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Title:TheMysteryofFrancisBacon

Author:WilliamT.Smedley

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FRANCISBACONAT9YEARSOFAGE.FromthebustatGorhambury.

THEMYSTERYOF

FRANCISBACON

BY

WILLIAMT.SMEDLEY.

AdD.B.

"Sibenequilatuit,benevixit,tubenevivis:Ingeniumquetuumgrandelatendopatet."—JohnOwen'sEpigrammatum,1612.

LONDON:ROBERTBANKS&SON,

RACQUETCOURT,FLEETSTREETE.C.

1912.

"Butsuchis theinfelicityandunhappydispositionof thehumanmindinthecourse of invention that it first distrusts and then despises itself: firstwill notbelieve thatanysuchthingcanbe foundout;andwhenit is foundout,cannotunderstandhowtheworldshouldhavemisseditsolong."

—"NOVUMORGANUM,"Chap.CX.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Preface 5CHAPTER

I.— SourcesofInformation 9II.— TheStockfromwhichBaconCame 14III.— FrancisBacon,1560to1572 19IV.— AtCambridge 25V.— EarlyCompositions 29VI.— Bacon's"TemporisPartusMaximus" 36VII.— Bacon'sFirstAllegoricalRomance 47VIII.— BaconinFrance,1576-1579 52IX.— Bacon'sSuitonHisReturntoEngland,1580 62X.— The"RareandUnaccustomedSuit" 76XI.— Bacon'sSecondVisittotheContinentandAfter 82XII.— IsitProbablethatBaconleftManuscriptsHiddenAway? 94XIII.— HowtheElizabethanLiteraturewasProduced 98XIV.— TheCluetotheMysteryofBacon'sLife 103XV.— BurghleyandBacon 114XVI.— The1623FolioEditionofShakespeare'sPlays 123XVII.— TheAuthorisedVersionoftheBible,1611 126

XVIII.—

HowBaconMarkedBookswiththePublicationofWhichHeWasConnected 132

XIX.— BaconandEmblemata 140XX.— Shakespeare'sSonnets 148XXI.— Bacon'sLibrary 156XXII.— TwoGermanOpinionsonShakespeareandBacon 161

XXIII.

— TheTestimonyofBacon'sContemporaries 170

XXIV.— TheMissingFourthPartof"TheGreatInstauration" 177

XXV.— ThePhilosophyofBacon 187

Appendix 193

PREFACE.Is there a mystery connected with the life of Francis Bacon? The average

studentofhistoryorliteraturewillunhesitatinglyreplyinthenegative,perhapsqualifyinghisanswerbyadding:—Unlessitbeamysterythatamanwithsuchmagnificent intellectual attainments could have fallen so low as to prove afaithlessfriendtoagenerousbenefactorinthehourofhistrial,and,uponbeingraised to one of the highest positions of honour and influence in the State, tobecomeacorruptpublicservantandareceiverofbribestopervertjustice.—Itisone of the most remarkable circumstances to be found in the history of anycountrythatamanadmittedlypre-eminentinhisintellectualpowers,spokenofby his contemporaries in the highest terms for his virtues and his goodness,should, in subsequent ages, be held up to obloquy and scorn and seldom bereferredtoexceptasanexampleofacorruptjudge,astandingwarningtothosewhomust take heed how they stand lest they fall. Truly the treatment whichFrancisBacon has received confirms the truth of the aphorism, "The evil thatmendolivesafterthem;thegoodisoftinterredwiththeirbones."It is not the intention in the following brief survey of Bacon's life to enter

uponanyattempttovindicatehischaracter.Sincehisworksandlifehavecomeprominently before the reading public, he has never beenwithout a defender.Montagu,HepworthDixon,andSpeddinghave,oneaftertheother,raisedtheirvoices against the injusticewhich has been done to thememory of this greatEnglishman;andalthoughMacaulay, inhismisleadingand inaccurateessay,[1]abounding in paradoxes and inconsistencies, produced the most powerful,thoughprejudiced,attackwhichhasbeenmadeonBacon'sfame,hemayalmostbeforgiven,becauseitprovidedtheoccasionforJamesSpeddingin"EveningswithaReviewer," to respondwitha thoroughandcompletevindicationof themantowhosememoryhedevotedhislife.ThererestsoneverymemberoftheAnglo-Saxon race anobligation—imposeduponhimby thebenefitswhichheenjoysastheresultofFrancisBacon'slife-work—toreadthisvindicationofhischaracter.NorshouldmentionbeomittedoftheessaybyMr.J.M.Robertsonon"FrancisBacon"inhisexcellentwork"PioneerHumanists."AllthesedefendersofBacontreattheirsubjectfromwhatmaybetermedtheorthodoxpointofview.They follow in the beaten track. They do not look for Bacon outside hisacknowledgedworksand letters.Since1857,however, therehasbeen steadily

growingabeliefthatBaconwasassociatedwiththeliteratureoftheElizabethanand early Jacobean periods, and that he deliberately concealed his connectionwithit.Thatthisviewisscoutedbywhataretermedthemenoflettersiswell-known.Theywill havenoneof it.They refuse its claim to a rational hearing.But,inspiteofthis,asyearsgoon,thenumberofadherentstothenewtheorysteadily increases.Thescornfulepithets thatarehurledat themonlyappear towhet their appetite, and increase their determination.Men andwomen devotetheir lives with enthusiasm to the quest for further knowledge. They dig anddelve in the records of the period, and in the byeways of literature. Theorieswhichappearextravagantanduntenablearepropounded.Whetheranyofthesetheorieswillcometobeacceptedandestablishedbeyondcavil, timealonecanprove.But, at any rate, it is certain that in this questmany forgotten facts arebroughttolight,andthegeneralstockof informationastotheliteratureof theperiodisaugmented.In the following pages it is sought to establishwhatmay be termed one of

theseextravaganttheories.Howfarthisattemptissuccessful,itisforthereadertojudge.Notwithstandingallthatmaybesaidtothecontrary,byfarthegreaterpartofFrancisBacon'slifeisunknown.Anattemptwillbemadebytheaidofaccrediteddocumentsandbookstorepresentinanewlighthisyouthandearlymanhood.It iscontendedthathedeliberatelysoughttoconcealhismovementsandwork,although,atthesametime,heleftthelandmarksbywhichadiligentstudent might follow them. In his youth he conceived the idea that the manFrancis Bacon should be concealed, and be revealed only by his works. Themotto, "Mente videbor"—by the mind I shall be seen—became the guidingprincipleofhislife.

THEMYSTERYOF

FRANCISBACON.

CHAPTERI.SOURCESOFINFORMATION.

The standard work is "The Life and Letters of Francis Bacon," by JamesSpedding,whichwas published from1858-1869. It comprises seven volumes,with 3,033 pages. The first twenty years of Bacon's life are disposed of in 8pages,andthenexttenyearsin95pages,ofwhich43pagesaretakenupwiththree tracts attributed to him. There is practically no information given as towhatshouldbethemostimportantyearsofhislife.ThetwofirstvolumescarrythenarrativetotheendofElizabeth'sreign,whenBaconhadpassedhisfortiethyear.Thereisinthemaconsiderablecontributiontothehistoryofthetimes,butacriticalperusalwillestablishthefactthattheyaddverylittletoourknowledgeof theman, and they fail to give any adequate idea of how hewas occupiedduringthoseyears.Inthesevenvolumes513lettersofBacon'sareprinted,andofthesenolessthan238areaddressedtoJamesI.andtheDukeofBuckingham,andwerewrittenduring the lastyearsofhis life.ThebiographiesbyMontaguandHepworthDixonarelesspretentious,butcontainlittlemoreinformation.ThefirstpublishedLifeofBaconappearstohavebeenunknowntoallthese

writers.In1631waspublishedinParisatranslationofthe"SylvaSylvarum,"asthe "Histoire Naturelle de Mre. Francois Bacon." Prefixed to it is a chapterentitled"DiscourssurlaviedeMre.FrancoisBacon,ChancelierD'Angleterre."Referencewillbemadetothisimportantdiscoursehereafter.ItissufficientforthepresenttosaythatitdefinitelystatesthatduringhisyouthBacontravelledinItalyandSpain,whichfactisto-dayunrecognisedbythosewhoareacceptedasauthoritiesonhislife.In1647therewaspublishedatLeydenaDutchtranslationof forty-six of Bacon's Essays—the "Wisdom of the Ancients" and the"ReligiousMeditations." The translation is by Peter Boener, an apothecary ofNymegen, Holland, who was in Bacon's service for some years as domesticapothecary, and occasional amanuensis, and quitted his employment in 1623.BoeneraddedaLifeofBaconwhichisamerefragment,butcontainstestimonyby a personal attendant which is of value. In 1657William Rawley issued avolumeofunpublishedmanuscriptsunderthetitleof"Resuscitatio,"andtothesehe added a Life of the great Philosopher. Rawley is only oncementioned byBacon.Hiswillcontainsthesentence:"Igivetomychaplain,Dr.Rawleigh,onehundredpounds."Rawleywasborn in1590.Whenhebecameassociatedwith

hismasterisnotknown,butitcouldonlyhavebeentowardsthecloseofhislife.Bacon appears to have reposed great confidence in him. In 1627,[2] the yearfollowing Bacon's death, he published the "Sylva Sylvarum." This must havebeen in the press before Bacon's death. Rawley subsequently published otherworks,andwasassociatedwith IsaacGruterduring theseventeenthcentury inproducingonthecontinentvariouseditionsofBacon'sworks.Rawley'saccountofBacon'slifeismeagre,and,havingregardtothewealth

of informationwhichmusthavebeenathisdisposal, it isaverydisappointingproduction. Still, it contains information which is not to be found elsewhere.HowincompleteitismaybegatheredfromthefactthatthereisnoreferenceinittoBacon'sfall.In1665waspublishedavolume,"TheStatesmenandFavouritesofEngland

sincetheReformation."ItwascompiledbyDavidLloyd.ThebiographiesoftheElizabethanstatesmenwerewrittenbysomeonewhowascloselyassociatedwiththem, and who appears to have had exceptional opportunities of obtaininginformation as to their opinions and characters.[3]As to how these lives cameintoLloyd's possession nothing is known. Prefixed to the biographies are twopages containing "The Lord Bacon's judgment in a work of this nature." Thechapter on Bacon is a most important contribution to the subject, but it alsoappearstohaveescapedthenoticeofSpedding,HepworthDixon,andMontagu.In1658FrancisOsborn,inLetterstohisson,givesagraphicdescriptionoftheLordChancellor.PerhapsonecanbetterpictureBaconashewasinthestrengthof his manhood from Osborne's account of him than from any other source.ThomasBushell, another ofBacon's household dependents, published in 1628"TheFirstPartofYouth'sErrors."InaletterthereinaddressedtoMr.JohnEliot,he has left contributions to our stock of knowledge. There are also somemiscellaneous tractswrittenbyhim,andpublishedabout theyear1660,whichcontainreferencestoBacon.Fuller's Worthies (1660) gives a short account of his life and character,

eulogistic but sparse. In 1679was published "Baconiana," orCertainGenuineRemainsofSirFrancisBacon,&c.,byBishopTennison,butitcontainsnobetteraccount of his life. Winstanley's Worthies (1684) relies entirely on Rawley'sLife,which is reproduced in it.Aubrey'sbriefLiveswerewritten about1680.TherearereferencestoBaconinArthurWilson's"HistoryoftheReignofJamesI.";in"TheCourtofJamesI.,"bySirW.A.;in"SimeonD'Ewes'Diary";and,lastly, in his "Discoveries," Ben Jonson contributes a high eulogy on Bacon'scharacterandattainments.

In 1702 Robert Stephens, the Court historiographer, published a volume ofBacon's letters,withan introductiongivingsomeaccountofhis life;and therewas a second edition in 1736. In 1740 DavidMallet published an edition ofBacon'sworks,andwroteaLifetoaccompanyit.Thiswassubsequentlyprintedasaseparatevolume.Asabiographyitiswithoutinterest,asitcontainsnonewfactsastohislife.In1754memoirsof thereignofQueenElizabethfromtheyear1581 toher

deathappeared,editedbyDr.ThomasBirch.Thesememoirsarefoundeduponthe letters of the variousmembers of the Bacon family. In 1763 a volume oflettersofFrancisBaconwasissuedunderthesameeditor.Such are the sources of information which have come down to us in

biographicalnotices.IntheBritishMuseum,theRecordOffice,andelsewherearetheoriginalsof

thelettersandthemanuscriptsofsomeofthetractswhichSpeddinghasprinted.TheBritishMuseumalsopossessestwobooksofMemorandausedbyBacon.

TheTransportatisentirely,andthePromusispartly,inhishandwriting.Beyondhispublishedworks,thatisallthatsofarhasbeenavailable.

Speddingremarks[4]:"WhatbecameofhisbookswhichwerelefttoSirJohnConstableandmusthavecontained tracesofhis reading,wedonotknow,butveryfewappeartohavesurvived."Happily,Speddingwaswrong.During thepast tenyearsnearly2,000books

which have passed throughBacon's hands have been gathered together. Thesearecopiouslyannotatedbyhim,andfromtheseannotationsthewiderangeandthe methodical character of his reading may be gathered. Manuscripts whichwere in his library, and at least four common-place books in his handwriting,havealsobeenrecovered.Particularsofthesehavenotyetbeenmadepublic,butthe advantage of access to them has been available in the preparation thisvolume.

CHAPTERII.THESTOCKFROMWHICHBACONCAME.

"AprodigyofpartshemustbewhowasbegotbywiseSirNicholasBacon,bornoftheaccomplishedMrs.AnnCooke,"saysanearlybiographer.NicholasBaconissaidtohavebeenbornatChislehurst,inKent,in1509.He

was the second son of Robert Bacon, of Drinkstone, in Suffolk, Esquire andSheep-reeve to the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds. It is believed that he waseducatedattheabbeyschool.HespeaksofhisintimacywithEdmundRougham,amonkofthathouse,whowasnotedforhiswonderfulproficiencyinmemory.He was admitted to the College of Corpus Christi, Cambridge, and took thedegreeofB.A. in1526-7.Hewent toParis soonafterwards,andonhis returnstudiedlawatGray'sInn,beingcalledtotheBarin1533,andadmittedancientin 1536.Hewas appointed, in 1537,Clerk to theCourt ofAugmentations. In1546hewasmadeAttorneyoftheCourtofWardsandLiveries,andcontinuedas such under Edward VI. Upon the accession ofMary he conformed to thechangeofreligionandretainedhisofficeduringherreign.NicholasBaconandWilliamCecil,eachbeingawidower,hadmarriedsisters.WhenElizabethcameto the throneCecilbecameheradviser.HewaswellacquaintedwithNicholasBacon'ssterlingworthandgreatcapacityforbusiness,andavailedhimselfofhisadviceandassistance.TheQueendeliveredtoBaconthegreatseal,withthetitleofLordKeeper, on the22ndDecember, 1558, andhewas swornof thePrivyCouncilandknighted.Byletterspatent,dated14thApril,1559,thefullpowersofaChancellorwereconferreduponhim.In1563henarrowlyescapedthelossof his office for alleged complicity in the issue of a pamphlet espousing thecauseoftheHouseofSuffolktothesuccession.Hewasrestoredtofavour,andcontinued as Lord Keeper until his death in 1579. The Queen visited him atGorhamburyonseveraloccasions.SirNicholasBacon,inadditiontoperformingtheimportantdutiesofhishighofficeintheCourtofChanceryandintheStarChamber,tookanimportantpartinallpublicaffairs,bothdomesticandforeign,fromtheaccessionofElizabethuntilhisdeath.HefirstmarriedJane,daughterofWilliamFernley,ofWestCreting,Suffolk, bywhomhehad three sons andthreedaughters.ForhissecondwifehemarriedAnne,daughterofSirAnthonyCooke, by whom he had two sons, Anthony and Francis. It is of moreimportanceforthepresentpurposetoknowwhattypeofmanwasthefatherof

FrancisBacon.Theauthorofthe"ArteofEnglishPoesie"(1589)relatesthathecameuponSirNicholassittinginhisgallerywiththeworksofQuintillianbeforehim,andadds:"IndeedehewasamosteloquentmanandofrarelearningandwisdomeaseverIknewEnglandtobreed,andonethatjoyedasmuchinlearnedmen and good witts." This author, speaking of Sir Nicholas and Burleigh,remarks, "Fromwhose lippes Ihave seen toproceedemoregraveandnaturalleloquencethenfromalltheoratoursofOxfordandCambridge."In his "Fragmenta Regalia" Sir Robert Naunton describes him as "an

archpeeceofwitandwisdom,"statingthat"hewasabundantlyfacetiouswhichtookmuchwith theQueenwhen itwas suitedwith the seasonashewaswellabletojudgeofhistimes."Fullerdescribeshimas"amanofrarewitanddeepexperience,"and,again,as"agoodman,agravestatesman,andafathertohiscountry."BishopBurnetspeaksofhimas"notonlyoneofthemostlearnedandpious men, but one of the wisest ministers this nation ever bred." Theobservationsof theauthorof"TheStatesmenandFavouritesofEnglandin theReignofQueenElizabeth"areveryilluminating."SirNicholasBacon,"hesays,"wasamanfullofwitandwisdome,agentlemanandamanofLawwithgreatknowledgetherein."Heproceeds:"ThisgentlemanunderstoodhisMistresswellandthetimesbetter:Hecouldraisefactionstoservetheoneandallaythemtosuittheothers.HehadthedeepestreachintoaffairsofanymanthatwasattheCouncil table: the knottiest Head to pierce into difficulties: the mostcomprehensive Judgement to surround the merit of a cause: the strongestmemory to recollect all circumstancesof aBusiness to oneView: thegreatestpatiencetodebateandconsider;(foritwashethatfirstsaid,letusstayalittleandwewillhavedonethesooner:)andtheclearestreasontourgeanythingthatcameinhiswayintheCourtofChancery....Leicesterseemedwiserthanhewas,Baconwaswiserthanheseemedtobe;Hunsdenneitherwasnorseemedwise....Greatwas thisStateman'sWit, greater theFameof it;whichashewould say,beingnothing,madeall things.ForReport, thoughbutFancy,begetsOpinion;andOpinion begets substance....He neither affected nor attained to greatness:Mediocria firma, was his principle and his practice. When Queen Elizabethaskedhim,Whyhishousewassolittle?heanswered,Madam,myhouseisnottoolittleforme,butyouhavemademetoobigformyHouse.Giveme,saidhe,agoodEstateratherthanagreatone.HehadaveryQuaintsayingandheuseditoften to good purpose, That he loved the Jest well but not the loss of hisFriend....Hewasinaword,aFatherofhiscountryandofSirFrancisBacon."BeforespeakingofLadyAnnBacon,itisnecessarytogivesomeaccountof

herfather,SirAnthonyCooke.Hewasagreat-grandsonofSirThomasCooke,

LordMayorofLondon,andwasbornatGiddyHall, inEssex.Againthemostvaluable observations on his character are to be found in "The Lives ofStatesmenandFavourites"beforereferredto.TheauthorstatesthatSirAnthony"was one of the Governors to King Edward the sixth when Prince, and ischaracteredbyMr.CamdenVirantiquaserenitate.Heobservethhimalsotobehappy inhisDaughters, learned above theirSex inGreek andLatine: namely,Mildred who married William Cecil, Lord Treasurer of England; Anne whomarried Nichlas Bacon, Lord Chancellor of England; Katherine who marriedHenryKilligrew; Elizabethwhomarried ThomasHobby, and afterwards LordRussell,andMargaretwhomarriedRalphRowlet.""Gravity,"saysthisauthor,"wastheBallastofSirAnthony'sSoulandGeneral

Learningitsleading....YethewassomebodyineveryArt,andeminentinall,thewhole circle of Arts lodging in his Soul. His Latine, fluent and proper; hisGreek, critical and exact; his Philology and Observations upon each of theselanguages,deep,curious,variousandpertinent:HisLogic,rational;hisHistoryand Experience, general; his Rhetorick and Poetry, copious and genuine; hisMathematiques,practicableanduseful.Knowingthatsoulswereequal,andthatWomenareascapableofLearningasMen,heinstilledthattohisDaughtersatnight,whichhehadtaughtthePrinceintheday,beingresolvedtohaveSonsbyeducation,forfearheshouldhavenonebybirth;andlesthewantedanHeirofhisbody,hemadefiveofhisminde,forwhomhehadatonceaGavel-kindofaffectionandofEstate.""Threethingstherearebeforewhom(wasSirAnthony'ssaying)Icannotdo

amis: 1,My Prince; 2,my conscience; 3,my children. Seneca told his sister,That thoughhecouldnot leaveheragoodportion,hewould leaveheragoodpattern.SirAnthonywouldwritetohisDaughterMildred,Myexampleisyourinheritanceandmylifeisyourportion...."Hesaidfirst,andhisGrandchildemyLordBaconafterhim,ThattheJoysof

ParentsareSecrets,andsoaretheirGriefsandFears....Veryprovidentlydidhesecurehiseternity,byleavingtheimageofhisnatureinhischildrenandofhismind in his Pupil.... The books he advised were not many but choice: thebusiness he pressed was not reading, but digesting.... Sir John Checke talkedmerrily,Dr.CoxesolidlyandSirAnthonyCookeweighingly:AfacultythatwasderivedwithhisbloodtohisGrandchildeBacon."Such then was the father of Lady Anne Bacon. She and her sisters were

famous as a family of accomplished classical scholars. She had a thoroughknowledge ofGreek and Latin.AnApologie ... in defence of theChurche of

EnglandbyDr.Jewel,BishopofSalisbury,wastranslatedbyherfromtheLatinandpublishedin1564.SirAnthonyhadbeenexiledduringMary'sreign,forhisadherence to the Protestant faith. His daughter, Anne, inherited, not only hisclassicalaccomplishments,buthisstrongPuritanfaithandhishatredofPopery.Francis Bacon describes her as "A Saint of God." There is a portrait of herpaintedbyNathanielBacon,herstepson, inwhichsheappearsstanding inherpantry habited as a cook. In feature Francis appears to have resembled hismother.He "had the samepouting lip, the same roundhead, the same straightnoseandHebechin."

CHAPTERIII.FRANCISBACON,1560TO1572.

IntheregistryofSt.Martin'swillbefoundthisentry:Mr.FranciscusBacon1560Jan25(filiusD'mNichoBaconMagniAngliæsigillicustodis)."Rawleyinhis"LifeoftheHonourableAuthor"says:"FrancisBacon,thegloryofhisageandnation,wasborninYorkHouseorYorkPlace,intheStrand,onthetwoandtwentiethdayofJanuaryintheyearofourLord1560."Herelatesthat"Hisfirstandchildishyearswerenotwithoutsomemarkofeminency;atwhichtimehewasenduedwiththatpregnancyandtowardnessofwit,astheywerepressagesofthatdeepanduniversalapprehensionwhichwasmanifestinhimafterward.""The Queen then delighted much to confer with him, and to prove him withquestionsuntowhomhedeliveredhimselfwiththatgravityandmaturityabovehisyearsthatHerMajestywouldoftentermhim'HeryoungLordKeeper.'Beingaskedby theQueenhowoldhewasheansweredwithmuchdiscretion,beingthenbutaboy[5]thathewastwoyearsyoungerthanHerMajesty'shappyreign,withwhichanswerthequeenwasmuchtaken."Inthe"LivesoftheStatesmenandFavouritesofQueenElizabeth"thereisreferencetotheearlydevelopmentof his mental and intellectual faculties. The author writes:—"He had a largemind fromhis Father and great abilities fromhisMother;His parts improvedmore than his years, his great fixed and methodical memory, his solidejudgement, his quick fancy, his ready expression, gave assurance of thatprofound anduniversal comprehension of thingswhich then rendered him theobservation of great and wise men; and afterwards the wonder of all." Thehistorian continues:—"He never saw anything that was not noble andbecoming,""attwelvehisindustrywasabovethecapacityandhismindebeyondthereacheofhiscontemporaries."This boy so marvellously endowed was brought up in surroundings which

wereidealforhisdevelopment.Hisfather,amanoferudition,awitandorator,occupyingoneofthehighestpositionsinthecountry,hismotheraladyofgreatclassical accomplishments, who had enjoyed the benefits of an education andtrainingbyherfather,thateminentscholar,SirAnthonyCooke,and,lastly,therewasthisman—hisgrandfather—livingwithinridingdistancefromhishome.Itseems inevitable that thenaturalpowersofyoungFrancismusthaveexcitedakeen interest in theold tutorofEdwardVI.,whohaddevotedhis evenings to

impartingtohisdaughterswhathehadtaughtthePrinceduringtheday,sothatifheleftbehindhimnoheirsofhisbody,hemightleaveheirsofhismind.Theboy Francis was, indeed, a worthy heir of his mind, and it is impossible tobelieveotherwise than thatSirAnthonyCookewould throwhimselfheartandsoulintotheeducationofhisgrandchild,butnostatementortraditionhascomedowntothiseffect.Itmaybe,however,thatasentencewhichhasalreadybeenquotedfrom"TheLivesofStatesmenandFavourites"isintendedtoimplythatFrancis was the pupil of Sir Anthony: "He said first and his GrandchildemyLordBaconafterhim,ThattheJoysofParentsareSecrets,andsotheirGriefsandFears....VeryprovidentlydidhesecurehisEternity,byleavingtheimageofhisnatureinhisChildrenandofhismindinhisPupil."ThepupilreferredtowasnotEdwardVI.,forhediedtwenty-threeyearsbeforeSirAnthony,andhecouldnot, therefore, have left the image of hismind in the youngKing. Followingdirectlyafter thesentence"Hesaid firstandhisGrandchildeLordBaconafterhim" it is possible that the referencemay be to the boyFrancis.CertainlySirAnthony "would secure his eternity" if he left the image of his mind in his"Grandchilde."Inanycasetheprodigiousnaturalpowersoftheboywereplacedinanenvironmentwellsuitedfortheirfulldevelopment.Thehistoriansaysthat"attwelvehisindustrywasabovethecapacityandhis

mindbeyondthereacheofhisContemporaries."Whowerethecontemporariesalludedto?Thoseofhisownage,orthosewhowerelivingatthetime?Aboyoftwelve,heexcelledothersinhisgreatindustryandthewiderangeofhismind.This industryappears tohaveaccompaniedhimthroughlife,forRawleystatesthat"hewouldeverinterlaceamoderaterelaxationofhismindwithhisstudies,as walking or taking the air abroad in his coach or some other befittingrecreation; and yet he would lose no time, inasmuch as upon the first andimmediatereturnhewouldfalltoreadingagain,andsosuffernomovementoftimetoslipfromhimwithoutsomepresentimprovement."ItisaremarkablefactonwhichtoomuchstresscannotbelaidthatinthetwoLivesofBacon,scantyas they are, by contemporary writers, his exceptional industry is pointed out.Therearecertainlynovisiblefruitsofthisindustry.AlthoughthereisnodefiniteinformationastowhatwasthestateofFrancis

Bacon's education at twelve, there is testimony as to that of some of hiscontemporaries.Threeinstanceswillsuffice.PhilipMelancthon(whosefamilynamewasSchwartzerd)wasbornin1497.

His education was at an early age directed by his maternal grandfather, JohnReuter.After a short stayat apublic school atBrettenhewas removed to theacademyatPforzheim.Here, under the tutorship of JohnReuchlin, an elegant

scholarand teacher of languages, he acquired the taste forGreek literature inwhichhesubsequentlybecamesodistinguished.Herehisgeniusforcompositionasserteditself.Amongstotherpoeticalessaysinwhichheindulgedwhenelevenyears of age, he wrote a humorous piece in the form of a comedy, which hededicated tohiskind friendand instructor,Reuchlin, inwhosepresence itwasperformedbytheschoolfellowsoftheyouthfulauthor.Afteraresidenceoftwoyears at Pforzheim,Philipmatriculated at theUniversity ofHeidelberg on the13thOctober,1509,beingelevenyearsandninemonthsold.Youngashewas,heappearstohavebeenemployedtocomposemostoftheharanguesthatweredelivered in the University, besides writing some pieces for the professorsthemselves.Here, at this early age,hecomposedhis "Rudimentsof theGreekLanguage,"whichwereafterwardspublished.Agrippad'Aubignéwasbornin1550anddiedin1630.Atsixyearsofagehe

readLatin,Greek,andHebrew.When tenyearshe translated theCrito. ItalianandSpanishwereathiscommand.Thomas Bodley was born in 1544 and died in 1612. In the short

autobiographywhichhelefthemakesthefollowingstatementastohowfarhiseducationhadadvancedwhenhis fatherdecided tofixhisabode in thecityofGenevain1556:—

"IwasatthattimeoftwelveyearesagebutthroughmyfatherscostandcaresufficientlyinstructedtobecomeanauditourofChevaleriusinHebrew,ofBerealdusinGreeke,ofCalvinandBezainDivinityandof some other Professours in that University, (which was newly there erected) besides my domesticallteachers,inthehouseofPhilibertusSaracenus,afamousPhysitianinthatCitywithwhomIwasboarded;whenRobertusConstantinusthatmadetheGreekLexiconreadHomerwithme."

BodleywasundoubtedlyproficientinFrench,forCalvinandBezalecturedinFrench. The "Institution of the Christian Religion," Calvin's greatest work,although published in Latin in 1536, was translated by him into French, andissuedin1540or1541.ThistranslationisoneofthefinestexamplesofFrenchprose.Bodley'sEnglishwasprobablyverypoor,andforaverygoodreason—there was no English language worthy of comparison with the languages ofFrance,Italy,orSpain.Ithadyettobecreated.ItisfairtoassumethatattwelveyearsofageFrancisBaconwasasproficient

inlanguagesaswerePhilipMelancthon,Agrippad'Aubigné,orThomasBodleyat that age. He, therefore, had at least a good knowledge of Latin, Greek,Hebrew,French,andsuchEnglishastherewas.Anotherclassofevidence isnowavailable. Ithasalreadybeenstated thata

large number of Bacon's books have been recovered, copiously annotated by

him.Someofthesebooksbearthedatewhentheannotationsweremade.Forthemost part themarginal notes appear to be aids tomemory, but inmany casesthey are critical observations of the text. These are, however, dealt with in asubsequentchapter.Gilbert Wats, in dedicating to Charles I. his interpretation of "The

Advancement of Proficiency of Learning" (1640), makes a statement whichthrows light on the course of Bacon's studies, and this strongly supports thepresentcontention.Hesays:—

"He(Bacon)afterhehadsurvaiedalltheRecordsofAntiquity,afterthevolumeofmen,betookhimselfeto the study of the volume of the world; and having conquerd whatever books possest, set upon theKingdomeofNatureandcarriedthatvictoryveryfarre."

Speakingofhimasaboyhisbiographer[6]describeshismemoryas"fixedandmethodical," and in another place he says "His judgment was solid yet hismemorywasawonder."The extent of his reading at this time had been verywide. He had already

takenallknowledge tobehisprovince, andwaswith that industrywhichwasbeyondthecapacityofhiscontemporariesrapidlylayingthefoundationswhichsubsequentlyjustifiedthisclaim.

CHAPTERIV.

ATCAMBRIDGE.FrancisBaconwent to resideatTrinityCollege,Cambridge, inApril,1573,

being12yearsand3monthsofage.WhiletheplagueragedhewasabsentfromtheendofAugust,1574,untilthebeginningofMarchfollowing.HefinallylefttheUniversityatChristmas,1575,aboutonemonthbeforehisfifteenthbirthday.Rawley says he was there educated and bred under the tuition of Dr. John

Whitgift,[7] thenmasteroftheCollege,afterwardstherenownedArchbishopofCanterbury,aprelateof thefirstmagnitudeforsanctity, learning,patience,andhumility; under whom he was observed to have been more than an ordinaryproficientintheseveralartsandsciences.Amboise,inthe"DiscourssurlaviedeM.Bacon,"prefixedtothe"Histoire

Naturelle,"Paris, 1631, says: "Le jugement et lamémoire ne furent jamais enaucun home au degrè qu'ils estoient en celuy-cy; de sorte qu'en bien peu detempsilserenditforthabileentouteslessciencesquis'apprennentauCollège.Etquoiquedeslors il fust jugécapabledescharges lesplas importantes,nean-moins pour ne tomber dedans la mesme faute que sont d'ordinaire les jeunesgens de son estoffe, qui par une ambition trop précipitée portent souvent aumaniement des grandes affaires un esprit encore tout rempli des crudités del'escole,MonsieurBaconsevoulutacquérircettescience,quirenditautres-foisUlyssesirecommandableetluyfitmériterlenomdesage,parlaconnoissancedesmœurs de tant de nations diverses." That is all that can be said about hiscareeratCambridgeexceptthatRawleyadds:

"WhilsthewascommorantintheUniversity,aboutsixteenyearsofage(ashislordshiphathbeenpleasedtoimpartuntomyself),hefirstfellintothedislikeofthephilosophyofAristotle;notfortheworthlessnessoftheauthor,towhomhewouldeverascribeallhighattributes,butfortheunfruitfulnessoftheway;beinga philosophy (as his lordship used to say) only strong for disputations andcontentions,butbarrenof theproductionofworksfor thebenefitof thelifeofman;inwhichmindhecontinuedtohisdyingday."

AsBaconleftCambridgeatChristmas,1575,beforehewas15yearsofage,Rawley'srecollectionmusthavebeenatfaultwhenhementionstheageof16asthatwhenBaconformedthisopinion.There is another account of this incident in which it is stated that Francis

BaconleftCambridgewithouttakingadegreeasaprotestagainstthemannerinwhich philosophywas taught there. In the preface to the "Great Instauration"Bacon repeats his protest: "And for its value and utility, it must be plainlyavowedthatthatwisdomwhichwehavederivedprincipallyfromtheGreeksisbutliketheboyhoodofknowledgeandhasthecharacteristicpropertyofboys:itcan talk but it cannot generate: for it is fruitful of controversies but barren ofworks."Thisismerelyare-statementofthepositionhetookupwhenatCambridge.

So this boy set up his opinion against that of the recognised professors ofphilosophyofhisday,againstthewholeauthorityofthestaffoftheUniversity,onafundamentalpointonthemostimportantquestionwhichcouldberaisedasto thepursuitofknowledge. It isnot toomuch to say thathehadat this timecovered thewhole field of knowledge in amannermore thorough than it hadeverbeencoveredbefore,andwithhismind,whichwasbeyondthereachofhiscontemporaries, he began to lay down those laws which revolutionised allthought and have become the accepted method by which the pursuit ofknowledgeisfollowed.Itisnecessaryagaintoseekforparallelstojustifythepositionwhichwillbe

claimedforFrancisBaconatthisperiod.Philip Melancthon affords one and James Crichton another. At Heidelberg

Melancthonremainedthreeyears.Heleftwhenhewas15,theprincipalcauseofhis leaving being disappointment at being refused a higher degree in theUniversitysolely,itisalleged,onaccountofhisyouth.InSeptember,1512,hewasenteredattheUniversityofTubingen,where,inthefollowingyear,beforehewas17yearsofage,hewascreatedDoctorinPhilosophyorMasterofArts.He then commenced a course of public lectures, embracing an extraordinaryvariety of subjects, including the learned languages, rhetoric, logic, ethics,mathematics,andtheology.Herein1516heputforthhisrevisionofthetextofTerence. Besides he entered into an undertaking with Thomas Anshelmus toreviseallthebooksprintedbyhim.HebestowedgreatlabouronalargeworkinfoliobyNauclerus,whichheappearstohavealmostentirelyre-written.SomuchromancehasbeenthrownaroundJamesCrichtonthatitisdifficultto

obtain thereal factsofhis life.SirThomasUrquhart, in"DiscoveryofaMost

ExquisiteJewel,"publishedin1652,givesabiographywhichis,withoutdoubt,mainlyapocryphal.Certainfacts,however,arewellestablished.HewasborninthesameyearaswasBacon(1560).At10yearsofageheenteredSt.Andrew'sUniversity,andin1575(theyearBaconleftCambridge)tookhisdegree,comingoutthirdinthefirstclass.In1576hewenttoFrance,asdidBacon—toParis.Inthe College of Navarre he issued a universal challenge. This he subsequentlyrepeatedatVenicewithequalsuccess;thatis,toallmen,uponallthings,inanyof twelve languages named. The challenge is broad and formal. He pledgedhimself to review the schoolmen, allowed his opponents the privilege ofselecting their topics—mathematics, no less than scholastic lore—either frombranchespubliclyorprivatelytaught,andpromisedtoreturnanswersinlogicalfigureor innumbers estimatedaccording to theiroccultpower,or in anyof ahundred sorts of verse. He is said to have justified before many competentwitnesseshismagnificentpretensions.WhatPhilipMelancthonwasatfifteen,whatJamesCrichtonwasatsixteen,

Francis Bacon may have been. All the testimony which his contemporariesafford, especially having regard to his after life, justify the assertion that inknowledgeandacquirementshewasatleasttheirequal.About eighteenmonths later his portrait was painted byHilliard, theCourt

miniature painter, who inscribed around it, as James Spedding says, thesignificantwords—thenaturalejaculation,wemaypresume,oftheartist'sownemotion—"Si tabula daretur digna animum mallem." If one could only findmaterialsworthytopainthismind.

CHAPTERV.

EARLYCOMPOSITIONS.ItisatthisstagethatthemysteryofFrancisBaconbeginstodevelop.Every

channel throughwhich informationmight be expected appears to be blocked.Besides a few pamphlets, in the production of which little time would beoccupied,therecamenothingfromhispenuntil1597when,attheageof37,thefirsteditionof theessayswaspublished—onlytenshortessayscontaininglessthan6,000words.In1605,when45,headdressedtoJamesI. the"TwoBooksontheAdvancementofLearning,"containinglessthan60,000words.ItwouldrequirenoeffortonBacon'sparttowriteeitherofthesevolumes.Hecouldturnoutthe"TwoBooksoftheAdvancementofLearning"withthesamefacilitythataleaderwriteroftheTimeswouldwritehisdailyarticles.Hewastoallintentsandpurposesunoccupied.Until1594hehadnotheldabrief,andheneverhadanypracticeattheBarworthconsidering.HewasamemberofParliament,butthe House seldom sat, and never for long periods. Bacon's life is absolutelyunaccounted for. It is now proposed, by the aid of the literature of the periodfrom 1576 to 1620, and with the help of information derived from his ownhandwriting,totrace,stepbystep,theresultsofhisindustry,andtosupplythereasonfortheconcealmentwhichhepursued.There is an entry in the Book of Orders of Gray's Inn under date 21st

November, 1577, that Anthony and Francis Bacon (who had been admittedmembers27thJune,1576,"desocietatemagistrorum")beadmittedtotheGrandCompany,i.e.,totheDegreeofAncients,aprivilegetowhichtheywereentitledassonsofajudge.FromalettersubsequentlywrittenbyBurghley,itisknownthatoneBarkerwasappointedastheirtutorofLaw.Apparentlyitwasintendedthat they should settle down to a course of legal training, but this plan wasabandoned,atanyrate,asfarasFranciswasconcerned.SirAmiasPaulet,whowasChancelloroftheGarter,aPrivyCounsellor,andheldinhighesteembytheQueen,[8] was about to proceed to Paris to take the place of Dr. Dale asAmbassadorattheCourtofFrance.ThereisaletterwrittenfromCalais,dated25thSeptember,1576,fromSirAmiastoLordBurghley,inwhichthisparagraphappears:"Myordinarytrainisnogreaterthanofnecessity,beingaugmentedbysome young gentlemen, whereof one is Sir Nicholas Throgmorton's son, whowasrecommendedtomebyherMajesty,and,therefore,Icouldnotrefusehim.

