The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

BIOGRAP HY.
IN HAPPY MEMORY
OF
ELIZABETH QUEEN OF ENGLAND;
OR,
A COLLECTION OF THE FELICITIES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.
WRITTEN BY HIS LORDSHIP IN LATIN, AND ENGLISHED BY DR. RAWLEY.
QUEEN ELIZABETH, both in her natural endow- their crowns, not only from a private, but also
ments, and her fortune, was admirable amongst from an adverse and afflicted fortune; and did
women, and memorable amongst princes. But both excel in their, several ways; the former in
this is no subject for the pen of a mere scholar, prudence, and the other in justice. Much like
or any such cloistered writer. For these men was the condition of this princess, whose blossoms
are eager in their expressions, but shallow in and hopes were unequally aspected by fortune,
their judgments; and perform the scholar's part that afterwards when she came to crown, fortune
well, but transmit things but unfaithfully to pos- mightprove towards her always mild and constant.
terity. Certainly it is a science belonging to For Queen Elizabeth, soon after she was born,
statesmen, and to such as sit at the helms of was entitled to the succession in the crown, upon
great kingdoms, and have been acquainted with the next turn disinherited again, then laid aside
the weight and secrets of civil business, to handle and slighted: during the reign of her brother, her
this matter dexterously. Rare in all ages hath estate was most prosperous and flourishing; durbeen the reign of a woman, more rare the felicity ing the reign of her sister, very tempestuous and
of a woman in her reign, but most rare a perma- full of hazard. Neither yet did she pass immenency and lasting joined with that felicity. As diately from the prison to the crown, which sudfor this lady she reigned four-and-forty years den change might have been enough to make her
complete, and yet she did not survive her felicity. cast off all moderation: but first she regained her
Of this felicity I am purposed to say somewhat; liberty, then there buded forth some probable
yet without any excursion into praises; for praises hopes of succession; and lastly, in a great still
are the tribute of men, but felicity the gift of God. and happiness she was advanced to the imperial
First, I reckon it as a part of her felicity, that crown without either noise or competitor. All
she was advanced to the regal throne from a pri- which I allege that it may appear that the divine
vate fortune. For this is ingenerate in the nature Providence, intending to produce a most exquisite
and opinions of men) to ascribe that to the great- princess, was pleased to prepare and mould her
est felicity, which is not counted upon, and cometh by these degrees of discipline. Neither ought
unlooked for, but this is not that I intend, it is the misfortune of her mother justly to stain th6
this, princes that are trained up in their father's pure stream of her blood; especially seeing it is
courts, and to an immediate and apparent hope of very evident that King Henry the Eighth did first
succession, do get this by the tenderness and re- burn with new loves, before he was inflamed
missness of their. education, that they become, with indignation against Queen Anne: neither is
commonly, less capable and less temperate in their it unknown to the ages since that he was a king
affections. And therefore you shall find those to naturally prone to loves and jealousies; and not
have been the ablest and most accomplished kings containing himself in those cases from the effusion
that were tutored by both fortunes. Such was of blood.. Besides, the very person for whom
with us, King Henry. the Seventh; and with the she was suspected showeth the accusation to be
French, Lewisthe Twelfth: both which, in recent less probable, and built upon weak and frivolous
memory and almost about the same time. obtained suppositions; which was both secretly whispered
395