost in philosophical dreams, and too wise to be capable What the extent of his legal attainments of transacting public business. At length the may have been, it is difficult to say. It was Cecils were generous enough to procure for not hard for a man of his powers to acquire him the reversion of the Registrarship of the that very moderate portion of technical know-Star-Chamber. This was a lucrative place; ledge which, when joined to quickness, tact, wit, ingenuity, eloquence, and knowledge of the world, is sufficient to raise an advocate to the highest professional eminence. The gene- In the Parliament which was called in 1593 ral opinion appears to have been that which he sat as member for the county of Middlesex, was on one occasion expressed by Elizabeth. and soon attained eminence as a debater. It Bacon," said she, “had a great wit and much is easy to perceive from the scanty remains learning; but in law showeth to the uttermost of his oratory, that the same compactness of of his knowledge, and is not deep." The Ce-expression and richness of fancy which appear cils, we suspect, did their best to spread this in his writings characterized his speeches; opinion by whispers and insinuations. Coke and that his extensive acquaintance with liteopenly proclaimed it with that rancorous inso- rature and history enabled him to entertain lence which was habitual to him. No reports his audience with a vast variety of illustra are more readily believed than those which tions and allusions which were generally hapdisparage genius and soothe the envy of con-py and apposite, but which were probably not scious mediocrity. It must have been inexpressibly consoling to a stupid sergeant, the forerunner of him who, a hundred and fifty years later, "shook his head at Murray as a wit," to know that the most profound thinker, and the most accomplished orator of the age, was very imperfectly acquainted with the law touching bastard eigné and mulier puisné, and confounded the right of free fishery with that of common of piscary.

least pleasing to the taste of that age when they were such as would now be thought childish or pedantic. It is evident also that he was, as indeed might have been expected, perfectly free from those faults which are generally found in an advocate who, after having risen to eminence at the bar, enters the House of Commons; that it was his habit to deal with every great question, not in small detached portions, but as a whole; that he reIt is certain that no man in that age, or in- fined little, and that his reasonings were those deed during the century and a half which of a capacious rather than a subtle mind. followed, was better acquainted with the phi- Ben Jonson, a most unexceptionable judge, losophy of law. His technical knowledge was has described his eloquence in words, which, quite sufficient, with the help of his admirable though often quoted, will bear to be quoted talents, and his insinuating address, to procure again. "There happened in my time one noclients. He rose very rapidly into business, ble speaker who was full of gravity in his and soon entertained hopes of being called speaking. His language, where he could spare within the bar. He applied to Lord Burleigh or pass by a jest, was nobly censorious. No for that purpose, but received a testy refusal. man ever spoke more neatly, more pressly, Of the grounds of that refusal we can, in some more weightily, or suffered less emptiness, less measure, judge by Bacon's answer, which is idleness, in what he uttered. No member of still extant. It seems that the old lord, whose his speech but consisted of his own graces. temper, age, and gout had by no means altered His hearers could not cough or look aside for the better, and who omitted no opportunity from him without loss. He commanded where of marking his dislike of the showy, quick- he spoke, and had his judges angry and pleased witted young men of the rising generation, at his devotion. No man had their affections took this opportunity to read Francis a very sharp lecture on his vanity, and want of respect for his betters. Francis returned a most submissive reply, thanked the Treasurer for the admonition, and promised to profit by it. Strangers meanwhile were less unjust to the

See page 61, vol xii. of the present edition. VOL. II.-32.

more in his power. The fear of every man that heard him was lest he should make an end." From the mention which is made of judges, it would seem that Jonson had heard Bacon only at the bar. Indeed, we imagine that the House of Commons was then almost inaccessible to strangers. It is not probable that a man of Bacon's nice observation would

speak in Parliament exactly as he spoke in the Court of King's Bench. But the graces of manner and language must, to a great extent, have been common between the Queen's Counsel and the Knight of the Shire.

ened with fear and envy as he contemplated the rising fame and influence of Essex.

