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SIr Francis was born where we are made men, bred where we are made States-men; being equally happy in the quicknesse of the City, and politeness of the Court: He had a large minde from his Father, and great abilities from his Mo∣ther; his parts improved more than his years: his great, fixed, and methodical memory, his solid judgement, his quick fancy, his ready expression, gave high assurance of that profound and universal
knowledge and comprehension of things which then rendered him the observation of great and wise men, and afterwards the wonder of all. The great Queen was as much taken with his witty dis∣courses when a School boy, as with his grave O∣racles when her Counsel learned. He was a Cour∣tier from his Cradle to his Grave, sucking in ex∣perience with his milke, being inured to policy as early as to his Grammar: Royal Maximes were his Sententia Puerilis; and he never saw any thing that was not noble and becoming. The Queen called him her young Lord Keeper, for his grave ingenuity at seven years of age; and he could tell her Majesty be was two years younger for her happy Reigne. At twelve, his industry was above the capacity, and his minde above the reach of his Contemporaries: A prodigy of parts he must be, who was begot by wise Sir Nicholas Bacon, born of the accomplished Mrs. Anne Cook, and bred under the wise, learned, and pious Doctor Whitgift. His strong observations at Court, his steady course of study in the Universi∣ty, must be improved by a well contrived Travell abroad: where his conversation was so obliging, his way so inquisitive, his prudence so eminent, that he was Sir Amie Paulet's Agent between the Jun∣cto of France and the Queen of England: He al∣layed the solidity of England with the Ayre of France, untill his own Affairs and the Kingdomes service called him home at his Fathers death to enjoy a younger Brothers estate, and act his part: Policy was his business, the Law was onely his lively∣hood; yet he was so great a States-man, that you would think he only studied men: so great a Scholar, that you would say, he onely studied Books. Such
insight he had in the Law, that he was at thirty her Majesties Advocate; such his judgement, that he was the Student of Grayes-Inn's Oracle; so gene∣rous and affable his disposition, that he was all mens love and wonder: He instilled wholsome precepts of Prudence and Honour to Noble-men (particularly the Earl of Essex, to whom he was more faithful, than he to himself:) Great principles of Arts and Sciences to the learned; noble Ma∣ximes of Government to Princes, excellent rules of Life to the Populacy. When his great Patron Es∣sex sunk, he was buoyed up by his own fleadiness, and native worth, that admitted him to the Qu: own presence, not onely to deliver matter of Law, which was his profession, but to debate mat∣ters of State, which was his element: his judge∣ment was so eminent, that he could satisfie the greatest; his condescention so humble, that he instructed the meanest: his extraordinary parts, a∣bove the modell of the age, were feared in Queen Elizabeths time, but employed in King James his, Favour he had in her Reign, but Trust onely in his: It's dangerous in a factious Age to have my Lord Bacon's parts, or my Lord of Essex his fa∣vour. Exact was his correspondence abroad and at home; constant his Letters, frequent his Visits, great his Obligations, moderate and temperate his Inclination; peaceable, humble, and submissive his minde; complying and yielding, his temper: In Queen Elizabeths time, when he could not rise by the publick way of service, he did it by that more private of Marriage, and other commendable Im∣provements; whereby he shewed a great soul could be rich in spight of Fortune, though it scorned it
in point of Honour. In the House of Commons none more popular, none more zealous, none so knowing a Patriot: In the house of Lords, none more successfully serviceable to the Crown: the easie way of Subsidies was his design in Queen Eli∣zabeths time; the union with Scotland was his con∣trivance in King James's.
His make and port was stately, his speech flow∣ing and grave, each word of his falling in its place; the issue of great reason when conceived, and of great prudence when expressed: so great skill he had in observing and contriving of occasions and opportunities, in suiting of Humours, and hitting of Junctures and Flexures of Affairs, that he was in his time the Master of speech and action, carry∣ing all before him. The Earl of Salisbury, saith Sir Walter Rawleigh, was a good Orator, but a bad Writer; the Earl of Northampeon was a good Writer, but a bad Orator; Sir Francis Bacon excelled in both: Much he said he owed to his Books, more to his innate Principles and No∣tions: When he thought, he said, he aimed more at Connexion than Variety: When he spake, he de∣signed rather the life and vigour of expression, and perspicuity of words, than the elegancy or order of phrase. His axiome was; Words should wait on things, rather than things on words; and his reso∣lution was, That all affected elegance was below the gravity and majesty of a publick discourse: He rather judged Books and Men, than either read or talked with them.
