State-worthies, or, The states-men and favourites of England since the reformation their prudence and policies, successes and miscarriages, advancements and falls, during the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James, King Charles I.

Observations on the Life of Sir Nicholas Bacon.

Sir Nicholas Bacon, a man full of wit and wisdom••, was a Gentleman, and a man of Law, and of great knowledge therein, whereby, together with his other parts of Learning and Dexterity, he was prompted to be Keepe•• of the Great Seal; and being kin to the Treasurer Burleigh, was brought by his help into the Queens favour.

This Gentleman understood his Mistress well, and the times better: He could raise Factions to serve the one, and allay them to suit the others. He had the deepest reach into Affairs of any man

that was at the Council-••able: the knottiest Head to peirce into di••ficulties: the most comprehensive Judgement to surround the merit of a Cause: the strongest memory to recollect all circumstances of a Business to one View: the greatest patience to de∣bate and consider; (for it was he that first said, Let us stay a little, and we will have done the sooner:) and the clearest reason to urge any thing that came in his way in Court or Chancery. His favour was eminent with his Mistress, and his Alliance strong with her States-men. No man served his Sove∣raign more faithfully, none secured himself more wisely. Leicester seemed wiser than he was, Bacon was wiser than he seemed to be; Hunsdon neither was nor seemed wise. Much Learning my Lord Ba∣con gained in Bennets Colledge in Cambridge, more Experience in Paris of France: His De••terity and Dispatch advanced him to the Court of Wards, his deep Experience made him Lord Keeper. Al∣liance was the policy of that time. Bacon and Ce∣cil married two Sisters; Walsingham and Mildmay two more: Knowles, Essex and Leicester were link∣ed; the prudent Q••een having all her Favourites Relations and Dependencies in her eye, and dispo∣sing of them according to their several Interests. Great was this States-mans Wit, greater the Fame of it; which as he would say, being nothing, made all things: For Report, though but Fancy, begets Opinion; and Opinion begets Substance. He was the exactest man to draw up a Law in Council, and the most discreet to execute it in Court. When o∣thers urged the repeal of that Act whereby Queen Elizabeth was declared Illegi••imate, he rather sup∣pressed it, chusing the closure of a festered Wound

more prudent than the opening of it; and judging it more wisdome to satisfie the world with the old Law, That the Crown takes away all defects; than to perplex it with new disputes, Whether Queen E∣lizabeth were Legitimate. State-miscarriages are rather to be privately connived at, than publickly redressed; the remedy it may be doing no more ser∣vice than putting the people in minde of the mis∣hap. He neither affected nor attained to Great∣ness: Mediocra firma was his Principle and his Practice. When Queen Elizabeth asked him, Why his House was so little? he answered, Madam, my House is not too little for me, but you have made me too big for my House, Give me, said he, a good E∣state, rather than a great one. He had a very Quaint saying, saith Robert Naunton, and he used it often to very good purpose, That he loved the Jest well, but not the loss of his Friend. He would say, That though unusquis{que} suae fortunae faber, was a true and good Principle; yet the most in number were those that marred themselves: but I will never forgive that man that loseth himself, to be rid of his Iest. The Excellency of his Parts was set off with the Gravity of his Person; and the Queen would say, My Lord Bacon's Soul lodgeth well. His Account of England and all its Affaires, was punctual: his use of learned Artist, was continual: his correspondence with his fellow-Statesmen, exact: his apprehension of our Laws and Government, clear; his model of both, methodical: his faithfulness to the Church, emi∣nent: his industrious invention for the State, inde∣fa••igable. He was, in a word, a Father of his Country, and of Sir Francis Bacon. Sir Nicholas ••acon was the moderate man that was appointed

to preside at the Disput••tion between the Prote∣stant and Popish Doctors in the first of Queen Eli∣zabeth. H•• was that Judicious States-man, to whom was trusted the management of that Parlia∣ment and Convocation: The satisfaction of the Peo∣ple and Kingdome, and those Delatory proceedings with France, Spain and Rome, that were at the bot∣tom of the great work of Reformation, and settle∣ment at that time.