Theothersaresodeartomeandthemostpartofthemofsuchtowardness,asmygoodhopeoftheirdoingwell,andthereaftertheywillbeabletoservetheirPrince and country, persuadesme tomake somuch to excusemy folly as toentreat you to use your favour in my allowance for my transportations, mychargesbeingincreasedbytheseextraordinaryoccasions."FrancisBaconwasoneofthisgroupofyounggentlemen.Rawleystatesthat

"afterhehadpassedthecircleoftheliberalarts,hisfatherthoughtfittoframeandmouldhimfortheartsofstate;andforthatendsenthimoverintoFrancewithSirAmyasPauletthenemployedAmbassadorliegerintoFrance."TherearegroundsforbelievingthatBacon'sliteraryactivityhadcommenced

before he left England. There is abundant evidence to prove that it was thecustom at this period for authors who desired to conceal their authorship tosubstitutefortheirownnames,initialsorthenamesofothersonthetitle-pages.Twoinstanceswillsuffice:"TheArteofEnglishPoesie"waspublishedin1589,but written several years previously. The author says:—"I know very manynotableGentlemenintheCourtthathavewrittencommendably,andsuppresseditagayne,orelssuffredittobepublishtwithouttheirownenamestoitasifitwereadiscreditforaGentlemantoseemelearned,andtoshewhimselfamorousofanylearnedArt."Thereisabare-facedavowalofhownameswereplacedontitle-pagesinaletterwhichexistsfromHenryCuffetoMr.Reynolds.Cuffe,anOxford scholar of distinction,was a close companion and confidant ofEssex.AfterthecaptureandsackingofCadizbyEssexandHoward,theformerdeemedit important thathisversionof theaffair shouldbe the first tobepublished inEngland. Cuffe, therefore, started off post haste with themanuscript, but wastakenillonhisarrivalatPortsmouth,andcouldnotproceed.Hedespatchedthemanuscriptbyamessengerwitha letter to "GoodMr.Reynoldes,"whowasaprivateSecretaryofEssex.Hewastocauseatranscripttobemadeandhaveitdeliveredtosomegoodprinter,ingoodcharactersandwithdiligencetopublishit.Reynoldeswas toconferwithMr.Greville(FulkeGreville,afterwardsLordBrooke)"whetherhecanbecontentedtosufferthetwofirstlettersofhisnameto be used in the inscription." "If he be unwilling," addsCuffe, "youmayputR.B.whichsomenodoubtwillinterpretetobeBeale,butitskillsnot."Thatthiswas a common practice is admitted by those acquainted with Elizabethanliterature. If any of Bacon's writings were published prior to the trifle whichappearedin1597asEssaies,hisnamewassuppressed,anditwouldbeprobablesome other name would appear on the title-page. There is a translation of aclassical author, bearing date 1572,which is in theBaconian style, butwhichneednotbeclaimedforhimwithoutfurtherinvestigation.

Thefollowingsuggestionisputforwardwithalldiffidence,butafterlongandcareful investigation. FrancisBaconwas the author of two bookswhichwerepublished,onebeforeheleftEngland,andtheothershortlyafter.Thefirst isaphilosophicaldiscourseentitled"TheAnatomieoftheMinde."NewliemadeandsetforthbyT.R.ImprintedatLondonbyI.C.forAndrewMaunsell,1576,12mo.ThededicationisaddressedtoMasterChristopherHatton,andthenameofTho.Rogers is attached to it. There was a Thomas Rogers who was Chaplain toArchbishopBancroft,andthebookhasbeenattributedtohim,apparentlyonlybecausenootherofthesamenamewasknown.Therewaspublishedin1577atranslationbyRogersofaLatinbook"OftheEndeoftheWorld,etc."andthereareothertranslationsbyhimpublishedbetweenthenand1628.Thereareseveralsermons,also,butthestyleofthese,thematter,andthemanneroftreatmentarequitedistinctfromthoseofthebookunderconsideration.Thereisnothingofhiswhichwouldsupporttheassignmenttohimof"TheAnatomieoftheMind."Itisforeigntohisstyle.Having regard to the acknowledged custom of the times of putting names

other than the author's on title-pages, there is no need for any apology forexpressingdoubtastowhetherthebookhasbeencorrectlyplacedtothecreditoftheBishopBancroft'schaplain.IntheaddressTotheReadertheauthorsays:"IdydonceformyprofiteintheUniversitie,drawintoLatintables,whichsinceforthyprofite(ChristianReader)at therequestofagentlemanofgoodcrediteandworship, I haveEnglished andpublished in these twobooks."There is inexistence a copy of the book with the printer's and other errors corrected inBacon'sownhandwriting.Bearingdate1577,imprintedatLondonforHenriCockyn,isanoctavobook

styled,"BeautifulBlossoms"gatheredbyJohnByshopfromthebesttreesofallkyndes,Divine,Philosophicall,Astronomicall,Cosmographical,HistoricalandHumane that are growing in Greece, Latium, and Arabia, and some also invulgarorchardsaswelfrothesethatinauncienttimeweregrafted,asalsofromthemwhichwith skilful head and hand beene of late yeare's, yea, and in ourdayesplanted: to theunspeakable,bothpleasureandprofiteofallsuchaswilvouchsafetousethem.Onthetitle-pagearethewords,"TheFirstTome,"butnofurthervolumewaspublished.AstowhoorwhatJohnByshopwasthereisnoinformationavailable.Hisnameappearsonnootherbook.Theprefaceisagemofmusicalsoundingwords.Itcontainsthesentence,"let thempassitoverandread the rest which are all as plaine as Dunstable Way." Bacon's home waswithin a fewmiles ofDunstableWay,whichwas the local term for themainroad.

Itisimpracticableheretogiveatlengththegroundsuponwhichitisbelievedthat Francis Bacon was the author of these two books. Each of them is anoutpouringofclassical lore, and is evidentlywrittenby someyoungmanwhohad recently assimilated the writings of nearly every classical author. In thisrespectbothcorrespondwith themannerof "TheFrenchAcademie," towhichtheattentionof thereaderwillshortlybedirected,whilst in"TheAnatomieoftheMinde"thetreatmentofthesubjectisidenticalwiththatinthelatter.Failingactualproof, thecircumstantialevidence that the twobooksare fromthesamepenisalmostasstrongasneedbe.Some time in October, 1576, Sir Amyas Paulet would reach Paris,

accompaniedbyBacon.TheonlyfragmentofinformationwhichisgivenbyhisbiographersofanyoccurrenceduringhisstaythereisobtainedfromRawley.Hestatesthat"SirAmiasPauletafterawhileheldhimfittobeentrustedwithsomemessage, or advertisement to the Queen, which having performed with greatapprobation, he returnedback intoFrance againwith intention to continue forsomeyears there." Inhis absence inFrance,his father, theLordKeeper,died.Thiswas in February, 1578-9. If he returned shortly after news of his father'sdeathreachedhim,hisstayontheContinentwouldcoverabouttwoanda-halfyears.Astowhathewasdoingnothingisknown,butPierreAmboisestatesthat"France,Italy,andSpainasthemostcivilisednationsofthewholeworldwerethosewhitherhisdesireforKnowledgecarriedhim."

CHAPTERVI.BACON'S"TEMPORISPARTUSMAXIMUS."

FrancisBaconwasatBloiswithSirAmiasPauletin1577.Inthesameyearwaspublishedthefirsteditionofthefirstpartof"AcadémieFrancoiseparPierrede la PrimaudayeEsceuyer, Seignor dudict lieu et de laBarrée,Gentilhommeordinaire de la chambre du Roy." The dedication, dated February, 1577 (i.e.,1578)isaddressed,"AuTres-chrestienRoydeFranceetdePolongneHenryIII.de cenom."The firstEnglish translation,byT.B.,was "published in1586[9],imprintedatLondonbyEdmundBollifantforG.BishopandRalphNewbery."Otherpartsof "TheAcademy" followedat intervalsofyears,but the first andonlycompleteedition inEnglishbearsdate1618,andwasprintedforThomasAdams.Overthededicationisthewell-knownarcheremblem.Itisathickfoliovolume, with 1,038 pages double columns. It may be termed the firstEncyclopædiawhichappearedinanylanguage,andis,perhaps,oneofthemostremarkable productions of theElizabethan era.Little is knownof Pierre de laPrimaudaye. The particulars for his biography in the "Biographie Nationale"seem to have been taken from references made to the author in the "FrenchAcadémie"itself.IntheFrenchEdition,1580, thereisaportraitofaman,andunderitthewords"Anag.deL'auth.ParlaprierèDieum'ayde."Thefollowingisanextractfromthededication:—

"Thedinnerofthatprinceoffamousmemorie,wasasecondtableofSalomon,vntowhichresortedfromeuerie nation such as were best learned, that they might reape profit and instruction. Yours, Sir, beingcompassedaboutwiththose,whoinyourpresencedailydiscourseof,andhearediscoursedmanygraueandgoodlymatters, seemeth tobea schooleerected to teachmen that areborne tovertue.And formyselfe,hauing so good hap during the assemblie of your Estates at Blois, as to be made partaker of the fruitgatheredthereof,itcameinmymindtooffervntoyourMaiestieadishofdiuersfruits,whichIgatheredinaPlatonicallgardenororchard,otherwisecalledanACADEMIE,whereIwasnotlongsincewithcertaineyoongGentlemen ofAnioumy companions, discoursing togither of the institution in goodmaners, and of themeanshowallestatesandconditionsmayliuewellandhappily.Andalthoughathousandthoughtscamethen intomymind to hindermy purpose, as the small authoritie,which youthmay or ought to haue incounsellamongstancientmen:thegreatnesofthemattersubject,propoundedtobehandledbyyeeresofsosmallexperience;theforgetfulnessofthebestfoundationsoftheirdiscourses,whichforwantofarichandhappiememoriemight be inme:my iudgement not soundynough, andmyprofession vnfit to set themdowne in good order: briefly, the consideration of your naturall disposition and rare vertue, and of thelearning which you receiuve both by reading good authors, and by your familiar communication withlearnedandgreatpersonagesthatareneereaboutyourMaiestie(wherebyIseemedtoopposethelightofanobscureday,fullofcloudsanddarkness,tothebrightbeamesofaverycleereshiningsonne,andtotakeinhand,aswesay,toteachMinerua).Isayallthesereasonsbeingbutoftoogreatweighttomakemechangemyopinion,yetcallingtomindmaniegoodlieandgrauesentencestakenoutofsundryGreekeandLatine

Philosophers,asalsothewoorthieexamplesoftheliuesofancientSagesandfamousmen,wherewiththesediscourses were inriched, which might in delighting your noble mind renew your memorie with thosenotable sayings in the praise of vertue and dispraise of vice, which you alwaies loued to heare: andconsideringalsothatthebountyofArtaxerxesthatgreatMonarkeofthePersianswasreuiuedinyou,whoreceiuedwith a cheerfull countenance apresent ofwater of a poore laborer,whenhehadnoneedof it,thinkingtobeasgreatanactofmagnanimitietotakeingoodpart,andtoreceiuecheerfullysmallpresentsofferedwithahartieandgoodaffection,astogiuegreatthingsliberally,Iouercamewhatsoeuerwouldhauestaiedmeinmineenterprise."

Itappears,therefore,thattheauthorbygoodhapwasavisitorattheCourtofHenry III. when at Blois; that he was there studying with certain younggentlemenofAnjou,hiscompanions;thathewasayouth,andofyearsofsmallexperience; that his memory might not be sufficiently rich and happy, hisjudgment not enough, and his profession unfit in recording the discourses ofhimselfandhiscompanions."The Author to the Reader" is an essay on Philosophy, every sentence in

which seems to have the same familiar sound as essays which subsequentlyappeared under another name. The contents of the several chapters areenumeratedthus:"OfMan,""OftheBodyandSoule,"etc.The first chaptercontainsadescriptionofhow the"Academie"cameabout.

Anancientwisegentlemanofgreatcallinghavingspent thegreaterpartofhisyearsintheserviceoftwokings,andofhiscountry,France,formanyandgoodcauseshadwithdrawnhimselftohishouse.Hethoughtthattocontenthismind,whichalwaysdelightedinhonestandvertuousthings,hecouldnotbringgreaterprofittotheMonarchieofFrance,thantolayopenandpreserveandkeepyouthfrom the corruption which resulted from the over great license and excessivelibertygranted to them in theUniversities.He tookuntohishouse fouryounggentlemen,withtheconsentoftheirparentswhoweredistinguishednoblemen.Afterhehadshowntheseyoungmenthefirstgroundsoftruewisdom,andofallnecessary things for their salvation, he brought into his house a tutor of greatlearning and well reported of his good life and conversation, to whom hecommitted their instruction. After teaching them the Latin tongue and somesmatteringofGreekhepropoundedfortheirchiefstudiesthemoralphilosophyof ancient sages andwisemen, togetherwith the understanding and searchingoutofhistorieswhicharethelightoflife.Thefourfathers,desiringtoseewhatprogresstheirsonshadmade,decidedtovisitthem.AndbecausetheyhadsmallskillintheLatintongue,theydeterminedtohavetheirchildrendiscourseintheirown natural tongue of all matters that might serve for the instruction andreformationof every estate and calling, in suchorder andmethod as they andtheirmastermightthinkbest.Itwasarrangedthattheyshouldmeetinawalking

placecoveredoverwithagoodlygreenarbour, anddaily, exceptSundays, forthreeweeks,devotetwohoursinthemorningandtwohoursafterdinnertothesediscourses,thefathersbeinginattendancetolistentotheirsons.Sointerestingdidthesediscussionsbecomethattheperiodwasoftenextendedtothreeorfourhours, and the youngmenwere so intent upon preparation for them that theywouldnotonlybestowtherestofthedays,butoftentimesthewholenight,uponthewellstudyingofthatwhichtheyproposedtohandle.Theauthorgoesontosay:—"Duringwhichtimeitwasmygoodhaptobeoneofthecompaniewhentheybegantheirdiscourses,atwhichIsogreatlywonderedthatIthoughtthemworthytobepublishedabroad."Fromthisitwouldappearthattheauthorwasavisitor,privileged,withthefourfathersandthemaster,tolistentothediscoursesofthesefouryoungmen.But,alittlefurtheronthepositionischanged;oneofthe four young men is, without any explanation, ignored, and his fatherdisappointed!Fortheauthortakeshisplace,aswillbeseenfromthefollowingextract:—

"And thus all fower of us followed the same order daily until everie one in his course had intreatedaccordingtoappointment,bothbythepreceptsofdoctrine,asalsobytheexamplesofthelivesofancientSagesandfamousmen,ofallthingsnecessaryfortheinstitutionofmannersandhappielifeofallestatesand callings in thisFrenchMonarchie.But because I knowenotwhether, in namingmycompanionsbytheirpropernames,supposingtherebytohonourthemasindeedetheydeserveit,Ishoulddispleasethem(whichthingIwouldnotsomuchasthinke)IhavedeterminedtodoastheythatplayonaTheater,whounderborrowedmaskesanddisguisedapparell,dorepresentthetruepersonagesofthosewhomtheyhaveundertakentobringonthestage.Iwillthereforecallthembynamesveryagreeabletotheirskillandnature:thefirstASERwhichsignifiethFelicity: thesecondAMANAwhichisasmuchtosayasTruth: thethirdARAM

whichnotethtousHighness;andtoagreewiththemaswellinnameasineducationandbehaviour.IwillnamemyselfACHITOB[10]whichisallonewithBrotherofgoodness.FurthermoreIwillcallandhonourtheproceeding and finishing of our sundry treatises and discourses with this goodlie and excellent title ofAcademie,whichwastheancientandrenownedschoolamongsttheGreekPhilosophers,whowerethefirstthat were esteemed, and that the place where Plato, Xenophon, Poleman, Xenocrates, and many otherexcellent personages, afterward calledAcademicks, did propound&discourse of all thingsmeet for theinstructionandteachingofwisdome:whereinwepurposedtofollowethemtoourpower,asthesequeleofourdiscoursesshallmakegoodproofe."

Andthenthediscoursescommence."Love'sLabour'sLost"waspublishedin1598,andwasthefirstquartoupon

which the name of Shakespeare was printed. The title-page states that it is"newlycorrectedandaugmented,"fromwhichitmaybeinferredthattherewasa previous edition, but no copy of such is known. The commentators are inpracticalagreementthatitwasprobablythefirstplaywrittenbythedramatist.Therearedifferencesofopinionastotheprobabledatewhenitwaswritten.

RichardGrantWhitebelievesthistobenotlaterthan1588,Knightgives1589,butallthisisconjecture.

TheplayopenswithaspeechbyFerdinand:—

"LetFamethatallhuntafterintheirlives,LiveregistreduponourbrazenTombes,And then grace us, in thedisgraceofdeath:When spight of cormorantdevouringtime,Th' endevour of this presentbreathmaybuy:That honour which shall batehissytheskeeneedge,And make us heyres of alleternitie.Therefore brave Conquerours,forsoyouare,That warre against your ownaffections,And the huge Armie of theworldsdesires.Our late Edict shall stronglystandinforce,Navar shall be the wonder oftheworld.Our Court shall be a littleAchademe,Still and contemplative inlivingArt.You three, Berowne,Doumaine,andLongavill,Have sworne for three yeeresterme,tolivewithme,My fellow Schollers, and tokeepethosestatutesThat are recorded in thisscheduleheere.Youroathesarepast,andnowsubscribeyournames;

Thathisownehandmaystrikehishonourdowne,That violates the smallestbranchheerein:If you are arm'd to doe, asswornetodo,Subscribe to your deepeoathes,andkeepeitto."

FouryoungmenintheFrench"Academie"associatedtogether,asin"Love'sLabour Lost," to war against their own affections and the whole army of theworld'sdesires.Dumaine,ingivinghisacquiescencetoFerdinand,ends:—

"Tolove,towealth,topompe,IpineanddieWith all these living inPhilosophie."

Philosophie was the subject of study of the four young men to the"Academie."Berownewasavisitor,forhesays:—

"I only swore to study withyourgraceAnd stay heere in your Courtforthreeyeeres'space."

Uponhisdemurringtosubscribetotheoathasdrawn,Ferdinandretorts:—Well, sit you out: go home,Berowne:adue."

TowhichBerownereplies:—No, my good lord; I havesworntostaywithyou."

Achitobwas a visitor at theAcademie in France. There are other points ofresemblance, but sufficient has been said to warrant consideration of thesuggestion that theFrench"Academie"contains the serious studiesof the fouryoungmenwhoseexperiencesformthesubjectoftheplay.The parallels between passages in the Shakespeare plays and the French

"Academie"arenumerous,buttheyformnopartofthepresentcontention.

One of thesemay, however, bementioned. In the thirdTome the followingpassageoccurs[11]:—

Psal.xix.:"ItisnotwithoutcausethattheProphetsaid(TheheavensdeclarethegloryofGod,andtheearthsheweththeworkesofhishandes)Fortherebyheevidentlyteacheth,aswiththefingereventooureies, the great and admirable providence ofGod their Creator; even as if the heavens should speake toanyone.Inanotherplaceitiswritten(Eccles.xliii.):(Thishighornament,thiscleerefirmament,thebeautyoftheheavensoglorioustobehold,tisathingfullofMajesty)."

On turning to the revisedversionof theBible itwill be found that the firstverseisthustranslated:"Theprideoftheheight,theclearefirmamentthebeautyof heaven with his glorious shew." The rendering of the text in "The FrenchAcademy" is strongly suggestive of Hamlet's famous soliloquy. "This mostexcellent canopy, this brave o'erhanging firmament, thismajestical roof frittedwith golden fire, why it appears to me no other than a foul and pestilentcongregationofvapours."Theauthorhasforsakenthecommon-placerenderingof the Apocrypha, and has adopted the same declamatory style whichShakespeareuses.ItisstronglyreminiscentofHamlet'sfamousspeech,ActII.,sceneii.OnlyoneoftheShakespearecommentatorsmakesanyreferencetothework.

TheRev. JosephHunter,writing in 1844, points out that the dramatist in "AsYouLikeIt,"describingthesevenagesofman,followsthedivisionmadeinthechapteron"TheAgesofMan"inthe"Academie."[12]

The suggestion now made is that the French "Academie" was written byBacon,who is represented in thedialoguesasAchitob—the firstpartwhenhewasabout18yearsofage,thathecontinuedituntil,in1618,thecompleteworkwas published. In the dedication the author describes himself as a youth ofimmature experience, but the contents bear evidence of a wide knowledge ofclassical authors and their works, a close acquaintance with the ancientphilosophies, and a storeof general informationwhich itwouldbe impossibleforanyordinaryyouthofsuchanagetopossess.Butwasnottheboywhoat15years of age left Cambridge disagreeingwith the teaching there of Aristotle'sphilosophy, and whose mental qualities and acquirements provoked as "thenatural ejaculation of the artist's emotion" the significant words, "Si tabuladareturdignaanimummallem,"altogetherabnormal?Wasthe"FrenchAcademie"Bacon'stemporispartusmaximus?Itisonlyina

letterwritten toFatherFulgentioabout1625 that thiswork isheardof.Baconwrites: "Equidem memini me, quadraginta abhinc annis, juvenile opusculumcirca has res confecisse, quod magna prorsus fiducia et magnifico titulo

'TemporisPartumMaximum'inscripsi."[13]

Speddingsays:"ThiswasprobablytheworkofwhichHenryCuffe(thegreatOxfordscholarwhowasexecutedin1601asoneofthechiefaccomplicesintheEarlofEssex's treason)wasspeakingwhenhesaid that 'a foolcouldnothavewritten it and awisemanwouldnot.'Bacon's intimacywithEssexhadbegunaboutthirty-fiveyearsbeforethisletterwaswritten."Fortyyearsfrom1625wouldcarrybackto1585,theyearprecedingthedate

ofpublicationof thefirstedition inEnglish. IfCuffe's remarkwas intended toapplytothe"FrenchAcademy,"itisjustsuchacriticismasthebookmightbeexpectedtoprovoke.Thefirsteditionof"TheFrenchAcademie"inEnglishappearedin1586,the

secondin1589,thethird(twoparts)in1594,thefourth(threeparts)in1602,thefifth in1614 (all quartos), then, in1618, the large folioeditioncontaining thefourth part "never before published inEnglish." It appears to have beenmorepopular inEngland than itwas inFrance.Brunet inhis1838editionmentionsneither thebooknor theauthor,Primaudaye.Thequestionas towhether therewas at this time a reading public in England sufficiently wide to absorb anedition in numbers large enough to make the publication of this and similarworkspossibleataprofitwillbedealtwithhereafter.Inanticipationitmaybesaidthatthebalanceofprobabilitiesjustifiestheconjecturethattheissueofeachof these editions involved someone in loss, and the folio edition involvedconsiderableloss.A comparison between the French and English publications points to both

havingbeenwrittenbyanauthorwhowasamasterofeachlanguageratherthanthatthelatterwasameretranslationoftheformer.Theversionissonaturalinidiomandstylethatitappearstobeanoriginalratherthanatranslation.In1586howmanymenwere therewhocouldwrite suchEnglish?ThemarginalnotesareintheexactstyleofBacon."Asimilitude"—"Anotablecomparison"—occurfrequentlyjustasthewriterfindsthemagainandagaininBacon'shandwritinginvolumeswhichhepossesses.Thebookabounds in statements,phrases, andquotationswhicharetobefoundinBacon'slettersandworks.One significant fact must be mentioned. The first letter of the text in the

dedicationinthefirstEnglishtranslationistheletterS.Itisprintedfromawoodblock(Fig.I.).Thirty-nineyearsafter(in1625)whenthelasteditionofBacon'sEssays—and, with the exception of the small pamphlet containing hisversificationofcertainPsalms,thelastpublicationduringhislife—wasprinted,thatidenticalwoodblock(Fig.II.)wasagainusedtoprintthefirstletterinthe

dedicationofthatbook.Everydefectandpeculiarityintheonewillbefoundintheother.Asearchthroughmanyhundredsofbooksprintedduringthesethirty-nineyears—1586 to1625—hasfailed to find itusedelsewhere,exceptononeoccasion,eitherthen,before,orsince.

Fig.I.The first letter in the textof thededicationof the1st editionof theEnglish

translationofthe"FrenchAcademie,"1586.PrintedatLondonbyG.Bollifant.The block is also used in a similarmanner in the 2nd edition, 1589. LondiniImpensis,JohnBishop.

Fig.II.The first letter in the text of the dedication of the 1625 edition of Bacon's

Essays,printedinLondon,byJohnHaviland.Bothletterswereprintedfromthesameblock.

DidBaconmarkhisfirstworkonphilosophyandhislastbookbyprintingthefirstletterineachfromthesameblock?[14]

CHAPTERVII.BACON'SFIRSTALLEGORICALROMANCE.Thereisanotherworkwhichitisimpossiblenottoassociatewiththisperiod,

andthatisJohnBarclay's"Argenis."Itislittlebetterknownthanis"TheFrenchAcademy," and yet Cowper pronounced it the most amusing romance everwritten.CardinalRichelieuissaidtohavebeenextremelyfondofreadingit,andtohavederivedthencemanyofhispoliticalmaxims.Itisanallegoricalnovel.Itisproposednowonly tomentionsomeevidenceconnectedwith the"Argenis"whichsupportsthecontentionthatthe1625Englisheditioncontainstheoriginalcomposition,andthatitsauthorwasyoungFrancisBacon.The first edition of the "Argenis" in Latin was published in 1621. The

authoritytothepublisher,NicholasBuon,toprintandsellthe"Argenis"isdatedthe21stJuly,1621,andwassignedbyBarclayatRome.TheRoyalauthorityisdatedonthe31stAugustfollowing.Barclay's death took place between these dates, on the 12th of August, at

Rome.Itisreportedthatthecauseofdeathwasstone,butinanappreciationofhim,publishedbyhisfriend,RalphThorie,hisdeathisattributedtopoison.Thework is an example of the highest type of Latinity. So impressed was

Cowperwithitsstylethathestatedthat itwouldnothavedishonouredTacitushimself.AtranslationinSpanishwaspublishedin1624,andinItalianin1629.The Latin version was frequently reprinted during the seventeenth andeighteenthcenturies—perhapsmorefrequentlythananyotherbook.Inaletterdated11thMay,1622,Chamberlain,writingtoCarleton,says:"The

KinghasorderedBenJonsontotranslatethe'Argenis,'buthewillnotbeabletoequaltheoriginal."Onthe2ndOctober,1623,BenJonsonenteredatranslationinStationers'Hall,butitwasneverpublished.AboutthattimetherewasafireinJonson'shouse,inwhichitissaidsomemanuscriptsweredestroyed;butitisapureassumptionthatthe"Argenis"wasoneofthese.In1629anEnglish translationappearedbySirRobertLeGrys,Knight,and

the verses by ThomasMay, Esquire. The title-page bears the statement: "TheproseuponhisMajesty'scommand."ThereisaClavisappended,alsostatedtobe"publishedathisMajestiescommand."ItwasprintedbyFelixKyngstonforRichardMughtenandHenrySeile.Intheaddressto"TheunderstandingReader"

LeGrys says, "What then should I say? Except it were to entreate thee, thatwheremy English phrase doth not please thee, thouwilt compare it with theoriginallLatinandmendit.WhichIdoenotspeakasthinkingitimpossible,butaswillingtohaveitdone,forthesavingmealabour,who,ifhisMajestyhadnotsomuchhastenedthepublishingit,wouldhavereformedsomethingsinit,thatdidnotgivemyselfeveryfullsatisfaction."

In1622KingJamesorderedatranslationofthe"Argenis."In1629[15]CharlesI.was so impatient tohavea translation thathehastened thepublication, thuspreventing the translator from revising his work. Three years previously,however,in1625—ifthedatemaybereliedon—therewaspublishedasprintedbyG.P. forHenrySeile a translation byKingesmillLong. James died on the25thMarch,1625.The"Argenis"maynothavebeenpublishedinhis lifetime;but if the date be correct, three or four years before Charles hastened thepublicationofLeGrys'stranslation,thisfarsuperioronewithKingesmillLong'snameattachedtoitcouldhavebeenobtainedfromH.Seile.SurelythepublisherwouldhavesatisfiedtheKing'simpatiencebysupplyinghimwithacopyofthe1625 edition had it been on sale. The publication of a translation of the"Argenis"musthaveattractedattention.IsitpossiblethatitcouldhavebeeninexistenceandnotbroughttothenoticeoftheKing?Thereissomethingherethatrequiresexplanation.TheEpistleDedicatorieofthe1625editioniswritteninthefamiliar style of another pen, although it bears the name ofKingesmill Long.The title-pagestates that it is"faithfully translatedoutofLatine intoEnglish,"but it is not directly in theEpistleDedicatorie spokenof as a translation.Thefollowing extract implies that the work had been lying for years waitingpublication:—

"Thisrudepiece,suchasitis,hathlonglyenbyme,sinceitwasfinished;Inotthinkingitworthytoseethelight. Ihadalwaysadesireandhopetohaveitundertakenbyamoreableworkman, thatourNationmightnotbedeprivedoftheuseofsoexcellentaStory:Butfindingnoneinsolongtimetohavedoneit;andknowingthatitspakenotEnglish,thoughitwerearichjewelltothelearnedLinguist,yetitwascloselockt from all those, to whom education had not given more languages, than Nature Tongues: I haveadventuredtobecomethekeytothispieceofhiddenTreasure,andhavesufferedmyselfetobeoverruledby some ofmyworthy friends, whose judgements I have alwayes esteemed, sending it abroad (thoughcourselydone)forthedelightanduseofothers."

Notawordabouttheauthor!Thetranslations,saidtobebyThomasMay,oftheLatinversesinthe1629areidenticalwiththoseinthe1625edition,althoughKingesmill Long, on the title-page, appears as the translator. Nothing can belearntastowhoorwhatLongwas.

Over lines "Authori," signedOvv:Fell:[16] in the1625edition isoneof thewell-known light and dark A devices. This work is written in flowing and

majesticEnglish;the1629editioninthecrampedstyleoftranslation.Thecopybearingdate1628,towhichreferencehasbeenmade,belongedto

JohnHenryShorthouse.Hehasmadethisnoteonthefrontpage:"Jno.Barclay'sdescriptionofhimselfunderthepersonofNicopompusArgenis,p.60."Thisisthedescriptiontowhichhealludes:—

"Him thus boldly talking,Nicopompus could no longer endure: hewas amanwho fromhis infancylovedLearning;butwhodisdainingtobenothingbutabooke-manhadlefttheschoolesveryyoung,thatinthecourtsofKingsandPrinces,hemightservehisapprenticeshipinpublickeaffairs;sohegrewtherewithanequallabilitie,bothinlearningandimployment,hisdescentanddispositionfittinghimforthatkindoflife:welesteemedofmanyPrinces,andespeciallyofMeleander,whosecausetogetherwiththerestofthePrinces,hehadtakenuponhimtodefend."

ThisdescriptionisinaccurateasappliedtoJohnBarclay,butineverydetailitdescribesFrancisBacon.Acomparisonhasbeenmadebetweentheeditionsof1625and1629withthe

1621Latinedition.Itleaveslittleroomfordoubtingthatthe1625istheoriginalwork. Throughout the Latin appears to follow it rather than to be the leader;whilstthe1629editionfollowstheLatinclosely.Insomecasesthewordusedinthe 1625 edition has been incorrectly translated into the 1621 edition, and theLatinwordre-translatedliterallyandincorrectlyinviewofthesenseinthe1629edition.But space forbids this comparisonbeing further followed; suffice it tosaythateverythingpointstothe1625editionbeingtheoriginalwork.Astothedateofcompositionmuchmaybesaid;butthepresentcontentionis

that "The French Academie," "The Argenis," and "Love's Labour's Lost" areproductionsfromthesamepen,andthat theyall represent theworkofFrancisBaconprobablybetweentheyears1577and1580.Atanyrate,thefirst-namedwas written whilst he was in France, and the others were founded on theincidentsandexperienceobtainedduringhissojournthere.

CHAPTERVIII.BACONINFRANCE,1576-1579.

This brilliant young scholar landed with Sir Amias Paulet at Calais on the25thofSeptember,1576,andwithhimwentstraighttotheCourtofHenryIII.ofFrance. It is remarkable thatneitherMontagu,Spedding,HepworthDixon,norany other biographer seems to have thought it worth while to consider underwhat influences he was brought when he arrived there at the mostimpressionableperiodofhislife.HepworthDixon,withoutstatinghisauthority,says that he "quits the galleries of the Louvre and St. Cloud with his moralspure,"butnothingmore.AndyetFrancisBaconarrived inFranceat themostmomentous epoch in the history of French literature. This boy, with hismarvellous intellect—the same intellect which nearly half a century laterproducedthe"NovumOrganum"—withamemorysaturatedwiththerecordsofantiquityandwiththewritingsoftheclassicalauthors,withanindustrybeyondthecapacityandamindbeyond the reachofhiscontemporaries, skilled in theteachings of the philosophers, with independence of thought and a couragewhichenabledhimtocondemnthemethodsofstudyfollowedattheUniversitywherehehadspentthreeyears;thisboywhohada"beamofknowledgederivedfromGod"uponhim,who"hadnothisknowledgefrombooks,butfromsomegrounds and notions from himself," and above and beyond all who wasconsciousofhispowersandhadunboundedconfidenceinhiscapacityforusingthem; this boy walked beside the English Ambassador elect into the highestcircles of French Society at the time when the most important factors ofinfluencewereRonsardandhisconfrèresofthePléiade.Hehadleftbehindhiminhisnativecountryalanguagecrudeandalmostbarbaric,incapableofgivingexpressiontotheknowledgewhichhepossessedandthethoughtswhichresultedtherefrom.AtthistimetherewerefewbookswrittenintheEnglishtonguewhichcould

make any pretence to be considered literature: Sir Thomas Eliot's "TheGovernor,"RobertAscham's"TheSchoolmaster,"andThomasWright's"ArtsofRhetoric,"almostexhaustthelist.Thynne'sedition,1532,andLidgate'sedition,1561,ofChaucer'sworksarenot intelligible.Only in the1598editioncan thegreatpoetbereadwithanyunderstanding.Theworkofre-castingthepoemsforthis editionwasBacon's, and he is theman referred to in the following lines,

whichareprefixedtoit:—TheReadertoGeffreyChaucer.

Rea.— Wherehastthoudwelt,goodGeffreyalthiswhile,Unknowntoussaveonlybythybookes?

Chau.— Inhaulks,andhernes,Godwot,andinexile,

Wherenonevouchsafttoyeeldmewordsorlookes:Tillonewhichsawmethere,andknewmyfriends,Didbringmeforth:suchgracesometimesGodsends.

Rea.— Butwhoishethathaththybooksrepar'd,

Andaddedmoe,wherebythouaremoregraced?

Chau.— Theselfesamemanwhohathnolaborspar'd,Tohelpewhattimeandwritershaddefaced:

Andmadeoldwords,whichwereunknounofmany,Soplaine,thatnowtheymaybeknounofany.

Rea.— Wellfarehisheart:Ilovehimforthysake,

Whoforthysakehathtakenallthispains.

Chau.— WouldGodIknewsomemeansamendstomake,Thatforhistoilehemightreceivesomegains.Butwotyewhat?Iknowhiskindnessesuch,Thatformygoodhethinksnopainstoomuch:Andmorethanthat;ifhehadknouneintime,Hewouldhaveleftnofaultinprosenorrime.

ThereisacatalogueofthelibraryofSirThomasSmith[17]onAugust1,1566,inhisgalleryatHillhall.Itwassaidtocontainnearlyathousandbooks.Oftheseonly five were written in the English language. Under Theologici, K. HenryVIII. book; under Juris Civilis, Littleton's Tenures, an old abridgement ofStatutes; under Historiographi, Hall's Chronicles, and Fabian's Chronicles and

The Decades of P. Martyr; under Mathematica, The Art of Navigation. TheremainderareinGreek,Latin,French,andItalian.Burghley'sbiographerstatesthatBurghley"neverreadanybooksorpraiersbut inLatin,French,orItalian,veryseldominEnglishe."AtthistimeFrancisBaconthoughtinLatin,forhismothertonguewaswholly

insufficient. There is abundant proof of this in his own handwriting. UnderexistingconditionstherecouldbenoEnglishliteratureworthyofthename.IfaGentlemanoftheCourtwroteheeithersuppressedhiswritingsorsufferedthemtobepublishedwithouthisnametothem,asitwasadiscreditforagentlemantoseem learned and to show himself amorous of any good art. Here is whereSpeddingmissedhisway andnever recoveredhimself.Deep as is thedebt ofgratitudeduetohimforhisdevotedlaboursinthepreparationof"Bacon'sLifeand Letters" and in the edition of his works, it must be asserted that heaccomplishedthisworkwithoutseeingFrancisBacon.TherewasavistabeforeyoungBacon'seyesfromwhichthepracticeofthelawandcivildignitieswereabsent.He arrived at the FrenchCourt at the psychologicalmomentwhen anobject-lessonmethiseyeswhichhadamorefar-reachingeffectonthelanguageandliteratureoftheAnglo-Saxonracethananyorallotherinfluencesthathaveconspired to raise them to the proud positionwhich to-day they occupy. It isnecessarybrieflytoexplainthepositionoftheFrenchlanguageandliteratureatthisjuncture.TheFrenchRenaissanceof literaturehad its beginning in the earlyyearsof

thesixteenthcentury.IthadbeenprecededbythatofItaly,whichopenedinthefourteenth century, and reached its limitwithAriosto andTasso,MacchiavelliandGuicciardiniduring thesixteenthcentury.Towards theendof the fifteenthcenturymodernFrenchpoetrymaybesaidtohavehaditsorigininVillonandFrenchprose inComines.Thestyleof the formerwasartificialandhispoemsaboundedinrecurrentrhymesandrefrains.Thelatterhadpeculiaritiesofdictionwhich were only compensated for by weight of thought and simplicity ofexpression. Clement Marot, who followed, stands out as one of the firstlandmarksintheFrenchRenaissance.Hisgracefulstyle,freefromstiffnessandmonotony,earnedforhimapopularitywhicheventhebrilliancyofthePléiadedid not extinguish, for he continued to be read with genuine admiration fornearly two centuries. Hewas the founder of a school of whichMellia de St.Gelais,theintroducerofthesonnetintoFrance,wasthemostimportantmember.Rabelaisandhisfollowersconcurrentlyeffectedacompleterevolutioninfiction.Marguerite of Navarre, who is principally known as the author of "TheHeptameron,"maintaineda literaryCourt inwhich themostcelebratedmenof

thetimeheldhighplace.ItwasnotuntilthemiddleofthesixteenthcenturythatthegreatmovementtookplaceinFrenchliteraturewhich,ifthatwhichoccurredin the same country three hundred years subsequently be excepted, iswithoutparallelinliteraryhistory.ThePléiadeconsistedofagroupofsevenmenandboyswho,animatedbya

sincereandintelligentloveoftheirnativelanguage,bandedthemselvestogetherto remodel it and its literary forms on themethods of the two great classicaltongues,andtoreinforceitwithnewwordsfromthem.Theywerenotactuatedbyanydesireforgain.In1549JeanDaurat,then49yearsofage,wasprofessorofGreek at leCollège deCoqueret inParis.Amongst thosewho attended hisclasses were five enthusiastic, ambitious youths whose ages varied fromseventeen to twenty-four. They were Pierre de Ronsard, Joachim du Bellay,RemyBelleau,AntoinedeBaïf, andEtienneJodelle.Theyand theirProfessorassociatedthemselvestogetherandreceivedasacolleaguePontusdeTyard,whowas twenty-eight. They formed a band of seven renovators, to whom theircountrymen applied the cognomen of the Pléiade, bywhich theywill ever beknown.Realisingthedefectsandpossibilitiesoftheirlanguage,theyrecognisedthat by appropriations from the Greek and Latin languages, and from themelodiousformsoftheItalianpoetry,theymightreformitsdefectsanddevelopitspossibilitiessocompletelythattheycouldplaceattheserviceofgreatwritersa vehicle for expression which would be the peer if not the superior of anylanguage, classical ormodern. It was a bold project for youngmen, some ofwhom were not out of their teens, to venture on. That they met with greatsuccess is beyond question; the extent of that success it is not necessary todiscusshere.Themainpointtobeemphasisedisthatitwasadeliberatescheme,originated,directed,andmaturedbyagroupoflittlemorethanboys.TheFrenchRenaissance was not the result of a spontaneous bursting out on all sides ofgenius. It was wrought out with sheer hard work, entailing the mastering offoreignlanguages,andaccompaniedbydevotionandwithouthopeofpecuniarygain. Themanifesto of the young band was written by Joachim de Bellay in1549,andwasentitled,"LaDéfenseetIllustrationdelalangueFrancaise."InthefollowingyearappearedRonsard'sOde—thefirstexampleof thenewmethod.PierredeRonsardenteredCourtlifewhentenyearsold.InattendanceonFrenchAmbassadors he visited Scotland and England, where he remained for sometime. A severe illness resulted in permanent deafness and compelled him toabandonhisprofession,whenhe turned to literature.AlthoughDuBellaywastheoriginatorofthescheme,Ronsardbecamethedirectorandtheacknowledgedleaderoftheband.Hisaccomplishmentsplacehiminthefirstrankofthepoets

oftheworld.ReferencewouldbeoutofplaceheretothemovementwhichwasafterhisdeathdirectedbyMalherbeagainstRonsard'sreputationandfameasapoet and his eventual restoration by the disciples of Sainte Beuve and thefollowersofHugo.It isdesirable,however, toalludetoothergreatFrenchmenwhose labourscontributed inotherdirections topromote thegrowthofFrenchliterature.JeanCalvin,anativeofNoyon,inPicardy,hadpublishedinLatin,in1536, when only twenty-seven years of age, his greatest work, both from aliteraryandtheologicalpointofview,"TheInstitutionoftheChristianReligion,"whichwouldbeacceptedastheproductoffullmaturityofintellectratherthanthe firstfruits of the career of a youth.What the Pléiade had done to create aFrench language adequate for the highest expression of poetry Calvin did toenablefacilityinargumentanddiscussion.ALatinscholarofthehighestorder,avoiding in his compositions a tendency to declamation, he developed astateliness of phrasewhichwasmarked by clearness and simplicity.ThéodoreBeza,historian,translator,anddramatist,wasanothercontributortotheliteratureofthisperiod.JacquesAmyothadcommencedhistranslationsfrom"Ethiopica,"treating of the royal and chaste loves of Theagenes andChariclea three yearsbeforeDuBellay'smanifestoappeared.Montaigne,referringtohistranslationofPlutarch, accorded to him the palm over all French writers, not only for thesimplicityandpurityofhisvocabulary,inwhichhesurpassedallothers,butforhis industry and depth of learning. In another fieldMichel Eyquem Sieur deMontaignehadarisen.HismoralessaysfoundacounterpartinthebiographicalessaysoftheAbbédeBrantôme.AgrippaD'Aubigné,prosewriter,historian,andpoet;GuillaumedeSalusteduBartas,theProtestantRonsardwhoseworksweremore largely translated into English than those of any other French writer;Philippes Desportes and others might be mentioned as forming part of thatbrilliantcircleofwriterswhohadduringacomparativelyshortperiodhelpedtoachievesuchahighpositionforthelanguageandliteratureofFrance.