His Exercises were man-like and healthful; his Meditations cohaerent; his Table temperate and learned, where his great Discourses were the en∣tertainment,
and he himself the treat; resolving Cases most satisfactorily, stating Questions most exactly, relating Histories most prudently, open∣ing great Secrets most clearly, answering Argu∣ments and replying most familiarly, and speaking what he had thorowly weighed and considered most effectually.—All matters and speeches came from him with advantage; so acute and ready his wit, so faithful his memory, so penetrating his judgement, so searching his head, so large and rational his soul.
My Lord of Salisbury said, he had the clearest pro∣spect of things of any man in his age; and K. James said, That he knew the method of handling Matters after a milde and gentle manner. His Religion was rational and sober, his spirit publick, his love to Relations tender, to Friends faithful; to the hope∣ful liberal, to men universal, to his very Enemies civil. He left the best pattern of Government in his actions under one King, and the best princi∣ples of it in the Life of the other. His Essays and History made him the admiration of polite Italy; his Accomplishments, the wonder of France; Monsieur Fiat saying to him, after an earnest desire to see him, That he was an Angel to him, of whom he had heard much, but never saw him. Solid and juycy Meat was his Diet, and Rubarb his Physick: four hours in the morning he made his own, not by any means to be interrupted: businesse was his fate, re∣tyrement his inclination. Socrates brought Morality from Discourse to Practice; and my Lord Bacon brought Philosophy from Speculation to Experi∣ence. Aristotle he said, taught many to dispute, more to wrangle, few to finde out Truth, none to
manage it according to his principles:—My Lord Bacon was a man singular in every faculty, and e∣minent in all: His Judgement was solid, yet his memory was a wonder; his Wit was quick, yet his Reason staid; his Invention was happy, yet me∣thodical: and one fault he had, that he was above the age he lived in; above it in his bounties to such as brought him Presents (so remembring that he had been Lord-Chancellour, that he forgot he was but Lord Verulam: Great his understanding, and great his minde too) above it in his kindnesse to servants, to whom he had been a better Master, if he had been a worse; and more kinde, if he had been lesse indulgent to them. For the first of his Excesses, King James jeered him in his progress to New-market, saying, when he heard he gave ten pounds to one that brought him some Fruit, My Lord, my Lord, this is the way to Beggars-bush. For the second, he reflected upon himself, when he said to his servants as they rose to him in his Hall; Your rise hath been my fall. Though indeed he ra∣ther trusted to their honesty, than connived at their falshood; for he did impartial Justice com∣monly to both parties, when one servant was in fee with the Plaintiff, and the other with the De∣fendant:—How well he understood his own time, his Letters, and complyances evidence; than whom none higher in spirit, yet none humbler in his Ad∣dresses [The proudest man is most servile.] How lit∣tle he valued wealth, appeareth, in that when his servants would take money from his Closet, even while he was by, he would laugh, and say, I poor men, that is their portion. How well he kenned the art of Converse, his Essayes discover, a piece
(as he observed himself) that of all his Works was most current, for that they come home to mens bu∣sinesse and bosomes. How far skilled in the Art of Government, his H. 7. War with Spain, Holy War, Elements of the Law, irrefragably demon∣strate; and how well seen in all Learning, his Na∣tural History, and Advancement of Learning an∣swerably argue. In a word, how sufficient he was, may be conjectured from this instance, that he had the contrivance of all King James his Designs, untill the Match with Spain; and that he gave those Directions to a great States-man which may be his Character, and our conclusion. Onely be it observed, that though this peerlesse Lord is much admired by English-men, yet is he more valued by Strangers; distance, as the Historian hath it, di∣minishing his faults to Foreigners, while we behold his perfections abated with his failings; which set him as much below pity, as his Place did once a∣bove it; Sir Julius Caesar (they say) looking up∣on him as a burden in his Family, and the Lord Brooke denying him a bottle of small beer.
Vid. Duke of Buck∣ingham's Life.