The history of the factions which, towards the close of the reign of Elizabeth, divided her court and her council, though pregnant with Bacon tried to play a very difficult game in instruction, is by no means interesting or pleas politics. He wished to be at once a favourite ing. Both parties employed the means which at court and popular with the multitude. If are familiar to unscrupulous statesmen; and any man could have succeeded in this attempt, neither had, or even pretended to have, any ima man of talents so rare, of judgment so pre- portant end in view. The public mind was maturely ripe, of temper so calm, and of man- then reposing from one great effort, and col ners so plausible, might have been expected lecting strength for another. That impetuous to succeed. Nor indeed did he wholly fail. and appalling rush with which the human inOnce, however, he indulged in a burst of pa- tellect had moved forward in the career of truth triotism which cost him a long and bitter re- and liberty, during the fifty years which follow. morse, and which he never ventured to repeat.ed the separation of Luther from the conimuThe court asked for large subsidies, and for nion of the Church of Rome, was now over. speedy payment. The remains of Bacon's The boundary between Protestantism and Pospeech breathe all the spirit of the Long Par- pery had been fixed very nearly where it still liament. "The gentlemen," said he, "must remains. England, Scotland, the Northern sell their plate, and the farmers their brass kingdoms were on one side; Ireland, Spain, pots, ere this will be paid; and for us, we are Portugal, Italy, on the other. The line of dehere to search the wounds of the realm, and marcation ran, as it still runs, through the not to skin them over. The dangers are these. midst of the Netherlands, of Germany, and of First, we shall breed discontent and endanger Switzerland-dividing province from province, her majesty's safety, which must consist more electorate from electorate, and canton from in the love of the people than their wealth. canton. France might be considered as a deSecondly, this being granted in this sort, other batable land, in which the contest was still unprinces hereafter will look for the like; so that decided. Since that time, the two religions we shall put an evil precedent on ourselves have done little more than maintain their and on our posterity; and in histories, it is to ground. A few occasional incursions have be observed, of all nations, the English are not been made. But the general frontier remains to be subject, base, or taxable." The queen the same. During two hundred and fifty years and her ministers resented this outbreak of no great society has risen up like one man, public spirit in the highest manner. Indeed, and emancipated itself by one mighty effort many an honest member of the House of Com- from the enthralling superstition of ages. This mons had, for a much smaller matter, been spectacle was common in the middle of the sent to the Tower by the proud and hot-blooded sixteenth century. Why has it ceased to be Tudors. The young patriot condescended to so? Why has so violent a movement been make the most abject apologies. He adjured followed by so long a repose? The doctrines the Lord Treasurer to show some favour to of the Reformers are not less agreeable to rea his poor servant and ally. He bemoaned him- son or to revelation now than formerly. The self to the Lord Keeper, in a letter which may public mind is assuredly not less enlightened keep in countenance the most unmanly of now than formerly. Why is it that Protestant the epistles which Cicero wrote during hisism, after carrying every thing before it in a banishment. The lesson was not thrown away. Bacon never offended in the same manner again.

He was now satisfied that he had little to hope from the patronage of those powerful kinsmen whom he had solicited during twelve years with such meek pertinacity; and he began to look towards a different quarter. Among the courtiers of Elizabeth had lately appeared a new favourite-young, noble, wealthy, accomplished, eloqaent, brave, generous, aspiring -a favourite who had obtained from the grayheaded queen such marks of regard as she had scarce vouchsafed to Leicester in the season of the passions; who was at once the ornament of the palace and the idol of the city; who was the common patron of men of letters and of men of the sword; who was the common refuge of the persecuted Catholic and of the persecuted Puritan. The calm prudence which had enabled Burleigh to shape his course through so many dangers, and the vast experience which he had acquired in dealing with two generations of colleagues and rivals, see ned scarcely sufficient to support him in this new competition; and Robert Cecil sick

time of comparatively little knowledge and lit tle freedom, should make no perceptible progress in a reasoning and tolerant age; that the Luthers, the Calvins, the Knoxes, the Zwingles, should have left no successors; that during two centuries and a half fewer converts should have been brought over from the Church of Rome than at the time of the Reformation were sometimes gained in a year? This has always appeared to us one of the most curious and interesting problems in history. On some other occasion we may perhaps attempt to solve it. At present it is enough to say, that at the close of Elizabeth's reign, the Protestant party, to borrow the language of the Apocalypse, had left its first love and had ceased to do its first works.