In1576,whenFrancisBaconarrivedinFrance,thefameofthePléiadewasatitszenith.DuBellayandJodelleweredead,butthefruitoftheirlaboursandofthoseof theircolleagueswasevoking theadmirationof theircountrymen.ThepopularityofRonsard,theprinceofpoetsandthepoetofprinces,waswithoutprecedent.ItissaidthattheKinghadplacedbesidehisthroneastatechairforRonsard tooccupy.Poetsandmenof letterswereheld inhighesteemby theircountrymen.InEngland,foragentlemantobeamorousofanylearnedartwasheld tobediscreditable,andanyproclivities in thisdirectionhad tobehidden

under assumed names or the names of others. In France it was held to bediscreditableforagentlemannot tobeamorousof thelearnedarts.TheyoungmenofthePléiadewereallofgoodfamily,andallcamefromculturedhomes.MargueriteofNavarrehadsettheexampleofattractingpoetsandwriterstoherCourt and according honours to them on account of their achievements. Thekings of France had adopted a similar attitude. During the same period inEngland Henry VIII., Mary, and Elizabeth had been following other courses.Theyhadgivennoencouragement to thepursuitof literature.Notwithstandingthe repetition by historians of the assertion that the good Queen Bess was amunificentpatronofmenofletters,literatureflourishedinherreigninspiteofheractionandnotbyitsaid.Bacon implies this in the opening sentences of the second book of the

"Advancement of Learning." He speaks of Queen Elizabeth as being "asojournerintheworldinrespectofherunmarriedlife,ratherthananinhabitant.Shehathindeedadornedherowntimeandmanywaiesenrichtit;butintruthtoYour Majesty, whom God hath blest with so much Royall issue worthy toperpetuate you for ever; whose youthfull and fruitfull Bed, doth yet promisemorechildren;itisveryproper,notonlytoiradiateasyoudoeyourowntimes,butalsotoextendyourCarestothoseActswhichsucceedingAgesmaycherish,andEternity itselfbehold:Amongstwhich, ifmyaffection to learningdoenottransportme,thereisnonemoreworthy,ormorenoble,thantheendowmentoftheworldwithsoundandfruitfullAdvancementofLearning:Forwhyshouldweerectuntoourselvessomefewauthors,tostandlikeHerculesColumnesbeyondwhichthereshouldbenodiscoveryofknowledge,seeingwehaveyourMajestyasabrightandbenignestarretoconductandprosperusinthisNavigation."AsElizabethhadbeenunfruitful inherbody, and James fruitful, sohad shebeenunfruitfulinencouragingtheAdvancementofLearning,buttheappealismadeto James thathe,beingblessedwitha considerable issue, shouldalsohaveanissuebytheendowmentofLearning.What must have been the effect on the mind of this brilliant young

Englishman, Francis Bacon, when he entered into this literary atmosphere sodifferentfromthatoftheCourtwhichhehadleftbehindhim?Therewashardlyaclassicalwriterwhoseworkshehadnotreadandre-read.Hewasfamiliarwiththe teachings of the schoolmen; imbued with a deep religious spirit, he hadmasteredtheprinciplesoftheirfaithsandthesubtletiesoftheirdisputations.Theintricaciesof theknownsystemsofphilosophieshadbeen laidbarebeforehispenetrating intellect.With the mysteries of mathematics and numbers he wasfamiliar.Whathadbeendiscoveredinastronomy,alchemyandastrologyhehad

absorbed;however technicalmightbeasubject,hehadmastereditsdetails. InarchitecturetheworksofVitruviushadbeennotmerelyreadbutcriticisedwiththeskillofanexpert.Medicine,surgery—everysubject—hehadmadehimselfmasterof. In fact,whenheasserted thathehad takenall knowledge tobehisprovincehespokeadvisedlyandwithabasisoftruthwhichhasneveruntilnowbeenrecognised.Theyouthof17whopossessedtheintellect,thebrainandthememory which jointly produced the "NovumOrganum," whose mind was soabnormalthattheartistpaintinghisportraitwasimpelledtoplaceroundit"thesignificantwords,""sitabuladareturdigna,animummallem,"whohadtakenallknowledgetobehisprovince,wascapableofanyachievementoftheAdmirableCrichton.Andthisyouth itwaswhoin1576passedfromacountryof literaryand intellectual torpor into the brilliancy of the companionship of Pierre deRonsardandhisassociates. It isoneof themoststupendousfactors inhis life.Something happened to him before his return to England which affected thewholeofhisfuturelife.Itmaybeconsideredawildassertiontomake,butthetimewillcomewhenitstruthwillbeproved,that"TheAnatomieoftheMinde,""BeautifulBlossoms,"and"TheFrenchAcademy,"aretheproductofonemind,and that samemind produced the "Arte of English Poesie," "AnApology forPoetrie," by Sir John Harrington, and "The Defense of Poetry," by Sir PhilipSydney.The former threewerewritten before 1578 and place the philosopherbeforethepoet;thelatterthreewerewrittenafter1580andplacethepoet—thecreator—before thephilosopher.FrancisBaconhadrecognised that thehighestachievementwastheactofcreation.Henceforthhelivedtocreate.SirNicholasBacon died on or about the 17th of February, 1578-9.Howor

wherethisnewsreachedFrancisisnotrecorded,butonthe20thofthefollowingMarch he left Paris for England, after a stay of two and a-half years on theContinent.HebroughtwithhimtotheQueenadespatchfromSirAmiasPaulet,in which he was spoken of as being "of great hope, endued with many andsingularparts,"andonewho,"ifGodgavehimlife,wouldproveaveryableandsufficientsubjecttodoherHighnessgoodandacceptableservice."[18]

CHAPTERIX.

BACON'SSUITONHISRETURNTOENGLAND,1580.

SpeddingstatesthattheearliestcompositionofBaconwhichhehadbeenabletodiscover is a letterwritten inhis20thyear fromGrays Inn.From that timeforward, he continues, compositions succeed each other without anyconsiderable interval, and in following themwe shall accompany him step bystepthroughhislife.WhatarethecompositionswhichSpeddingplacesasbeingwrittenbutnotpublisheduptotheyear1597,whenthefirstsmallvolumeof10essays containing less than6,000wordswas issued from thepress?These arethey:—

NotesontheStateofChristendom[19](date1580to1584).LetterofAdvicetotheQueen(1584-1586).An Advertisement touching the Controversies of the Church of England

(1586-1589).Speeches written for some Court device, namely, Mr. Bacon in praise of

Knowledge,andMr.Bacon'sdiscourseinpraiseofhisSovereign(1590-1592).Certainobservationsmadeuponalibelpublishedthispresentyear,1592.AtruereportoftheDetestableTreasonintendedbyDr.RoderigoLopez,1594.Gesta Grayorum, 1594, parts of which are printed by Spedding in type

denotingdoubtfulauthorship.Bacon'sdevice,1594-1598.ThreeletterstotheEarlofRutlandonhistravels,1595-1596.

That is all! These are the compositions which follow each other withoutconsiderable interval, and by which we are to accompany him step by stepthrough those seventeen yearswhich should be themost important years in aman'slife!Hecouldhaveturnedthemoutintendaysorafortnightwithease.WeexpectfromMr.Speddingbread,andhegivesusastone!

Thisbrilliantyoungman,who,when15yearsofage,leftCambridge,havingpossessed himself of all the knowledge it could afford to a student, who hadtravelledinFrance,SpainandItalyto"polishhismindandmouldhisopinionbyintercoursewithallkindsofforeigners,"howwasheoccupyinghimselfduringwhatshouldbethemostfruitfulyearsofhislife?FollowinghisprofessionattheBar?Hisaffectionsdidnotthatwaytend.Speddingexpressestheopinionthathehadadistasteforhisprofession,and,writingofthecircumstanceswithwhichhewassurrounded in1592, says: "Idonot find thathewasgetting intopractice.His main object still was to find ways and means for prosecuting his greatphilosophicalenterprise."Whatwasthisenterprise?"IconfessthatIhaveasvastcontemplative ends as I havemoderatemeans," he says, writing to Burghley,"forIhavetakenallknowledgetobemyprovince."Thismeansmorethanmereacademicphilosophy.In1593,whenBaconwasputforwardandupheldforayearasacandidatefor

thepostofAttorney-General,Speddingwritesofhim;"HehadhadlittleornopracticeintheCourts;whatproofhehadgivenofprofessionalproficiencywasconfined tohis readingsandexercises inGrays Inn....Law, far frombeinghisonly,wasnotevenhisfavouritestudy;...hisheadwasfullofideassonewandlargethattomostabouthimtheymusthaveseemedvisionary."Writingofhim in1594Speddingsays:"ThestrongestpointagainstBacon's

pretensions for theAttorneyshipwas hiswant of practice.His opponents saidthat 'hehadneverentered theplaceofbattle.'[20]Whether thiswasbecausehecouldnot findclientsordidnot seek themIcannot say." Inorder tomeet theobjection, Bacon on the 25th January, 1593-4, made his first pleading, andBurghleysenthissecretary"tocongratulateuntohimthefirstfruitsofhispublicpractice."Thereisoneothermisconceptiontobecorrected.ItisurgedthatBaconwas,

during this period, engrossed in Parliamentary life. From 1584 to 1597 fiveParliamentsweresummoned.Baconsatineach.Inhistwenty-fifthyearhewaselectedmemberforMelcombe,inDorsetshire.IntheParliamentof1586hesatforTaunton,inthatof1588forLiverpool,inthatof1592-3forMiddlesex,andin1597forIpswich.But the sittings of these Parliaments were not of long duration, and the

speecheswhichhedeliveredandthemeetingsofcommitteesuponwhichhewasappointed would absorb but a small portion of his time. It must be patent,therefore,thatSpeddingdoesnotaccountforhisoccupationsfromhisreturntoEngland in 1578 until 1597, when the first small volume of his Essays was

published.During thewholeof thisperiodBaconwas inmonetarydifficulties,andyet

there is no evidence that he was living a life of dissipation or even ofextravagance.Onthecontrary,alltestimonywouldpointtotheconclusionthathewas following thepathof a strictlymoral and studiousyoungman.OnhisreturntoEnglandhetooklodgingsinConeyCourt,GraysInn.ThereAnthonyfoundhimwhenhereturnedfromabroad.Therearenodatauponwhichtoformanyreliableopinionastotheamountof

his incomeat this time.Rawleystates thatSirNicholasBaconhadcollectedaconsiderablesumofmoneywhichhehadseparatedwithintentiontohavemadea competent purchase of land for the livelihood of his youngest son, but thepurchasebeingunaccomplishedathisdeath,Francisreceivedonlyafifthportionofthemoneydividable,bywhichmeanshelivedinsomestraitsandnecessitiesinhisyoungeryears.Itisnotclearwhetherthe"moneydividable"wasonlythatseparatedbySirNicholas,orwhetherheleftothersumswhichwenttoaugmentthe funddivisibleamongst thebrothers.Hisotherchildrenwerewellprovidedfor. Francis was not, however, without income. Sir Nicholas had left certainmanors,etc.,inHertstohissonsAnthonyandFrancisintailmale,remaindertohimselfandhisheirs.LadyAnnBaconhadvestedanestatecalledMarkes, inEssex,inFrancis,andthereisaletter,dated16thApril,1593,fromAnthonytohismotherurginghertoconcurinitssale,sothattheproceedsmightbeappliedtothereliefofhisbrother'sfinancialposition.[21]

LadyBaconlivedatGorhambury.Shewasnotextravagant,andyet in1589shewassoimpoverishedthatCaptainAllen,inwritingtoAnthony,speakingofhismother,LadyBacon, says she "also saithher jewelsbe spent foryou, andthat she borrowed the last money of seven several persons." Whatever herresources were, they had by then been exhausted for her sons. Anthony wasapparentlyamanofconsiderablemeans.HewasmasterofthemanorandprioryofRedburn,ofthemanorofAbbotsbury,MinchinburyandHores,intheparishofBarley, in thecountyofHertford;of theBrightfirthwood,Merydan-meads,andPinner-Stokefarms,inthecountyofMiddlesex.[22]

Butwithin a few years after his return to EnglandAnthonywas borrowingmoneywherever he could.Mother and brother appear to have exhausted theirresourcesandtheirborrowingcapabilities.Thereisanaccountshowingthat ineighteenmonths, about 1593,Anthony lent Francis £373, equivalent to nearly£3,000atto-day'svalue.In1597Franciswasarrestedbythesheriffforadebtof£300,forwhichamoney-lenderhadobtainedjudgmentagainsthim,andhewas

cast into the Tower. Where had all the money gone? There is no adequateexplanation.

The first letter of Francis Bacon's which Spedding met with, to whichreferencehasalreadybeenmade,isdated11thJuly,1580,toMr.Doylie,andisof little importance. The six letterswhich follow—all there are between 1580and 1590[23]—relate to one subject, and are of great significance. The first isdated from Grays Inn, 16th September, 1580, to Lady Burghley. In it youngFrancis, now 19 years of age,makes this request: "That it would please yourLadyship in your letters wherewith you visit my good Lord to vouchsafe thementionandrecommendationofmysuit;whereinyourLadyshipshallbindmemoreuntoyouthanIcanlookevertobeabletosufficientlyacknowledge."Thenextletter—writtenonthesameday—isaddressedtoLordBurghley.Its

objectisthussetforth:—

"MyletterhathnofurthererrandbuttocommenduntoyourLordshiptheremembranceofmysuitwhichthenImoveduntoyou,whereof italsopleasedyourLordship togivemegoodhearingsofarforthas topromisetotenderituntoherMajesty,andwithaltoaddinthebehalfofitthatwhichImaybetterdeliverbyletterthanbyspeech,whichis,thatalthoughitmustbeconfessedthattherequestisrareandunaccustomed,yetifitbeobservedhowfewtherebewhichfallinwiththestudyofthecommonlawseitherbeingwellleftorfriended,orattheirownfreeelection,orforsakinglikelysuccessinotherstudiesofmoredelightandnolesspreferment,orsettinghandthereuntoearlywithoutwasteofyearsuponsuchsurveymade,itmaybemycasemaynotseemordinary,nomorethanmysuit,andsomorebeseeminguntoit.AsIforcemyselftosay this in excuse of my motion, lest it should appear unto your Lordship altogether undiscreet andunadvised,somyhopetoobtainitrestethonlyuponyourLordship'sgoodaffectiontowardsmeandgracewithherMajesty,whomethinksneedethnever tocall for theexperienceof the thing,whereshehathsogreatandsogoodofthepersonwhichrecommendethit."

Whatwasthissuit?Speddingcannotsuggestanyexplanation.Hesays:"Whatthe particular employment was for which he hoped I cannot say; somethingprobablyconnectedwiththeserviceoftheCrown,towhichthememoryofhisfather, an old and valued servant prematurely lost, his near relationship to theLordTreasurer,andthepersonalnoticewhichhehadhimselfreceivedfromtheQueen,would naturally lead him to look.... The proposition,whatever it was,havingbeenexplained toBurghley inconversation, isonlyalluded to in theseletters. It seems to have been so far out of the commonway as to require anapology,andthetermsoftheapologyimplythatitwasforsomeemploymentasa lawyer.Andthis isall the lightIcanthrowuponit."SubsequentlySpeddingsays the motion was one[24] "which would in some way have made itunnecessary for him to follow 'a course of practice,' meaning, I presume,ordinarypracticeattheBar."

Anotherexpressioninthelettermakesitclearthattheobjectofthesuitwasanexperiment.TheQueencouldnothave"experienceofthething,"andBaconsolicited Burghley's recommendation, because she would not need theexperienceifhe,sogreatandsogood,vouchedforit.Burghleyappearstohavetenderedthesuit totheQueen,for thereisa letter

dated18thOctober,1580,addressedtohimbyBacon,commencing:

"Your Lordship's comfortable relation to her Majesty's gracious opinion and meaning towards me,thoughatthattimeyourleisuregavemenotleavetoshowhowIwasaffectedtherewith,yetuponeveryrepresentation thereof it enterethandstriketh somuchmoredeeply intome,asbothmynatureanddutypressethmetoreturnsomespeechofthankfulness."

Spedding remarks thereon:"It seems thathehadspoken toBurghleyon thesubject andmade some overture,whichBurghley undertook to recommend totheQueen;andthattheQueen,whothoughslowtobestowfavourswascarefulalways to encourage hopes, entertained the motion graciously and returned afavourableanswer.Theproposition,whatever itwas,havingbeenexplained toBurghleyinconversation,isonlyalludedtointheseletters."Speddingdismissesthesethreelettersin22linesofcomment,whichcontain

theextractsbeforesetout.Heregardsthematterasofslightconsequence,andadmitsthathecanthrownolightuponit.Buthepointsoutthatitwas"sofaroutof thecommonwayas torequireanapology."Surelyhehasnotwellweighedthe terms of the apology when he says they "imply that it was for someemploymentasalawyer."There had been a conversation between Bacon and Burghley during which

Baconhadsubmittedaprojecttotheaccomplishmentofwhichhewaspreparedto devote his life in the Queen's service. It necessitated his abandoning theprofession of the law.ApparentlyBurghley had remonstratedwith him, in themannerof experiencedmenof theworld, against forsakinga certain road andavenuetoprefermentinfavourofanycourserareandunaccustomed.Referringinhislettertothis,Bacon'sparentheticalclausebeginning"eitherbeingwellleftorfriended,"etc.,isconfessionandavoidance.Ineffecthesays:—Fewstudythecommon lawswho have influence; few at their own free election; few desertstudies ofmore delight and no less preferment; and fewdevote themselves tothat study from their earliest years. Since there are few who, having myopportunities,devotethemselvestothestudyofthecommonlaws,mypositioninsodoingwouldnotbeanordinaryone,nomore than ismysuit.Therefore,whyshouldI,havingyour[Burleigh's]influencetohelpme,sacrificemygreatintellectual capabilities fittingme to accomplishmygreat contemplativeends?

WhyshouldIsacrificethemtoastudyofthecommonlaws?The sentence may be otherwise construed, but in any case it involves an

apologyfortheabandonmentoftheprofessionwhichhadbeenchosenforhim.ThenextletterisaddressedtotheRightHonourableSirFrancisWalsingham,

principalsecretarytoherMajesty,andisdatedfromGraysInn,25thofAugust,1585.Spedding'scommentonitisasfollows:—

"Forall this time, it seems, thesuit (whatever itwas)whichhehadmade toher throughBurghley in1580remainedinsuspense,neithergrantednordenied,andtheuncertaintypreventedhimfromsettlinghiscourseof life.Fromthe following letter toWalsinghamwemaygather two thingsmoreconcerning it: itwassomethingwhichhadbeenobjectedtoasunfitforsoyoungaman;andwhichwouldinsomewayhavemadeitunnecessaryforhimtofollow'acourseofpractice'—meaning,Ipresume,ordinarypracticeattheBar."

Thisistheletter:—

"It may please your Honour to giveme leave amidst your great and diverse business to put you inremembranceofmypoorsuit,leavingthetimeuntoyourHonour'sbestopportunityandcommodity.Ithinktheobjectionofmyyearswillwear awaywith the lengthofmy suit.Thevery staydoth in this respectconcernme,becauseIamtherebyhinderedtotakeacourseofpracticewhich,bytheleaveofGod,ifherMajesty likenotmysuit, Imust andwill follow:not for anynecessityof estate,but formycredit sake,which I know by living out of actionwill wear. I spakewhen the Court was at Theball's toMr. Vice-Chamberlain,[25]whopromisedmehisfurderance;whichIdidlesthemoughtbemadeforsomeother.IfitmaypleaseyourHonour,whoasIhearhathgreatinterestinhim,tospeakwithhiminit,Ithinkhewillbefastmine."

Speddingremarks:"Thisisthelastwehearofthissuit,thenatureandfateofwhichmustbothbelefttoconjecture.Withregardtoitsfate,myownconjectureisthathepresentlygaveupallhopeofsuccessinit,andtriedinsteadtoobtainthrough his interest at Court some furtherance in the direct line of hisprofession."Headds:"ThesolidgroundsonwhichBacon'spretensionsrestedhadnotyet

beenmademanifesttotheapprehensionofBenchandBar;hismindwasfullofmatters with which they could have no sympathy, and the shy and studioushabitswhichwehaveseensooffendMr.Fauntwouldnaturallybemisconstruedinthesamewaybymanyothers."[26]

ThispassagereferstoalettertoBurghleydatedthe6thofthefollowingMay,i.e., 1586, fromwhich it will be seen that the last had not been heard of themotion.Burghley had been remonstratingwithBacon as to reportswhich hadcometohimofhisnephew'sproceedings.Baconwrites:—

"ItakeitasanundoubtedsignofyourLordship'sfavouruntomethatbeinghardlyinformedofmeyoutookoccasionratherofgoodadvicethanofevilopinionthereby.AndifyourLordshiphadgroundedonly

uponthesaidinformationoftheirs,Imoughtandwouldtrulyhaveupholdenthatfewofthematterswerejustlyobjected;astheverycircumstancesdoinduceinthattheyweredeliveredbymenthatdidmisaffectmeandbesidesweretogivecolourtotheirowndoings.ButbecauseyourLordshipdidmingletherewithbothalatemotionofmineownandsomewhatwhichyouhadotherwiseheard,Iknowittobemyduty(andsodo I stand affected) rather to proveyourLordship's admonition effectual inmydoingshereafter thancauselessbyexcusingwhatispast.Andyet(withyourLordship'spardonhumblyasked)itmaypleaseyouto remember that Ididendeavour toset forth that saidmotion insuchsortas itmoughtbreednohardereffectthanadenial,andIprotestsimplybeforeGodthatIsoughtthereinaneaseincomingwithinBars,andnotanyextraordinaryandsingularnoteoffavour."

Maynot the interpretationof thephrase"Isought thereinanease incomingwithin Bars" be "I sought in that motion a freedom from the burden (ornecessity)ofcomingwithinBars."Thephrase"aneasein"isveryunusual,andunless it was a term used in connectionwith the Inns it is difficult to see itsprecise meaning. In other words, he sought an alternative method to providemeansforcarryingouthisgreatphilosophicalenterprise.Thereisanintervaloffiveyearsbeforethenextandlastletterofthesixwas

written.Itisundated,butanobservationinitshowsthatitwaswrittenwhenhewasabout31yearsofage,thusfixingthedateat1591.

FromanentryinBurghley'snotebook,[27]dated29October,1589,itappearsthat in themeantime a grant had beenmade toBacon of the reversion of theofficeofClerktotheCounselintheStarChamber.Thiswasworthabout£1,600perannumandexecutedbydeputy,but thereversiondidnotfall infor twentyyears,soitdidnotaffecttheimmediatedifficultyinwaysandmeans.ThereareoccasionalreferencestoFrancisinAnthony'scorrespondencewhich

showthatthebrotherswereresidingatGraysInn,butnothingisstatedastotheoccupationoftheyoungerbrother.

At this time, according to Spedding,[28] who, however, does not give hisauthority, Francis had a lodge at Twickenham. Many of his letters aresubsequentlyaddressedfromit,and threeyears laterhewaskeepingastaffofscrivenersthere.ThelastletterisaddressedtoLordBurghley,whoisinitdescribedbyBacon

as"thesecondfounderofmypoorestate,"andcontainsthefollowing:—"IcannotaccusemyselfthatIameitherprodigalorslothful,yetmyhealthisnottospendnormycourse

toget.Lastly, I confess that Ihaveasvast contemplativeendsas Ihavemoderate civil ends: for Ihavetaken all knowledge to be my province. This whether it be curiosity or vain glory, or (if one takes itfavourably)philanthropia,issofixedinmymindasitcannotberemoved.AndIdoeasilysee,thatplaceofanyreasonablecountenancedothbringcommandmentofmorewitsthanofaman'sown,whichisthethingIgreatlyaffect.AndforyourLordship,perhapsyoushallnotfindmorestrengthandlessencounterinanyother.AndifyourLordshipshallfindnow,oratanytime,thatIdoseekoraffectanyplace,whereuntoanythatisnearertoyourLordshipshallbeconcurrent,saythenthatIamamostdishonestman.Andifyour

Lordshipwillnotcarrymeon,IwillnotdoasAnaxagorasdid,whoreducedhimselfwithcontemplationuntovoluntarypoverty;butthisIwilldo,IwillselltheinheritancethatIhave,andpurchasesomeleaseofquickrevenue,orsomeofficeofgainthatshallbeexecutedbydeputy,andsogiveoverallcareofserviceandbecomesomesorrybookmaker,oratruepioneerinthatmineoftruth,whichhesaidlaysodeep.ThiswhichIhavewrittoyourLordshipisratherthoughtsthanwords,beingsetdownwithoutallart,disguisingorreservation."

Thesuithasbeenofnoavail.OncemoreBaconappeals(andthisistobehisfinal appeal) to his uncle.He iswriting thoughts rather thanwords, set downwithout art, disguising or reservation. But if his Lordship will not carry himalonghehasdefinitelydecidedonhiscourseofaction.Thelawisnotnowevenreferredto.Iftheobjectofthesuitwasnotstatedin1580,therecannotbemuchdoubtnowbut that ithadtodowiththemakingofbooksandpioneerworkinthe mine of truth. For ten years Francis Bacon had waited, buoyed up byencouragementsandfalsehopes.NowhedecidestotakehisfortuneintohisownhandsandrelynomoreonassistanceeitherfromtheQueenorBurghley.Onesentenceinthelettershouldbenoted:"IfyourLordshipshallfindnow,

or at any time, that I do seekor affect anyplacewhereunto any that isnearerunto your Lordship shall be concurrent, say then that I am a most dishonestman."SurelythiswasanassuranceonBacon'spartthathedidnotseekoraffecttostandinthewayoftheone—theonlyone,RobertCecil—whostoodnearertoBurghleyinkinship.Itthereforeappearsevidentfromtheforegoingfacts:—

(1)ThatFrancisBaconat17yearsofagewasanaccomplishedscholar;thathis knowledge was abnormally great, and that his wit, memory, and mentalqualitieswereofthehighestorder—probablywithoutparallel.(2) That in the year 1580, when 19 years old, he sought the assistance of

BurghleytoinducetheQueentosupplyhimwithmeansandtheopportunitytocarryoutsomegreatworkupontheachievementofwhichhehadsethisheart.The work was without precedent, and in carrying it out he was prepared todedicatetoherMajestytheuseandspendingofhislife.(3)Thatfortenyearshewaitedandhopedforthegrantingofhissuit,which

was rareandunaccustomed,until eventuallyhewascompelled to relinquish itandrelyuponhisownresourcestoeffecthisobject.(4) But he desired to command otherwits than his own, and that could be

moreeasilyachievedbyoneholdingplaceofany reasonablecountenance.Hetherefore sought through Burleigh place accompanied by income, so that hemightbeenabledtoachievethevastcontemplativeendshehadinview.(5)Thatduring theyears1580 to1597, inwhichheclaims thathewasnot

slothful,thereisnoevidenceofhisbeingoccupiedinhisprofessionorinStateaffairs to anyappreciable extent, andyet theredonot exist anyacknowledgedworks as the result of his labours.Rawley states thatBaconwould "suffer nomomentoftimetoslipfromhimwithoutsomepresentimprovement."(6) He received pecuniary assistance from his uncle, Lord Burghley. He

strained the monetary resources of his mother and brother, which were notinconsiderable, to the utmost, exhausted his own, and heavily encumberedhimselfwithdebts,andyethewasnotprodigalorextravagant.(7)Moneyandtimehemusthavetocarryouthisscheme,which,ifonetakes

it favourably, might be termed philanthropia, and he therefore decided that,failing obtaining some sinecure office, he would sell the inheritance he had,purchasesomeleaseofquickrevenueorofficeofgainthatcouldbeexecutedbya deputy, give over all care of serving the State, and become some sorrybookmakeroratruepioneerinthemineoftruth.(8)Speddingsays,"Hecouldatonce imagine likeapoetandexecute likea

clerkoftheworks";butwhateverhiscontemplativeendswerethereisnothingknowntohisbiographerswhichrevealstheresultofhislaboursasclerkoftheworks.

(9)Ifhecarriedoutthecourseofactionwhichhecontemplateditisclearthathedecided todosowithouthimselfappearingas itsauthoranddirector.From1580to1590somethingmorewasonhismindthantheworkshepublishedafterhehadarrivedatsixtyyearsofage."Iamnovainpromiser,"hesaid.Wherecanthe fulfilmentofhispromisebe found?Canhiscoursebe followedby tracingthrough the period the trail whichwas left by some great and powerfulminddirectingtheprogressoftheEnglishRenaissance?

CHAPTERX.

THERAREANDUNACCUSTOMEDSUIT.WhatwasthisrareandunaccustomedsuitofwhichtheQueencouldhavehad

noexperienceandwhich,accordingtoSpedding,wouldmakeitunnecessaryforBacontofollow"ordinarypracticeatthebar"?HistoriansandbiographershavefoundedonthissuittheallegationthatfromhisearliestyearsBaconwasaplacehunter, entirely ignoring the fact, which is made clear from the letter toWalsinghamwrittenfouryearsaftertheapplicationwasfirstmade,thathehadresolvedon a courseof actionwhich, if herMajesty likednot his suit, by theleaveofGodhemustandwouldfollow,notforanynecessityofestate,butforhiscreditsake.Herewasayoungmanoftwentyyearsofage,earnestlyurgingtheadoptionofaschemewhichhehadconceived,andwhichhefearedBurghleymightconsiderindiscreetandunadvised.Failinginobtaininghisobject,aswillbeprovedbydefiniteevidence,undertakingat thecostofThomasBodleyandotherfriendsacourseoftraveltobetterfithimforthetaskhehadmappedoutashis life'swork—returning toEnglandand, fouryearsafterhis first requesthadbeenmade, renewing his suit—grimly in earnest and determined to carry thescheme through at all costs, with or without the Queen's aid. This is not theconductofamereplacehunter.Iftheselettersbereadarightandthereasonabletheorywhichwillbeadvancedofthenatureofthesuitbeaccepted—alleffortstosuggestanyexplanationhavinghitherto,asSpeddingadmits,provedfutile—afresh lightwill be thrownupon the characterofFrancisBacon, and theheavyobligationunderwhich he has placed his countrymen for all ageswill for thefirsttimeberecognised.Inthesevenvolumesof"Bacon'sLifeandLetters"thereisnothingtojustify

theeulogyonhischaracter towhichSpeddinggaveutterance in the followingwords:—"But in him the gift of seeing in prophetic visionwhatmight be andoughttobewasunitedwiththepracticaltalentofdevisingmeansandhandlingminutedetails.Hecouldatonceimaginelikeapoetandexecutelikeaclerkoftheworks.UpontheconvictionThismustbedonefollowedatonceHowmayitbedone?Uponthatquestionansweredfollowedtheresolutiontotryanddoit."ButalthoughSpeddingfailstoproduceanyevidencetojustifyhisstatement,itisnevertheless correct. More than that, the actual achievement followed withunerringcertainty,butSpeddingrestrictsBacon'slife'sworktotheestablishment

ofasystemofinductivephilosophy,andrecordsthefailureofthesystem.WilliamCecilwasamanofconsiderableclassicalattainments,althoughthese

wereprobablynotsuperiortothoseofMildredCooke,theladywhobecamehissecondwife.Hewasinitiatedintothemethodsofstatesmanshipatanearlyagebyhisfather,RichardCecil,Masterof theRobestoHenryVIII.HavingfoundfavourwithSomerset, theProtector ofEdwardVI., hewas,when27years ofage,madeMasterofRequests.WhenSomersetfellfrompowerin1549youngCecil,withotheradherentsoftheProtector,wascommittedtotheTower.Buthewas soon released andwas rapidly advanced byNorthumberland. He becameSecretaryofState,wasknightedandmadeamemberofthePrivyCouncil.MarywouldhavecontinuedhisemploymentinofficehadhenotrefusedheroffersonaccountofhisadhesiontotheProtestantfaith.Hemingledduringherreignwithmenofallpartiesandhismoderationandcautiousconductcarriedhimthroughthat periodwithoutmishap.OnElizabeth's accession hewas the firstmemberswornuponthePrivyCouncil,andhecontinuedduringtheremainderofhislifeher principalMinister ofState. Sagacious, deliberate in thought and character,tolerant, a man of peace and compromise, he became the mainstay of theQueen's government and the most influential man in State affairs. Whilst hemaintained a princely magnificence in his affairs, his private life was pure,gentleandgenerous.Thiswasthemantowhomthebrilliantyoungnephewofhiswifeandthesonofhisoldfriend,SirNicholasBacon,disclosed,sometimeduringthesummerof1580,hisscheme,ofwhichtherehadbeennoexperience,andentrustedhissuit,whichwasrareandunaccustomed.Thearguments in itsfavouratthisinterviewmayhavefollowedthefollowingoutline:—

Ineednot remindyouofmydevotion to learning.Youknow that frommyearliest boyhood I have followed a course of study which has embraced allsubjects. I havemademyself acquaintedwith all knowledgewhich theworldpossesses.ToenablemetodothisImasteredalllanguagesinwhichbooksarewritten.Duringmyrecentvisit toforeignlands,Ihaverecognizedhowfarmycountryfallsbehindothersinlanguage,andconsequentlyinliterature.IwoulddrawyourspecialattentiontotheremarkableadvancewhichhasbeenmadeinthesemattersinFranceduringyourlordship'slifetime.WhenIarrivedtherein1576Imademyselfacquaintedwiththeprinciplesofthemovementwhichhadbeen carried through by Du Bellay, Ronsard, and their confrères. Theyrecognized that theirnative languagewascrudeand lacking ingravityandart.FirstbyobtainingacompletemasteryoftheGreekandLatinlanguages,asalsoof those of Italy and Spain, they prepared themselves for a study of the

literaturesofwhichthoselanguages,withtheiridiomsandpeculiarities,formthebasis.Havingobtainedthismasterytheyreconstructedtheirnativelanguageandgavetheircountryamediumbywhichherwritersmightexpresstheirthoughtsandemotions.Theyhavemadeitpossiblefortheircountrymentorivalthepoetsof ancient Greece and Rome. They and others of their countrymen havetranslated the literary treasures of those ancient nations into their own tongue,and thereby enabled those speaking their language, who are not skilled inclassicallanguages,toenjoyandprofitbytheworksofantiquity.YourlordshipknowswellthedeficienciesofthelanguageofourEngland,theabsenceofanyliteratureworthy of the name. In these respects the condition of affairs is farbehind thatwhich prevailed in France even before the greatmovementwhichRonsard and Du Bellay initiated. I do not speak of Italy, which possesses alanguagemelodious,facile,andrich,andaliteraturewhichcanneverdie.Iknowmyownpowers.Ipossesseveryqualificationwhichwillenablemeto

do for my native tongue what the Pléiade have done for theirs. I ask to bepermittedtogivetomycountrythisgreatheritage.Othersmayserveherinthelaw,othersmayserveherinaffairsofstate,butyourLordshipknowsfullwellthat therearenonewhocouldserveher in this respectascould I.Youarenotunmindfulof thepoornessofmyestate.Thisworkwillnotonlyentaila largeoutlay ofmoney but it necessitates command of the ablestwits of the nation.Thisismysuit:thatherMajestywillgraciouslyconferonmesomeofficewhichwillenablemetocontrolsuchliteraryresourcesandtheservicesofsuchmenasmaybenecessaryfortheaccomplishmentofthiswork;further,thatshemaybepleasedfromtimetotimetomakegrantsfromthecivillisttocoverthecostofthework. I need not remind your Lordshipwhat famewill ever attach to herMajestyandhowgloriouswillbethememoryofherreignifthisgreatprojectbeeffectedinit.YourLordshipmustrealisethisbecauseyouandherLadyship,myaunt,arebyyourattainmentsqualifiedtoappreciateitsfullvalue.Myyouthmaybeurgedasanobjectiontomyfitnessforsuchatask,butyourLordshipknowsfullwell—none better—thatmy powers are not to bemeasured bymy years.ThisIwillsay,Iamnovainpromiser,butIamassuredthatIcanaccomplishallthat I contemplate. TheQueen hath such confidence in the soundness of yourjudgmentthatshewilllistentoyouradvice.MyprayertoyouthereforeisthatitmaypleaseyourLordshipbothhereinandelsewheretobemypatronandurgemysuit,which,althoughrareandunaccustomed,maybegranted if it receivesyourpowerfulsupport.

ThesuitwassubmittedtotheQueen,butwithoutresult.Probablyitwasnot

urgedwith a determination to obtain its acceptance in spite of any objectionswhichmightbe raisedby theQueen.Fiveyearsafter,Bacon, still a suppliant,wrotetoWalsingham:"Ithinktheobjectiontomyyearswillwearawaywiththelengthofmysuit."CautiousLordBurghleywouldgivefullweighttotheforceofthisobjectionif itwereadvancedbytheQueen.Helovedthisboy,withhisextraordinary abilities, but he had such novel and far-reaching ideas. Heappeared to have no adequate reverence for his inferior superiors.On leavingCambridge he had arrogantly condemned its cherished methods of impartingknowledge.Beforepowerwasplacedinhishandstheusehemightmakeof itmust bewellweighed and considered.What effectmight the advancement ofFrancisBaconhaveonRobertCecil'scareer?Grantedthatthecontentionsoftheformerweresound,andtheobjectdesirable,shouldnotthisworkbecarriedoutby theUniversities?Never leapuntil youknowwhereyou aregoing to alightwas a proverb the soundness of which had been proved in Lord Burghley'sexperience.Whatmightbetheoutcomeifthisrareandunaccustomedsuitweregranted?BetterfortheQueen,who,thoughslowtobestowfavours,wasalwaysready to encourage hopes, to followher usual course. Shemight entertain themotiongraciouslyandreturnafavourableanswerandletitrestthere.Andsoitdid.Thentherewasahappeningwhichhasremainedunknownuntilnow.

