The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

Sxx LIFE OF BACON.
cessary, therefore, that some vigorous measures lord, stand upon two feet, and fly not upon two
should be adopted to restrain their excesses. wings. The two feet are the two kinds of justice
A powerful army was raised, of which the com- commutative and distributive: use your greatness
mand was intended by the queen to be conferred for advancing of merit and virtue, and relieving
upon Lord Mountjoy; but Essex solicited an wrongs and burdens; you shall need no other art
employment, which at once gratified his ambition or fineness: but he would tell me, that opinion
and suited the ardour of his character, and which came not from my mind, but from my robe. But
his enemies sought for him more zealously than this difference in two points so main and material,
his friends, foreseeing the loss of the queen's fa- bred in process of time a discontinuance of privour, from the certainty of his absence from court, vateness (as it is the manner of men seldom to
and the probable failure of his expedition. communicate where they think their courses not
From the year 1596 till this period there had approved) between his lordship and myself; so
been some interruption of the intimacy between as I was not called nor advised with for some
Bacon and Essex, arising from the honest expres- year and a half before his lordship's going into
sion of his opinion of the unwise and unworthy Ireland, as in former time: yet nevertheless,
use which Essex made of his power over the touching his going into Ireland, it pleased him
queen. Notwithstanding the temporary estrange- expressly and in a set manner to desire mine
ment which this difference of opinion occasioned, opinion and counsel."'
Essex was unwilling to accept this important cornm- Thus consulted, Bacon, with prophetic wisdom,
mand without consulting his intelligent friend. warned him of the ruin that would inevitably reBacon's narrative gives a striking picture of suit from his acceptance of an appointment, atboth parties. He says, 6" Sure I am (though I tended not only with peculiar difficulties, which
can arrogate nothing to myself but that I was a from habit and temper he was unfit to encounter,
faithful remembrance to his lordship) that while but also with the certain loss of the queen's faI had most credit with him his fortune went on vour, from his absence, and the constant plotting
best. And yet in two main points we always of his enemies. Essex heard this advice, urged
directly and contradictorily differed, which I will as it was, with an anxiety almost parental, as
mention to your lordship, because it giveth light advice is generally heard when opposed to strong
to all that followed. The one was, I ever set this passion. It was totally disregarded. It is but
down, that the only course to be held with the justice to Bacon to hear his own words. He
queen was by obsequiousness and observance; says:,'I did not only dissuade, but protest
and I remember I would usually engage confi- against his going, telling him with as much vedently, that if he would take that course constant- hemency and asseveration as I could, that absence
ly, and with choice of good particulars to express in that kind would exulcerate the queen's mind,
it, the queen would be brought in time to Assue- whereby it would not be possible for him to carry
rus' question, to ask, what should be done to the himself so as to give her sufficient contentment;
man that the king would honour. meaning, that nor for her to carry herself so as to give him suffiher goodness was without limit, where there was cient countenance, which would be ill for her, ill
a true concurrence, which I knew in her nature for him, and ill for the state. And because I
to be true. My lord, on the other side, had a would omit no argument, I remember I sfood also
settled opinion, that the queen could be brought upon the difficulty of the action: many other
to nothing but by a kind of necessity and author- reasons I used, so as I am sure I never in any
ity; and I well remember, when by violent thing in my lifetime dealt with him in like earcourses at any time he had got his will, he would nestness by speech, by writing, and by all the
ask me: Now, sir, whose principles be true l And means I could devise. For I did as plainly see
I would again say to him: MIy lord, these courses his overthrow chained, as it were by destiny, to
be like to hot waters, they will help at a pang; that journey, as it is possible for a man to ground
but if you use them, you shall spoil the stomach, a judgment upon future contingents. But my
and you shall be fain still to make them stronger lord, howsoever his ear was open, yet his heart and
and stronger, and yet in the end they will lese resolution was shut against that advice, whereby
their operation: with much other variety, where- his ruin might have been prevented."'
with I used to touch that string. Another point It did not require Bacon's sagacity to foresee
was, that I always vehemently dissuaded him these sad consequences. Elizabeth had given an
from seeking greatness by a military dependence, unwilling assent to the appointment, and, though
or by a popular dependence, as that which would accustomed to yield to the vehement demands of
breed in the queen jealousy, in himself presump- her favourite, was neither blind to his faults, or
tion, and in the state perturbation; and I did slow in remembering them, when his absence
nsually compare them to Icarus' two wings, which gave her time for reflection; but she shared with
were joined on with wax, and would make hin all monarchs the common wish to obtain the dis.
venture to soar too high, and then fail him at the
height. And I would further say unto him: My Bacon's Apology.