The great struggle of the sixteenth century was over. The great struggle of the seventeenth century had not commenced. The confessors of Mary's reign were dead. The mem bers of the Long Parliament were still in their cradles. The Papists had been deprived of all power in the state. The Puritans had not yet attained any formidable extent of power. True it is, that a student well acquainted with the

history of the next generation can easily dis- so unlikely a matter. Can you name one pre cern in the proceedings of the last Parliaments cedent of so raw a youth promoted to so great of Elizabeth the germ of great and ever-memo- a place?" This objection came with a singu. rable events. But to the eye of a contempo- larly bad grace from a man who, though young. rary nothing of this appeared. The two sec- er than Bacon, was in daily expectation of tions of ambitious men who were struggling being made Secretary of State. The blet was for power differed from each other on no im- too obvious to be missed by Essex, who seldom portant public question. Both belonged to the forbore to speak his mind. "I have made no Established Church. Both professed bound- search," said he," for precedents of young men less loyalty to the queen. Both approved the who have filled the office of Attorney-General. war with Spain. There is not, as far as we But I could name to you, Sir Robert, a man are aware, any reason to believe that they en- younger than Francis, less learned, and equally tertained different views concerning the suc- inexperienced, who is suing and striving with cession to the crown. Certainly neither fac- all his might for an office of far greater weight." tion had any great measure of reform in view. Sir Robert had nothing to say but that he Neither attempted to redress any public griev- thought his own abilities equal to the place ance. The most odious and pernicious griev- which he hoped to obtain; and that his father's ance under which the nation ther. suffered was long services deserved such a mark of gratitude a source of profit to both, and was defended by from the queen; as if his abilities were com both with equal zeal. Raleigh held a monopoly parable to his cousin's, or as if Sir Nicholas of cards-Essex a monopoly of sweet wines. Bacon had done no service to the state. Cecil In fact, the only ground of quarrel between the then hinted that if Bacon would be satisfied parties was, that they could not agree as to with the Solicitorship, that might be of easier their respective shares of power and patron-digestion to the queen. Digest me no diges age.

Nothing in the political conduct of Essex entitles him to esteem; and the pity with which we regard his early and terrible end is diminished by the consideration, that he put to hazard the lives and fortunes of his most attached friends, and endeavoured to throw the whole country into confusion, for objects purely personal. Still, it is impossible not to be deeply interested for a man so brave, high-spirited, and generous;-for a man who, while he conducted himself towards his sovereign with a boldness such as was then found in no other subject, conducted himself towards his dependants with a delicacy such as has rarely been found in any other patron. Unlike the vulgar herd of benefactors, he desired to inspire, not gratitude, but affection. He tried to make those whom he befriended to feel towards him as towards an equal. His mind, ardent, susceptible, naturally disposed to admiration of all that is great and beautiful, was fascinated by the genius and the accomplishments of Bacon. A close friendship was soon formed between them -a friendship destined to have a dark, a mournful, a shameful end.

tions," said the generous and ardent earl. "The Attorneyship for Francis is that I must have; and in that I will spend all my power, might, authority, and amity; and with tooth and nail procure the same for him against whomso ever; whosoever getteth this office out of my hands for any other, before he have it, it shall cost him the coming by. And this be you as sured of, Sir Robert, for now I fully declare myself; and for my own part, Sir Robert, 1 think strange both of my Lord Treasurer and you, that can have the mind to seek the preference of a stranger before so near a kins. man; for if you weigh in a balance the parts every way of his competitor and him, only excepting five poor years of admitting to a house of court before Francis, you shall find in all other respects whatsoever no comparison be tween them."