CHAPTERXI.BACON'SSECONDVISITTOTHECONTINENT

ANDAFTER.In the "Reliquiæ Bodleianæ," published in 1703, is a letter writtenwithout

date byThomasBodley toFrancisBacon.This letter does not appear to havebeen known to Mallett, Montague, Dixon, Spedding, or any of Bacon'sbiographers.IthadbeenlostsightofuntilthewriternoticeditandreproduceditinBaconiana.Thisistheletter:—

MYDEARCOUSIN,—Accordingtoyourrequestinyourletter(datedthe19thOctoberatOrleans,Ireceivedherethe18thofDecember),Ihavesentyoubyyourmerchant£30(thethirtyiswrittenthus30l)sterlingforyourpresent supply,andhadsentyouagreater sum,but thatmyextraordinarycharge thisyearhathutterlyunfurnishedme.Andnow,cousin,thoughIwillbenosevereexactoroftheaccount,eitherofyourmoneyortime,yetfortheloveIbearyou,Iamverydesirous,bothtosatisfymyself,andyourfriendshowyouprosperinyourtravels,andhowyoufindyourselfbetteredthereby,eitherinknowledgeofGod,oroftheworld;therather,becausetheDaysyouhavealreadyspentabroad,arenowbothsufficienttogiveyouLight,howtofixyourselfandendwithcounsel,andaccordinglytoshapeyourcourseconstantlyuntoit.Besides,itisavulgarscandaluntothetravellers,thatfewreturnmorereligious(narrow,editor)thantheywent forth; wherein both my hope and Request is to you, that your principal care be to hold yourFoundation,andtomakenootheruseofinformingyourself inthecorruptionsandsuperstitionsofothernations,thanonlytherebytoengageyourownheartmorefirmlytotheTruth.Youliveindeedinacountryof two several professions, and you shall return aNovice, if you be not able to give an account of theOrdinances,strength,andprogressofeach,inReputation,andParty,andhowbotharesupported,ballancedandmanaged by the state, as being the contrary humours, in theTemper of Predominancywhereof, theHealthorDiseaseof thatBodydothconsist.These thingsyouwillobserve,notonlyasanEnglish-man,whomitmayconcern,towhatinteresthiscountrymayexpectintheconsciencesoftheirNeighbours;butalso,asaChristian,toconsiderboththebeautiesandblemishes,thehopesanddangersofthechurchinallplaces.Nowfortheworld,Iknowittoowell,topersuadeyoutodiveintothepracticesthereof;ratherstanduponyourownguard,againstallthatattemptyouthereunto,ormaypractiseuponyouinyourConscience,Reputation,oryourPurse.Resolve,noManiswiseorsafe,buthethatishonest:AndletthisPersuasionturnyourstudiesandobservationsfromtheComplementandImposturesofthedebasedage,tomorerealgroundsofwisdom,gatheredoutofthestoryofTimespast,andoutofthegovernmentofthepresentstate.Yourguidetothis, istheknowledgeofthecountryandthepeopleamongwhomyelive;Forthecountrythoughyoucannotseeallplaces,yetif,asyoupassalong,youenquirecarefully,andfurtherhelpyourselfwithBooks thatarewrittenof thecosmographyof thoseparts,youshall sufficientlygather thestrength,Riches,Traffick,Havens,Shipping,commodities,vent,andthewantsanddisadvantagesofplaces.Whereinalso, for your good hereafter, and for your friends, it will befit to note their buildings, Furnitures,Entertainments;alltheirHusbandry,andingeniousinventions,inwhatsoeverconcernetheitherPleasureorProfit.

Forthepeople,yourtraffickamongthem,whileyoulearntheirlanguage,willsufficientlyinstructyouin theirHabilities,Dispositions, andHumours, ifyoua little enlarge thePrivacyofyourownNature, toseekacquaintancewith thebest sortofstrangers,andrestrainyourAffections andParticipation, foryourowncountrymenofwhatsoevercondition.

InthestoryofFrance,youhavealargeandpleasantFieldinthreelinesoftheirKings,toobservetheiralliancesandsuccessions,theirConquests,theirwars,especiallywithus;theirCouncils,theirtreaties;andall Rules and examples of experiences and Wisdom, which may be Lights and Remembrances to youhereafter,toJudgeofalloccurantsbothathomeandabroad.

Lastly,fortheGovernment,yourendmustnotbelikeanIntelligencer,tospendallyourtimeinfishingafter thepresentNews,Humours,Graces,orDisgraces ofCourt,whichhappilymay changebefore youcomehome;butyourbetterandmoreconstantgroundwillbe,toknowtheConsanguinities,Alliances,andEstatesoftheirPrinces;ProportionbetweentheNobilityandMagistracy;theConstitutionsoftheirCourtsofJustice;thestateoftheLaws,aswellforthemakingastheexecutionthereof;HowtheSovereigntyoftheKinginfusethitselfintoallActsandOrdinances;howmanywaystheylayImpositionsandTaxations,andgatherRevenuestotheCrown.

Whatbe theLiberties andServitudesof alldegrees;whatDisciplineandPreparations forwars;whatInvention for increase of Traffick at home, for multiplying their commodities, encouraging Arts andManufactures, or of worth in any kind. Also what establishment, to prevent the Necessities andDiscontentmentofPeople,TocutoffsuitsatLaw,andDuels,tosuppressthievesandallDisorders.

Tobeshort,becausemypurposeisnottobringallyourObservationstoHeads,butonlybythesefewtoletyouknowwhatmannerofReturnyourFriendsexpectfromyou;letme,foralltheseandalltherest,giveyouthisoneNote,whichIdesireyoutoobserveastheCounselsofaFriend,NottospendyourSpirits,andtheprecious timeofyourTravel,inaCaptiousPrejudiceandcensuringofallthings,norinanInfectiousCollectionofbaseVicesandFashionsofMenandWomen,orgeneralcorruptionofthesetimes,whichwillbeofuseonlyAmongHumorists,forJestsandTable-Talk:butratherstrainyourWitsandIndustrysoundlyto instruct your-self in all things betweenHeaven and Earth which may tend to Virtue, Wisdom, andHonour,andwhichmaymakeyourlifemoreprofitabletoyourcountry,andyourselfmorecomfortabletoyourfriends,andacceptabletoGod.Andtoconclude,letalltheseRichesbetreasuredup,notonlyinyourmemory,wheretimemaylessenyourstock;butratheringoodwritings,andBooksofAccount,whichwillkeeptthemsafeforyourusehereafter.

AndifinthistimeofyourliberalTraffick,youwillgivemeanyadvertizementofyourcommoditiesinthesekinds,IwillmakeyouasliberalaReturnfrommyselfandyourFriendshere,asIshallbeable.

AndsocommendingallyourgoodEndeavours,tohimthatmusteitherwitherorprosperthem,Iverykindlybidyoufarewel.

Your'stobecommanded,THOMASBODLEY.

Speddingprints this letter (Vol. II.p.16)commencingwith thewords, "YetfortheloveIbear,"totheend,withtheexceptionofthelastsentence,asaletterwrittenprobablybyBaconforEssextosendtotheEarlofRutland.Heidentifiesit as "the letter which the compiler of Stephens' Catalogue took for a letteraddressedbyBacontoBuckingham,"whichhesaysitcouldnotbe.Theoriginalis at Lambeth (MSS. 936, fo. 218). The seal remains, but the part of the lastsheetwhichcontained the signatureonone side, and the superscriptionon theother,hasbeentornoff.Thelettercommences,"MygoodLord,"andends,"YourLordship'sinalldutytoserveyou."Itwouldappear,therefore,thatsomeonehadaccesstoBodley'slettertoBacon,and,approvingitscontents,useditscontentsasecondtime.There are two palpable deductions to be drawn from this letter: (1) That

Baconwasonajourneythroughseveralcountriestoobtainknowledgeoftheircustoms, laws, religion,militarystrength,shipping,andwhatsoeverconcernethpleasureorprofit.There is a striking correspondencebetweenBodley's adviceandthedescriptionofBacon'stravelsfoundinthe"Life"prefixedto"L'HistoireNaturelle." (2) That Bacon was being supported by Bodley and other of hisfriends,whodesiredhimtokeeparecordofallthatheobservedandlearnt,andtoreportfromtimetotimeasheprogressed,andinreturn,saidBodley,"Iwillmake you as liberal a return frommyself and your friends here as I shall beable."ThisletterwaswrittenfromEngland,andthereisaparagraphinBodley's"Life,"writtenbyhimself,whichmakesitpossibletofixtheyear:—

"MyresolutionfullytakenIdepartedoutofEnglandanno1576andcontinuedverynearefoureyearesabroad,andthatinsundrypartsofItaly,France,andGermany.Agoodwhileaftermyreturntowit,intheyeare1585IwasemployedbytheQueen,"etc.

Ifthisletterwaswrittenbetween1576and1579itwouldappearstrangethatBodley andothers shouldbeprovidingBaconwithmoney forhis travels, andrequiringreportsfromhim,whilsthisfather,SirNicholasBacon,wasaliveandprosperous.No such difficulty, however, arises, for the letter, being sent fromEngland,couldnothavebeenwrittenbetweenthedateofBacon'sfirstdepartureforFrance in1576andhis returnonhis father's death in1579, forduring thewholeof that timeBodleywasabroad. It is stated in it thatBaconwrote fromOrleansaletterdated19thOctober,theyearnotbeinggiven.Thiscouldnotbein1580,forBaconwrotetoLordBurghleyfromGray'sInnonthe18thOctober,1580.Speddingcommences theparagraph immediatelyfollowing this letterbysaying,"FromthistimewehavenofurthernewsofFrancisBacontillthe5thofApril,1582,"andalthoughhedoesnotreproducetheletter,hereliesonaletterfrom Faunt to Anthony Bacon, to which that date is attributed in Birch's "Memorials,"Vol.I.page22.InitFauntreferstohavingseenAnthony'smotherandhisbrotherFrancis.FauntleftParisforEnglandonthe22ndMarch,1582.Thisletterwaswrittenonthe15thofthefollowingmonth,sonotracehasbeenfoundofFrancisbeinginEnglandbetween18thOctober,1580,and5thofApril,1582. Bodley's letter, must, therefore, have been written in December, 1581,whenBaconwasabroadmakinga journeythroughseveralcountries.Fromtheforegoingfacts it is impossibletoformanyotherconclusion.Nowforthefirsttime this journey has been made known. There is a letter amongst the StatepapersintheRecordOffice,datedFebruary,1581,writtenbyAnthonyBacontoLord Burghley, enclosing a note of advice and instructions for his brotherFrancis.Anthonywasanexperiencedtraveller,andwasthenabroad.Itreadsasthoughhewassendingadviceandinstructionstohisyoungerbrother,whowas

abouttostartontravelsthroughcountrieswithwhichAnthonywasfamiliar.Ifso,FranciswouldleaveEnglandearlyinMarch,1581—thatis,ifhehadnotleftbeforethisletterwasreceivedbyBurghley.Having established beyond reasonable doubt the fact of this journey, a new

andremarkablesuggestionpresentsitself.Spedding,whendealingwiththeyear1582, prints "Notes on the State of Christendom,"[29] with the followingremarks:—

"Ifthatpaperofnotesconcerning'TheStateofEurope'whichwasprintedasBacon'sinthesupplementtoStephens'secondcollectionin1734,reprintedbyMalletin1760,andhasbeenplacedatthebeginningofhispoliticalwritingsinalleditionssince1563,bereallyofhiscomposition,thisistheperiodofhislifetowhichitbelongs.Imustconfess,however,thatIamnotsatisfiedwiththeevidenceorauthorityuponwhichitappearstohavebeenascribedtohim."

RobertStephens,whowasHistoriographerRoyalinthereignofWilliamandMary, states that the Earl of Oxford placed in his hands some neglectedmanuscripts and loose papers to see whether any of the Lord Bacon'scompositionslayconcealedthereandwerefitforpublication.Hefoundsomeofthem written, and others amended, with his lordship's own hand. He foundcertain of the treatises had been published by him, and that others, certainlygenuine, which had not, were fit to be transcribed if not divulged. Speddingstates thathehas littledoubt that thispaperonthestateofEuropewasamongthesemanuscriptsandloosepapers,fortheeditorstatesthatthesupplementarypieces(ofwhichthiswasone)wereaddedfromoriginalsfoundamongStephens'papers.Theoriginal is nowamong theHarleianMSS. in theBritishMuseum.Speddingthusdescribesit:—

"TheHarleianMS. is a copy in anoldhand, probably contemporary, but notFrancisBacon's.A fewsentenceshavebeeninsertedafterwardsbythesamehand,andtwobyanotherwhichisverylikeAnthonyBacon's;noneinFrancis's.Theblankshaveallbeenfilledup,butnowordshavebeencorrected,thoughitisobviousthatinsomeplacestheystandinneedofcorrection.

"Certainallusionstoeventsthenpassing(whichwillbepointedoutintheirplace)provethattheoriginalpaperwaswritten,oratleastcompleted,inthesummerof1582,atwhichtimeFrancisBaconwasstudyinglaw inGray's Inn,whileAnthonywas travelling inFrance in search of political intelligence andwas inclose correspondence with Nicholas Faunt, a secretary of Sir FrancisWalsingham's, who had spent thepreviousyear inFrance,Germany,Switzerland,and thenorthof Italy,on thesameerrand;andwasnowliving about the English Court, studying affairs at home, and collecting and arranging the observationswhichhehadmadeabroad,'havingalreadyrecoveredallhiswritingsandbookswhichhehadleftbehindhiminItalyandinFrankfort'(seeBirch's'Memoirs,'I.24),anditisrememberedthatifthispaperbelongedtoAnthonyBacon,itwouldnaturallydescendathisdeathtoFrancisandsoremainamonghismanuscripts,whereitissupposedtohavebeenfound.

"Thus it appears that the external evidence justifies no inference as to the authorship, and the onlyquestioniswhetherthestylecanbeconsideredconclusive.Tomeitcertainlyisnot.Butasthisisapointuponwhichthereadershouldbeallowedtojudgeforhimself,andasthepaperisinterestinginitselfandhistorically valuable and has always passed for Bacon's, it is here printed from the original though (to

distinguishitfromhisundoubtedcompositions)inasmallertype."

Spedding'sdifficultyinacceptingthispaperasfromBacon'spenreallylayinthefact that fromthe internalevidence it isobvious that itwaswrittenbyonewhohadhimselftravelledthrough,atanyrate,someofthecountriesdescribed.Theresultsofpersonalobservationareagainandagainapparent.AccordingtoSpedding, Bacon was in 1581-1582 studying law at Gray's Inn; according toBodley hewas on theContinentmaking observations for his future guidance.Thereadercanjudgeofthevalueoftheexternalevidence.Itisnotconclusive,but the draft being found amongst paperswhichwere unquestionablyBacon'swritingsandbeingadoptedasBacon'sandpublishedassuchbythosewhofoundit, thebalanceofprobabilities isdistinctly in favourof itsbeinghis.As to theinternalevidencemuchmaybe said. It correspondsascloselyas it ispossiblewithBodley's requirements as set forth inhis letter ofDecember. It is exactly"themannerofreturn"BodleywrotetoFrancis"yourfriendsexpectfromyou.""And,"headded,"ifinthistimeofyourliberalTraffick,youwillgivemeanyadvertisementofyourcommoditiesinthesekinds,IwillmakeyouasliberalareturnfrommyselfandyourfriendshereasIshallbeable."The date agrees with that of Bacon's second visit to the Continent. In

Spedding'sLife andLetters it occupies twelveanda-halfpages,ofwhich fiveareoccupiedbydescriptionsofItaly,oneofAustria,twoofGermany(chieflyarecital of names and places), two of France, three-quarters of Spain, one andthree-quartersofPortugal,Poland,Denmark,andSweden.ThismayhavebeenBacon'sitineraryin1581-2.Italy is treatedwithconsiderabledetailandwasundoubtedlydescribedfrom

personalobservation,aswereFranceandSpain.Inalessdegreethedescriptionof Austria, Poland and Denmark produces this impression; in a still smallerdegree Portugal and Sweden, and it is quite absent from the description ofGermany.Florence,Venice,Mantua,Genoa,Savoy,aredealtwithinmostdetail.Rawley states that itwasBacon's intention to have stayed abroad some yearslongerwhenhewascalledhomebythedeathofhisfather,tofindhimselfleftinstraightened circumstances. Then followed his ineffectual suit, which he stillpersistedin.Bodleyevidentlywas,ifnottheinstigator,atanyratethepaymasterforthissecondjourney.Anthony'sletterofFebruary,1581,pointstoBurghleyasaparticipatorintheproject.Hewouldassistnotonlyoutofkindlyfeeling,butthejourneywouldatanyrategetthisambitious,determinedyoungmanoutoftheway for a time, andpossibly the journeymightget thisunaccustomedsuitoutofhismind.Thusitcameabout.

FromFaunt'sletters,SpeddingsayswederivewhatlittleinformationwehavewithregardtoFrancis'sproceedingsfrom1583to1584."FromthemwegatherlittlemorethanthatheremainedstudyingatGray'sInn,occasionallyvisitinghismother at Gorhambury, or going with her to hear Travers at the Temple andoccasionallyappearingattheCourt."Butthesuitwasnotabandoned,forthereistheletterof25thAugust,1585,to

Walsingham,whenBaconwrites: "I think theobjectionofmyyearswillwearawaywiththelengthofmysuit.Theverystaydothinthisrespectconcernme,becauseIamtherebyhinderedtotakeacourseofpracticewhichbytheleaveofGod, if herMajesty like not of my suit, I must and will follow: not for anynecessityofestate,butformycreditsake,whichIknowbylivingoutofactionwillwear."Again,theold,"rareandunaccustomedsuit"ofwhichtheQueencouldhave

hadno experience!Either the persuasive powers ofBurghley had failed or hehadnotexertedthem.Probablythelatter,becausethetroublesome,determinedyoungmanisnowworryingWalsinghamandHattontourgeitsacceptancewiththe Queen. The purport of the foregoing extract effectually precludes thepossibilityof thissuit referring tohisadvancementat thebar.Forfiveyears ithas been proceeding—he has been indulging in hopes which have beenunfulfilled.Nowhewillwaitnolonger,buthewilladoptacoursewhich,ifherMajesty likenothissuit,by the leaveofGodhemustandwill follow,not foranynecessityofmakingmoneybutbecausehefeelsimpelledtoitbyasenseofresponsibility which hemust fulfil.Walsingham and Hatton do not appear tohavehelpedthematterforward.Therewaslittleprobabilityofthemsucceedingin influencing the Queen where Burghley had failed. There was still lessprobability of themattempting to influenceher ifBurghleyobjected.Had thissuitreferredtoadvancementinthelawitwouldhavebeengrantedwiththeaidofBurghley'sinfluenceyearsbefore.HaditreferredtosomeordinaryofficeofState,friendssopowerfulasBurghley,WalsinghamandHattoncouldandwouldhaveobtainedanythingwithinreasonforthisbrilliantyoungsonofSirNicholasBacon,fortherewasnocomplicationwithEssexuntilafter1591.Butthisrareand unaccustomed suit of which there had been no experience was anothermatter.Sixmoreyearspass,andalthoughthereisnownosuittotheQueenthereis

thesameideaprevailinginthelettertoBurghley—aseekingforhelptoachievesome great scheme upon which Bacon's mind was so fixed "as it cannot beremoved," "whether it be curiosity, vainglory or nature, or (if one take itfavourably)philanthropia."Stillherequiredthecommandofmorewitsthanofa

man'sown,which is the thinghedidgreatlyaffect.Stillhiscoursewasnot toget.Stillthedeterminationtoachievetheobjectwithouthelp,ifhelpcouldnotbeobtained—toachieveitbybecomingsomesorrybookmakerorapioneerinthatmineoftruthwhichAnaxagorassaidlaysodeep.Thisisemphasised.Theseare "thoughts rather thanwords, being set downwithout all art, disguising orreservation."There are two significant sentences in this letter written to Burghley when

Baconwas31yearsofage.HedescribesBurghleyas"thesecondfounderofmypoorestate,"and,further,heusestheexpression"AndifyourLordshipwillnotcarry me on." What can these allusions mean but that Burghley had beenrenderingfinancialassistancetohisnephew?Ifthetheoryhereputforwardastothenatureofthesuitbecorrect,theobjectwasonewhichwouldhaveBurghley'scordialsupport.Thathehadexpressedapprovalofitmustbededucedfromtheletterofthe16thofSeptember,1580.Theobjectwasonewhich,withoutdoubt,would find still warmer support from Lady Mildred. But the suit was sounprecedentedthatitisnottobewonderedatthatBurghleydidnottrytoforceitthrough.Theworkwas going forward all the time—slowly for lack ofmeansandofficialrecognition.Burghley,generousinhisnature,lavishinprivatelife,might, however, be expected to help a work which he would be glad to seecarriedtoasuccessfulconclusion.HadhebeenlesscautiousandletyoungFrancishavehishead,whatmightnot

have happened!But therewas always the fear of letting this huge intellectualpower forge ahead without restraint. It was, however, working out unseen itsschemeandthat, too,withBurghley'shelpandthatofothers.Theperiodfrom1576to1623—only47years—seestheEnglishlanguagedevelopedfromastateofalmostbarbariccrudenessto thehighestpitchwhichanylanguage,classicalormodern,hasreached.Therewasbutoneworkmanlivingat thatperiodwhocould have constructed thatwonderful instrument and used it to produce suchmagnificentexamplesof itspossibilities. It isasreasonable to takeupawatchkeeping perfect time and aver that the parts came together by accident, as tocontendthattheEnglishlanguageoftheAuthorisedVersionoftheBibleandtheworksofShakespeareweretheresultofageneralup-springingofliterarytastewhichwasdiffusedamongstafewwritersofverymediocreability.TheEnglishRenaissancewas conceived in France and born in England in 1579. It ran itscourseandin1623attaineditsmaturity;butwhenFrancisBaconwasnomore—he who had performed that in our tongue which may be preferred either toinsolentGreeceorhaughtyRome—"thingsdailyfall,witsgrowdownward,andeloquencegrowsbackward:sothathemaybenamedandstandasthemarkand

ἀχμήofourlanguage."

CHAPTERXII.ISITPROBABLETHATBACONLEFT

MANUSCRIPTSHIDDENAWAY?Itisdifficulttoleavethissubjectwithoutsomereferencetothearticleswhich

haveappearedinthepressandmagazinesreferringtothesuggestionthattherewereleftconcealedliteraryremainsofBaconhithertoundiscovered.InanarticlewhichrecentlyappearedinaShakespeareanjournal,awriterwho

evidentlyknowslittleabouttheElizabethanperiodsaid:"ButwhyshouldBaconwanttoburymanuscripts,anyhow?Whodoesburymanuscripts?Besides,theyhad been printed and were, therefore, rubbish and waste paper merely." ThemanuscriptofJohnHarrington'stranslationofAriosto's"OrlandoFurioso"maybeseenintheBritishMuseum.Itisbeautifullywrittenonquartopaper.Itwas,apparently,thefaircopysenttotheprinterfromwhichthetypewastobesetup.Bethisasitmay,itwasundoubtedlyacopyuponwhichBaconmarkedofftheverseswhicharetogooneachpageandsetoutthefolioofeachpageandtheprinter's signature which was to appear at the bottom. It also containsinstructions to the printer as to the type to be used. Thismanuscript was notconsidered"rubbishandwastepapermerely."FrancisBaconhasagainandagain insistedupon thevalueofhistory. In the

"Advancement of Learning" he points out to the King "the indignity andunworthiness of the history of England as it now is, in themain continuationthereof." No man appreciated as did Bacon the importance in the history ofEnglandoftheepochinwhichhelived.Thatatruthfulrelationoftheeventsofthose timeswouldbe invaluable toposterityheknew fullwell.Heof allmenlivingatthattimewasbestqualifiedtowritesuchahistory.Herecognisedthatthere were objections to a history being written, or, at any rate, published,wherein the actions of persons living were described, for he said "it must beconfessed that such kind of relations, specially if they be published about thetimes of things done, seeing very often that they are written with passion orpartiality, of all other narrations, aremost suspected." It is hardly conceivablethatBaconshouldhavefailedtoprovideafaithfulhistoryofhisowntimesforthebenefitofposterity,or,atanyrate,thatheshouldhavefailedtopreservethematerialsforsuchahistory.Neitherthehistorynorsuchmaterialsareknownto

beinexistence.SupposingBaconhadpreparedeithertheoneortheother,whatcould he dowith it?Hand it toRawleywith instructions for it to be printed?With a strong probability, if it were a faithful history, that it would never bepublished,butthatitwouldbedestroyed,hewouldnevertakesucharisk.Therewould only be one course open to him. To conceal it in some placewhere itwouldnotbelikelytobedisturbed,inwhichitmightremaininsafety,possiblyfor hundreds of years.And then leave a clue either in cypher or otherwise bywhichitmightberecovered.ItisbynomeansoutsidetherangeofpossibilitythatBaconasearlyas1588

hadopenedareceptacleforbooksandmanuscriptswhichhedesiredshouldgodowntoposterity,andfearingtheirlossfromanycause,hecarefullyconcealedthem,addingtothestorefromtimetotime.Ifhedidsoheleftaproblemtobesolved,andarrangedtheplaceofconcealmentsothatitcouldonlybefoundbyasolutionoftheproblem.The emblems on two title-pages of two books of the period are very

significant. "Truth brought to Light and discovered by Time" is a narrativehistory of the first fourteen years of King James' reign. One portion of theengraved title-page representsaspreading treegrowingupoutofacoffin, fullfraughtwithvariousfruits(manuscriptsandbooks)mostfreshandfairtomakesucceedingtimesmostrichandrare.IntheEmblem(Fig.III.)nowreproduced,whichisfoundonthetitle-pageofthefirsteditionof"NewAtlantis,"1627,[30]TruthpersonifiedbyanakedwomanisbeingrevealedbyFatherTime,andtheinscription round the device is "Tempore patet occulta veritas—in time thehiddentruthshallberevealed."Then,infurtherconfirmationofthisview,thereisthestatementofRawleyin

his introduction to the "Manes Verulamiani." Speaking of the fame of hisillustriousmasterhesays,"Bethismoreoverenough,tohavelaid,asitwere,thefoundations,inthenameofthepresentage.Everyagewill,methinks,adornandamplifythisstructure,buttowhatageitmaybevouchsafedtosetthefinishinghand—thisisknownonlytoGodandtheFates."

Fig.III.FromtheTitlePageof"NewAtlantis,"1627.

Fig.IV.FromtheTitlePageofPeacham's"MinervaBritannia,"1612.

CHAPTERXIII.HOWTHEELIZABETHANLITERATUREWAS

PRODUCED.The half century from 1576 to 1625 stands by itself in the history of the

literatureofthiscountry.DuringthatperiodnotonlywastheEnglishlanguagemade,notonlywerethereproducedthefinestexamplesofitscapacities,whichto-dayexist,buttheknowledgeandwisdompossessedbytheclassicalwriters,thehistoriesoftheprincipalnationsoftheworld,practicallyeverythingthatwasworth knowing in the literaturewhich existed in other countrieswere, for thefirst time, made available in the English tongue. And what is still moreremarkable, these translations were printed and published. These worksembraced every art and subject which can be imagined. Further, during thisperiod there were issued a large number of books crowded with informationupongeneralsubjects.Thenamesonthetitle-pagesofmanyoftheseworksareunknown. It is astonishing howmanymen as towhomnothing can be learnt,appearaboutthistimetohavewrittenonebookandonebookonly.These translations were published at a considerable cost. For such works,

being printed in theEnglish language, purchaserswere practically confined tothis country, and their number was very limited. The quantity of copiesconstitutinganeditionmusthavebeensmall.Itisimpossibletobelievethatthesaleofthesebookscouldrealisetheamountoftheircost.Definiteinformationonthispointisdifficulttoobtain,forlittleisknownasto

thepricesatwhichthesebooksweresold.It appears from the "Transcripts of the Stationers' Registers" that the

maximumnumberofcopiesthatwenttomakeupaneditionwasintheinterestof theworkmanfixedat1,250copies,sothat ifa largernumberwererequiredthetypehadtobere-setforeachadditional1,250copies.Doubleimpressionsof2,500 were allowed of primers, catechisms, proclamations, statutes andalmanacs.But the solid literaturewhich came into the language at this periodwouldnotberequiredinsuchquantities.Theprinterwasnotusuallythevendorofthebooks.Thepublisherandbooksellerorstationercarriedoninmostcasesadistinctbusiness.

Pamphlets, sermons, plays, books of poems, formed the staple ware of thestationer.ThestyleofthebookoutofwhichthestationermadehismoneymaybegatheredfromthefollowingextractfromTheReturnfromParnassus,ActI,scene3:—

Ingenioso.—Danterthouartdeceived,witisdearerthanthoutakestittobee.Itelltheethislibelof

Cambridgehasmuchsaltandpepperinthenose:itwillsellsheerelyunderhandwhenallthosebookesofexhortationsandcatechismsliemouldingonthyshopboard.

Danter.—It'strue,butgoodfayth,M.Ingenioso,Ilostbyyourlastbooke;andyouknowthereismanyaonethatpaysmelargelyfortheprintingoftheirinventions,butforallthisyoushallhave

40shillingsandanoddepottleofwine.

Ingenioso.—

40shillings?afitrewardforoneofyourreumatickpoets,thatbeslaversallthepaperhecomesby,andfurnishestheChaundlerswithwastpaperstowrapcandlesin:...it'sthe

gallantestChildmyinventionwaseverdeliveredoff.Thetitleis,aChronicleofCambridgeCuckolds;hereamanmaysee,whatdayofthemonethsuchaman'scommonswere

inclosed,andwhenthrowneopen,andwhenanyentayledsomeoddecrownesupontheheiresoftheirbodiesunlawfullybegotten;speakequickly,ellsIamgone.

Danter.— Ohthiswillsellgallantly.Ilehaveitwhatsoeveritcost,willyouwalkon,M.Ingenioso,weelesitoveracupofwineandagreeonit.

The publication of such works as Hollingshed's "Chronicles," North's"Plutarch'sLives,"Grimston's"HistoryofFrance,"and"TheFrenchAcademy,"couldnothavebeenproducedwithprofitastheobject.Alargebodyofevidencemay be brought forward to support this view, but spacewill only permit twoexamplestobeheresetforth.In the dedication toSirWilliamCecil, ofHollingshed's "Chronicles," 1587,

thewritersays:Yetwhenthevolumegrewsogreatastheythatweretodefraiethechargesfortheimpressionwerenot

willingtogothroughwiththewhole,theyresolvedfirsttopublishthehistoriesofEngland,Scotland,andIrelandwiththeirdescriptions.

JohnDee spentmost of the year 1576 inwriting a series of volumes to beentitled "General and Rare Memorials pertayning to the perfect Art ofNavigation."In1577thefirstvolumewasreadyforthepress.InJunehehadtoborrow £40 from one friend, £20 from another, and £27 upon "the chayn ofgold."InthefollowingAugustJohnDaycommencedprintingitathispressinAldersgate.Thetitlewas"TheBritishMonarchyorHexameronBrytannicum,"andtheeditionconsistedof100copies.The secondvolume, "TheBritishComplement,"was ready in the following

December. It was never published. Dee states in his Diary that the printingwouldcostmanyhundredsofpounds,asitcontainedtablesandfigures,andhemustfirsthave"acomfortableandsufficientopportunityorsupplythereto."This

hewasunabletoprocure,sothebookremainedinmanuscript.[31]

Booksofthisclasswereneverproducedwiththeobjectofmakingprofit.Theproceedsofsalewouldnotcoverthecostofprintingandpublishing,withoutanyprovision for the remuneration of the translator or author. Why were theypublished,andhowwasthecostprovided?Therewas,however,anothersourceofrevenueopentotheauthorofabook.

HenryPeacham,in"TheTruthofourTime,"says:—

"Butthenyoumaysay,theDedicationwillbeeworthagreatmatter,eitherinpresentrewardofmoney,orprefermentbyyourPatronesLetter,orothermeans.AndforthispurposeyouprefixealearnedandasPanegyricallEpistleascan,"etc.

It is beyond question that an author usually obtained a considerablecontribution towards the cost of the production of a book from the person towhom the dedicationwas addressed.Anumber of books published during theperiod from1576 to1598arededicated to theQueen, to theEarlofLeicester,andtoLordBurghley.Onecanonlyofferasuggestiononthispointwhichmayor may not be correct. If Francis Bacon was concerned in the issue of thesetranslations and otherworks, andBurghleywas assisting him financially, it isprobablethatBurghleywouldprocuregrantsfromtheQueeninrespectofbookswhichwerededicatedtoher,andwouldprovidefundstowardsthecostofsuchbooks aswerededicated tohimself. "TheArteofEnglishPoesie"waswrittenwith the intention that it should be dedicated to the Queen, but there was achangeintheplans,andBurghley'snamewassubstituted.WhenBacon,in1591,is threatening to become "a sorry bookmaker," he describes Burghley as thesecondfounderofhispoorestate,andusestheexpression,"IfyourLordshipwillnotcarrymeon,"whichcanonlymeanthatastothematterwhichisthesubjectof the letter, Burghley had not merely been assisting but carrying him. TheevidencewhichexistsisstrongenoughtowarrantputtingforwardthistheoryastothefrequencyofthenamesoftheQueenandBurghleyonthededications.TheEarlofLeicesterdesired tohave thereputationofbeingapatronof the

arts,andwaswillingtopayforadvertisement.HewastheChancellorofOxfordUniversity, and evidently recognised the value of printing, for in 1585 heerected,athisownexpense,anewprintingpressfortheuseoftheUniversity.Ifhepaidatallfordedicationshewouldpayliberally.But,ofcourse,theQueen,Burghley, and Leicester were accessible to others besides Bacon, and theargumentgoesnofurtherthanthattowardstheproductionofcertainbooksuponwhichtheirnamesappearthepatronsprovidedpartofthecost.Therecognitionof this fact, however, does not detract from the importance of the expressionsusedbyBaconinhislettertoBurghley.There is abundant testimony to the fact that it was the custom, during the

Elizabethanage,foranauthortosuppresshisownname,andonthetitle-page[32]substituteeithertheinitialsornameofsomeotherperson.Thetitle-pagesofthisperiodareasunreliableasarethenamesorinitialsaffixedtothededicationsandepistles"TotheReader."In 1624was published "TheHistorie of the Life andDeath ofMary Stuart

QueeneofScotland."Thededication is signedWilStranguage. In1636 itwasreprinted, the same dedication being signed W. Vdall. There are numeroussimilarinstances.

CHAPTERXIV.

THECLUETOTHEMYSTERYOFBACON'SLIFE.

ThetheorynowputforwardisbasedupontheassumptionthatFrancisBaconataveryearlyageadopted theconception thathewoulddevotehis life to theconstructionofanadequate languageand literature forhiscountryand thathewoulddothisremaininginvisible.Ifhewastheauthorof"TheAnatomieoftheMind,"1576,andof"BeautifulBlossoms,"1577,hemusthaveadoptedthisplanofobscurityasearlyashissixteenthyear.Itispossible,however,thatitmaybeshownthatatadatestillearlierhehaddecideduponthiscourse.This,however,is beyond doubt—that if Francis Bacon was associated in any way with theliteratureofEnglandfrom1570to1605,withtheexceptionofthesmallvolumeofessayspublishedin1597,hemostcarefullyconcealedhisconnectionwithit."Therefore, set it down," he says in the essay Of Simulation and

Dissimulation, "that a habit of secrecy is both politic and moral," and inExamplesoftheAntitheta,[33]"Dissimulationisacompendiouswisdome."Hereagainisthesameidea:"BesideinallwisehumaneGovernment,theythatsitatthe helme, doe more happily bring their purposes about, and insinuate moreeasily things fit for the people by pretexts, and oblique courses; than by ...downright dealing. Nay (which perchance may seem very strange) in thingsmeerelynaturall,youmaysoonerdeceivenaturethanforceher;soimproperandselfeimpeaching are open direct proceedings; whereas on the other side, anoblique and an insinuating way, gently glides along, and compasseth theintendedeffect."[34]

ItisnoteworthythatBaconhadaquaintconceitoftheDivineBeingwhichhewasnever tiredof repeating. In thepreface to the"AdvancementofLearning"(1640),thefollowingpassageoccurs:—

"For of the knowledges which contemplate the works of Nature, the holy Philosopher hath saidexpressly; that thegloryofGodis toconceala thing,but thegloryof theKingis tofinditout:as if theDivineNature,accordingtotheinnocentandsweetplayofchildren,whichhidethemselvestotheendtheymaybefound;tookdelighttohidehisworks,totheendtheymightbefoundout;andofhisindulgenceandgoodnesstomankind,hadchosentheSouleofmantobehisPlay-fellowinthisgame."

Againonpage45oftheworkitselfhesays:—

"Forsohe(KingSolomon)saithexpressly,TheGloryofGodistoconcealeathing,buttheGloryofaKingistofinditout.Asifaccordingtothatinnocentandaffectionateplayofchildren,theDivineMajestytookdelighttohidehisworks,totheendtohavethemfoundout,andasifKingscouldnotobtainagreaterHonour,thentobeGod'splay-fellowesinthatgame,especiallyconsideringthegreatcommandtheyhaveofwitsandmeans,wherebytheinvestigationofallthingsmaybeperfected."

Anotherphaseofthesameideaistobefoundonpage136.In the author's preface to the "Novum Organum" the following passage

occurs:—"WhereasofthescienceswhichregardnaturetheHolyPhilosopherdeclaresthat'itisthegloryofGod

toconceal a thing,but it is thegloryof theKing to find it out.'Evenas though theDivineNature tookpleasure in the innocent and kindly sport of children playing at hide and seek, and vouched-safe of hiskindnessandgoodnesstoadmitthehumanspiritforhisplayfellowinthatgame."

InalmostidenticalwordsBaconsuggeststhesameconceptionin"InValeriusTerminus"andin"FilumLabyrinthi."IntheEpistleDedicatorieof"TheFrenchAcademie"andelsewheretheauthor

is insisting on the same idea that "He (God) cannot be seene of any mortalcreaturebutisnotwithstandingknownbyhisworks."ThecloseconnectionofFrancisBaconwiththeworks(nowseldomstudied)

oftheEmblemwritersisvouchedforbyJ.Baudoin.OliverLectorin"LettersfromtheDeadtotheDead"hasgivenexamplesof

his associationwith theDutch andFrench emblemwriters. ThreeEnglishmenappear to have indulged in this fascinating pursuit—George Whitney (1589),HenryPeacham(1612),andGeorgeWithers(1634).FromtheBaconianpointofviewPeacham's"MinervaBritannia"isbyfarthemostinteresting.TheEmblemonpage34isaddressed"Tothemostjudiciousandlearned,SIRFRANCISBACONKnight."Ontheoppositeleaf,pagedthus,·33,[37] thedesignrepresentsahandholdingaspearasintheactofshakingit.Butitisthefrontispiecewhichbearsspeciallyonthepresentcontention.Thedesignisnowreproduced(Fig.IV).Acurtainisdrawntohideafigure,thehandonlyofwhichisprotruding.Ithasjustwrittenthewords"MENTEVIDEBOR"—"BythemindIshallbeseen."Aroundthescroll are the words "Vivitur ingenio cetera mortis erunt"—one lives in one'sgenius,otherthingsshallbe(orpassaway)indeath.ThatemblemrepresentsthesecretofFrancisBacon'slife.Ataveryearlyage,

probablybeforehewastwelve,hehadconceivedtheideathathewouldimitateGod,thathewouldhidehisworksinorderthattheymightbefoundout—thathewouldbeseenonlybyhismindandthathisimageshouldbeconcealed.Therewasnohaphazardworkaboutit.Itwasnotsimplythathavingwrittenpoemsor

plays, and desiring not to be known as the author on publishing them, he putsomeoneelse'snameonthetitle-page.Therewasfirsttheconceptionoftheidea,andthenthecarefully-elaboratedschemeforcarryingitout.Therearenumerousallusions inElizabethanandearlyJacobeanliterature to

someone who was active in literary matters but preferred to remainunrecognised. Amongst these there are some which directly refer to FrancisBacon, others which occur in books or under circumstances which suggestassociationwithhim. It isnot contended that theyamount todirect testimony,but the cumulative forceof this evidencemustnotbe ignored. In someof theemblembooksoftheperiodtheseallusionsarefrequent.Then there is John Owen's epigram appearing in his "Epigrammatum,"

publishedin1612.AD.D.B.

