The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

cii LIFE OF BACON.
king's permission, to Sir John Vaughan's house smile, "Well, do what we can, this man scorns
at Parson's Green, from whence, although anx- to go out like a snuff."
ious to continue in or near London, he went, in Unmindful that the want of prudence can
compliance with his majesty's suggestion, for a never be supplied, he was exposed, in the decline
temporary retirement to Gorhambury, where he of life, not only to frequent vexation, and his
was obliged to remain till the end of the year, but thoughts to continual interruption, but was frewith such reluctance, that, with the hope of quently compelled to stoop to degrading solicitaquieting the king's fears, he at one time intended tions, and was obliged to encumber Gorhambury
to present a petition to the House of Lords to and sell York House, dear to him from so many
remit this part of his sentence. associations, the seat of his ancestors, the scene
In the month of July he wrote, both to Bucking- of his former splendour. These worldly troubles
ham and to the king, letters in which may be seem, however, not to have affected his cheerfulseen his reliance upon them for pecuniary assist- ness, and never to have diverted him from the
ance, his consciousness of innocence, a gleam of great object of his life, the acquisition and adhope that he should be restored to his honours, and vancement of knowledge. When an application
occasionally allusions to the favours he had con- was made to him to sell one of the beautiful woods
ferred. To these applications he received the of Gorhambury, he answered, "sNo, I will not be
following answer from Buckingham: stripped of my feathers."
In September the king signed a warrant for the
To the Lord St. Alban. release of the parliamentary fine, and, to prevent
My noble lord:-The hearty affection I have the immediate importunities of his creditors,
borne to your person and service hath made me assigned it to Mr. Justice Hutton, Mr. Justice
Chamberlain, Sir Francis Barnham, and Sir Theambitious to be a messenger of good news to you Chaberlain, Sir Fancis Barnham, and Sr Thoambiu to he a esn o go nwmas Crew, whom Bacon, in his wvill, directed to
and an eschewer of ill; this hath been the true
reason why I haver beeno thus long in answtterin apply the funds for the payment and satisfaction
reason why I have been thus long in answerino'
you, not any negligence in your discreet, moestof his debts and legacies, having a charitable care
you, no now that the poorest creditors or legatees should be
servant you sent with your letter, nor his who now first satisfied.
returns you this answer, ofttimes given me by This intended kindness of the king the Lord
This intended kindness of the king the Lord
your master and mine; who, though by this may Keeper Williams misunderstood, and endeavourseem not to satisfy your desert and expectation,pede by staying the pardon at the seal,
yet, take the word of a friend who will never fail
you, hath a tender care of you, full of a fresh until he was commanded by Buckiugham to obey
the king's order. In October the pardon was
memory of your by-past service. His majesty is sealed
but for the present, he says, able to yield unto the
three years' advance, which if you please to ac- He had scarcely retired to Gorhambury, in the
summer of 1621, when he commenced his History
cept, you are not hereafter the farther off from
obtaining some better testimony of his favour,of Henry the Sevent h.
worthier both of him and you, though it can never During the progress of the work considerable
expectation of his history was excited' in the
be answerable to what my heart wishes you, as composition of hic he seems to have laboured
composition of which he seems to have laboured
your lordship's humble servant, with much anxiety, and to have submitted his
G. BUCKINHAM manuscript to the correction of various classes of
That he was promised some compensation for society; to the king, to scholars, and to the
the loss of his professional emoluments seems uninformed. Upon his desiring Sir John Danprobable, not only from his letters to the king, and vers to give his opinion of the work, Sir John
from the aid received, but from his having lived said, "' Your lordship knows that I am no schoin splendour after his fall, although his certain lar.' c'Tis no matter,' said my lord,'I know
annual income seems not to have exceeded ~2500. what a scholar can say: I would know what you
With this income he, with prudence, might, can say.' Sir John read it, and gave his opinion
although greatly in debt, have enjoyed worldly what he misliked, which my lord acknowledged
comfort: but in prudence he was culpably negli- to be true, and mended it.'Why,' said he,'a
gent. Thinking that money was only the bag- scholar would never have told me this;'" but,
gage of virtue, that this interposition of earth notwithstanding this labour and anxiety, the pubeclipsed the clear sight of the mind, he lived not lie expectation was not realized.
as a philosopher ought to have lived, but as a If, however, in the History of Henry the
nobleman had been accustomed to live. It is re- Seventh, it is vain to look for the vigour or
lated that the prince, coming to London, saw at a beauty with which the Advancement of Learning
distance a coach followed by a considerable num- abounds: if the intricacies of a court are neither
her of people, on horseback; and, upon inquiry, discovered nor illustrated with the same happiwas told it was the Lord St. Albans, attended by ness as the intricacies of philosophy: if, in a
his friends; on which his highness said, with a work written when the author was more than