When the office of Attorney-General was filled up, the ear! pressed the queen to make Bacon Solicitor-General, and, on this occasion, the old Lord Treasurer professed himself not unfavourable to his nephew's pretensions. But after a contest which lasted more than a year and a half, and in which Essex, to use his own words, "spent all his power, might, authority, and amity," the place was given to another. Essex felt this disappointment keenly, but found consolation in the most munifi cent and delicate liberality. He presented Bacon with an estate, worth near two thousand pounds, situated at Twickenham, and this, as Bacon owned many years after, "with so kind and noble circumstances as the manner was worth more than the matter."

In 1594 the office of Attorney-General became vacant, and Bacon hoped to obtain it. Essex made his friend's cause his own-sued, expostulated, promised, threatened, but all in vain. It is probable that the dislike felt by the Cecils for Bacon had been increased by the connection which he had lately formed with the earl. Robert was then on the point of being made Secretary of State. He happened one day to be in the same coach with Essex, and a remarkable conversation took place be- It was soon after these events that I acon first tween them. "My lord," said Sir Robert, "the appeared before the public as a writer. Early in queen has determined to appoint an Attorney- 1597 he published a small volume of Essays, General without more delay. I pray your which was afterwards enlarged by successive lordship to let me know whom you will fa- additions to many times its original bulk. This vour.” “I wonder at your question,” replied | little work was, as it well deserved to be, ex the earl. "You cannot but know that reso-ceedingly popular. It was reprinted in a few lutely, against all the world, I stand for your months; it was translated into Latin, French, cousin, Francis Bacon." "Good Lord," cried Cecil, unable to bridle his temper, "I wonder your lordship should spend your strength on

and Italian; and it seems to have at once es tablished the literary reputation of its author But though Bacon's reputation rose, his fo

tunes were still depressed. He was in great | war; in which difficulties were to be gradually pecuniary difficulties; and, on one occasion, surmounted, in which much discomfort was to was arrested in the street at the suit of a gold-be endured, and in which few splendid exploits smith, for a debt of £300, and was carried to a could be achieved. For the civil duties of his spunging-house in Coleman street. high place he was still less qualified. Though eloquent and accomplished, he was in no sense a statesman. The multitude indeed still continued to regard even his faults with fondness. But the court had ceased to give him credit, even for the merit which he really possessed. The person on whom, during the decline of his influence, he chiefly depended, to whom he confided his perplexities, whose advice he solicited, whose intercession he employed, was his friend Bacon. The lamentable truth must be told. This friend, so loved, so trusted, bore a principal part in ruining the earl's fortunes, in shedding his blood, and blackening his memory.