"Sibenequilatuit,benevixit,tubenevivis:Ingeniumquetuumgrandelatendopatet.""Thoulivestwellifonewellhidwelllives,

Andthygreatgeniusinbeingconcealedisrevealed."

D.iselsewhereusedbyOwenastheinitialofDominus.ThesuggestionthatAd.D.B.representsAdDominumBaconumisthereforereasonable.Thomas Powell published in 1630 the "Attourney'sAcademy."The book is

dedicated"ToTrueNobilityandTrydelearningbeholdenTonoMountaineforEminence,norsupportmentforHeight,Francis,LordVerulamandViscountSt.Albanes."Thenfollowtheselines:—

"OGiveme leave to pull theCurtainebyThatcloudsthyWorthinsuchobscurity.GoodSeneca,staybutawhilethybleeding,T' accept what I received atthyReading:Here Ipresent it in a solemnestrayne,AndthusIpluckttheCurtaynebackeagain."

Inthe"MirrourofStateandEloquence,"publishedin1656,thefrontispieceisa very bad copy ofMarshall's portrait of Bacon prefixed to the 1640 GilbertWat's"AdvancementofLearning."Underitaretheselines:—

"Grace, Honour, virtue,Learning,witt,Are all within this PortureknittAnd left to time that it maytell,What worth within this Peerediddwell."

The frontispiece previously referred to of "Truth brought to Light anddiscovered byTime, or a discourse andHistoricall narration of the firstXIIII.yearesofKingJamesReign,"publishedin1651,isfullofcrypticmeaningandinonesectionofitthereisarepresentationofacoffinoutofwhichisgrowing

"AspreadingTreeFull fraught with variousFruitsmostfreshandfairTo make succeeding Timesmostrichandrare."

Thefruitsarebooksandmanuscripts.ThevolumecontainsspeechesofBaconandcopiesofofficialdocumentssignedbyhim.Thebooksof theemblemwritersarestillmore remarkable."JacobiBornitii

Emblemata Ethico Politica," 1659, contains at least a dozen plates in whichBacon is represented. A suggestive emblem is No. 1 of Cornelii GiselbertiPlempii Amsterodarnum Monogrammon, bearing date 1616, the year ofShakespeare'sdeath.Itisnowreproduced(Fig.V.).Itwillbeobservedthattheinitial letters of each word in the sentence—Obscænumque nimis crepuitFortunaBatavisappellanda—yieldF.Bacon.Thereareinotherdesignsfigureswhich are evidently intended to representBacon.EmblemXXXVI. shows theinsideofaprinter'sshopand twomenatwork in theforegroundblackingandfixing the type. Behind is a workman setting type, and standing beside him,apparentlydirecting,oratanyrateobservinghim,isamanwiththewell-knownBaconhaton.The contention may be stated thus:—Francis Bacon possessed, to quote

Macaulay, "the most exquisitely constructed intellect that has ever been

bestowedonanyofthechildrenofmen."Hallamdescribedhimas"thewisest,greatest of mankind," and affirmed that he might be compared to Aristotle,Thucydides, Tacitus, Philippe deComines,Machiavelli,Davila,Hume, "all ofthese together," and confirming this view Addison said that "he possessed atonce all those extraordinary talents which were divided amongst the greatestauthors of antiquity." At twelve years of age in industry he surpassed thecapacity,and, inhismind, therangeofhiscontemporaries,andhadacquiredathorough command of the classical and modern languages. "He, after he hadsurvaiedalltheRecordsofAntiquity,afterthevolumesofmen,betookhimselfto the volume of the world and conquered whatever books possest." Having,whilststillayouth,takenallknowledgetobehisprovince,hehadread,marked,andabsorbedthecontentsofnearlyeverybookthathadbeenprinted.Howthatboy read! Points of importance he underlined and noted in themargin. Everysubject he mastered—mathematics, geometry, music, poetry, painting,astronomy,astrology,classicaldramaandpoetry,philosophy,history, theology,architecture.Then—orperhapsbefore—camethismarvellousconception,"LikeGodIwill

beseenbymyworks,althoughmyimageshallneverbevisible—Mentevidebor.By the mind I shall be seen." So equipped, and with such a scheme, hecommencedandsuccessfullycarriedthroughthatcolossalenterpriseinwhichhesoughtthegoodofallmen,thoughinadespisedweed."This,"hesaid,"whetherit be curiosity or vainglory, or (if one takes it favourably) philanthropia, is sofixedinmymindasitcannotberemoved."Translationsoftheclassics,ofhistories,andotherworksweremade.Inthose

he no doubt had assistance by the commandment ofmorewits than his own,whichisathinghegreatlyaffected.Bookscamefromhispen—poetryandprose—ata ratewhich,when the truth is revealed,will literally"staggerhumanity."Books were written by others under his direction. He saw them through thepress,andhedidmore.Hehadhisownwoodblocksofdevices,some,atanyrate, of which were his own design, and every book produced under hisdirection,whetherwrittenbyhimornot,wasmarkedbytheuseofoneormoreof these wood blocks. The favourite device was the light A and the dark A.ProbablythefirstbookpublishedinEnglandwhichwasmarkedwiththisdevicewasDe Rep. Anglorum Instauranda libri decem, Authore Thoma ChaloneroEquite, Anglo. This was printed by Thomas Vautrollerius,[36] and bears date1579.Vautrollier, and afterwardsRichard Field, printedmany of the books in the

issueofwhichBaconwasconcernedfrom1579onwards.HenryBynneman,and

afterwardshisassigneesRalphNewberyandHenryDenhamandGeorgeBishop,who was associated with Denham, were also printing books issued under hisauspices, and laterAdam Islip,GeorgeEld and JamesHavilandcame in for aliberalshareofhispatronage.The cost of printing and publishingmust have been very great. If the facts

evercometolightitwillprobablybefoundthatBurghleywasBacon'smainstayforfinancialsupport.ItwillalsobefoundthatLadyAnneBaconandAnthonyBacon were liberal contributors to the funds, and that the cause of FrancisBacon's monetary difficulties and consequent debts was the heavy obligationwhich he personally undertook in connection with the production of theElizabethanliterature.In the Dedications, Prefaces, and Epistles "To the Reader" also Francis

Bacon'smindmayberecognised.WhenAddisonwroteofBacon,"Onedoesnotknowwhichtoadmiremostinhiswritings,thestrengthofreason,forceofstyle,or brightness of imagination," his words might have been inspired by theseprefixestotheliteratureofthisperiod.WhenoncethestudenthasmadehimselfthoroughlyacquaintedwithBacon'sstyleofwritingprefaceshecanneverfailtorecogniseit,especiallyifhereadsthepassagesaloud.TheEpistleDedicatorietothe1625editionofBarclay's"Argenis,"signedKingesmillLong, isoneof thefinest examples of Baconian English extant. Who but the writer of theShakespeare plays could havewritten that specimen ofmusical language? Tohear it readaloudgivesall theenjoymentof listening toa finecompositionofmusic.ItisthesamewiththeShakespeareplays;onlywhentheyarereadaloudcantherichnessandcharmofthelanguagetheycontainbeappreciated.Bacon'swork can never be understood by anyonewho has not realised the

marvellouscharacterof themindof theboy,hisphenomenal industry, and thefactthat"hecouldimaginelikeapoetandexecutelikeaclerkoftheworks."Ithas been suggested that he had a secret Society, by the agency of which hecarried through his works, but it is difficult to find any evidence that such aSociety existed. It may be that he had helpers without there having beenanythingofthenatureofaSociety.From1575to1605(thirtyyears)withtheexceptionofthetriflespublishedas

Essaysin1597,therearenoacknowledgedfruitsofhisworktowhichhisnameisattached.Eventhetwobooksofthe"AdvancementofLearning,"publishedin1605,wouldhavemadelittledemandsonhistime.EdmundBurkesaid:"WhoistherethathearingthenameofBacondoesnotinstantlyrecogniseeverythingofgeniusthemostprofound,ofliteraturethemostextensive,ofdiscoverythemost

penetrating, of observation of human life themost distinguished and refined."Forsuchamantowrite"Thetwobooks"wouldbenohardorlengthytask.ThewonderisthatFrancisBaconshouldhaveattachedhisnametothe1597

editionoftheessays.Hehadwrittenandpublishedunderothernamestomesofessaysofatleastequalmerit.InAphorism128ofthe"NovumOrganum"Baconsays,"ButhowsincereIaminmyprofessionofaffectionandgoodwilltowardsthe received sciences my published writings, especially the books on theAdvancementofLearning, sufficiently shew."What are thepublishedwritingsreferredto?Theonlyworkswhichborehisnameweretheincompletevolumeofthe Essays and the "Wisdom of the Ancients," to neither of which the wordsquotedareapplicable.Anthony Bacon, writing to Lady Anne in April, 1593, referring to her

"motherly offer" to help Francis out of debt by being content to bestow thewhole interest in an estate in Essex, called Markes, said "beseeching you tobelievethatbeingsonearanddearuntomeasheis,itcannotbutbeagriefuntometoseeamindthathathgivensosufficientproofofitselfinhavingbroughtforthmanygoodthoughtsforthegeneraltobeoverburdenedandcumberedwithacareofclearinghisparticularestate."In1593nothinghadbeenpublishedunderBacon'sname,andthereisnotany

productionofhisknownwhichwould justifyAnthony's remark.Whatwashismotiveinselectingthisinsignificantlittlevolumeofessayswherebytoproclaimhimselfawriter?OnecanunderstandhisobjectinaddressingJamesinTheTwoBooksoftheAdvancementofLearning.Heobtainedin1606,asPeachamhasit,"prefermentbyhisPatrone'sletter"bybeingappointedSolicitor-General.Duringallthisperiod—1575to1605—"themostexquisitelyconstructedmind

thathaseverbeenbestowedonanyofthechildrenofmen"appearstohavebeendormant. Take the first three volumes of Spedding's "Life and Letters," andcarefullynoteall that is recordedas theproductof thatmindduring theyearswhenitmusthavebeenatthezenithofitspowerandactivity.Allthelettersandtracts accredited to Bacon in them which have come down to us would notaccountforsixmonths—notforthreemonths—ofitsoccupation.The explanation that he was building up his great system of inductive

philosophy is quite inadequate. Rawley speaks of the "Novum Organum" ashavingbeeninhandfortwelveyears.Thiswouldgive1608astheyearwhenitwascommenced.The"CogitataetVisa,"ofwhichitwasanamplification,wasprobably written in 1606 or 1607, for on the 17th February, 1607-8, Bodleywritesacknowledgingthereceiptofitandcommentingonit.

Rawley says that it was during the last five years of Bacon's life that hecomposedthegreatestpartofhisbooksandwritingsbothinEnglishandLatin,and supplies a list which comprises all his acknowledged published worksexceptthe"NovumOrganum"andtheEssays.In "The Statesmen and Favourites of England since the Reformation," it is

stated that the universal knowledge and comprehension of things renderedFrancisBacontheobservationofgreatandwisemen,andafterwardthewonderof all. Yet it is remarkable how few are the references to him amongst hiscontemporaries.Practicallytheonlyonethatwouldenableareadertogainanyknowledge of his personality is Francis Osborn, who, in letters to his son,publishedin1658,describeshimashewasinthelastfewyearsofhislife.NoonehasleftdatawhichenablesaclearimpressiontobeformedofFrancisBaconashewasuptohisfortiethyear.Theomissionmaybedescribedasaconspiracyofsilence.Howexactly thecircumstancesappear tofit inwith thefirst lineofJohnOwen'sepigramtoDominusB.,publishedin1612!—"Thoulivestwell ifonewellhidwell lives";andif thesuggestionnowputforwardbecorrect thatBacondeliberatelyresolvedthathisimageandpersonalityshouldneverbeseen,but only the fruits of his mind—the issues of his brain, to use Rawley'sexpression—howaptisthesecondlineoftheepigram:"Andthygreatgeniusinbeingconcealed,isrevealed."

CHAPTERXV.

BURGHLEYANDBACON.Therewaspublishedin1732"TheLifeoftheGreatStatesmanWilliamCecil,

LordBurghley."TheprefacesignedbyArthurCollinsstates:—

TheworkIhaveforseveralyearsengagedin,oftreatingofthosefamiliesthathavebeenBaronsofthisKingdom,necessarilyinducedmetoapplytoourNobilityforsuchhelps,asmightillustratethememoryoftheirancestors.AndseveralNoblemenhavingfavour'dmewiththeperusaloftheirfamilyevidences,andbeingrecommendedtotheRightHonourablethepresentEarlofExeter,hisLordshipoutofjustregardtothememoryof his greatAncestor,waspleased to order themanuscriptLife of theLordBurghley to becommunicatedtome.

Whichbeingveryoldanddecayedandonlylegible tosuchwhoareversedinancientwritings itwaswithgreatsatisfactionthatIcopieditliteratim.Andthatitmaynotbelosttotheworld,Inowofferittotheviewofthepublick.ItfullyappearstobewroteinthereignofQueenElizabethsoonafterhisLordship'sdeath,byonewhowasintimatewithhim,andaneyewitnessofhisactionsforthelasttwenty-fiveyears.Itneedsnocommenttosetitoff;thattruthandsinceritywhichshinesthroughthewhole,will,Idon'tdoubthavethesameweightwiththeReadersasithadwithmeandthattheywillbeofopinionit'stoovaluabletobeburiedinoblivion.

This "Life of Lord Burghley" is referred to by Nares and other of hisbiographers as having beenwritten by "a domestic." It contains about 16,000wordsandisthemostauthenticaccountextantofthegreatstatesman'slife.Thenarrativeisfull,buttheobservationsonthecharacterandhabitsofBurghleyarebyfarthemostimportantfeature.ThemethodoftreatmentofthesubjectisafterBacon's style; theLife aboundswithphrases andwith tricksofdiction,whichenableittobeidentifiedashis.TheconcludingsentencescouldonlyhavebeenwrittenwithBacon'spen:—

AndsoleavinghissoulewithGod,hisfametotheworld,andthetruthtoallcharitablemynds,Ileavethe sensure to all judiciousChristians,who truly practisingwhat they professe,will better approve, andmoreindifferentlie interpret it, thanenvieormalicecandisproveit.Thebestsortwilleverdoeright, theworstcanbutimaginemischiefanddoewrong;yetthisisacomfort,themorehisvirtuesaretrodendowne,themorewilltheirebrightnesappeare.Virtusvulneratavirescit.

In1592the"ResponsioadedictumReginæAngliæ"oftheJesuitParsonshadappeared,attackingtheQueenandheradvisers(especiallyBurghley),towhomwere attributed all the evils of England and the disturbances of Christendom.The reply to this was entrusted to Francis Bacon, who responded with apamphletentitled"Certainobservationsuponalibelpublishedthispresentyear,1592." Itwas firstprintedbyDr.Rawley in the"Resuscitatio" in1657.At the

time it was written it was circulated largely in manuscript, for at least eightcopies, somewhatvarying fromeachother, havebeenpreserved.[37] It is quitepossible that it was printed at the time, but that no copy has survived.ThroughoutthewholeworktherearecontinualreferencestoBurghley.ChapterVI.isentirelydevotedtohisdefenceandisheaded"CertaintruegeneralnotesupontheactionsoftheLordBurghley."Either"TheLife"andthe"ObservationsonaLibel"arebythesamewriterortheauthoroftheformerborrowedthelatterveryfreely.It is toberegrettedthat theoriginalmanuscriptof the"Life"cannotnowbe

found. In 1732 it was at Burghley House. Application has been made to thepresent Marquis of Exeter for permission to inspect it, but his Lordship'slibrarianhasnoknowledgeofitsexistence.IfitcouldbeexamineditisprobablethatifthetextwasnotinBacon'shandwritingsomenotesoralterationsmightberecognisedashis.ThewritersayshewasaneyewitnessofBurghley'slifeandactions twenty-five years together—that would be from 1573 to 1598, whichwouldwellaccordwiththepresentcontention.IfBaconwastheauthoritthrowsconsiderable light on his relations with Burghley and establishes the fact thattheywereofthemostcordialandaffectionatecharacter.ItisreportedthatBaconsaidthatinthetimeoftheBurghleys—fatherandson—cleverorablemenwererepressed, andmainly upon this has been based the impression that BurghleyopposedFrancisBacon'sprogress.Burghley's biographer refers to this report. Hewrites: "Hewas careful and

desiroustofurderandadvauncemenofqualityanddesarttobeCouncellorsandofficerstoherMajestywhereinheplacedmanieandlabouredtobringinmore...yetwouldenvywithherslaundersreporthehinderedmenfromrising;buthowetrueitiswisemenmaiejudge,foritwastheQueenetotakewhomshepleasedandnotinasubjecttopreferreewhomhelisted."Itwilleventuallybeproved thatsucha reportconveysan incorrectview. In

the letter of 1591,[38] addressed to Burghley, Bacon says:—"Besides I do notfindinmyselfsomuchself-love,butthatthegreaterpartsofmythoughtsaretodeservewell (if Iwereable)ofmyfriendsandnamelyofyourLordship;whobeingtheAtlasofthisCommonwealth,thehonourofmyhouse,andthesecondfounderofmypoorestate,Iamtiedbyallduties,bothofagoodpatriot,andofanunworthykinsman,andofanobligedservant,toemploywhatsoeverIamtodo your service," and later in the letter he employs the phrase, "And if yourLordshipwillnotcarrymeon,"andthenthreatenstoselltheinheritancethathehas,purchasesomequickrevenuethatmaybeexecutedbyanother,andbecome

somesorrybookmakerorapioneerinthatmineoftruthwhichAnaxagorassaidlaysodeep.Again,inalettertoBurghley,dated31stMarch,1594,hesays:—"Lastly,that

howsoeverthismattermaygo,yetImayenjoyyourlordship'sgoodfavourandhelpasIhavedoneinregardtomyprivateestate,whichasIhavenotaltogetherneglectedsoIhavebutnegligentlyattendedandwhichhathbeenbetteredonlybyyourself (theQueenexcept)andnotbyanyother inmatterof importance."Further on he says: "Thus again desiring the continuance of your Lordship'sgoodness as I have hitherto found it on my part sought also to deserve, Icommend,"etc.It is very easy, with little information as to Bacon's actions and little

knowledgeoftheperiod,toformadefiniteopinionastotherelationsofBaconandBurghley.Themore informationas to theoneandknowledgeof theotheronegets,themoredifficultdoesitbecometoarriveatasatisfactoryconclusion.Herewas the son ofElizabeth's greatLordKeeper, the nephewof her trustedminister,himselffromhisboyhoodapersonagratawiththeQueen,ofbrilliantparts andgreatwisdom—ifhehadbeenamereplace-hunterhisdesires couldhave been satisfied over and over again. There was some condition ofcircumstance,ofwhichnothinghashithertobeenknown,whichpreventedhimfromobtainingtheobjectofhisdesires.Thathehadadefiniteobject,andhadmapped out a course by which he hoped to achieve it, is evident from hisletters[39]alreadyquoted.It isequallyclearthatthecoursehesoughttopursueentailedhisabandoningthelawasaprofession.Eitherhewouldonlyhavesuchplace as he desired, and on his own terms, or hewas known to be followingsomecoursewhich,althoughnotdistasteful tohisclosefriends,causedhimtobeheld insuspicion, ifnotdistrust,by thecourtierswithwhomElizabethwassurrounded.Everyadditionalfactthatcomestolightseemstopointtothetruthbeing that through his life Burghley was Francis Bacon's staunch friend andsupporter. Upon Sir Nicholas Bacon's death Burghley appears with Bodley tohavebeenmaintainingBaconinhistravelsabroad.UponhisreturntoEnglandBurghley gave him financial support in his great project. In 1591 therewas acrisis—someone had been spendingmoney for the past twelve years freely inmaking English literature. That cannot be gainsaid. Burghley appears to havepulled up and remonstrated; hence Bacon's letter containing the threat beforereferred to. It issignificant that itwas immediatelyafter this letterwaswrittenthat Bacon's association with Essex commenced. Bacon would take him andSouthamptonintohisconfidenceandseektheirhelp.Essexwasjustthemantorespondwith enthusiasm. Francis introducedAnthony to him.The services of

thebrotherswereplacedathisdisposal,andheundertooktomanagetheQueen.The office of Attorney-General for Francis would meet the case. "It wasdangerous in a factious age to have my Lord Essex his favour," says thebiographerbeforequoted.[40]

That Burghley was favourable to his appointment as Attorney-General twoletterswrittenbyFrancis toLordKeeperPuckering in1594testify. In thefirstBaconwrites:"IprayyourLordshiptocalltoremembrancemyLordTreasurer'skindcourse,whoaffirmeddirectlyalltheresttobeunfit.Andbecausevisunitafortior I beg your Lordship to take a time with the Queen when my LordTreasurerispresent."Inasecondletterhewrites:"IthoughtgoodtorememberyourgoodLordship

andtorequestyouasI touchedinmylast that ifmyLordTreasurerbeabsentyour Lordshipwould forbear to fall intomy businesswith herMajesty lest itmoughtreceivesomefoilbeforethetimewhenitshouldberesolutelydealtin."OnlyBurghleywasfoundtosupportEssex'sadvocacy,andonthewholethis

wasnot tobewonderedat.Suchanappointment, to say the least,wouldhavebeenanexperiment.PossiblyEssexwasthestumbling-block,butitmaybethattherealobjectiononthepartoftheQueenandheradviserswasthatBaconwasknowntobesoamorousofcertainlearnedarts,somuchgivenovertoinvention,that the consensus of opinion was that he was thereby unfitted to hold animportant office of the State. Or it may be that he was discredited by hissuspectedorknownassociationwithcertainprinters.Therewassomereasonofwhichnoexplanationcannowbetraced.Ithasbeensuggested that in1591 therewasacrisis inBacon's life.That is

evident from the letter to Burghley written in that year. John Harrington'stranslationof"OrlandoFurioso"waspublishedaboutthistime.Themanuscript,whichisinaperfectcondition,isintheBritishMuseum,andhasbeenmarkedinBacon's handwriting throughout.Thepagination and theprinter's signature areplacedatthecommencementofthestanzastobeprintedoneachpage,andthereareinstructionstotheprinterattheendwhicharenotinhishand.Therearegoodgroundsforattributingthenotesattheendofeachchapterto

Bacon.It is very improbable that Sir JohnHarrington had the classical knowledge

whichthewriterofthesenotesmusthavepossessed.Thereisaletterwrittenbyhim to Sir Amias Pawlett, dated January, 1606-7. He is relating an interviewwithKingJames, and says: "Thenhe (theking)enquyredemucheof lernynge

andshowedemehisowneinsuchsorteasmademeremembermyexamineratCambridgeaforetyme.Hesoughtemuchetoknowemyadvancesinphilosophieandutteredeprofounde sentencesofAristotle and such lykewryters,whiche Ihad never reade and which some are bolde enoughe to saye others do notunderstand." It would be difficult tomention any classical authorwithwhoseworks thewriter of these noteswas not familiar, or to believe that "EpigramsbothPleasantandSerious"(1615)camefromthepenofthatwriter.At the end of the thirty-seventh chapter the following note occurs: "It was

because she (Porcia) wrote some verses in manner of an Epitaph upon herhusbandafterhisdecease:Inwhichkind, thathonourableLadie(widowof thelateLordJohnRussell)deservethnolessecommendation,havingdoneasmuchfor two husbands. And whereas my author maketh so great bost only of onelearnedwomaninItalie,Imaycompare(besidesoneaboveallcomparisonthatIhavenoted in the twentithbooke) threeor foure inEnglandoutofonefamily,andnamelythesistersofthatlearnedLadie,aswitnessthatversewrittenbythemeanestofthefouretotheLadieBurliewhichIdoubtifCambridgeorOxfordcanmend."

ThefourdaughtersofSirAnthonieCooke—LadieBurlie,LadieRussell,LadyBacon,

MistressKillygrew.

SimihiquemcupiocuresMildredaremitti

Tubona,tumelior,tumihisolasoror;

Sinmalicessandoretines,&transmaremittis,

Tumala,tupeior,tumihinullasoror.

IssiCornubiam,tibipaxsit&omnialæta,

SinmareCeciliænunciobella.Vale.[41]

ShewrotetoLadyBurlietosendakinsmanofhersintoCornwall,

whereshedwelt,andto

stophisgoingbeyondsea.

The writer of the Latin verse was not Ladie Russell, and it was written toLadieBurlie,soshemusteitherbeLadieBaconorMistressKilligrew.Itisnotan improbable theory thatLadieBaconwaswriting toher sisterMildred,whohad, throughher husband, power either to sendFrancis toCornwall or permithimtobesentawayovertheseas.There is a copy ofMachiavelli's "History of Florence," 1595,withBacon's

notesinthemargins.[42]

At the end is amemorandumgiving the dateswhen the bookwas read "inCornwallat,"andthenfollowtwowords,thesecondofwhichis"Lake,"butthefirstisundecipherable.Is itpossible thatLadyAnneBaconhadahouse inCornwallwhichFrancis

Bacon,inheritingafterherdeath,wasinthehabitofvisitingforretirement?Butthisisconjecture.Thefollowingpointisofinterest.Inthe"LifeofBurghley"(1598)it issaid

that:"Bookeswearesopleasingtohim,aswhenhegottlibertietogoeuntohishousetotakeayre,ifhefoundabookworththeopeninge,hewoldratherloosehis ridinge thanhis readinge;andyet ryding inhisgardenwalksuponhis litlemoilewashisgreatestDisport:Butsosooneashecameinhefelltohisreadingeagaineorelstodispatchingebusines."Rawley, inhis "LifeofBacon" (1657), attributes anexactly similarhabit to

thephilosopher,andalmost in identicalphrase:"Forhewouldever interlaceamoderate relaxation of hismindwith his studies aswalking, or taking the airabroadinhiscoachorsomeotherbefittingrecreation;andyethewouldlosenotime,inasmuchasuponhisfirstandimmediatereturnhewouldfall toreadingagain,andsosuffernomomentof timetoslipfromhimwithoutsomepresentimprovement."It is difficult to approach any phase of the life of Bacon without being

confrontedwithwhat appears tobe evidenceof carefulpreparation toobscurethe facts. This observation does not result from imagination or prejudice;Bacon's movements are always enshrouded in mystery. Investigation andresearch will, however, eventually establish as a fact that there was a closerconnection betweenBurghley andBacon than historians have recognised, andthattheyhadastrongattachmentforeachother.

CHAPTERXVI.THE1623FOLIOEDITIONOFSHAKESPEARE'S

PLAYS.

Sir Sydney Lee has written[43]:—"As a specimen of typography, the FirstFolio isnot tobecommended.Thereareagreatmanycontemporary foliosoflarger bulk farmore neatly and correctly printed. It looks as though Jaggard'sprinting office was undermanned. The misprints are numerous, and areespeciallyconspicuousinthepagination."Inthesameyearwaspublished"TheTheater of Honour and Knighthood," translated from the French of AndreuFavine.William Jaggardwas the printer. It is a large folio volume containingabout1,200pages,andisreferredtoasbeingissuedbyJaggardasanexampleofthe printer's art to maintain his reputation, which had suffered from theapparentlycarelessmannerinwhichtheShakespeareFoliowasturnedout.Bothbooks contain the same emblematic head-pieces and tail-pieces. There are,however, some considerable mispaginations in "The Theater of Honour."MispaginationswerenotinfrequentinElizabethanandJacobeanliterature,butitisquitepossiblethattheywerenotunintentional.Themostglaringinstanceistobe found in the first Edition of "The Two Bookes of Francis Bacon—Of theProficienceandAdvancement inLearning,DivineandHumane,"publishedbyHenrieTomes (1605).Each leaf (not page) is numbered.The45 leavesof thefirstbookarecorrectlynumbered.Inthesecondbookthereisnonumberonleaf6. Leaf 9 is numbered 6, the right figure being printed upside down; 30 isnumbered33; from31 to70 thenumbering is correct, and then the leaves arenumberedasfollows:—70,70,71,70,72,74,73,74,75,69,77,78,79,80,77,74,74,69,69,82,87,79,89,91,92,93,94,95,99,97,99,94,100,99,102,103,103,93,106, andoncorrectlyuntil the lastpage,118, except that115 isnumbered105.It is impossible to attribute this mispagination to the printer's carelessness.

ThiswasthefirstworkpublishedbearingBacon'sname,exceptingthetrifleofessayspublished in1597.Theredoesnotappear tohavebeenanyhurry in itsproduction. It is quite a small volume, and yet the foregoing remarkablemispaginationsoccur.Theremustbesomepurpose in thiswhichhasyet tobefoundout.

The 1623 Shakespeare Folio will be found to be one of the most perfectexamplesof theprinter'sartextant,becausenoworkhasbeenproducedundersuchdifficultconditionsfortheprinter.Therearefewmistakesinpaginationorspelling which are not intentional. The work is a masterpiece of enigma andcrypticdesign.Thelines"TotheReader"oppositetothetitle-pageareatableorcodeofnumbers.Thesamelinesandtheletteringonthetitle-pageformanothertable. The ingenuity displayed in this manipulation of words and numbers tocreate analogies is almost beyond the comprehensionof thehumanmind.Themispaginationsareallintentionalandhavecrypticmeanings.Theacmeofwitisthesubstitutionof993for399onthelastpageof thetragedies;ahundredhasbeenomittedin"Hamlet,"257following156,andothererrorsmadeinordertoobtainthisresultonthelastpage.Themannerinwhichtheprinter'ssignatureshave been arranged with the pages is equally wonderful. The name WilliamShakespearemusthavebeencreatedwithoutreferencetohimofStratford,whopossibly bore or had assigned to him a somewhat similar name. A greatsuperstructure is built up on the exact spelling of the words WilliamShakespeare.Theyear1623wasspeciallyselectedfortheissueofthecompletevolume of the plays, because of the marvellous relations which the numberscomposingitbeartothenamesWilliamShakespeareandFrancisBacon,totheyear1560,inwhichthebirthofBaconisregistered,andto1564and1616,thereputeddatesof thebirth anddeathof theStratfordman.Nordo thewondersendhere.TheuseofnumericalanalogieshasbeencarriedintotheconstructionoftheEnglishlanguage.Allthis,andmuchmore,willbemademanifestwhentheworkofMr.E.V.Tannercomestobeinvestigatedandappreciated.Hehasmadethegreatestliterarydiscoveryofalltime.Thewonderishowithasbeenpossibleforanyonetopiercetheveilandrevealthesecretsofthevolume.ThevalueoftheShakespeareFolio1623willbeenhanced.Itwillstandaloneasthegreatestmonumentoftheachievementsofthehumanintellect.Toanyliterarycriticwhoshouldhonourthisbookbynoticingit,itisprobable

theforegoingstatementsmayseemextravagantanduntrustworthy.Tosuchtherequestisnowmadethatbeforemakinganycommenthewillinspecttheproofoftheforegoingstatementswhichareinthewriter'spossession.ThedramasofShakespeareare,byuniversal consent,placedat theheadofall literature.Theinvitation is now put forth in explicit terms, and facilities are offered for theinvestigationofthetruth,orotherwise,ofeverystatementmadeintheforegoingparagraph.

CHAPTERXVII.THEAUTHORIZEDVERSIONOFTHEBIBLE,

1611.IsitnotstrangethatthereisnomentionofanyconnectionofFrancisBacon

with thiswork?Therewas a conferenceheld atHamptonCourtPalacebeforeKing James on January, 1603, between the Episcopalians and Puritans. JohnRainoldesurgedthenecessityofprovidingforhispeopleauniformtranslationof theBible.Rainoldeswas the leader of the Puritans, a person of prodigiousreading and doctrine, and the very treasury of erudition. Dr. Hall, Bishop ofNorwich,reportsthat"healonewasawellfurnishedlibrary,fullofallfaculties,ofallstudies,ofalllearning—thememoryandreadingofthatmanwerenearamiracle."TheKingapprovedthesuggestionandcommissionedforthatpurposefifty-fourofthemostlearnedmenintheuniversitiesandotherplaces.Therewasa "careful selection of revisers made by some unknown but very competentauthority." The translators were divided into six bands of nine each, and theworkoftranslationwasapportionedouttothem.Asetofruleswasdrawnupfortheirguidance,whichhashappilycomedowntomoderntimes—almosttheonlyrecord that remains of this great undertaking. These concise rules have ahomogeneity, breadth and vigour which point to Bacon as their author. Eachreviserwastotranslatethewholeoftheoriginalallocatedtohiscompany;thentheyweretocomparetheirtranslationstogether,and,assoonasacompanyhadcompleteditspart,itwastocommunicatetheresulttotheothercompanies,thatnothing might pass without the general consent. If any company, upon thereviewof the translationsosent,differedonanypoint, theywere tonote theirobjectionandstatetheirreasonsfordisagreement.Ifthedifferencescouldnotbeadjusted,therewasacommitteeofarbitrationwhichmetweekly,consistingofarepresentativefromeachcompany,towhomthematterindisputewasreferred.If any point was found to be very obscure, letters were to be addressed, byauthority, to learned persons throughout the land inviting their judgment. Theworkwas commenced in 1604. Rainoldes belonged to the company towhomIsaiah and the prophetswere assigned.He died in 1607, before theworkwascompleted. During his illness his colleaguesmet in his bedroom so that theymight retain the benefit of his learning.Only forty-seven out of the fifty-fournamesareknown.Whenthecompanieshadcompletedtheirwork,onecomplete

copywasmade at Oxford, one at Cambridge, and one atWestminster. Thoseweresent toLondon.Then twomemberswereselectedfromeachcompany toform a committee to review and polish thewhole. Themembersmet daily atStationers'Hallandoccupiedninemonthsintheirtask.ThenafinalrevisionwasentrustedtoDr.ThomasBilsonandDr.MilesSmith,andin1609theirlabourswerecompletedandtheresultwashandedtotheKing.Manyofthetranslatorshaveleftspecimensoftheirwritingintheologicaltreatises,sermons,andotherworks.AcarefulperusalofalltheseavailablejustifiestheassertionthatamongstthewholebodytherewasnotonemanwhowassogreataliterarystylistastobeabletowritecertainportionsoftheAuthorisedVersion,whichstampitasoneofthetwogreatestexamplesoftheEnglishlanguage.Naturallytheinterestcentreson Dr. Thomas Bilson and Dr. Miles Smith, to whom the final revision wasentrusted.Therearesomenineortentheologicalworksbytheformerandtwosermonsby the latter.Unless the theory of a special divine inspiration for theoccasionbeadmitted,itisclearthatneitherBilsonnorMilesSmithcouldhavegiven the final touches to the Bible. And now a curious statement has comedowntous.In1609thetranslatorshandedtheirworktotheKing,andin1610he returned it to them completed. Jameswas incapable ofwriting anything towhichthetermbeautifulcouldbeapplied.Whathadhappenedtothetranslators'workwhilstitwasleftinhishands?Jameshadanofficerofstateatthattimeofwhomacontemporarybiographer

wrotethat"hehadthecontrivanceofallKingJameshisDesigns,untilthematchwith Spain." It will eventually be proved that the whole scheme of theAuthorisedVersionoftheBiblewasFrancisBacon's.Hewasanardentstudentnot only of theBible, but of the earlymanuscripts. St.Augustine,St. Jerome,andwritersoftheologicalworks,werestudiedbyhimwithindustry.HehaslefthisannotationsinmanycopiesoftheBibleandinscoresoftheologicalworks.Thetranslationmusthavebeenaworkinwhichhetookthedeepestinterestandwhichhewouldfollowfromstagetostage.WhenthelaststagecametherewasonlyonewriteroftheperiodwhowascapableofturningthephraseswiththatmatchlessstylewhichisthegreatcharmoftheShakespeareplays.Whoeverthatstylist was, it was to him that James handed over the manuscripts which hereceived from the translators. That man then made havoc of much of thetranslation,butheproducedaresultwhich,onits literarymerits, iswithoutanequal.Thirty years ago another revision took place, but, notwithstanding the

advantageswhichtherevisersof1880hadovertheirpredecessorsof1611,theirversion has failed to displace the older version, which is too precious to the

heartsofthepeopleforthemtoabandonit.Although not one of the translators has left any literaryworkwhichwould

justifythebeliefthathewascapableofwritingthemorebeautifulportionsoftheBible, fortunatelyBaconhas left anexamplewhichwould rather add lustre tothandecreasethehighstandardof theBibleif itwereincorporatedinit.Astothe truth of this statement the reader must judge from the following prayer,which was written after his fall, and which was described by Addison asresemblingthedevotionofanangelratherthanaman:—

Remember, O Lord, how Thy servant hath walked before Thee; rememberwhatIhavefirstsought,andwhatbeenprincipalinmineintentions.IhavelovedThy assemblies; I have mourned for the divisions of Thy Church; I havedelightedinthebrightnessofThysanctuary.Thisvine,whichThyrighthandhathplantedinthisnation,Ihaveeverprayed

untoTheethatitmighthavethefirstandthelatterrain,andthatitmightstretchherbranchestotheseasandtothefloods.The state and bread of the poor and oppressed have been precious inmine

eyes.Ihavehatedallcrueltyandhardnessofheart.Ihave,thoughinadespisedweed,procuredthegoodofallmen.If any have beenmine enemies, I thought not of them, neither hath the sun

almostsetuponmydispleasure;butIhavebeenasadove,freefromsuperfluityofmaliciousness.Thy creatures have been my books, but Thy scriptures much more. I have

sought Thee in the courts, fields, and gardens, but I have found Thee in Thytemples.Thousand have been my sins and ten thousand my transgressions, but Thy

sanctificationshaveremainedwithme,andmyheart, throughThygrace,hathbeenanunquenchedcoaluponThinealtar.OLord,mystrength,IhavesincemyyouthmetwithTheeinallmyways,by

Thy fatherlycompassions,byThycomfortablechastisements,andbyThymostvisible providence. As Thy favours have increased upon me, so have Thycorrections, so that Thou hast been ever near me, O Lord; and ever, as Thyworldlyblessingswereexalted,sosecretdartsfromTheehavepiercedme,andwhenIhaveascendedbeforemen,IhavedescendedinhumiliationbeforeThee.Andnow,whenIthoughtmostofpeaceandhonour,Thyhandisheavyupon

me,andhathhumbledmeaccordingtoThyformerlovingkindness,keepingmestill in Thy fatherly school, not as a bastard but as a child. Just are Thyjudgmentsuponmeformysins,whicharemoreinnumberthanthesandsofthesea,buthavenoproportiontoThymercies;forwhatarethesandsoftheseatothesea?Earth,heavens,andallthesearenothingtoThymercies.Besidesmyinnumerablesins,IconfessbeforeTheethatIamdebtortoThee

for thegracious talentofThygiftsandgraces,whichIhaveneitherput intoanapkin, nor put it (as I ought) to exchangers,where itmight havemademost

profit,butmisspentitinthingsforwhichIwasleastfitsothatImaytrulysaymysoulhathbeenastrangerinthecourseofmypilgrimage.Bemercifuluntome,OLord,formySaviour'ssake,andreceivemeintoThy

bosomorguidemeinThyways.

There is another feature about the first editions of the Authorised Versionwhicharrestsattention.In1611thefirstfolioeditionwaspublished.Thedesignwith archers, dogs and rabbits which is to be found over the address "To theChristianReader"which introduces the genealogies is also to be found in thefolio edition of Shakespeare over the dedication to the most noble andIncomparablepaireofBrethren,over theCatalogueandelsewhere.Except thatthemarkofquerywhichisontheheadoftherighthandpillarinthedesignintheBibleismissingintheShakespearefolio,andthearrowwhichthearcherontherighthandsideisshootingcontainsamessageinthedesignusedintheBibleandiswithoutoneintheShakespearefolio.In the1612quartoeditionof theAuthorisedVersionon the title-pageof the

Genealogies are two designs; that at the head of the page is printed from theidentical blockwhichwasusedon the title-pageof the first editionof "VenusandAdonis,"1593,andthefirsteditionof"Lucrece,"1594.AtthebottomisthedesignwiththelightAanddarkA,whichisoverthededicationtoSirWilliamCecil in the "Arte of English Poesie," 1589.An octavo edition,which is nowveryrare,wasalsopublishedin1612.Onthetitle-pageoftheGenealogieswillbefoundthedesignwiththelightAanddarkAwhichisusedonseveraloftheShakespearequartosandelsewhere.(FigureXXI.)The selection of these designs was not made by chance. They were

deliberatelychosentocreatesimilitudesbetweencertainbooks,andmarktheirconnectionwitheachother.TherevisedtranslationoftheBiblewasundertakenasanationalwork.Itwas

carriedoutunder thepersonalsupervisionof theKing,buteveryrecordof theproceedingshasdisappeared.TheBritishMuseumdoesnotcontainamanuscriptconnected with the proceedings of the translators. In the Record Office havebeenpreservedtheoriginaldocumentsreferringtoimportantproceedingsofthatperiod.Theparliamentary,judicial,andmunicipalrecordsare,onthewhole,inacomplete condition, but ask for any records connected with the AuthorisedVersionoftheBibleandthereplyis:"Wehavenone."Andyetitisreasonabletosuppose that manuscripts and documents of such importance would bepreserved.Wherearetheytobefound?