The kindness of Essex was in the mean time indefatigable. In 1596 he sailed on his memorable expedition to the coast of Spain. At the very moment of his embarcation, he wrote to several of his friends, commending to them, during his own absence, the interests of Bacon. He returned, after performing the most brilliant military exploit that was achieved on the Continent by English arms, during the long interval which elapsed between the battle of Agincourt and that of Blenheim. His valour, his talents, his humane and generous disposition, had made him the idol of his countrymen, and had extorted praise from the enemies whom he had conquered. He had always But let us be just to Bacon. We believe been proud and headstrong; and his splendid that, to the last, he had no wish to injure success seems to have rendered his faults more Essex. Nay, we believe that he sincerely exoffensive than ever. But to his friend Francis erted himself to serve Essex, as long as be he was still the same. Bacon had some thought he could serve Essex without injuring thoughts of making his fortune by marriage; himself. The advice which he gave to his and had begun to pay court to a widow of the noble benefactor was generally most judicious. name of Hatton. The eccentric manners and He did all in his power to dissuade the earl violent temper of this woman made her a dis- from accepting the government of Ireland. grace and a torment to her connections. But "For," says he, "I did as plainly see his overBacon was not aware of her faults, or was dis- throw, chained as it were by destiny to that posed to overlook them for the sake of her journey, as it is possible for a man to ground ample fortune. Essex pleaded his friend's a judgment upon future contingents." The cause with his usual ardour. The letters prediction was accomplished. Essex returned which the earl addressed to Lady Hatton and in disgrace. Bacon attempted to mediate be to her mother are still extant, and are highly tween his friend and the queen; and, we honourable to him. "If," he wrote, "she were believe, honestly employed all his address for my sister or my daughter, I protest I would as that purpose. But the task which he had ănconfidently resolve to further it as I now per- dertaken was too difficult, delicate, and perilsuade you." And again: "If my faith be any ous, even for so wary and dexterous an agent. thing, I protest, if I had one as near me as she He had to manage two spirits equally proud, is to you, I had rather match her with him, resentful, and ungovernable. At Essex House, than with men of far greater titles." This he had to calm the rage of a young hero, insuit, happily for Bacon, was unsuccessful. censed by multiplied wrongs and humiliations; The lady, indeed, was kind to him in more and then to pass to Whitehall for the purpose ways than one. She rejected him, and she of soothing the peevishness of a sovereign, accepted his enemy. She married that narrow-whose temper, never very gentle, had been minded, bad-hearted pedant, Sir Edward Coke, rendered morbidly irritable by age, by deand did her best to make him as miserable as clining health, and by the long habit of listenhe deserved to be. ing to flattery and exacting implicit obedience. It is hard to serve two masters. Situated as Bacon was, it was scarcely possible for him to shape his course so as not to give one or both of his employers reason to complain. time he acted as fairly as, in circumstances so embarrassing, could reasonably be expected. At length, he found that while he was trying to prop the fortunes of another, he was in danger of shaking his own. He had disobliged both of the parties whom he wished to reconcile. Essex thought him wanting in zeal as a friend; Elizabeth thought him wanting in duty as a subject. The earl looked on him as a spy of the queen, the queen as a creature of the earl. The reconciliation which he had laboured t effect appeared utterly hopeless. A thousand signs, legible to eyes far less keen than his, announced that the fall of his patron was at hand. He shaped his course accordingly. When Essex was brought before the council to answer for his conduct in Ireland, Bacon, after a faint attempt to excuse himself from taking part

The fortunes of Essex had now reached their height, and began to decline. He possessed indeed all the qualities which raise men to greatness rapidly. But he had neither the virtues nor the vices which enable men to retain greatness long. His frankness, his keen sensibility to insult and injustice, were by no means agreeable to a sovereign naturally impatient of opposition, and accustomed, during forty years, to the most extravagant flattery and the most abject submission. The daring and contemptuous manner in which he bade dehance to his enemies excited their deadly hatred. His administration in Ireland was unfortunate, and in many respects hignly blamable. Though his brilliant courage and his impetuous activity fitted him admirably for such enterprises as that of Cadiz, he did ut possess the caution, patience, and resolution necessary for the conduct of a protracted

Ree Cervantes's Novela de la Espanola Inglesa.