CHAPTERXVIII.HOWBACONMARKEDBOOKSWITHTHE

PUBLICATIONOFWHICHHEWASCONNECTED.

Ataveryearlyperiodinthehistoryofprinting,thecustomwasintroducedofplacing on title-pages, at the heads and ends of the chapters, emblematicaldesigns. InEnglishprintedbooks these are seldom tobe founduntil the latterhalfofthe16thcentury.An investigation of the books of the period reveals the fact that the same

blocks were used by different printers. Articles have been written on themigrationofprinter'sblocks,but,so far,noexplanationhasbeenofferedas toanyobjectotherthandecorationforwhichtheseblockswereused.Amongotherdesignsinusebetween1576and1640areanumberofvariants

ofadeviceinwhichalightAandadarkAformthemostconspicuouspoints.Camden,inhis"RemainesConcerningBritaine,"1614,commencesachapteron"Impresses,"at theheadofwhich thedevice is found, thus:—"AnImprese (astheItalianscallit)isadeviceinpicturewithhisMotto,orWord,bornebynobleand learned personages, to notifie some particular conceit of their owne: asEmblemes (thatwemay omitte other differences) doe propound some generalinstructionstoall."Thenfollowanumberofexamples,andamongstthemthis:—

"Varieteandvicissitudeofhumanethingsheseemedtoshewwhichpartedhisshield,PerPale,Argent&Sablesandcounter-changeablywritte in theArgent,AterandintheSablesAlbus."

ButevenifthelightAanddarkAareusedinthedesignofthehead-piecetorepresentAlbus andAter it does not afford any satisfactory explanation as towhytheyaresoused.InMDCXVI.waspublished"LesEmblemesMoraulxetMilitairesduSieur

JacobDeBruckAngermundtNouvellementmisenLumiereAStrasbourg,Par

JacobdeHeydenGraveur."InEmblemNo.18,nowreproduced,thelightAandthedarkAwillbefound

inthebranchofthetreewhichthemanisabouttocutoff.(FigureVI.)[44]

AnotherEmblemdoesnotcontainthelightAanddarkA,butthebarkofthetrunkandbranchesofthetreeonthedesignexhibitastrongcontrastbetweenthedarkandlight,whichfeatureisrepresentedinmostofthetitle-pagesofbooksinwhichthedeviceisfound.(FigureVII.)Mr.CharlesT. Jacob,ChiswickPress,London,who is theauthorof"Books

andPrinting"(London,1902),andseveralworksontypography,referringtoanarticleonthemigrationofwoodblocks,said:—

Itisawell-knownfacttoBibliographersthatthesameblocksweresometimesusedbydifferentprintersintwoplacesquitefarapart,andatvariousintervalsduringtheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies.Thatthesameblockswereemployedisapparentfromacomparisonoftechnicaldefectsofimpressionstakenatdifferentplaces,andattwoperiods.Therewasnomethodofduplicationinexistenceuntilstereotypingwasfirstinventedin1725;eventhenthedetailsweresomewhatcrude,andtheprocessbeingnew,itmetwithmuch opposition and was practically not adopted until the early part of the nineteenth century.Electrotyping, which is the ideal method of reproducing woodblocks, was not introduced until 1836 orthereabouts.Ofcourse,itwasquitepossibletore-engravethesamedesign,butabsolutefidelitycouldnotbereliedonbythesemeans,evenifexecutedbythesamehand.

Theearliestdatewhichappearsonabookinwhichthehead-piece,containingthedeviceofthelightAanddarkAisfound,is1563.Thebookis"DeFurtivisLiterarumNotisVulgo.DeZiferis," Ioan.BaptistaPortaNeapolitanoAuthore.CumPrivilegioNeapoli,apudIoa.MariamScotum.MDLXIII.(FigureVIII.)Itisonlyusedonce—overthededicationIoanniSotoPhilippiRegis.Thereis

nootherhead-piece in thebook.JohnBaptistPortawas,with theexceptionofTrithemius,whomhequotes,thefirstwriteroncyphers.Atthetimeatwhichhewrotecypher-writingwasstudiedineveryCourtinEurope.Itissignificantthatthisemblematicdeviceisusedintheearliestperiodinwhichhead-pieceswereadopted, inabookwhich isdescriptiveand is in facta text-bookof theartofconcealment.Thishas,however,nowbeenprovedtobeafalselydatedbook.ThefirsteditionofthisworkwaspublishedinNaplesin1563byIoa.Marius

Scotus,butthisdoesnotcontaintheAAdesign.In1591thebookwaspublishedin London by JohnWolfe; this reprint was dedicated to Henry Percy, Earl ofNorthumberland. After the edition had been printed off, the title-page wasaltered to correspond with the 1563 Naples publication. The dedication wastakenout,andareprintoftheoriginaldedicationwassubstituted,andoverthiswasplacedtheAAhead-piece;thenaneditionwasstruckoff,and,untilto-day,it has been sold and re-sold as the first edition of Baptista Porta'swork. It is

difficulttoofferanyexplanationastowhythisfraudwascommitted.Thefirstoccasionuponwhichthisdevicewasusedappearstobeinabookso

rarethatnocopyofitcanbefound,eitherintheBritishMuseumortheBodleianLibrary.Unfortunately,inthecopybelongingtothewriter,thetitle-pageandthetwo first pages aremissing. Thework is called "HebraicumAlphabethum Jo.Bovlaese." It is aHebrewGrammar,with proof-sheets added. It is interleavedwith sheets ofEnglish-madepaper, containingBacon's handwriting.Boundupwith it is another Hebrew Grammar, similarly interleaved, called "Sivecompendium, quintacunque Ratione fieri potuit amplessimum, Totius linguæ,"published in Paris in 1566. The book ends with the sentence: "Ex collegioMontis—Acuti20Decembris1576";thenfollowtwopagesinHebrew,withtheLatintranslationoverit,headed"DecemPræceptadecalogiExod."Overthisisthedesigncontaining the lightAand thedarkA, and the squirrel and rabbits.(Figure IX.) One thing is certain, that the copy now referred to was in thepossession of Bacon, and that the interleaved sheets of paper contain hishandwriting, in which have been added page by page the equivalents of theHebrewinGreek,Chaldæic,SyriacandArabic.In 1577 Christophor Plantin published an edition of Andrea Alciat's

"Emblemata."Onpage104isEmblemNo.45,"Indiesmeliora."Thishasbeenre-designedforthe1577edition.ItcontainsatthebackthepillarsofHercules,withascrollaroundbearingthemotto:"Plusoltre."Thesepillarsstandonsomearches,immediatelyinfrontofwhichisamoundorpyramid,twosidesofwhichare seen.On one is to be found the lightA and on the other the darkA.ThedesignwasappropriatedbyWhitney,andappearsonpage53inthe1586editionofhisEmblems.Fromthistimeforth,AAdevicesaretobefoundinnumbersofbookspublishedinEngland,andonsomepublishedontheContinent.Amongstthe former are the first editions of "Venus and Adonis," "Lucrece," the"Sonnets,"thequartoeditionsofShakespeare'splays,thefolioedition(1623)ofhis works, and the first quarto and octavo editions (1612) of the AuthorisedVersionoftheBible.There are fourteendistinct designs, in all ofwhich, varyingwidely in other

respects,thelightAandthedarkAconstitutetheoutstandingfigure.Theuseofthe twoletterssoshadedmusthavehadaspecialsignificance. InnearlyeverycaseitwillbeobservedthattheletterAissodrawnastomaketheletterConthe inside. Was its significance of general knowledge amongst printers andreaders,orwasitanearmarkingdeviceusedbyoneperson,orbyaSociety?Apossible interpretationof theuseof the lightanddarkshading, is that the

bookinwhichitisusedcontainsmorethanisrevealed;thatistosay,theovertandtheconcealed.A copy of "Æsopiphrygis vita et fabellæ cum latina interpretatione" exists,

date1517.ThebookisannotatedbyBacon.OnonesideistheGreektextandonthe opposite page the Latin translation.On pages 102 and 103 are two initiallettersprintedfromblocksoftheletterA.ThesearecolouredsothattheoneonthelefthandsideisalightA,andthatontheoppositepageadarkA.Thereareotherdesignswhichareusedapparentlyaspartofa scheme.The

identicalblock(FigureX.)whichwasusedatthetopofthetitlepageof"VenusandAdonis" (1593) and "Lucrece" (1594) did service on the title page of theGenealogiesinthequartoeditionoftheAuthorisedVersionoftheBible,1612.This design was, so far as can be traced, only used twice in the interveningnineteen years—on "An Apologie of the Earl of Essex to Master AnthonyBacon,"pennedbyhimself in1598,andprintedbyRichardBradockein1603,andin1607,onthe"WorldofWonders,"printedbyRichardField.Itwasofthisbook that Caldecott, the bibliophile and Shakespearean scholar, wrote: "ThephraseologyofShakespeare is better illustrated in thiswork than in any otherbookexisting."Thedesignwhich is foundon the titlepageof the"SonnetsofShakespeare," 1609, is found also in the first edition of Napier's "MirificiLogarithmorum," 1611, but printed from a different block. The design witharchersshootingatthebaseofthecentralfigureistobefoundinalargenumberofthefolioeditionsoftheperiod.AmongstthesearetheAuthorisedVersionofthe Bible, 1611, the "Novum Organum," 1620, and the 1623 edition ofShakespeare'sworks.ThereareotherdesignswhichareusuallyfoundaccompanyingthelightAand

darkAandtheotherdevicesbeforereferredto.Thesedesignswerefirstbroughtintousefrom1576andpracticallyceaseto

appear about 1626.Afterwards they are seldom seen except in books bearingBacon'sname,andeventuallytheylapse.ThelastuseofanAAdeviceisoverthelifeoftheauthorinthesecondvolumeofaneditionofBacon'sEssayseditedbyDr.WilliamWillymott,publishedbyHenryParsonin1720.Afteranintervalofabout60yearsanewdesignismade,whichisnotoneofthoseemployedbyBacon.Bymeans of these devices a certain number of booksmay be identified as

formingaclassbythemselves.Thereisanotherfeatureconnectedwiththemwhichisofspecialinterest.One

man appears to have contributed to all the books thus marked—either the

dedication,thepreface,[45]orthelines"TotheReader";insomecasesallthree.Itmaybeurgedinoppositiontothisviewthatinthosedaystherewasaforminwhich dedications and prefaces were written, and that this was more or lessfollowedbymanywriters,butthiscontentionwillnotstandinvestigation.Thereare tricks of phrasing and other peculiarities which enable certain literaryproductions to be identified as the work of one man. Some of the finestElizabethan literature is to be found in the prefaces and dedications in thesebooks.ThetheorynowputforthisthatFrancisBaconwasdirectingtheproductionof

agreatquantityoftheElizabethanliterature,andineverybookintheproductionofwhichhewas interested, he caused to be insertedoneof thesedevices.Hekept theblocks inhisowncustody;hesent themout toaprinterwhenabookwas approvedbyhim for printing.On the completionof thework, the printerreturned the blocks to Bacon so that they could be sent elsewhere by him asoccasionrequired.ThemostelaborateoftheAAdesignsisFigureXII.,andthewriterhasonly

founditinonevolume.Itis"LeHistoriedellaCittaDiFiorenza,"byM.Jacopo,publishedinLyonsbyTheobaldAncelinin1582."Exact was his correspondence abroad and at home, constant his Letters,

frequent his Visits, great his obligations," states the contemporary biographer,speakingofFrancisBacon.Itisdifficulttoarriveattheexactmeaningofthesewords.Thereislittlecorrespondencewiththoseabroadremaining,norecordofvisits, no particulars of the great obligations into which he entered. In thededication of the 1631 edition of the "Histoire Naturelle" toMonseigneur deChasteauneuf, the author speaking of Bacon writes:—"Le Chancelier, qu'on afaitvenirtantdefoisenFrance,n'apointencorequittél'Angleterreavectantdepassiondenousdécouvrirsesmerveillesquedepuisqu'ilasceulerangdontonavoitreconnuvosvertus."ThesefrequentvisitstoFranceareunrecordedelsewhere,buthereisdefinite

testimonythattheyweremade.TherearegoodgroundsforbelievingthatBaconwasthroughouthislife,until

theirdeaths, inconstantcommunicationwithChristophorPlantin (1514-1589),AldusManutius,HenryStephen(1528-1598),andalsowithRobertStephensthethird (1563-1640).All thesemenwere not only printers, but brilliant scholarsandwriters.Ifsearchbemade,itisquitepossiblethatcorrespondenceorotherevidence of their friendshipmay come to light. Be that as itmay, therewereundoubtedly a number of books publishedon the continent between1576 and

1630whichinthespartauponthembeartestimonytoBacon'sassociationwiththeirpublication.The following are instances of where the several designs which are

reproducedmaybefound.Theyhoweveroccurinmanyothervolumes.

Figure IX.— "TheArteofEnglishPoesie,"1589.

" XIII.— "OrlandoFurioso,"1607.

" XIV.— Spencer's"FairieQueen."

" XV.— "FlorentineHistorytranslation,"1595,and1636editionofBarclay's"Argenis."

" XI.— "Sonnets."

" XVI.— SimonPateriche'stranslationof"DiscourseagainstMachiavel."

" XVII.— Lodge'stranslationof"Seneca,"1614.

" XVIII.— ShakespeareFolio,1623.

" XIX.— "Dæmonologie,"1603.

" XX.— Alciat's"Emblems,"publishedinParis,1584.

CHAPTERXIX.

BACONANDEMBLEMATA.In"ShakespeareandtheEmblemWriters"theRev.HenryGreenendeavours

toshowthesimilaritiesofthoughtandexpressionbetweenthegreatpoetandtheauthorsofEmblemata,but the lineofenquirywhichhe thereopeneddoesnotappear to have been followed by subsequent writers. To-day the Emblemataliteratureisaterraincognitaexcepttoaveryfewstudents,andyetit isfullofinterest, romance, andmystery.Emblem literaturemaybe said tohavehad itsoriginwithAndreaAlciat, thecelebrated Italian jurisconsult,whowas famousforhisgreatknowledgeandpowerofmind. In1522hepublishedatMilanan"EmblematumLibellus,"orLittleBookofEmblems.Greensays:"Itestablished,ifitdidnotintroduce,anewstyleofemblemliterature,theclassicalintheplaceofthesimplygrotesqueandhumorous,oroftheheraldicandmythic."ThefirsteditionnowknowntoexistwaspublishedatAugsburgin1531,asmalloctavocontaining eighty-eight pages with ninety-seven emblems, and as manywoodcuts. It was from time to time augmented, and passed through manyeditions.ForsomeyearstheEmblemataappearstohavebeenproducedchieflybyItalians,withafewFrenchmen.Untilthelasthalfofthesixteenthcenturytheoutputofbooksofthischaracterwasnotlarge.Thenceforthforthenexthundredyears thecreationofemblemsbecameapopular formof literaryexercise.TheItalianscontinuedtobeprolific,butDutch,French,andGermanscholarswerebut little behind them.Therewere a fewEnglishmen and Spaniardswho alsopractisedtheart.In1905waspublishedabookcalled"LettersfromtheDeadtotheDead,"by

OliverLector.InitattentionisdrawntotheremarkablefeaturesofsomeofthebooksonemblemsprintedduringBacon'slife,andtotheevidencethathewasinsome manner connected with the publication of many of these volumes. Theauthor claims this to be especially the case with the "Emblemata Moralia etBellica," 1615, of JacobdeBruck, ofAngermundt, and the "EmblemataEthicPolitica"ofJ.Bornitius.The emblem pictures for themost part appear to be picture puzzles. In the

"CritiqueupontheMythologyoftheAncients"Baconsays:—

"Itmaypassforafartherindicationofaconcealedandsecretmeaning,thatsomeofthesefablesareso

absurd and idle in their narration as to proclaim and shew an allegory afar off. A fable that carriesprobabilitywithitmaybesupposedinventedforpleasure,orinimitationofhistory;but,thosethatwouldneverbeconceivedorrelatedinthisway,mustsurelyhaveadifferentuse."

Ifthislineofreasoningbeappliedtotheillustrationsintheemblembooks,itisclear that they conceal some hidden meaning, for they are apparentlyunintelligible, and the accompanying letterpress does not afford anyillumination.JeanBaudoinwasthetranslatorofBacon's"Essaies"intotheFrenchlanguage

(1626). Baudoin published in 1638-9 "Recueil D'Emblèmes divers avec desDiscoursMoraux,Philos.etPolit."Intheprefacehesays:"LegrandchancelierBaconm'ayantfaitnaîtrel'enviedetravailleràcesemblèmes...m'enafournilesprincipaux que j'ai tirés de l'explication ingénieuse qu'il a donnée de quelquesfables et de ses autres ouvrages." Here is definite evidence of Bacon'sassociationwithabookofemblems.The first volume of Emblemata in which traces of Bacon's hand are to be

foundisthe1577editionofAlciat's"Emblems,"publishedbythePlantinPress,withnotesbyClaudeMignault.Itisinthisedition,inEmblemNo.45,"Indiesmeliora," that for the first time the lightA and the darkA is to be found. Inpreviouseditions thisdevice isabsent.For thisvolumeanewdesignhasbeenengravedinwhichitappears.In theemblembookswritten in ItalianBacondoesnot appear tohavebeen

concerned,unlessanexceptionbemadeofRipa's"Iconologia,"acopyofwhichcontains his handwriting and initials. In some way he had control of a largenumberofthosewritteninLatin,andbearingnamesofDutch,French,andsomeItalianauthors,andalsoofseveralwritteninDutchandoftheEnglishwriters.The field isaverywideone,andonlya fewof theprincipalexamplescanbementioned.Themost importantwork is the "EmblemataMoralia etBellica" of Jacob à

Bruck,ofAngermundt,1615."ArgentoratiperJacobumabHeyden."WithmanyofthedesignsinthisvolumeOliverLectorhasdealtfullyin"LettersfromtheDead to theDead,"[46] before referred to.There is anothervolumebearing thenameofJacobàBruck,publishedin1598.Onlyonecopyofthisbookisknowntobeinexistence,andthatisintheRoyalLibraryofSt.Petersburg.The "Emblemata Ethico Politica of Jacobus Bornitius, 1659,Moguntiæ," is

remarkablebecausemanyoftheengravingscontainportraitsofBacon,namely,in Sylloge Prima, PlatesNos. vii., xxiii., xliv., xlv., xlvix.; and in Sylloge II.,Platesix.andxxxvi.OliverLectorsays:"Ihavenotmetwithanearlieredition

ofBornitiusthan1659.Myconjecture,however,isthatthemanuscriptcameintothehandsofGruterwithotherofBacon'spublishedbyhimintheyear1653."TherearetwoproductionsofJanusJacobusBoissardusinwhichBacon'shand

may be recognised—"Emblèmes Latines avec l'Interprétation Françoise du I.Pierre IolyMessin.Metis, 1588," and "Emblematum liber. IpsaEmblemata abAuctore delineata: a Theodoro deBry sculpta et nunc recens in lucem edita,"1593,Frankfort.Twoeditionsof the latterwereprinted in the sameyear.Thetitle-pagesareidentical,andthesameplateshavebeenusedthroughout,buttheletterpress is in Latin in the one, and in French in the other. In both, thededicationsareaddressedinFrenchtoMadamedeClervent,BaronnedeCoppet,etc. The dedication of the former bears the name Jan JacquesBoissard at thehead,andaddresses the ladyas"quecomeestesaddonnéeà laspeculationdeschosesquiappartiennentàl'instructiondel'âme."Thededicationofthelatterissigned Ioly,whoexplains thathehas translated theverses intoFrench, so thattheymaybeofmoreservicetothededicatee.OthoVanVeenenjoysthedistinctionofhavinghadRubensforadisciple.A

considerable number of emblem books emanated from him. In 1608 werepublishedatAntwerptwoeditionsofhis"AmorumEmblemata."InonecopytheversesareinLatin,German,andFrench,andintheotherinLatin,English,andItalian.Therearecommendatoryversesinthelatter,twoofwhicharebyDanielHeinsiusandR.V.,whowasRobertVerstegen, theauthorof"ARestitutionofDecayedIntelligenceinAntiquities."Thededicationis"Tothemosthonourableand worthie brothers William Earle of Pembroke, and Phillip Earle ofMontgomerie,patronsof learningandchevalrie,"whoare"themostnobleandincomparable paire of brethren" to whom the 1623 Shakespeare Folio wasdedicated.InthisvolumeBaconhaslefthismarks."Emblemata door Zacharias Heyns," published in Rotterdam in 1625,

comprises four books bound together. The inscriptions over the plates are inLatin.Theletterpress,whichisinDutchandFrench,apparentlybearsverylittlereferencetotheillustrations.Johannis de Brunes I.C. Emblemata of Sinne-Werck, Amsterdam, 1624, is

writteninDutch.EmblemVIII.containsanindicationthatthenumber1623isakey.The"SilenusAlcibiadessiveProteus"waspublishedatMiddleburghin1618.

Thereisnoauthor'snameonthetitle-page,buttheVoor-reden,writteninDutch,issignedJ.Cats.Attachedto twoof thepreliminarycomplimentaryversesarethenamesofDanielHeynsandJosuahSylvester,thetranslatorof"DuBartas."

TheversesareinLatin,Dutch,andFrench.Immediatelyfollowingthetitle-pageis a preface in Latin, signed by Majores de Baptis. Over this is the familiaremblemcontainingthearchers,rabbits,anddogs,withthenoteofqueryontheright-handside,andthemessageonthearrow.Thisvolumeisoneof themostremarkableof theemblembooks.TheLatinpreface isautobiographical. If thewritercanbeidentifiedastheauthorof"VenusandAdonis,"itbecomesoneofthemostimportantcontributionstohisbiography.In1616,theyearofShakespeare'sdeath,waspublishedatAmsterdamabook

bearing on its title-page the inscription: "Cornelii Giselberti PlempiiAmsterodamumMonogrammon."Itcontainsfiftyillustrations,withLatinversesattached.EmblemI.isreproduced(Fig.V.)Onreferencetoit,itwillbeseenthatFortunestandsonaglobe,andwithonehandispushingofffromthepinnacleoffameamandressedasaplayerwithafeatherinhishat;withtheotherhandsheisraisingupamanwhoiswearingtheBaconhat,butwhosefaceishidden.Theprophecyexpressedbytheemblemisnowbeingfulfilled.Itwillbeseenthattheinitial letters of each word in the sentence of the letterpress—Obscænùmquenimis crepuit, FortunaBatavis appellanda—yield F.Bacon.Bacon's portrait isfound in severalof the illustrations in this book.Other emblemwriterswhoseworksbear tracesofBacon's co-operation areG.Rollenhagen, J.Camerius, J.Typotius,D.Hensius.

Fig.V.

En Fortuna: manu quosrupemducitinaltam, Præcipites abigit:carnificinaDeaest.Firma globo imponi

volueruntfatacaducam, Ipsa quoquè ut possetrisus,&esseiocus.Olim unctos Salÿ quipræsilièreperutres, Ridebantcaderetsiquapuellamalè.O quàm sæpe sales,plausumque merenteruinâ, Erubuit vitium forsinhonestasuum!Obscænùmque nimiscrepuit,FortunaBatavis Appellanda; sono, quosuacurtavocant.Quoque sono veteres olimsuafurtaLatini: Vt nec, Homere, malinomenodorisames.

ThereyetremaintobementionedtwoEnglishemblemwriters.A"ChoiceofEmblems"byGeffreyWhitneywaspublishedin1586byFrancisRaphelengiusinthehouseofChristopherPlantinatLeyden.ThededicationistoRobertEarleofLeicester.Thereareonly fromfifteen to twentyoriginaldesignsoutof166illustrations.The remainderare taken fromotheremblemwriters,chiefly fromAlciat,Sambucus,Paradin,andHadrianJunius.Onpage53isthedesignheaded"Indiesmeliora"foundinthe1577editionofAlciat,buttheletterpress,whichisinEnglish,isquitedifferentfromtheLatinverseattachedtoitintheAlciat.The "Minerva Britanna" of Henry Peacham was published in 1612. The

emblemon the title-page[47] represents thegreat secretofFrancisBacon's life,andonpage ·33 is an emblem inwhich thenameShakespeare is represented.Thevolumeisfullofdeviceswhichwillamplyrepayacarefulstudy.ApartfromanyconnectionwhichBaconmayhavehadwiththisremarkable

class of books, they are of great interest to the student of theElizabethan and

Jacobeanperiods.Theycontainpictorialrepresentationsfullofinformationastothehabitsandcustomsofthepeople.WiththeexceptionofWhitney's"ChoiceofEmblems,"afacsimilereprintofwhichwaspublishedin1866,editedbytheRev.HenryGreen,noreprintofanyofthesecuriousbookshasbeenissued.Asthe original editions of many of them are very rare, and of none of themplentiful,theirstudyisamatterofdifficulty,andfewstudentsfindtheirwaytothis fascinating field of research.How closeBacon's connectionwaswith thewritersofthesebooks,orwiththeirpublishers,itisdifficulttosay,butthereisconsiderableevidencethatinsomewayhewasabletointroduceintoeveryoneof thebookshereenumerated, andmanyothers, someplates illustrativeofhisinductivephilosophy.

CHAPTERXX.

SHAKESPEARE'SSONNETS."Shakespeare'sSonnetsneverbeforeImprinted,"haveaffordedcommentators

material for many volumes filled with theories which to the ordinary criticalmindappeartohavenofoundationinfact.ChaptershavebeenwrittentoprovethatMr.W.H.,theonlybegetteroftheSonnets,wasHenryWriothesley,EarlofSouthampton, and chapters have been written to prove that he was no suchperson,butthatWilliamHerbert,EarlofPembroke,wasthemanintendedtobedesignated.TheorieshavebeenelaboratedtoidentifytheindividualsrepresentedbytheRivalPoetandthedarkLady.Notoneofthesetheoriesissupportedbythevestigeofashredoftestimonythatwouldstandinvestigation.Therehasnotcome down any evidence that Shakspur, of Stratford, knew either the Earl ofSouthampton,theEarlofPembrokeorMarieFitton.ThetruthisthatMr.W.H.wasShakespeare,whowastheonlybegetteroftheSonnets,andtheproofofthisstatementwillinduetimebeforthcoming.Itmaybewelltotryandreadsomeof the Sonnets as they stand and endeavour to realise what is the obviousmeaningoftheprintedwords.ThekeytotheSonnetswillbefoundinNo.62.Thelanguageinwhichit is

writtenisexplicitandcapableofbeingunderstoodbyanyordinaryintellect."Sinneofselfe-lovepossessethalmineeieAnd all my soule, and al myeverypart;And for this sinne there is noremedie,Itissogroundedinwardinmyheart.Methinkesnofacesogratiousisasmine,No shape so true, no truth ofsuchaccount,And for my selfe mine owneworthdodefine,As I all other in all worth's

surmountBut when my glasse shewesmemyselfeindeedBeated and chopt with tandantiquitie,Mine own selfe love quitecontraryIreadSelfe, so selfe loving wereiniquity.Tisthee(my-selfe)thatformyselfIpraise Painting my age withbeautyofthydaies."

Thewriterherestatesdefinitelythatheisdominatedbythesinofself-love;itpossesseth his eye, his soul, and every part of him. There can be found noremedyforit;itissogroundedinhisheart.Nofaceissograciousasishis,noshapesotrue,notruthofsuchaccount.Hedefineshisworthassurmountingthatofallothers.Thisisthefrankexpressionofamanwhonotonlybelievedthathewas, but knew that he was superior to all his contemporaries, not only inintellectual power, but in personal appearance. Then comes an arrest in thethought, and he realises that time has been at work. He has been picturinghimself as hewaswhen a youngman.He turns to his glass and sees himselfbeated and chopt with tanned antiquity; forty summers have passed over hisbrow.[48]

FrancisBaconatfortyyearsofage,orthereabouts,unmarried,childless,sitsdown tohis table,Hilliard'sportraitbeforehim,withpen inhand, fullofself-love, full of admiration for that beautiful youth on whose counterfeitpresentmenthe is gazing.His intellectual triumphspass in reviewbeforehim,most of them known only to himself and that youth—his companion throughlife. That was the Francis Bacon who controlled him in all his comings andgoings—hisidealwhomheworshipped.Ifhecouldhaveasonlikethatboy!Hispenbeginstomoveonthepaper—

"From fairest creatures wedesireincreaseThat thereby beauty's rosemightneverdie,Butastheripershouldbytimedecrease

Histenderheiremightbearhismemory."

Thepenstopsandthewriter'seyewanderstotheminiature:—

"But thou[49] contracted tothineownbrighteyes."

AndsotheSonnetsflowon,withouteffort,without theneedofreferencetoauthorities,forthegreat,fixedandmethodicalmemoryneedsnone.Hownaturalaretheallusions—

"Thou art thy mother's glasseandsheintheeCalls backe the lovely Aprillofherprime."

"Be as thy presence is,graciousandkind,Or to thyselfe at least kindheartedprove.Make thee another self, forloveofmeThat beauty may still live inthineorthee."

"Let those whom nature hathnotmadeforstore,Harsh, featureless and rude,barrenlyperish;Look,whomshebest indow'dshegavethemore;Which bountious guift thoushouldstinbountycherrish; She carv'd thee for herseale,andmenttherbyThoushouldstprintmore,notletthatcoppydie."

"O that you were yourselfe,butloveyouareNo longer yours, then youyourselfeherelive,Against this cunning end youshouldprepare,And your sweet semblance tosomeothergive······Who lets so faire a house falltodecay······Ononebutunthrifts,dearemyloveyouknowYouhadaFather,letyourSonsayso."

"But wherefore do not you amightierwaieMakewarreupponthisbloodietirantTime?AndfortifieyourselfeinyourdecayWith meanes more blessed,thenmybarrenrime?Now stand you on the top ofhappiehouresAndmanymaidengardens,yetonset,With virtuous wish wouldbeareyoulivingflowersMuch liker than your paintedcounterfeit:

WhowillbeleevemyversesintimetocomeIf itwere fil'dwithyourmosthighdeserts?Thoughyetheavenknows,itisbutasatombeWhich hides your life, andshewesnothalfeyourparts:If I could write the beauty ofyoureyesAnd in freshnumbers numberallyourgraces,The age to come would saythisPoetlies,Such heavenly touches neretouchtearthlyfaces.So should my papers(yellowedwiththeirage)Be scorn'd, like old men oflessetruththantongue,Andyour true rightsbe termdaPoetsrageAnd stretched miter of anAntiquesong. Butwere somechildeofyoursalivethattime,Youshouldlivetwise,initandinmyrime."

"Yetdoethyworst,ouldTime,dispightthywrongMyloveshallinmyverseeverliveyoung."

HerealisesthathenolongeranswersOphelia'sdescription:"The courtier's, soldier's,scholar'seye,tongue,sword:Theexpectancyandroseofthe

fairstateThe glass of fashion and themouldofform,The observed of allobservers....That unmatch'd form andfeatureofblownyouth."

Buthecannotforgetwhathehasbeen,hecannotrealisethatheisnolongerthebrilliantyouthwhoseminiaturehehasbeforehim,withthewordsinscribedaround,"Sitabuladareturdignaanimummallem"—Ifmaterialscouldbefoundworthytopainthismind("Ocouldhebuthavedrawnhiswit")andthenwithaburstofpoeticenthusiasmheexclaims:—

"Tis thee (myselfe) that formyselfeIpraise,Painting my age with beautyofthydaies."

Thisisthecommonexperienceofamanasheadvancesinlife.Solongashedoesnotseehisreflectioninaglass,ifhetriestovisualizehimself,heseestheyouthoryoungman.Onlyinhismostpessimisticmomentsdoesherealisehisage.There is no longer any difficulty in understanding Shakespeare's Sonnets.

Theywereaddressedby"Shakespeare," thepoet, to themarvellousyouthwhowas known under the name of Francis Bacon, and they were written, withHilliard'sportraitplacedonhistablebeforehim.In that age (pleaseGod itmaybe thepresent age),which isknownonly to

GodandtothefateswhenthefinishingtouchshallbegiventoBacon'sfame,[50]itwillbefoundthattheperiodofhislifefromtwelvetothirty-fiveyearsofagesurpassed all others, not only inbrilliant intellectual achievements, but for theenduringwealthwithwhichheendowedhiscountrymen.Andyetitwaspartofhis scheme of life that his connection with the great renaissance in Englishliteratureshouldliehiddenuntilposterityshouldrecognisethatworkasthefruitofhisbrain:—"MenteVidebor"—"bythemindIshallbeseen."Howlackingallhismodernbiographershavebeeninperception!EverydifficultyinthosewhicharetermedtheprocreationSonnetsdisappears

withtheapplicationofthiskey.OnlybyitcanSonnet22bemadeintelligible:—"My glass shall not persuade

meIamold,Aslongasyouthandthouareofonedate;Butwhenintheetime'sfurrowIbehold,Then look, I death my dayswouldexpirateFor all that beauty that dothcovertheeIsbutthesteadyraimentofmyheart.Which inmybreast doth live,asthineinme.How can I then be older thanthouart?O, therefore, love, be ofthyselfsowaryAs I, not for myself, but fortheewill;Bearingthyheart,whichIwillkeepsocharyAstendernurseherbabefromfaringill. Presume not on thy heartwhenmineisslain;Thougavestmethine,nottogivebackagain."

ButnearlyeverySonnetmightbequotedinsupportofthisview.EspeciallyisitofvalueinbringinganintelligentandallowableexplanationtoSonnets40,41,and42,whichnownolongerhaveanunsavouryflavour.Sonnet No. 59 is most noteworthy, because it implies a belief in re-

incarnation.Shakespeareexpresseshislongingtoknowwhattheancientswouldhavesaidofhismarvellousintellect.Ifhecouldfindhispictureinsomeantiquebookover500yearsold,seeanimageofhimselfashethenwas,andlearnwhatmenthoughtofhim!

"If their bee nothing new, butthatwhichisHath beene before, how are

ourbrainesbegulld,Which laboring for invention,beareamisseThe second burthen of aformerchild?Oh that record could with aback-wardlooke,EvenoffivehundredthcoursesoftheSunne,Showmeyour image in someantiquebooke,Since minde at first incarrecterwasdone,That Imight seewhat theoldworldcouldsayTo this composed wonder ofyourframe;Whether we are mended, orwherebetterthey,Or whether revolution be thesame. Oh sure I am, the wits offormerdaies, To subjects worse havegivenadmiringpraise."

There is thesame idea inSonnet71,whichsuggests that in somefuture re-incarnationBaconmightreadShakespeare'spraisesofhim.Conjectures as to who was the rival poet may be dispensed with. The

followingrenderingofSonnetNo.80makesthisperfectlyclear:—

"OhowI(thepoet)faintwhenIofyou(F.B.)dowrite,Knowingabetterspirit(thatofthephilosopher)dothuseyournameAnd in the praise thereofspendsallhismightTo make me tongue tied,speakingofyourfame!(ShakespeareneverreferstoBaconorvice-versa)But since your (F.B.'s) worthwideastheoceanis,The humble as the proudestsaildothbear,My saucy bark (that of thepoet)inferiorfartohis(thatofthephilosopher),On your broad main dothwilfullyappear.Yourshallowesthelpwillholdme(thepoet)upafloatWhilst he (the philosopher)uponyoursoundlessdeepdothride."

Itisimpossibletodojusticetothissubjectinthespacehereavailable.Bytheaid of this key every line becomes intelligible. The charm and beauty of theSonnetsareincreasedtenfold.Everyunpleasantassociationofthemisremoved.NolongerneedBrowningsay,"IfsothelessShakespearehe."

Thesearenot"Shakespeare'ssug'rd[51]Sonnetsamongsthisprivatefriends"towhichMeresmakesreference.Theyaretobefoundelsewhere.If therehadbeen an intelligent studyofElizabethan literature fromoriginal

sourcestheauthorshipoftheSonnetswouldhavebeenrevealedlongago.ItwasahabitofBacon to speakofhimselfas someoneapart from the speaker.TheopeningsentenceofFilumLabyrinthi,SivoFormaInquisitiones isanexample.AdFilios—"FrancisBacon thought in thismanner." Prefixed to the preface toGilbert Wats' interpretation of the "Advancement of Learning" is a chapter

commencing, "Francis Lo Verulam consulted thus: and thus concluded withhimselfe. The publication whereof he conceived did concern the present andfutureage."Nothing that has been written is more perfectly Baconian in style and

temperament thanare theSonnets.Theybreatheouthishopes,hisaspirations,his ideals,his fears, in every line.Heknewhewasnot forhis time.Heknewfuturegenerationsonlywould renderhim the fame towhichhis incomparablepowers entitled him. He knew how far he towered above his contemporaries,aye,andhispredecessors,inintellectualpower.Hishopeswerefixedonthatdayin the distant future—to-day—when for the first time the meshes which hewove,behindwhichhislife'sworkisobscured,arebeginningtobeunravelled.The most sanguine Baconian, in his most enthusiastic moments, must fail

adequatelytoappreciatetheachievementsofFrancisBaconandtheobligationsunderwhich he has placed posterity.ButBacon knew—and he alone knew—theirfullvalue.Itwasfittingthatthegreatestpoetwhichtheworldhadproducedshould inmatchless verse do honour to theworld's greatest intellect. Itwas aprettyconceit.Onlyamastermindwoulddare tomaketheattempt.Theresulthas afforded another example of how his great wit, in being concealed, wasrevealed.

CHAPTERXXI.BACON'SLIBRARY.

Inthe"AdvancementofLearning"Baconreferstotheannotationsofbooksasbeingdeficient.Therewaslivingattheendofthesixteenthandbeginningoftheseventeenth century a scholar through whose hands at least several thousandbookspassed.Heappearstohavemadeapracticeofannotatinginthemarginseverybookheread.Thechiefpurpose,however,ofthenotes,apparently,wastoaid thememory, for in somebooksnearly everynameoccurring in the text iscarried into themarginwithout comment. The notes are also accompanied byscrolls,marks,andbrackets,whichsupportthecontentionthattheyaretheworkofoneman.Theannotationofbookswasnotacommonpracticethen,norhasitbeensince.Ifareadertakesupahundredbooksinasecond-handbookshophewillprobablynotfindmorethanonecontainingmanuscriptnotes,andnotoneinfivehundredinwhichtheannotationshavebeensystematicallycarriedthrough.Theredoesnotappeartohavebeenanyotherscholarlivingatthattime,withtheexceptionofthisone,whowaspersistentlymakingmarginalnotesonthebooksheread.Speddingwrites:"Whatbecameofhis(Bacon's)books,whichwerelefttoSir

JohnConstableandmusthavecontainedtracesofhisreading,wedonotknow;butveryfewappeartohavesurvived."Mrs.Pott, in "FrancisBacon andhisSecretSociety," draws attention to the

mystery as to the disappearance ofBacon's library. "Which is amystery," sheadds,"althoughtheworldhasbeencontenttotakeitveryapathetically.WhereisBacon's library? Undoubtedly the books exist and are traceable. We shouldexpect them tobe recognisable bymarginal notes; yet thosenotes,whether inpencil or in ink, may have been effaced. If annotated, Bacon and his friendswould not wish his books to attract public attention." And further on: "It isprobablethatthelatter(i.e.,thebooks)willseldomorneverbefoundtobearhisnameorsignature."Andagain:"Yetitmayreasonablybeanticipatedthatsomeatleastare'notedinthemargin,'orthatsomewillbefoundwithtracesofmarkswhich were guides to the transcriber or amanuensis as to the portions whichwere to be copied for future use in Bacon's collections or book ofcommonplaces."Mrs.Pott'swordswerewritteninaspiritoftrueprophecy.