For a

against his friend, submitted himself to the which the last Valois had been hed by the queen's pleasure, and appeared at the bar in house of Lorraine, was sufficient to harden her support of the charges. But a darker scene heart against a man who, in rank, in military was behind. The unhappy young nobleman, reputation, in popularity among the citizens of made reckless by despair, ventured on a rash the capital, bore some resemblance to the and criminal enterprise, which rendered him Captain of the League. Essex was convicted. liable to the highest penalties of the law. What Bacon made no effort to save him, though the course was Bacon to take? This was one of queen's feelings were such, that he might have those conjunctures which show what men are. pleaded his benefactor's cause, possibly with To a high-minded man, wealth, power, court- success, certainly without any serious danger favour, even personal safety, would have ap- to himself. The unhappy nobleman was exepeared of no account, when opposed to friend-cuted. His fate excited strong, perhaps unship, gratitude, and honour. Such a man would reasonable feelings of compassion and indighave stood by the side of Essex at the trial; nation. The queen was received by the citiwould have "spent all his power, might, author-zens of London with gloomy looks and faint ity, and amity," in soliciting a mitigation of the acclamations. She thought it expedient to sentence; would have been a daily visiter at publish a vindication of her late proceedings. the cell, would have received the last injunc- The faithless friend who had assisted in taking tions and the last embrace on the scaffold; the earl's life was now employed to murder the would have employed all the powers of his in-earl's fame. The queen had seen some of tellect to guard from insult the fame of his Bacon's writings and had been pleased with generous though erring friend. An ordinary them. He was accordingly selected to write man would neither have incurred the danger "A Declaration of the Practices and Treasons of succouring Essex, nor the disgrace of as- attempted and committed by Robert Ear! of sailing him. Bacon did not even preserve Essex," which was printed by authority. In neutrality. He appeared as counsel for the the succeeding reign, Bacon had not a word to prosecution. In that situation he did not con- say in defence of this performance, a perfine himself to what would have been amply formance abounding in expressions which no sufficient to procure a verdict. He employed generous enemy would have employed reall his wit, his rhetoric, and his learning-not specting a man who had so dearly expiated his to insure a conviction, for the circumstances offences. His only excuse was, that he wrote were such that a conviction was inevitable; it by command; that he considered himself a but to deprive the unhappy prisoner of all those a mere secretary; that he had particular in excuses which, though legally of no value, yet structions as to the way in which he was t tended to diminish the moral guilt of the crime; treat every part of the subject; and that, in and which, therefore, though they could not fact, he had furnished only the arrangemen justify the peers in pronouncing an acquittal, and the style. might incline the queen to grant a pardon. The earl urged as a palliation of his frantic acts, that he was surrounded by powerful and inveterate enemies, that they had ruined his fortunes, that they sought his life, and that their persecutions had driven him to despair. This was true, and Bacon well knew it to be true. But he affected to treat it as an idle pretence. He compared Essex to Pisistratus, who, by pretending to be in imminent danger of assassination, and by exhibiting self-inflicted wounds, succeeded in establishing tyranny at Athens. This was too much for the prisoner to bear. He interrupted his ungrateful friend, by calling on him to quit the part of an advocate; to come forward as a witness, and tell the lords whether, in old times, he, Francis Bacon, had not, under his own hand, repeatedly asserted the truth of what he now represented as idle pretexts. It is painful to go on with this lamentable story. Bacon returned a shuffling answer to the earl's question; and, as if the allusion to Pisistratus were not sufficiently offensive, made another allusion still more unjustifiable. He compared Essex to Henry Duke of Guise, and the rash attempt in the city, to the day of the barricades at Paris. Why Bacon had recourse to such a topic it is difficult to say. It was quite unnecessary for the purpose of obtaining a verdict. It was certain to produce a strong impression on the mind of the haughty and jealous princess on whose pleasure the earl's fate depended. The faintest allusion to the degrading tutelage in

We regret to say that the whole conduct of Bacon through the course of these transactions appears to Mr. Montagu not merely excusable, but deserving of high admiration. The integrity and benevolence of this gentleman are so well known, that our readers will probably be at a loss to conceive by what steps he can have arrived at so extraordinary a conclusion; and we are half afraid that they will suspect us of practising some artifice upon them when we report the principal arguments which he employs.

In order to get rid of the charge of ingratitude, Mr. Montagu attempts to show that Bacon lay under greater obligations to the queen than to Essex. What these obligations were it is not easy to discover. The situation of queen's counsel and a remote reversion were surely favours very far below Bacon's personal and hereditary claims. They were favours which had not cost the queen a groat, nor had they put a groat into Bacon's purse. It was neces sary to rest Elizabeth's claims to gratitude on some other ground, and this Mr. Montagu felt. "What perhaps was her greatest kindness," says he, "instead of having hastily advanced Bacon, she had, with a continuance of her friendship, made him bear the yoke in his youth. Such were his obligations to Eliza beth." Such indeed they were. Being the son of one of her oldest and most faithful minis ters, being himself the ablest and most accom plished young man of his time, he had been condemned by her to drudgery, to obscurity

Y