The collecting together of these books originated with that distinguishedBaconian scholar, Mr. W. M. Safford. For years past he has been steadilyengaged in reconstitutingBacon'sLibrary.Thewriter has had the privilege ofbeingassociatedwithhiminthisworkduringthepastthreeyears.Acollectionofnearlytwothousandvolumeshasbeengatheredtogether.Theannotationsonthemargins of these books are unquestionably thework of oneman, and thatman,or ratherboyandman,wasundoubtedlyFrancisBacon.Thebooksbeardate from1470 to 1620. It is impossible to enumerate them all here, but theyinclude the works of Seneca, Aristotle, Plato, Horace, Alciat, Lucanus,Dionysius,Catullus,Lactinius,Plutarch,Pliny,Aristophanes,Plautus,CorneliusAgrippa, Cicero, Vitruvius, Euclid, Virgil, Ovid, Lucretius, Apuleius, Salust,Tibullus, Isocrates, and hundreds of other classical writers; St. Augustine, St.Jerome, Calvin, Beza, Beda, Erasmus, Martin Luther, J. Cammerarius, SirThomasMoore,Machiavelli,andothermoremodernwriters.

The handwriting varies,[52] but there is a particular hand which is foundaccompanied by a boy's sketches. There are drawings of full-length figures,heads of men and women, animals, birds, reptiles, ships, castles, cathedrals,cities,battles,storms,etc.Thewritingisastrong,clerklystudent'shand.Thereis a passage in "Hamlet," Act V., scene ii., which is noteworthy. Hamlet,speakingtoHoratio,says:—

"IsatmedownDevised a new commission;wroteitfair;I once did hold it, as ourstatistsdo,A baseness to write fair, andlabour'dmuchHow to forget that learning;but,Sir,nowItdidmeyeomansservice."

Thenatureofthisstatementissopersonalthatitcouldonlyhavebeenwrittenastheresultofexperience.Hamlethadbeentaught,whenyoung,towriteahandsofairthathewascapableofproducingafreshcommissionwhichwouldpassmusterastheworkofaCourtcopyist.Theannotationofthesebookspossessedthesamequalification.Inthemarginsofthesebooksareabundantreferencesinhandwritingtothewholerangeofclassicalauthors.Acopyofthe"GrammaticeCompendium"ofLactusPomponius,averyrare

bookprintedbyDeFortisinVenicein1484,containsonthemarginstheboy'sscribbleanddrawings,besidesanumberofmanuscriptnotes.Itbearstracesofhisreadingprobablyateightyearsofage.Alargefoliovolumeentitled"T.LiviiPalvini Latinæ Historiæ Principis Decades Tres," published by Frobenius in1535,isatreasure.Itismostcopiouslyannotatedandembellishedwithsketches.ThenotesareusuallyinLatin,butinterspersedwithGreekandsometimeswithEnglish.ObviouslythewriterthoughtinLatin,andthecharacterofthedrawingsjustifiestheassumptionthat,atthetime,hisagewouldbefromtentofourteenyears.The most remarkable reference to these annotations is to be found in the

"RapeofLucrece."Thefifteenthstanzaisasfollows:—"But she that never cop'twithstraungereies,Couldpickenomeaning fromtheirparlinglookes,Nor read the subtle shiningsecreciesWritintheglassiemargentsofsuchbookes,Sheetouchtnounknownbaits,norfearednohooks, Nor could sheemoralizehiswantonsight More than his eieswereopendtothelight."

Itwould be difficult to conceive amore inappropriate simile for the lustfullooks in Tarquin's eyes than "the subtle shining secrecies, writ in the glassiemargentsofsuchbooks."Thatthisisluggedinforapurposeoutsidetheobjectofthepoemismanifest.Howmanyreadersof"Lucrece"wouldknowofsuchapractice?Nay.Ifitdidexist,wasnotitsuseveryrare?But themargin of the verse itself yields a subtle shining secret! The initial

lettersofthelinesareB,C,N,W,Sh,N,M.Itisonlynecessarytosupplythevowels—BACoN,W.Sh.,NaMe.Shisonline103,whichisthenumericalvalueofthewordShakespeare.ThenumericalvalueofBaconis33.Inviewofthistheline 33 is significant:—"Why isColatine the publisher?"The use of thewordpublisherhereisquiteinappropriate.Itisintroducedforsomereasonoutsidethepurposeofthetext.

The"RapeofLucrece"commenceswithBacon'smonogramand,as the lateRev.WalterBegleypointedout,endswithhissignature.ThetheorynowadvancedisthatwhenBaconreadabookhemademarginal

notesinit—theobjectbeingmainlytoassisthismemory,butthecriticalnotesarenumerous.Itdoesnotfollowthatallthesebooksconstitutedhislibrary.Hewouldreadabookandithavingservedhispurposehewoulddisposeofit.Somebooksnodoubthewouldretainandthesewouldformhislibrary.TheannotationsarechieflyinLatin,butsomeareinGreek,someinHebrew,

FrenchandSpanish.Whenthesehavebeenexaminedandtranslatedthemeaningof thephrase thathehad takenallknowledge tobehisprovincewillbebetterunderstood. Rawley says: "He read much and that with great judgment andrejectionofimpertinencesincidenttomanyauthors."Thewriter having examined annotations,many and varied, of books in his

library,andhavingenjoyedtheprivilegeoffreeaccesstothosecollectedbyMr.Safford, ventures to assert that much of the ripe learning of the Shakespeareplayscanbetracedthereintoitsproperorigin.AmongsttheformerisacopyofAlciat'sEmblems,1577,intheearlypartprofuselyannotated.BenJonsoninhis"Discoveries" has incorporated the translation of a portion of one of theEmblemsandhasalsoincorporatedaportionoftheannotationsfromthisverybook.

CHAPTERXXII.TWOGERMANOPINIONSONSHAKESPEARE

ANDBACON.Dr. G. G. Gervinus, the eminent German Historian and Professor

Extraordinary at Heidelberg, published in 1849 his work, "ShakespeareCommentaries."ThiswasyearsbeforeanysuggestionhadbeenmadethatBaconwasinanywayconnectedwiththeauthorshipoftheShakespeareandramas.IntheProspectusof"TheNewShakespeareSociety,"writtenin1873,Dr.F.J.

Furnivallsays:—

"Theprofound andgenerous 'Commentaries' ofGervinus—anhonour to aGerman tohavewritten, apleasuretoanEnglishmantoread—isstilltheonlybookknowntomethatcomesnearthetruetreatmentandthedignityofitssubject,orcanbeputintothehandsofthestudentwhowantstoknowthemindofShakespeare."

The book abounds with references to Bacon. From the Preface to the lastchapter Gervinus appears to have Bacon continually suggested to him by thethoughtsandwordsofShakespeare.In thePreface, after speaking of the value accruing toGerman literature by

naturalizingShakespeare"evenattheriskofcastingourownpoetsstillfurtherintheshade,"hesays:—

"Asimilarbenefitwoulditbetoourintellectuallifeifhisfamedcontemporary,Bacon,wererevivedinasuitablemanner,inordertocounterbalancetheidealisticphilosophyofGermany.Forboththese,thepoetaswellasthephilosopher,havinglookeddeeplyintothehistoryandpoliticsoftheirpeople,standuponthelevelgroundofreality,notwithstandingthehighartoftheoneandthespeculativenotionsoftheother.Bythehealthfulnessoftheirownmindtheyinfluencethehealthfulnessofothers,whileintheirmostidealandmost abstract representations they aim at a preparation for life as it is—for that life which forms theexclusivesubjectofallpoliticalaction."

Inthechapteron"HisAge,"writtenpriorto1849,theProfessorpoursouttheresults of a profound study of the writings attributed to both men in thefollowingremarkablesentences:—

"Judge then how natural it was that England, if not the birthplace of the drama, should be that ofdramaticlegislature.Yeteventhisinstanceoffavourableconcentrationisnotthelast.Bothinphilosophyand poetry everything conspired, as it were, throughout this prosperous period, in favour of two greatminds,ShakespeareandBacon;allcompetitorsvanishedfromtheirside,andtheycouldgiveforthlawsforartandsciencewhichitisincumbentevenuponpresentagestofulfil.Astherevivedphilosophy,whichin

theformercenturyinGermanywasdividedamongmany,butinEnglandatthattimewasthepossessionofasingleman,sopoetryalsofoundoneexclusiveheir,comparedwithwhomthoselaterborncouldclaimbutlittle.

"That Shakespeare's appearance upon a soil so admirably prepared was neither marvellous noraccidentalisevidencedevenbythecorrespondingappearanceofsuchacontemporaryasBacon.Scarcelycananythingbe saidofShakespeare'spositiongenerallywith regard tomediævalpoetrywhichdoesnotalsobearuponthepositionoftherenovatorBaconwithregardtomediævalphilosophy.Neitherknewnormentioned the other, although Bacon was almost called upon to have done so in his remarks upon thetheatreofhisday.ItmaybepresumedthatShakespearelikedBaconbutlittle,ifheknewhiswritingsandlife;thathelikednothisostentation,which,withoutonthewholeinterferingwithhismodesty,recurredtooofteninmanyinstances;thathelikednotthefault-findingwhichhisill-healthmighthavecaused,northenarrow-mindednesswithwhichhepronouncedthehistrionicart tobeinfamous,althoughheallowedthattheancientsregardedthedramaasaschoolforvirtue;northetheoreticpreceptsofworldlywisdomwhichhegaveforth;nor,lastly,thepracticalcareerwhichhelived.Beforehismind,however,ifhehadfathomedit,hemusthavebentinreverence.ForjustasShakespearewasaninterpreterofthesecretsofhistoryandofhuman nature, Bacon was an interpreter of lifeless nature. Just as Shakespeare went from instance toinstanceinhisjudgmentofmoralactions,andneverfoundedalawonsingleexperience,sodidBaconinnaturalscienceavoidleapingfromoneexperienceofthesensestogeneralprinciples;hespokeofthiswithblameasanticipatingnature;andShakespeare,inthesameway,wouldhavecalledtheconventionalitiesinthepoetryof theSouthern racesananticipationofhumannature. In the scholastic scienceof themiddleages,asinthechivalricpoetryoftheromanticperiod,approbationandnottruthwassoughtfor,andwithone accord Shakespeare's poetry and Bacon's science were equally opposed to this. As Shakespearebalanced theone-sided errors of the imaginationby reason, reality, andnature, soBacon ledphilosophyawayfromtheone-sidederrorsofreasontoexperience;bothwithonestroke,renovatedthetwobranchesofscience and poetry by this renewed bondwith nature; both, disregarding all by-ways, staked everythinguponthis'victoryintheracebetweenartandnature.'JustasBaconwithhisnewphilosophyislinkedwiththenaturalscienceofGreeceandRome,andthenwiththelatterperiodofphilosophyinwesternEurope,soShakespeare'sdramastandsinrelationtothecomediesofPlautusandtothestageofhisownday;betweenthe twothere layavastwildernessof time,asunfruitful for thedramaasforphilosophy.Butwhile theythusledbacktonature,Baconwasyetaslittleofanempiric,inthecommonsense,asShakespearewasapoet of nature.Bacon prophesied that if hereafter his commendation of experience should prevail, greatdangertosciencewouldarisefromtheotherextreme,andShakespeareeveninhisowndaycouldperceivethesamewithrespecttohispoetry;Bacon,therefore,insistedontheclosestunionbetweenexperienceandreason,justasShakespeareeffectedthatbetweenrealityandimagination.Whiletheythusbidadieutotheformalities of ancient art and science, Shakespeare to conceits and taffeta-phrases, Bacon to logic andsyllogisms,yetattimesitoccurredthattheonefellbackintothesubtletiesoftheoldschool,andtheotherinto the constrained wit of the Italian style. Bacon felt himself quite an original in that which was hispeculiarmerit, and sowas Shakespeare; the one in themethod of science he had laid down, and in hissuggestionsforitsexecution,theotherinthepoeticalworkshehadexecuted,andinthesuggestionsoftheirnew law. Bacon, looking back to the waymarks he had left for others, said with pride that his wordsrequiredacenturyfortheirdemonstrationandseveralfortheirexecution;andsotooithasdemandedtwocenturies tounderstandShakespeare,butvery littlehaseverbeenexecutedinhissense.Andat thesametimewehavementionedwhat deepmodestywas interwoven in bothwith their self-reliance, so that thewordswhichBaconlikedtoquoteholdgoodforthetwoworks:—'ThekingdomofGodcomethnotwithobservation.'Both reached thisheight from theonestartingpoint, thatShakespearedespised themillion,andBaconfearedwithPhociontheapplauseof themultitude.Botharealikeintherareimpartialitywithwhich they avoided everything one-sided; in Bacon we find, indeed, youthful exercises in which heendeavouredinseverecontraststocontemplateaseriesofthingsfromtwopointsofview.Both,therefore,have an equal hatred of sects and parties;Baconof sophists anddogmatic philosophers, Shakespeare ofPuritansandzealots.Both,therefore,areequallyfreefromprejudices,andfromastrologicalsuperstitionindreamsandomens.BaconsaysofthealchemistsandmagiciansinnaturalsciencethattheystandinsimilarrelationtotrueknowledgeasthedeedsofAmadistothoseofCæsar,andsodoesShakespeare'struepoetry

standinrelationtothefantasticromanceofAmadis.JustasBaconbanishedreligionfromscience,sodidShakespearefromArt;andwhentheformercomplainedthat theteachersofreligionwereagainstnaturalphilosophy,theywereequallyagainstthestage.FromBacon'sexampleitseemsclearthatShakespeareleftreligiousmattersunnoticedonthesamegroundsashimself,andtookthepathofmoralityinworldlythings;inboththishasbeenequallymisconstrued,andLeMaistrehasprovedBacon'slackofChristianity,asBirchhasdonethatofShakespeare.Shakespearewould,perhaps,have lookeddownjustascontemptuouslyonthe ancients and their arts as Bacon did on their philosophy and natural science, and both on the samegrounds; theyboastedof thegreaterageof theworld,ofmoreenlargedknowledgeofheaven,earth,andmankind.Neitherstoopedbeforeauthorities,andaninjusticesimilartothatwhichBaconcommittedagainstAristotle, Shakespeare perhaps has done to Homer. In both a similar combination of different mentalpowerswasatwork;andasShakespearewasofteninvoluntarilyphilosophicalinhisprofoundness,Baconwasnotseldomsurprisedintotheimaginationofthepoet.JustasBacon,althoughhedeclaredknowledgein itself to be much more valuable than the use of invention, insisted throughout generally anddispassionatelyuponthepracticaluseofphilosophy,soShakespeare'spoetry,independentaswashissenseofart,aimedthroughoutatbearinguponthemorallife.Baconhimselfwasofthesameopinion;hewasnotfarfromdeclaringhistorytobethebestteacherofpolitics,andpoetrythebestinstructorinmorals.BothwerealikedeeplymovedbythepictureofarulingNemesis,whomtheysaw,grandandpowerful,stridingthrough history and life, dragging the mightiest and most prosperous as a sacrifice to her altar, as thevictimsoftheirowninwardnatureanddestiny.InBacon'sworkswefindamultitudeofmoralsayingsandmaximsofexperience,fromwhichthemoststrikingmottoesmightbedrawnforeveryShakespearianplay,aye,foreveryoneofhisprincipalcharacters(wehavealreadybroughtforwardnotafewproofsofthis),testifyingtoaremarkableharmonyintheirmutualcomprehensionofhumannature.Both,intheirsystemsofmoralityrenderinghomagetoAristotle,whoseethicsShakespeare,fromapassageinTroilus,mayhaveread, arrived at the same end as he did—that virtue lies in a just medium between two extremes.Shakespearewouldalsohaveagreedwithhiminthis,thatBacondeclaredexcesstobe'thefaultofyouth,asdefectisofage;'heaccounted 'defecttheworst,becauseexcesscontainssomesparksofmagnanimity,and,likeabird,claimskindredoftheheavens,whiledefect,onlylikeabaseworm,crawlsupontheearth.'Inthesemaximslieatonce,asitwere,thewholetheoryofShakespeare'sdramaticformsandofhismoralphilosophy."

DR. KUNO FISCHER, the distinguished German critic and historian ofphilosophy,inavolumeonBacon,publishedin1856,writes:—

ThesameaffinityfortheRomanmind,andthesamewantofsympathywiththeGreek,weagain find inBacon'sgreatestcontemporary,whose imaginationtookasbroadandcomprehensiveaviewasBacon'sintellect.Indeed,howcouldaBaconattain thatpositionwithrespect toGreekpoetry thatwasunattainablebythemightyimaginationofaShakspeare?ForinShakspeare,atanyrate,theimaginationoftheGreekantiquitycouldbemetbyahomogeneouspowerofthesamerankasitself;and,astheoldadagesays,"likecomestolike."Buttheage,the spirit of the nation—in aword, all those forces ofwhich the genius of anindividualmaniscomposed,andwhich,moreover,geniusisleastabletoresist—had here placed an obstacle, impenetrable both to the poet and thephilosopher. Shakspeare was no more able to exhibit Greek characters thanBacontoexpoundGreekpoetry.LikeBacon,Shakspearehadinhisturnofmindsomething that was Roman, and not at all akin to the Greek. He could

appropriate to himself aCoriolanus and aBrutus, aCæsar and anAntony; hecouldsucceedwiththeRomanheroesofPlutarch,butnotwiththeGreekheroesofHomer.Thelatterhecouldonlyparody,buthisparodywasasinfelicitousasBacon's explanation of the "Wisdomof theAncients."Thosemust be dazzledcritics indeed who can persuade themselves that the heroes of the Iliad areexcelled by the caricatures in "Troilus and Cressida." The success of such aparody was poetically impossible; indeed, he that attempts to parody Homershowstherebythathehasnotunderstoodhim.Forthesimpleandthenaïvedonot admit of a parody, and these have found in Homer their eternal andinimitable expression. Just aswellmight caricaturesbemadeof the statuesofPhidias.Where the creative imagination never ceases to be simple and naïve,where it never distorts itself by the affected or the unnatural, there is theconsecrated landofpoetry, inwhich there isnoplace for theparodist.On theother hand,where there is a palpablewant of simplicity andnature, parody isperfectly conceivable; nay, may even be felt as a poetical necessity. ThusEuripides,who,oftenenough,wasneithersimplenornaïve,couldbeparodied,andAristophaneshasshownuswithwhatfelicity.EvenÆschylus,whowasnotalways as simple as hewas grand, does not completely escape the parodisingtest.ButHomerissafe.ToparodyHomeristomistakehim,andtostandsofarbeyondhisscopethatthetruthandmagicofhispoetrycannolongerbefelt;andthisisthepositionofShakespeareandBacon.TheimaginationofHomer,andallthat could be contemplated and felt by that imagination, namely, the classicalantiquity of the Greeks, are to them utterly foreign. We cannot understandAristotle without Plato; nay, I maintain that we cannot contemplate with asympathetic mind the Platonic world of ideas, if we have not previouslysympathisedwith theworldof theHomericgods.Be itunderstood, I speakoftheformofthePlatonicmind,notofitslogicalmatter;inpointofdoctrine,theHomericfaithwasnomorethatofPlatothanofPhidias.Butthesedoctrinalorlogical differences are far less than the formal and æsthetical affinity. TheconceptionsofPlatoareofHomericorigin.Thiswantof ability to takeanhistorical surveyof theworld is tobe found

alike in Bacon and Shakspeare, together with many excellencies likewisecommontothemboth.Totheparallelbetweenthem—whichGervinus,withhispeculiar talent for combination, has drawn in the concluding remarks to his"Shakespeare,"andhasillustratedbyaseriesofappropriateinstances—belongsthe similar relationof both to antiquity, their affinity to theRomanmind, andtheirdiversityfromtheGreek.Bothpossessedtoaneminentdegreethatfacultyfor a knowledge of humannature that at once pre-supposes and calls forth an

interest in practical life and historical reality. To this interest corresponds thestage,onwhich theRomancharactersmoved;andhereBaconandShakspearemet,broughttogetherbyacommoninterestintheseobjects,andtheattempttodepictandcopythem.Thispointofagreement,morethananyotherargument,explainstheiraffinity.Atthesametimethereisnoevidencethatoneevercameinto actual contact with the other. Bacon does not even mention Shakspearewhenhediscoursesofdramaticpoetry,butpassesoverthisdepartmentofpoetrywithageneralandsuperficialremarkthatrelateslesstothesubjectitselfthantothestageanditsuses.Asfarashisownageisconcerned,hesetsdownthemoralvalue of the stage as exceedingly trifling. But the affinity of Bacon toShakspeareistobesoughtinhismoralandpsychological,notinhisæstheticalviews, which are too much regulated by material interests and utilitarianprepossessionstobeapplicabletoartitself,consideredwithreferencetoitsownindependentvalue.However,even in these there isnothing topreventBacon'smanner of judging mankind, and apprehending characters from agreeingperfectlywith that ofShakspeare; so that human life, the subject-matter of alldramatic art, appeared to himmuch as it appeared to the great artist himself,who, ingiving form to thismatter,excelledallothers. Isnot the inexhaustiblethemeofShakspeare'spoetry thehistoryandcourseofhumanpassion? In thetreatmentofthisespecialthemeisnotShakspearethegreatestofallpoets—nay,ishenotuniqueamongthemall?AnditisthisverythemethatisproposedbyBaconasthechiefproblemofmoralphilosophy.HeblamesAristotlefortreatingof thepassions inhis rhetoric rather thanhisethics; for regarding theartificialmeans of exciting them rather than their natural history. It is to the naturalhistoryofthehumanpassionsthatBacondirectstheattentionofphilosophy.Hedoesnotfindanyknowledgeofthemamongthesciencesofhistime."Thepoetsandwritersofhistories,"hesays,"arethebestdoctorsofthisknowledge;wherewemayfindpaintedforthwithgreatlifehowpassionsarekindledandincited;andhowpacifiedand refrained;andhowagaincontained fromactand furtherdegree;howtheydisclosethemselves;howtheywork;howtheyvary;howtheygatherandfortify;howtheyareinwrappedonewithinanother;andhowtheydofightandencounteronewithanother;andotherthelikeparticularities."[53]SuchalivelydescriptionisrequiredbyBaconfrommoralphilosophy.Thatistosay,hedesirednothinglessthananaturalhistoryofthepassions—theverythingthatShakspearehasproduced.Indeed,whatpoetcouldhaveexcelledShakspeareinthisrespect?Who,touseaBaconianexpression,couldhavedepictedmanandall his passionsmoreadvivum?According toBacon, the poets and historiansgive us copies of characters; and the outlines of these images—the simplestrokesthatdeterminecharacters—aretheproperobjectsofethicalscience.Just

asphysicalsciencerequiresadissectionofbodies,thattheirhiddenqualitiesandpartsmaybediscovered,soshouldethicspenetratethevariousmindsofmen,inordertofindouttheeternalbasisofthemall.Andnotonlythisfoundation,butlikewise thoseexternalconditionswhichgiveastamptohumancharacter—allthosepeculiaritiesthat"areimposeduponthemindbythesex,bytheage,bytheregion,byhealthandsickness,bybeautyanddeformity,andthelike,whichareinherent and not external; and, again, those which are caused by externalfortune"[54]—should come within the scope of ethical philosophy. In a word,Baconwouldhaveman studied inhis individuality as aproductofnatureandhistory, in every respect determined by natural and historical influences, byinternalandexternalconditions.AndexactlyinthesamespirithasShakespeareunderstoodman and his destiny; regarding character as the result of a certainnatural temperamentandacertainhistoricalposition,anddestinyasaresultofcharacter.

CHAPTERXXIII.THETESTIMONYOFBACON'S

CONTEMPORARIES.A distinguished member of the Bench in a recent post-prandial address

referredtoBaconas"ashadylawyer."Irresponsiblenewspapercorrespondents,when attacking theBaconian theory, indulge in epithets of this kind, but it isamazingthatanymanoccupyingapositionsoresponsibleasthatofanEnglishjudgeshould,either through ignoranceorwithadesire tobeconsideredawit,makeuseofsuchaterm.Whatever may have been Francis Bacon's faults, one fact must stand

unchallenged—that amongst those of his contemporarieswho knew him therewasaconsensusofopinionthathisvirtuesovershadowedanyfailingstowhichhemightbesubject.Thefollowingtestimoniesestablishthisfact:—

LetBENJONSONspeakfirst:

"Yettherehappenedinmytimeonenoblespeaker,whowasfullofgravityinhis speaking. His language (where he could spare or pass a jest) was noblycensorious.Noman ever spakemore neatly,more pressly,moreweightily, orsuffered less emptiness, less idleness, in what he uttered. No member of hisspeech, but consisted of his owngraces.His hearers could not cough, or lookaside from him, without loss. He commanded where he spoke; and had hisjudgesangryandpleasedathisdevotion.Nomanhad theiraffectionsmore inhispower.The fearof everyman thatheardhimwas, lest he shouldmakeanend,"and,afterreferringtoLordEllesmere,Jonsoncontinues:—"Buthis learnedandable (thoughunfortunate) successor, (i.e.,Bacon) ishe

whohathfilledupallnumbers,andperformedthatinourtongue,whichmaybecompared or preferred either to insolent Greece, or haughty Rome. In short,withinhisview,andabouthistimes,wereallthewitsborn,thatcouldhonouralanguage, or help study. Now things daily fall, wits grow downward, and

eloquencegrowsbackward:sothathemaybenamed,andstandasthemarkandάκωηofourlanguage."Myconceit of his personwasnever increased towardhimbyhis place, or

honours:butIhaveanddoreverencehim,forthegreatnessthatwasonlypropertohimself,inthatheseemedtomeever,byhiswork,oneofthegreatestmen,andmostworthyofadmiration, thathadbeen inmanyages. Inhisadversity Iever prayed God would give him strength; for greatness he could not want.NeithercouldIcondole inawordorsyllable forhim,asknowingnoaccidentcoulddoharmtovirtue,butratherhelptomakeitmanifest."

SIRTOBYMATTHEWdescribesFrancisBaconas

"A friend unalterable to hisfriends;A man most sweet in hisconversationandways";

andadds:"It is not his greatness that Iadmire,buthisvirtue."

THOMASBUSHEL,hisservant,inalettertoMr.JohnEliot,printedin1628,inavolumecalled"TheFirstPartofYouth'sErrors,"says:

"Yet lest the calumnious tongues ofmenmight extenuate the good opinionyouhadofhisworth andmerit, Imust ingenuously confess thatmy selfe andothers of his servants were the occasion of exhaling his vertues into a darkeexlipse;whichGodknoweswouldhavelongenduredbothforthehonourofhisKingand thegoodof theCommonaltie;hadnotwewhomhisbountienursed,laid on his guiltlesse shoulders our base and execrable deeds to be scand andcensuredbythewholesenateofastate,wherenosoonersentencewasgiven,butmostofusforsokehim,whichmakesusbearthebadgeofJewestothisday.YetI am confident therewere someGodlyDaniels amongst us....As formyselfe,with shame Imust acquit the title, and pleade guilty; which grievesmy verysoule, thatsomatchlesseaPeershouldbelostbysuchinsinuatingcaterpillars,who in his owne nature scorn'd the least thought of any base, unworthy, or

ignobleact,thoughsubjecttoinfirmitesasordainedtothewisest."

InFULLER'S"Worthies"itiswritten:

"Hewas a richCabinet filledwith Judgment,Wit, Fancy andMemory, andhadthegoldenKey,Elocution,toopenit.Hewassingularinsingulis,ineveryScienceandArt,andbeingIn-at-allcameoffwithCredit.HewastooBountifullto his Servants, and either too confident of theirHonesty, or too conniving attheir Falsehood. 'Tis said he had 2 Servants, one in all Causes Patron to thePlaintiff, the other to the Defendant, but taking bribes of both, with thisCondition, to restore theMonyreceived, if theCausewentagainst them.Suchpractices,tho'unknowntotheirMaster,costhimthelossofhisOffice."

In"TheLivesofStatesmenandFavouritesofElizabeth'sReign"itissaid:—

"His religionwas rational and sober, his spirit publick, his love to relationstender, toFriends faithful, to thehopeful liberal, tomenuniversal, tohisveryEnemiescivil.He left thebestpatternofGovernment inhisactionsunderonekingandthebestprinciplesofitintheLifeoftheother."

The following is a translation from the discourse on the life ofMr. FrancisBacon which is prefixed to the "Histoire Naturelle," by PIERE AMBOISE,publishedinParisin1631:

"Amongsomanyvirtuesthatmadethisgreatmancommendable,prudence,asthe first of all the moral virtues, and that most necessary to those of hisprofession,wasthatwhichshoneinhimthemostbrightly.Hisprofoundwisdomcanbemost readily seen in his books, andhismatchless fidelity in the signalservicesthathecontinuouslyrenderedtohisPrince.Neverwastheremanwhosolovedequity,orsoenthusiasticallyworkedforthepublicgoodashe;sothatImay aver that hewouldhavebeenmuchbetter suited to aRepublic than to aMonarchy,where frequently the convenience of thePrince ismore thought ofthan thatofhispeople.AndIdonotdoubt thathadhe lived inaRepublichewouldhaveacquiredasmuchgloryfromthecitizensasformerlydidAristides

and Cato, the one in Athens, the other in Rome. Innocence oppressed foundalwaysinhisprotectionasurerefuge,andthepositionofthegreatgavethemnovantagegroundbeforetheChancellorwhensuingforjustice."Vanity,avarice,andambition,vicesthattoooftenattachthemselvestogreat

honours,weretohimquiteunknown,andifhedidagoodactionitwasnotfromthe desire of fame, but simply because he could not do otherwise. His goodqualities were entirely pure, without being clouded by the admixture of anyimperfections,andthepassionsthatformusuallythedefectsingreatmeninhimonlyservedtobringouthisvirtues;ifhefelthatredandrageitwasonlyagainstevil-doers, toshewhisdetestationof theircrimes,andsuccessorfailure in theaffairsofhiscountrybroughttohimthegreaterpartofhisjoysorhissorrows.Hewasastrulyagoodmanashewasanuprightjudge,andbytheexampleofhislifecorrectedviceandbadlivingasmuchasbypainsandpenalties.And,inaword,itseemedthatNaturehadexemptedfromtheordinaryfrailitiesofmenhimwhomshehadmarkedouttodealwiththeircrimes.AllthesegoodqualitiesmadehimthedarlingofthepeopleandprizedbythegreatonesoftheState.Butwhenitseemedthatnothingcoulddestroyhisposition,Fortunemadeclearthatshedidnotyetwishtoabandonhercharacterforinstability,andthatBaconhadtoomuchworthtoremainsolongprosperous.Itthuscameaboutthatamongstthe great number of officials such as a man of his position must have in hishouse, therewas onewhowas accused before Parliament of exaction, and ofhaving sold the influence that hemight havewith hismaster.And though theprobity ofMr. Baconwas entirely exempt from censure, nevertheless he wasdeclaredguiltyofthecrimeofhisservantandwasdeprivedofthepowerthathehadsolongexercisedwithsomuchhonourandglory.InthisIseetheworkingofmonstrousingratitudeandunparalleledcruelty—tosaythatamanwhocouldmarktheyearsofhisliferatherbythesignalservicesthathehadrenderedtotheState than by times or seasons, should have received such hard usage for thepunishmentofacrimewhichhenevercommitted;England, indeed, teachesusbythisthattheseathatsurroundshershoresimpartstoherinhabitantssomewhatofitsrestlessinconstancy.Thisstormdidnotatallsurprisehim,andhereceivedthenewsofhisdisgracewithacountenancesoundisturbed that itwaseasy toseethathethoughtbutlittleofthesweetsoflifesincethelossofthemcausedhimdiscomfortsoslight."ThusendedthisgreatmanwhomEnglandcouldplacealoneastheequalofthebestofallthepreviouscenturies."

PETERBOENER,whowasprivateapothecarytoBaconforatime,wrotein1647aLife,ofportionsofwhichthefollowingaretranslations:—

"Buthowrunnethman'sfuture.Hewhoseemedtooccupythehighestrankisalas!byenvioustonguesnearKingandParliamentdeposedfromallhisofficesandchancellorship,littleconsideringwhattreasurewasbeingcastinthemire,asafterwardstheissueandresultthereofhaveshowninthatcountry.ButhealwayscomfortedhimselfwiththewordsofScripture—nihilestnovi;thatmeans'thereisnothingnew.'BecausesoisCicerobyOctavianus;CalisthenesbyAlexander;Seneca(allhisformerteachers)byNero;yea,Ovid,Lucanus,Statius(togetherwithmany others), for a small cause very unthankfully the one banished, theotherkilled,thethirdthrowntothelions.Butevenasforsuchmenbanishmentis freedom—death their life, so is for this author his deposition amemory togreaterhonourandfame,andtosuchasagenoharmcancome.

"Whilsthisfortunesweresochanged,Ineversawhim—eitherinmien,wordor acts—changed or disturbed towards whomsoever; ira enim hominis nonimpletjustitiamDei,hewaseveroneandthesame,bothinsorrowandinjoy,asbecometh a philosopher; always with a benevolent allocution—manus nostræsunt oculatæ, credunt quod vident.... A noteworthy example and pattern foreveryoneofallvirtue,gentleness,peacefulness,andpatience."

FRANCISOSBORN,inhis"AdvicetoaSon,"writes:—

"Andmymemory neither doth nor (I believe possible ever) can direct metowardsanexamplemoresplendidinthiskind,thantheLordBaconEarlofSt.Albans,who in all companiesdid appear agoodProficient, if not aMaster inthose Arts entertained for the Subject of every ones discourse. So as I daremaintain,without the least affectation of Flattery orHyperbole,That hismostcasualtalkdeservethtobewritten,AsIhavebeentoldhisfirstorfoulestCopysrequirednogreatLabourtorenderthemcompetentforthenicestjudgments.Ahigh perfection, attainable only by use, and treating with every man in hisrespectiveprofession,andwhathewasmostvers'd in.Soas IhaveheardhimentertainaCountryLordinthepropertermsrelatingtoHawksandDogs.Andatanothertimeout-CantaLondonChirurgeon.Thushedidnotonlylearnhimself,but gratifie such as taught him; who looked upon their Callings as honouredthroughhisNotice;NordidaneasiefallingintoArguments(notunjustlytakenforablemishinthemost)appearlessthananornamentinHim:Theearsofthehearers receivingmoregratification, than trouble;And(so)no lesssorrywhen

he came to conclude, than displeased with any did interrupt him. Now thisgeneralKnowledgehehadinallthings,husbandedbyhiswit,anddignifi'dbysoMajesticalacarriagehewasknowntoown,strooksuchanawfulreverenceinthosehequestion'd, that theydurstnotconceal themost intrinsickpartof theirMysteriesfromhim,forfearofappearingIgnorant,orSaucy.AllwhichrenderedhimnolessNecessary,thanadmirableattheCouncilTable,whereinreferenceto Impositions, Monopolies, &c. the meanest Manufacturers were an usualArgument:And,asIhaveheard,didinthisBaffle, theEarlofMiddlesex, thatwasbornandbredaCitizen&c.Yetwithoutanygreat(ifatall)interruptinghisotherStudies,asisnothardtobeImaginedofaquickApprehension,inwhichhewasAdmirable."

CHAPTERXXIV.

THEMISSINGFOURTHPARTOF"THEGREATINSTAURATION."

It has been urged by critics that Bacon, whilst professing to take allknowledge for his province, ignored one-half of it—that half which was aknowledgeofhimself;thattohimtheexternalworldwaseverything,theinternalnothing.AllthatNaturerevealedwasexternal;nothingthatwasinternalwasofmuchimportance.ItmustberememberedthatallthatwehaveofBacon'swaswrittenashewas

passingintothe"valeoflife."Ofhisearlyproductionsnothinghascomedownto the present times under his own name. The following extracts from hisacknowledged works establish two facts:—(1) That the foregoing criticism isunfounded,forheplacedthestudyofman'smindandcharacteraboveallotherenquiries. (2)Thathehadpreparedexamples,being"actual typesandmodels,by which the entire process of the mind and the whole fabric and order ofinventionfromthebeginningtotheendincertainsubjectsandthosevariousandremarkableshouldbeset,asitwere,beforetheeyes."Wherearetheseworkstobefound?BaconnevertiresofquotingfromtheRomanpoettheline—

"Omne tulit punctum quimiscuitutiledulci,"

which, in anElizabethanhandwriting,maybe seen in a contemporaryvolumethusrendered—

"He of all others fittest is towriteWhich with some profit allsoioynesdelight."

He repeats indifferent forms,until the reiterationbecomesalmost tedious, thefollowingincident:—

"AndasAlexanderBorgiawaswonttosay,oftheexpeditionoftheFrenchforNaples,thattheycamewithchalkintheirhandstomarkeuptheirlodgingsnotwith weapons to fight; so we like better, that entry of truth, which comespeaceably where the Mindes of men, capable to lodge so great a guest, aresigned, as it were, with chalke; than that which comes with Pugnacity, andforcethitselfeawaybycontentionsandcontroversies."

Thesameideaisembodiedinthefollowingexampleoftheantitheta:—

"AwittyconceitisoftentimesaconvoyofaTruthwhichotherwisecouldnotsohandsomelyhavebeenferriedover."

In the "AdvancementofLearning,"Lib. II., again the sameview is insistedon:—

"BesidesinallwisehumaneGovernment,theythatsitatthehelme,doemorehappilybring theirpurposesabout, and insinuatemoreeasily things fit for thepeople, by pretexts, and oblique courses; than by downe-right dealing. Nay(whichperchancemayseemverystrange) in thingsmeerelynaturall,youmaysooner deceive nature, than force her; so improper, and selfe impeaching areopendirectproceedings;whereasontheotherside,anobliqueandaninsinuingway,gentlyglidesalongandcompasseththeintendedeffect."

Oneotherfactmustberealisedbeforethefullimportofthequotationsaboutto be made can be appreciated. In the "Distributio Operis" prefixed to the"NovumOrganum"thefollowingsignificantpassageoccurs[55]:—

"ForasoftenasIhaveoccasiontoreportanythingasdeficient,thenatureofwhich is at allobscure, so thatmenmaynotperhapseasilyunderstandwhat ImeanorwhattheworkiswhichIhaveinmyhead,Ishallalways(provideditbeamatterofanyworth)takecaretosubjoineitherdirectionsfortheexecutionofsuchwork,orelseaportionoftheworkitselfexecutedbymyselfasasampleof

thewhole:thusgivingassistanceineverycaseeitherbyworkorbycounsel."

Inthe"AdvancementofLearning,"BookII.,chap.i.,itiswritten:

"ThatisthetruestPartitionofhumaneLearning,whichhathreferencetothethreeFacultiesofMan'ssoule,whichisthefeatofLearning.HistoryisreferredtoMemory,Poesy to theImagination,PhilosophytoReason.ByPoesy, in thisplace,weunderstandnothingelse,butfeignedHistory,orFables.AsforVerse,thatisonlyastyleofexpression,andpertainestotheArtofElocution,ofwhichindueplace.""Poesy,inthatsensewehaveexpoundedit,islikewiseofIndividuals,fancied

to the similitude of those thingswhich in trueHistory are recorded, yet so asoften itexceedsmeasure;and those thingswhich inNaturewouldnevermeet,nor come to passe, Poesy composeth and introduceth at pleasure, even asPaintingdoth:whichindeedistheworkoftheImagination."

Andinthesamebook,ChapterXIII.:—

"Drammaticall, or Representative Poesy, which brings the World upon thestage, is of excellent use, if it were not abused. For the Instructions, andCorruptions,oftheStage,maybegreat;butthecorruptionsinthiskindabound,the Discipline is altogether neglected in our times. For although in moderneCommonwealths,Stage-plaiesbebutestimedasportorpastime,unlesseitdrawfromtheSatyre,andbemordant;yetthecareoftheAncientswas,thatitshouldinstruct theminds ofmen unto virtue.Nay,wisemen and great Philosophers,haveaccountedit,astheArchet,ormusicallBowoftheMind.Andcertainlyitismosttrue,andasitwere,asecretofnature,thatthemindsofmenaremorepatenttoaffections,andimpressions,Congregate,thansolitary."

The third chapter of Book VII. of the "De Augmentis" is devoted toemphasisingtheimportanceofaknowledgeoftheinternalworkingofthemindandofthedispositionandcharacterofmen.Thefollowingextractsareofspecialmoment:—

"Somearenaturallyformedforcontemplation,othersforbusiness,othersforwar,othersforadvancementoffortune,othersforlove,othersforthearts,othersforavariedkindof life;soamong thepoets (heroic,satiric, tragic,comic)areeverywhere interspersed, representations of characters, though generallyexaggeratedandsurpassing the truth.And thisargument touching thedifferentcharacters of dispositions is one of those subjects in which the commondiscourse of men (as sometimes, though very rarely, happens) is wiser thanbooks."

Thedramaastheonlyvehiclethroughwhichthiscanbeaccomplishedatoncesuggestsitselftothereader.Butinordertoemphasizethispointheproceeds—

"Butfarthebestprovisionandmaterialforthistreatiseistobegainedfromthe wiser sort of historians, not only from the commemorations which theycommonly add on recording the deaths of illustrious persons, butmuchmorefromtheentirebodyofhistoryasoftenassuchapersonentersuponthestage."

Baconbecomesstillmoreexplicit.Hecontinues:—

"Whereforeoutof thesematerials(whicharesurelyrichandabundant) letafull and careful treatise be constructed.Not, however, that Iwould have theircharacterspresentedinethics(aswefindtheminhistory,orpoetry,orevenincommondiscourse)intheshapeofcompleteindividualportraits,butrathertheseveralfeaturesandsimplelineamentsofwhichtheyarecomposed,andbythevarious combinations and arrangements of which all characters whatever aremadeup,showinghowmany,andofwhatnaturetheseare,andhowconnectedandsubordinatedonetoanother;thatsowemayhaveascientificandaccuratedissectionofmindsandcharacters,andthesecretdispositionsofparticularmenmayberevealed;andthatfromaknowledgethereofbetterrulesmaybeframedforthetreatmentofthemind.Andnotonlyshouldthecharactersofdispositionswhichareimpressedbynaturebereceivedintothistreatise,butthosealsowhichareimposeduponthemindbysex,byage,byregion,byhealthandsickness,bybeautyanddeformityandthelike;andagain,thosewhicharecausedbyfortune,as sovereignty, nobility, obscure birth, riches, want, magistracy, privateness,prosperity,adversityandthelike."

Shortlyafterfollowsthisremarkablepronouncement.

"Buttospeakthetruththepoetsandwritersofhistoryarethebestdoctorsofthis knowledge,[56] where we may find painted forth with great life anddissected, how affections are kindled and excited, and how pacified andrestrained, and how again contained from act and further degree; how theydisclosethemselves,thoughrepressedandconcealed;howtheywork;howtheyvary;howtheyareenwrappedonewithinanother;howtheyfightandencounteronewith another; andmanymoreparticularsof this kind; amongstwhich thislast is of special use in moral and civil matters; how, I say, to set affectionagainstaffection,and touse theaidofone tomasteranother; likehuntersandfowlers who use to hunt beast with beast, and catch bird with bird, whichotherwiseperhapswithouttheiraidmanofhimselfcouldnotsoeasilycontrive;upon which foundation is erected that excellent and general use in civilgovernment of reward and punishment, whereon commonwealths lean; seeingthese predominant affections of fear and hope suppress and bridle all the rest.ForasinthegovernmentofStatesitissometimesnecessarytobridleonefactionwithanother,soisitintheinternalgovernmentofthemind."

Inhis"DistributioOperis"Baconthusdescribesthemissingfourthpartofhis"InstauratioMagna":—

"Of these the first is to set forth examples of inquiry and invention[57]according tomymethod exhibited by anticipation in some particular subjects;choosingsuchsubjectsasareatoncethemostnobleinthemselvesamongthoseunder enquiry, and most different one from another, that there may be anexample in every kind. I do not speak of these precepts and rules byway ofillustration(foroftheseIhavegivenplentyinthesecondpartofthework);butImeanactualtypesandmodels,bywhichtheentireprocessofthemindandthewhole fabric and order of invention from the beginning to the end in certainsubjects,and thosevariousandremarkable,shouldbesetas itwerebefore theeyes. For I remember that in the mathematics it is easy to follow thedemonstrationwhenyouhaveamachinebesideyou,whereas,withoutthathelp,allappearsinvolvedandmoresubtlethanitreallyis.Toexamplesofthiskind—being,infact,nothingmorethananapplicationofthesecondpartindetailandatlarge—thefourthpartoftheworkisdevoted."

ThelateMr.EdwinReedhas, inhis"FrancisBaconourShakespeare,"page126,drawnattention toa remarkablecircumstance. In1607Baconhadwrittenhis "Cogitata etVisa,"whichwas the forerunner of his "NovumOrganum." Itwasnotpublisheduntiltwenty-sevenyearsafterhisdeath,namely,in1653,byIsaacGruter,atLeyden.In1857Mr.Speddingfoundamanuscriptcopyofthe"Cogitata"inthelibraryofQueen'sCollegeatOxford.ThismanuscripthadbeencorrectedinBacon'sownhandwriting.Itcontainedpassageswhichwereomittedfrom Gruter's print. Spedding did not realise the importance of the omittedpassages,butMr.EdwinReedhasmadethismanifest.Thefollowingextractisspecially noteworthy, the portion printed in italics having been omitted byGruter:—

"... So he thought best, after long considering the subject and weighing itcarefully,firstofalltoprepareTabulæInveniendiorregularformsofinquiry;inotherwords,amassofparticularsarrangedfortheunderstanding,andtoserve,as itwere, for an example andalmostvisible representationof thematter.Fornothingelsecanbedevisedthatwouldplaceinaclearerlightwhatistrueandwhat is false,orshowmoreplainly thatwhat ispresented ismore thanwords,andmustbeavoidedbyanyonewhoeitherhasnoconfidenceinhisownschemeormaywishtohavehisschemetakenformorethanitisworth."ButwhentheseTabulæInveniendihavebeenputforthandseen,hedoesnot

doubtthatthemoretimidwitswillshrinkalmostindespairfromimitatingthemwithsimilarproductionswithothermaterialsoronothersubjects;andtheywilltakesomuchdelightinthespecimengiventhattheywillmissthepreceptsinit.Still,manypersonswillbeledtoinquireintotherealmeaningandhighestuseofthesewritings,andtofindthekeytotheirinterpretation,andthusmoreardentlydesire,insomedegreeatleast,toacquirethenewaspectofnaturewhichsuchakeywillreveal.Butheintends,yieldingneithertohisownpersonalaspirationsnor to the wishes of others, but keeping steadily in view the success of hisundertaking,havingshared thesewritingswithsome, towithhold therestuntilthetreatiseintendedforthepeopleshallbepublished."

Now what conclusions may be drawn from the foregoing extracts? Baconattachedthegreatestimportancetotheconsiderationoftheinternallifeofman.Heaffirmsthatdramaticallorrepresentativepoesy,whichbringstheworlduponthestage,isofexcellentuseifitbenotabused.Thedisciplineofthestagewasneglectedinhistime,butthecareoftheancientswasthatitshouldinstructthe

mindsofmenuntovirtue,andwisemenandgreatphilosophersaccounteditasthemusicalbowofthemind.Hehasdevotedthefourthpartofhis"InstauratioMagna" to setting forth examples of inquiry and invention, choosing suchsubjectsasareatoncethemostnobleinthemselvesandthemostdifferentonefromanother,thattheremaybeanexampleineverykind.Heisnotspeakingofprecepts and rules by way of interpretation, but actual types and models bywhich the entire process of the mind, and the whole fabric and order ofinvention,shouldbeset,asitwere,beforetheeyes.Notonlyshouldthecharactersofdispositionswhichareimpressedbynature

bereceivedintothistreatise,butthosealsowhichareimposeduponthemindbysex,byage,byregion,byhealthandsickness,bybeautyanddeformity,andthelike; and, again, those that are caused by fortune, as sovereignty, nobility,obscurebirth,riches,want,magistracy,privateness,prosperity,adversity,andthelike.The fourth part of Bacon's "Great Instauration" is missing. The above

requirements are met in the Shakespeare plays. Could the dramas be moreaccuratelydescribedthanintheforegoingextracts?Fromastudyoftheplaysletalistbemadeoutofthequalificationswhichthe

authormusthavepossessed.ItwillbefoundthattheonlypersoninwhomeveryqualificationwillbefoundwhohaslivedinanyageofanycountrywasFrancisBacon.Any investigatorwhowill devote the timeand trouble requisite for anexhaustiveexaminationofthesubjectcancometonootherconclusion.One cannotwithout feeling deep regret recognise thatwe have to turn to a

foreignertogive"reasonsforthefaithwhichweEnglishhaveinShakespeare."ItwasaGerman,Schlegel,whodiscovered thegreatdramatist, and to-daywemustturntohis"LecturesontheDrama"forthemostpenetratingdescriptionofhis plays. The following is a translation of a passagewhich in describing theplays almost adopts thewordsBacon uses in the foregoing passages as to thescopeandobjectofthefourthpartofhis"GreatInstauration.""Never, perhaps,was there so comprehensive a talent for the delineation of

character as Shakespeare's. It not only grasps the diversities of rank, sex, andage,downtothedawningsofinfancy;notonlydothekingandthebeggar,theheroand thepickpocket, thesageand the idiotspeakandactwithequal truth;not only does he transport himself to distant ages and foreign nations, andportray in the most accurate manner, with only a few apparent violations ofcostume, thespiritof theancientRomans,of theFrench in theirwarswith theEnglish, of the English themselves during a great part of their history, of the

Southern Europeans (in the serious part of many comedies), the cultivatedsocietyof that time, and the former rudeandbarbarous stateof theNorth;hishuman characters have not only such depth and precision that they cannot bearranged under classes, and are inexhaustible, even in conception; no, thisPrometheusnotmerelyformsmen,heopens thegatesof themagicalworldofspirits, callsup themidnightghost, exhibitsbeforeushiswitchesamidst theirunhallowedmysteries,peoplestheairwithsportivefairiesandsylphs;andthesebeings, existing only in imagination, possess such truth and consistency thateven when deformed monsters like Caliban, he extorts the conviction that ifthereshouldbesuchbeingstheywouldsoconductthemselves.Inaword,ashecarrieswithhimthemostfruitfulanddaringfancyintothekingdomofnature;ontheotherhand,hecarriesnatureintotheregionsoffancy, lyingbeyondtheconfinesof reality.Weare lost inastonishmentatseeing theextraordinary, thewonderful,andtheunheardofinsuchintimatenearness.""If Shakespeare deserves our admiration for his characters he is equally

deserving of it for his exhibition of passion, taking this word in its widestsignification,asincludingeverymentalcondition,everytonefromindifferenceor familiar mirth to the wildest rage and despair. He gives us the history ofminds, he lays open to us in a single word a whole series of precedingconditions.Hispassionsdonotatfirststanddisplayedtousinalltheirheight,asis the case with so many tragic poets who, in the language of Lessing, arethorough masters of the legal style of love. He paints, in a most inimitablemanner,thegradualprogressfromthefirstorigin.'Hegives,'asLessingsays,'alivingpictureofallthemostminuteandsecretartificesbywhichafeelingstealsintooursouls;ofalltheimperceptibleadvantageswhichittheregains,ofallthestratagemsbywhicheveryotherpassionismadesubservienttoit,tillitbecomesthesoletyrantofourdesiresandouraversions.'Ofallpoets,perhaps,healonehas portrayed the mental diseases—melancholy, delirium, lunacy—with suchinexpressible,andineveryrespectdefinitetruth, that thephysicianmayenrichhisobservationsfromtheminthesamemannerasfromrealcases."

CHAPTERXXV.

THEPHILOSOPHYOFBACON.ToattemptanythingofthenatureofareviewofBacon'sacknowledgedworks

isataskfartoogreatforthescopeofthepresentvolume.Toattemptasurveyofthe whole of his works would require years of diligent study, and wouldnecessitateaperusalofnearlyeverybookpublished inEnglandbetween1576and1630.Not that it is suggested that all the literature of this periodwas theproduct of his pen or was produced under his supervision, but each bookpublishedshouldbereadandconsideredwithattentiontoarriveataselection.Therehasbeennoablerjudgmentoftheacknowledgedworksthanthatwhich

will be found in William Hazlitt's "Lectures on the Literature of the Age ofElizabeth." Lecture VII. commences with an account of the "Character ofBacon'sWorks."Itmaynot,however,beoutofplaceheretotryandmakeplaininwhatsense

Baconwasaphilosopher.InChapterCXVI.ofthe"NovumOrganum"hemakeshispositionclearinthe

followingwords:—

"FirstthenImustrequestmennottosupposethatafterthefashionofancientGreeks,andofcertainmoderns,asTelesius,Patricius,Severinus,Iwishtofoundanewsectinphilosophy.ForthisisnotwhatIamabout;nordoIthinkthatitmattersmuch to the fortunes ofmenwhat abstract notions onemay entertainconcerningnatureandtheprinciplesofthings;andnodoubtmanyoldtheoriesof this kind can be revived, and many new ones introduced; just as manytheories of the heavens may be supposed which agree well enough with thephenomenaandyetdifferwitheachother."Formypart, I do not troublemyselfwith any such speculative andwithal

unprofitablematters.Mypurposeon thecontrary, is to trywhether Icannot inveryfactlaymorefirmlythefoundationsandextendmorewidelythelimitsofthe power and greatness of man ... I have no entire or universal theory topropound."

Sotheideathattherewaswhatistermedasystemofphilosophyconstructedby Bacon must be abandoned.What justification is there for calling him thefatheroftheInductivePhilosophy?Itisdifficulttoanswerthisquestion.SpeddingadmitsthatBaconwasnotthe

first to break down the dominion of Aristotle. That followed the awakeningthroughout the intellectualworldwhichwasbroughtaboutby theReformationandtherevivaloflearning.SirJohnHerscheljustifiestheapplicationtoBaconof the term "The great Reformer of Philosophy" not on the ground that heintroduced inductive reasoning, but because of his "keen perception and hisbroad and spirit-stirring, almost enthusiastic announcement of its paramountimportance,astheAlphaandOmegaofscience,asthegrandandonlychainforlinkingtogetherofphysical truthsandtheeventualkeytoeverydiscoveryandapplication."Baconwas60yearsofagewhenhis"NovumOrganum"waspublished.Itwas

foundedonatracthehadwrittenin1607,whichhecalled"CogitataetVisa,"notprinteduntil longafterhisdeath.HehadpreviouslypublishedaportionofhisEssays,thetwobookson"TheAdvancementofLearning"and"TheWisdomofthe Ancients." Just at the end of his life he gave to the world the "NovumOrganum,"accompaniedby"TheParasceve."Certainlyitwasnotunderstoodinhistime.CokedescribeditasonlyfittofreighttheShipofFools,andtheKinglikenedit"tothepeaceofGodwhichpassethallunderstanding."Itisadmittedlyincomplete,andBaconmadenoattemptinsubsequentyearstocompleteit.Itisa book that if read and re-read becomes fascinating. Taine describes it as "astringofaphorisms,acollectionasitwereofscientificdecreesasofanoraclewhoforeseesthefutureandrevealsthetruth.""Itisintuitionnotreasoning,"headds.Thewisdomcontained in itspages isprofound.Anunderstandingof theinterpretationoftheIdolsandtheInstanceshassofarevadedallcommentators.Who can explain the "Latent Process"? But the book contains no scheme ofarrangement.Thereinisfoundaseriesofdesultorydiscourses—fullofwisdom,richinanalogies,abundantinobservationandprofoundincomprehension.Fromhereandthereinitwiththehelpofthe"Parasceve"onecangrasptheintentionofthegreatphilosopher.In Chapter LXI. he says:—"But the course I propose for the discovery of

sciences is such as leaves but little to the acuteness and strength of wits, butplaces all wits and understandings on a level." How was this to beaccomplished?Bythesystemizationoflabourexpendedonscientificresearch.Acatalogueoftheparticularsofhistorieswhichweretobepreparedisappendedtothe"Parasceve."Itembraceseverysubjectconceivable.InChapterCXI.hesays,

"Iplainlyconfessthatacollectionofhistory,naturalandexperimental,suchasIconceiveit,andasitoughttobe,isagreat,Imaysayaroyalwork,andofmuchlabourandexpense."In the"Parasceve"hesays:—"Ifall thewitsofall theageshadmetorshall

hereaftermeet together; if thewholehumanracehadappliedorshallhereafterapplythemselvestophilosophy,andthewholeearthhadbeenorshallbenothingbutacademiesandcollegesandschoolsof learnedmen; stillwithoutanaturalandexperimentalhistorysuchasIamgoingtoprescribe,noprogressworthyofthe human race could have beenmade or can bemade in philosophy and thesciences.Whereasontheotherhandletsuchahistorybeonceprovidedandwellsetforthandlettherebeaddedtoitsuchauxiliaryandlight-givingexperimentsasintheverycourseofinterpretationwillpresentthemselvesorwillhavetobefoundout;andtheinvestigationofnatureandofallscienceswillbetheworkofafewyears.Thisthereforemustbedoneorthebusinessgivenup."Tocarryoutthisworkanarmyofworkerswasrequired.Inthepreparationof

eachhistorysomewere tomakea roughandgeneralcollectionof facts.Theirworkwastobehandedovertootherswhowouldarrangethefactsinorderforreference.Thisaccomplished,otherswouldexamine toget ridof superfluities.Thenwouldbebroughtinthosewhowouldre-arrangethatwhichwasleftandthehistorywouldbecompleted.FromChapterCIII.itisclearthatBaconcontemplatedthateventuallyallthe

experimentsofallthearts,collectedanddigested,shouldbebroughtwithinoneman'sknowledgeandjudgment.Thisman,havingasupremeviewofthewholerangeofsubjects,wouldtransferexperimentsofoneart toanotherandsolead"tothediscoveryofmanynewthingsofservicetothelifeandstateofman."NearlythreehundredyearshavepassedsinceBaconpropoundedhisscheme.

Theartsandscienceshavebeengreatlyadvanced.Theymighthaveproceededmorerapidlyhadthehistoriesbeenprepared,butsincehistimetherehasarisennomanwhohastaken"allknowledgetobehisprovince"—nomanwhocouldoccupythepositionBaconcontemplated.The method by which the induction was to be followed is described in

Chapter CV. There must be an analysis of nature by proper rejections andexclusions,andthen,afterasufficientnumberofnegatives,aconclusionshouldbearrivedatfromtheaffirmativeinstances."Itisinthisinduction,"Baconadds,"thatourchiefhopelies."Bacon's new organ has never been constructed, and all wits and

understandingshavenotyetbeenplacedonalevel.

We come back to themystery of Francis Bacon, the possessor of themostexquisiteintellectthatwaseverbestowedonanyofthechildrenofmen.Asanhistorian,hegivesusatasteofhisqualityin"HenryVII."IntheEssaysandthe"NovumOrganum,"sayingswhichhavetheeffectofaxiomsareatoncestrikingand self-evident. But he is always desultory. In perceiving analogies betweenthings which have nothing in common he never had an equal, and thischaracteristic,toquoteMacaulay,"occasionallyobtainedthemasteryoverallhisother facultiesand ledhimintoabsurdities intowhichnodullmancouldhavefallen."Hismemorywassostoredwithmaterials,andthesesodiverse, that insimilitude or with comparison he passed from subject to subject. In the"Advancement of Learning" are enumerated the deficiencies which Baconobserved,nearlythewholeofwhichweresuppliedduringhislifetime.The "Sylva Sylvarum" is the most extraordinary jumble of facts and

observations that has ever been brought together. It is a literary curiosity.The"NewAtlantis"andothershortworksinquantityamounttoverylittle.Bacon'slifehashithertoremainedunaccountedfor.Intheforegoingpagesanattempthasbeenmadetoofferanintelligibleexplanationoftheworktowhichhedevotedhislife,namely,tosupplythedeficiencieswhichhehadhimselfpointedoutandwhichretardedtheadvancementoflearning.Hallamhas saidofBacon: "Ifwecomparewhatmaybe found in the sixth,

seventh,andeighthbooksofthe'DeAugmentis,'andthevariousshorttreatisescontainedinhisworksonmoralandpoliticalwisdomandonhumannature,withthe rhetoric, ethics, and politics of Aristotle, or with the historians mostcelebrated for their deep insight into civil society and human character—withThucydides,Tacitus,PhillipedeComines,Machiavel,DavidHume—weshall,Ithink,findthatonemanmayalmostbecomparedwithallofthesetogether."Popewrote:"LordBaconwasthegreatestgeniusthatEngland,orperhapsany

other country, ever produced." If an examination, more thorough than hashithertobeenmade,of the recordsand literatureofhisageestablishesbeyonddoubtthetruthofthesuggestionswhichhavenowbeenputforward,whatmorecanbe said?This at any rate, that tohim shall begiven that title towhichheaspired and forwhich hewaswilling to renounce his own name.He shall becalled"TheBenefactorofMankind."

APPENDIX.SirThomasBodley left behindhima short history of his lifewhich is of a

fragmentarydescription.One-fourthofitisdevotedtoarecordofhowmuchhesufferedinpermittingEssextourgehisadvancementintheState.Thefollowingisthepassage:—

"Nowhere Icannotchoosebut inmakingreportof theprincipallaccidentsthathavefallenuntomeinthecourseofmylife,butrecordamongtherest,thatfrom the very first day I had nomanmore to friend among the Lords of theCouncell, thanwas theLordTreasurerBurleigh: forwhenoccasionhadbeeneofferedofdeclaringhisconceitastouchingmyservice,hewouldalwaiestelltheQueen(whichIreceivedfromherselfeandsomeotherear-witnesses)thattherewasnotanyman inEngland someetasmyselfe toundergoe theofficeof theSecretary. And sithence his sonne, the present Lord Treasurer, hath signifieduntomeinprivateconference,thatwhenhisfatherfirstintendedtoadvancehimto thatplace,hispurposewaswithall tomakemehisColleague.But the casestood thus in my behalf: before such time as I returned from the Provincesunited, which was in the yeare 1597, and likewise after my returne, the thenEarleofEssexdidusemesokindlybothbylettersandmessages,andothergreattokensofhisinwardfavourstome,thatalthoughIhadnomeaning,buttosettleinmymindmychiefestdesireanddependanceupontheLordBurleigh,asonethatIreputedtobeboththebestable,andtherewithallthemostwillingtoworkemyadvancementwiththeQueene,yetIknownothow,theEarle,whofoughtbyalldevices todiverther loveand likingbothfromtheFatherand theSon(butfromtheSonneinspeciall)towithdrawmyaffectionfromtheoneandtheother,andtowinnemeealtogethertodependuponhimselfe,didsooftentakeoccasiontoentertaine theQueenewithsomeprodigall speechesofmysufficiency foraSecretary, which were ever accompanied with words of disgrace against thepresentLordTreasurer, as neither sheher selfe, ofwhose favourbefore Iwasthoroughlyassured, tookanygreatpleasure topreferreme thesooner, (forshehatedhis ambition, andwouldgive little countenance to anyof his followers)andboth theLordBurleigh andhisSonnewaxed jealousofmy courses, as ifunderhand Ihadbeene inducedby thecunningandkindnesseof theEarleofEssex,toopposemyselfeagainsttheirdealings.Andthoughinverytruththey

hadnosolidgroundatalloftheleastalterationinmydispositiontowardseitherof themboth, (for Ididgreatly respect theirpersonsandplaces,witha settledresolutiontodoethemanyservice,asalsoinmyheartIdetestedtobeheldofany faction whatsoever) yet the now Lord Treasurer, upon occasion of sometalke, that I have sincehadwithhim,of theEarle andhis actions, hath freelyconfessedofhisowneaccorduntome,thathisdailyprovocationsweresobitterand sharpe against him, and his comparisons so odious, when he put us in aballance, as he thought thereupon he had very great reason to use his bestmeanes,toputanymanoutofhopeofraisinghisfortune,whomtheEarlewithsuchviolence,tohisextreameprejudice,hadendeavouredtodignifie.Andthis,as he affirmed, was all the motive he had to set himselfe against me, inwhatsoever might redound to the bettering of my estate, or increasing of mycreditandcountenancewiththeQueene.WhenIhaethoroughlynowbethoughtme, first in theEarle, of the slender hold-fast that hehad in the favour of theQueene,ofanendlesseoppositionof thecheifestofourStatesmen like still towaiteuponhim,ofhisperillous,andfeeble,anduncertainadvice,aswellinhisowne,asinallthecausesofhisfriends:andwhenmoreoverformyselfeIhadfully considered how very untowardly these two Counsellours were affecteduntome,(uponwhombefore incogitationIhadframedall thefabriqueofmyfuture prosperity) how ill it did concurre with my naturall disposition, tobecome, or to be counted either a stickler or partaker in anypublique faction,howwellIwasable,byGod'sgoodblessing, to liveofmyselfe, ifIcouldbecontentwithacompetentlivelyhood;howshorttimeoffurtherlifeIwasthentoexpect by the common course of nature: when I had, I say, in this mannerrepresented to my thoughts my particular estate, together with the Earles, Iresolvedthereupontopossessemysouleinpeacealltheresidueofmydaies,totake my full farewell of State imployments, to satisfie my mind with thatmediocrityofworldlylivingthatIhadofmyowne,andsotoretiremefromtheCourt,whichwastheepilogueandendofallmyactionsandendeavoursofanyimportantnote,tillIcametotheageoffifty-three."

The experience of Bodley and Bacon appears to have been identical. Itcertainly materially strengthens the case of those who contend that Bacon'sconducttoEssexwasnotdeservingofcensureonthegroundofingratitudeforfavoursreceivedfromhim.ThewordswhichRobertCeciladdressedtoBodley,namely,that"hehadvery

great reason tousehisbestmeanes, toputanymanoutofhopeof raisinghisfortune whom the Earle with such violence, to his extreame prejudice had

endeavouredtodignifie,"wouldwithequalforcehavebeenappliedtoBacon'scase.ThedriftofBodley'saccountofthematterpointstohisfeelingthatEssex'sconducthadnotbeenofadisinterestedcharacter, andsuggests thathe felt theEarlehadbeenmakingatoolofhim.TheeffectofthiswasthatBodleyadoptedthecoursewhichBaconthreatened

toadoptwhenrefusedtheofficeofAttorney-General,solicitedforhimbyEssex—hetookafarewellofStateemploymentsandretiredfromtheCourttodevotehimselftotheserviceofhis"ReverendMother,theUniversityofOxford,"andto the advancement of her good. To this end he became a collector of books,whereasBaconwouldhavebecome"somesorrybook-makeroratruepionerinthatmineoftruthwhichAnaxagorassaidlaysodeep."

ROBERTBANKSANDSON,RACQUETCOURT,FLEETSTREET.

FigureVI.

FigureVII.

FigureVIII.

FigureIX.

FigureXX.

THEXXXVIII.BOOKE.

FigureX.

FigureXV.

FigureXI.

FigureXII.

FigureXXI.

FigureXVI.

FigureXVII.

FigureXVIII.

FigureXIX.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Attention is drawn to one of theinaccuracies in "An Introduction toMathematics," by A. W. Whithead,Sc.D., F.R.S., published in the HomeUniversity Library of ModernKnowledge.Theauthorsays:"Macaulayin his essay on Bacon contrasts thecertainty of mathematics with theuncertaintyofphilosophy,andbywayofa rhetorical examplehe says, 'Therehasbeen no re-action against Taylor'stheorem.' He could not have chosen aworse example. For, without havingmade an examination of English text-books on mathematics contemporarywith the publication of this essay, theassumption is a fairly safe one thatTaylor's theorem was enunciated andprovedwronglyineveryoneofthem."

[2] There are copies of this workbearing date 1626, the year in whichBacondied.

[3] The concluding paragraph of theEpistle to theReader is as follows: "It'seasilyimaginablehowunconcernedIamas to the fate of this Book either in theHistory,ortheObservations,sinceIhavebeensofaithful inthefirst, that it isnotmy own, but the Historians; and socareful in the second that they are not

mine,buttheHistories."

[4]"LifeandLetters,"Vol.VII.,page552.

[5] Lloyd states that this occurredwhenhewassevenyearsofage.

[6] "The Lives of Statesmen andFavouritesofElizabeth."

[7]Dr.Whitgiftwasamanofstrongmoral rectitude, yet in 1593 he becameoneofitssponsorsonthepublicationof"VenusandAdonis."

[8] It was to Sir Amias that thecustody of Mary Queen of Scots wascommitted.

[9] In the "Gesta Grayorum" one ofthe articles which the Knights of theHelmet were required to vow to keep,each kissing his helmet as he took hisvow, was "Item—every Knight of thisOrdershallendeavourtoaddconferenceandexperimenttoreading;andthereforeshall not only read and peruse 'Guizo,''The French Academy,' 'Galiatto theCourtier,' 'Plutarch,' 'The Arcadia,' andtheNeotericalwritersfromtimetotime,"etc. The "Gesta Grayorum," which waswritten in1594,wasnot publisheduntil1687. The manuscript was probablyincorrectly read as to the titles of thebooks. "Galiatto," apparently, should be"Galateo,"describedinaletterofGabrielHarveyas"TheItalianArchbishopbraveGalateo." The "Courtier" is the Italianwork by Castiglione which wasEnglishedbySirThomasHoby."Guizo"should be "Guazzo." Stefano Guazzo's"Civil Conversation"—four books—wasEnglishedbyG.PettieandYoung.

[10] "Hit" is used byChaucer as thepastparticipleof"Hide."Thenamethusyieldsasuggestiveanagram,"Bacohit."

[11]1618Edition,page712.

[12] In addition to this and to the"Gesta Grayorum" (1692) I have onlybeenabletofindtworeferencesto"TheFrench Academy" in the works ofEnglishwriters.

J. Payne Collier, in his "PoeticalDecameron," Vol. II., page 271, drawsattention to the epistle "to the Christianreader" prefixed to the second part, andsuggests that the initials T.B. whichoccurattheendofthededicatoryepistlestand for Thomas Beard, the author of"Theatre of God's Judgments." Collierdoesnotappeartohaveread"TheFrenchAcademy."Dibdin, in "Notes onMore'sUtopia,"says,"ButIentreatthereadertoexamine (if he be fortunate enough topossessthebook)"TheFrenchAcademyofPrimaudaye,"aworkwritteninastyleof peculiarly impressive eloquence, andwhich, not very improbably, was thefoundation of Derham's and Paley's"NaturalTheology."

[13] "It being now forty years as Iremember, since I composed a juvenilework on this subject which with greatconfidence and a magnificent title Inamed"ThegreatestbirthofTime."

[14]Theblockwasusedonpage626of the 1594 quarto edition of WilliamCamden's "Britannia," published inLondonbyGeorgeBishop,whowasthepublisher of the 1586, 1589, and 1594editions of "The French Academy."Thereisamarginalnoteatthefootoftheimprint of the block commencing "R.Bacons."FrancisBaconisknowntohaveassisted Camden in the preparation ofthiswork.Themanuscriptbearsevidenceofthefactinhishandwriting.

[15] One copy of this edition bearsthedate1628.

[16]ProbablyOwenFelltham,authorof"Felltham'sResolves."

[17] Sir Thomas Smith (1512-1577)wasSecretaryofStateunderEdwardVI.and Elizabeth—a good scholar andphilosopher. He, when Greek lecturerand orator at Cambridge, with JohnCheke, introduced, in spite of strongopposition, the correct way of speakingGreek,restoringthepronunciationoftheancients.

[18] State Paper Office; FrenchCorrespondence.

[19] Spedding prints this in smalltype,beingdoubtfulastotheauthorship.

[20]Thatis,neverheldabrief.

[21] I am indebted to Mr. HaroldHardy for this interesting information.There is an entry in the State Papers,1608, Jan. 31: Grant at the suit of SirFrancisBacontoSirWilliamCooke,SirJohnConstable, and three others, of theKing's reversion of the estates in Hertsabovereferredto.SirNicholas,towhomit had descended from theLordKeeper,conveyed the remainder to QueenElizabethherheirsandsuccessors"withthe condition that if he paid £100 thegrant should be void, which wasapparently done to prevent the said SirFrancis to dispose of the same landwhich otherwise by law he might havedone." When Lady Anne conveyed theMarkesestatetoFrancisitwassubjecttoasimilarcondition,namely,thatthegrantwas to be null and void on Lady Annpaying ten shillings to Francis. Thisconditionmadeit impossibleforFrancisto dispose of his interest in the estate,hence Anthony's request in the letterabove referred to. It is obvious that hisrelativesconsideredthatFranciswasnotto be trusted with property which hecould turn into money. There wasevidently some heavy strain on hisresources which caused him to converteverythinghecouldintocash.

[22] "Story of Lord Bacon's Life."HepworthDixon,p.28.

[23] The two letters of 16thSeptember, 1580, and that of 15thOctober, 1580, are taken from copies inthe Lansdowne collection. That of the6thMay,1586,isinthesamecollection,andisanoriginalinBacon'shandwriting.Theletterof25thAugust,1585,isalsoinhis handwriting, and is in the StatePapers, Domestic. The letter withoutdate,written toBurghley presumably in1591, is from the supplement to the"Resuscitatio,"1657.

[24]"LifeandLetters,"Vol.I.p.57.

[25]ThiswasSirChristopherHatton.

[26]"LifeandLetters,"VolI.p.59.

[27]Cott.MSS.Tit.CX.93.

[28]"LifeandLetters,"Vol.I.,p.110.

[29] "Life andLetters,"Vol. I., page16.

[30] There is a copy bearing date1626.

[31] "John Dee," by Charlotte FellSmith,1909.ConstableandCo.,Ltd.

[32]Seepage31.

[33] "Of the Advancement ofLearning,"1640,page312.

[34] "Of the Advancement ofLearning,"1640,pages115,116.

[35]33 is thenumericalvalueof thename "Bacon." The stop preceding itdenotescypher.

[36] Vautrollier was a scholar andprinterwhocame toEnglandfromParisor Roan about the beginning of

Elizabeth's reign, and first commencedbusiness in Blackfriars. In 1584 heprinted Jordanus Brunus, for which hewascompelledtofly.Inthenextyearhewas in Edinburgh, where, by his help,Scottish printing was greatly improved.Eventually his pardon was procured bypowerful friends, amongst whom wasThomas Randolph. In 1588 RichardField, who was apprenticed toVautrollier, married Jakin, his daughter,andonhisdeathin1589succeededtothebusiness.

[37]Harl.MSS.,537,pp.26and71;additional MSS., 4,263, p. 144; Harl.MSS.,6,401;Harl.MSS.,6,854,p.203;CambridgeUniv.Lib.,Mm.V.5;CottonMSS., Tit., Chap. VII., p. 50 b; Harl.MSS., 859, p. 40;CottonMSS., Jul., F.VI.,p.158.

[38]Seepage72.

[39]Seepages70,72.

[40]SeeAppendix.

[41]If you, OMildred, will take careto send back to me him whom Idesire,You will be my good, my morethangood,myonlysister;But if, unfortunately, by doingnothing you keep him back andsendhimacrossthesea,You will be bad, more than bad,naynosisteratallofmine.If he comes to Cornwall, peaceandalljoysbewithyou,But if he goes by sea to Sicily Ideclarewar.Farewell.

[42] One note on this book containsan interesting historical fact hithertounknown. On page 279 the text states:"Among the Conspirators was NicholoFedini whom they employed asChauncellor, he persuaded with a hopemore certaine, revealed to Piero, all the

practice argreed by his enemies, anddeliveredhimanoteofall theirnames."Baconhasmadethefollowingnoteinthemargin: "Ex (i.e., Essex) did the like inEnglandwhichheburntatShirfrSmithshouseinfenchurchStreet."

[43] "A Life of Shakespeare," 1589,2ndEdition,p.308.

[44] PlatesNos.VI. toXXI.will befoundaftertheAppendix.

[45] In the "Advancement ofLearning"Bacon says thatDemostheneswent so far in regard to the great forcethattheentranceandaccessintoacausehad to make a good impression that hekeptinreadinessastockofprefaces.

[46]BernardQuaritch,1905.

[47]Seepage105.

[48]SonnetNo.2.

[49]'Tistheemyselfe,Sonnet62.

[50] See Rawley's Introduction to"ManesVerulamiana."

[51]Theexpression"sugr'dSonnets"refers toverseswhichwerewrittenwithcoloured ink to which sugar had beenadded. When dry the writing shonebrightly.

[52] Edwin A. Abbot, in his work,"FrancisBacon,"p.447,writes,"Bacon'sstyle(asawriter)variedalmostasmuchashishandwriting."

[53] "Advancement of Learning," II."DeAugment.Scient.,"VII.3.

[54] "Advancement of Learning," II.For the whole passage compare "DeAugment.Scient.,"VII.3.

[55] A Translation by Spedding,

"Works,"Vol.IV.,p.23.

[56] The knowledge touching theaffections and perturbations which arethediseasesofthemind.

[57]Tabulæinveniendi.

TRANSCRIBER'SNOTES

1.Long"s"hasbeenmodernized.2.Imageshavebeenmovedfromthemiddleof

aparagraphtotheclosestparagraphbreak.3.Footnoteshavebeenrenumberedandmoved

totheendofthetextinthisHTMLversion.4.Thefollowingmisprintshavebeencorrected:

"obain"correctedto"obtain"(page27) "Shakespere" corrected to "Shakespeare"(page39)"Bodly"correctedto"Bodley"(page85) "Shakepeare's"correctedto"Shakespeare's"(page107) "commenceed" corrected to "commenced"(page108) "Prœcepta" corrected to "Præcepta" (page135) "deficiences" corrected to "deficiencies"(page191) "numercial" corrected to "numerical"(footnote35)5. Other than the corrections listed above,

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TableofContentsTHEMYSTERY

OFFRANCISBACON

WILLIAMT.SMEDLEY.AdD.B.LONDON: ROBERT BANKS & SON,RACQUETCOURT,FLEETSTREETE.C.1912.

CONTENTS.PREFACE.

THEMYSTERYOF

FRANCISBACON.ChapterI.SOURCESOFINFORMATION.ChapterII.THESTOCKFROMWHICHBACONCAME.ChapterIII.FRANCISBACON,1560TO1572.ChapterIV.ATCAMBRIDGE.ChapterV.EARLYCOMPOSITIONS.ChapterVI.BACON'S"TEMPORISPARTUSMAXIMUS."ChapterVII.BACON'SFIRSTALLEGORICALROMANCE.ChapterVIII.BACONINFRANCE,1576-1579.Chapter IX. BACON'S SUIT ON HIS RETURN TO ENGLAND,1580.ChapterX.THERAREANDUNACCUSTOMEDSUIT.ChapterXI.BACON'SSECONDVISITTOTHECONTINENTANDAFTER.Chapter XII. IS IT PROBABLE THAT BACON LEFTMANUSCRIPTSHIDDENAWAY?Chapter XIII. HOW THE ELIZABETHAN LITERATURE WASPRODUCED.ChapterXIV.THECLUETOTHEMYSTERYOFBACON'SLIFE.ChapterXV.BURGHLEYANDBACON.Chapter XVI. THE 1623 FOLIO EDITION OF SHAKESPEARE'SPLAYS.Chapter XVII. THE AUTHORIZED VERSION OF THE BIBLE,1611.

Chapter XVIII. HOW BACON MARKED BOOKS WITH THEPUBLICATIONOFWHICHHEWASCONNECTED.ChapterXIX.BACONANDEMBLEMATA.ChapterXX.SHAKESPEARE'SSONNETS.ChapterXXI.BACON'SLIBRARY.Chapter XXII. TWO GERMAN OPINIONS ON SHAKESPEAREANDBACON.Chapter XXIII. THE TESTIMONY OF BACON'SCONTEMPORARIES.Chapter XXIV. THEMISSING FOURTH PART OF "THE GREATINSTAURATION."ChapterXXV.THEPHILOSOPHYOFBACON.APPENDIX.

ROBERT BANKS AND SON, RACQUETCOURT,FLEETSTREET.FOOTNOTES:

TRANSCRIBER'SNOTES