The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

OBSERVATIONS ON A LIBEL. 247
the ground since her majesty's reign; insomuch, principal effect of the trueknowledge and worship
that there have been reckoned in one shire that is of God, three points of great consequence unto the
not great, to the number of thirty-three, which civil estate.
have been all new built within that time; and One, the stay of a mighty treasure within the
whereof the meanest was never built for two realm, which in foretimes was drawn forth to
thousand pounds. Rome. Another, the dispersion and distribution
There were never the like pleasures of goodly of those revenues, amounting to a third part of
gardens and orchards, walks, pools, and parks, the land of the realm, and that of the goodliest
as do adorn almost every mansion-house. and the richest sort, which heretofore was unThere was never the like number of beautiful profitably spent in monasteries, into such hands
and costly tombs, and monuments which are as by whom the realm receiveth at this day sererected in sundry churches, in honourable me- vice and strength; and many great houses have
mory of the dead. been set up and augmented. The third, the maThere never was the like quantity of plate, naging and enfranchising of the regal dignity
jewels, sumptuous moveables, and stuff, as is now from the recognition of a foreign superior. All
xvithin the realm. which points, though begun by her father, and
There was never the like quantity of waste and continued by her brother, were yet, nevertheless,
unprofitable ground, inned, reclaimed, and im- after an eclipse or intermission, restored and reproved. established by her majesty's self.
There was never the like husbanding of all Secondly, the fineness of money: for as the
sorts of grounds, by fencing, manuring, and all purging away of the dross of religion, the heavenkinds of good husbandry. ly treasure, was common to her majesty with her
The towns were never better built nor peopled; father and her brother, so the purging of the base
nor the principal fairs and markets ever better money, the earthly treasure, hath been altogether
culstomed or frequented. proper to her majesty's own times; whereby our
The commodities and ease of rivers cut by moneys bearing the natural estimation of the
hand, and brought into a new channel; of piers stamp or mark, both every man resteth assured of
that have been built; of waters that have been his own value, and free from the losses and deforced and brought against the ground, were ceits which fall out in other places upon the risnever so many. ing and falling of moneys.
There was never so many excellent artificers, Thirdly, the might of the navy and augmentanor so many new handicrafts used and exercised; tion of the shipping of the realm; which, by ponor new commodities made within the realm; litic constitutions for maintenance of fishing, and
sugar, paper, glass, copper, divers silks, and the the encouragement and assistance given to the
like. undertakers of new discoveries and trades by
There was never such complete and honourable sea, is so advanced, as this island is become, as
provision of horse, armour, weapons, ordnance of the natural site thereof deserveth, the lady of
the war. the sea.
The fifth blessing hath been the great popula- Now, to pass from the comparison of time to
tion and multitude of families increased within the comparison of place, we may find in the states
her majesty's days: for which point I refer my- abroad cause of pity and compassion in some;
self to the proclamations of restraint of building but of envy or emulation in none; our condition
in London, the inhibition of inmates of sundry being, by the good favour of God, not inferior
cities, the restraint of cottages by act of parlia- to any.
ment, and sundry other tokens of record of the The kingdom of France, which, by reason of
surcharge of people. the seat of the empire of the west, was wont to
Besides these parts of a government, blessed have the precedence of the kingdoms of Europe,
from God, wherein the condition of the people is now fallen into those calamities, that, as the
hi h been more happy in her majesty's times, prophet saith, "From the crown of the head to
tht.a1, in the times of her progenitors, there are the sole of the foot, there is no whole place."
certain singularities and particulars of her ma- The divisions are so many, and so intricate, of
jesty's reign; wherein I do not say, that we have Protestants and Catholics, royalists and leaguers,
enjoyed them in a more ample degree and propor- Bourbonists and Lorainists, patriots and Spanish;
tion than in former ages, as it hath fallen out in as it seemeth God hath some great work to bring
the points before mentioned, but such as were in to pass upon that nation: yea, the nobility
effect unknown and untasted heretofore. As, divided from the third estate, and the towns from
first, the purity of religion, which is a benefit in- the field. All which miseries, truly to speak,
estimable, and was in the time of all former have been wrought by Spain and the Spanish
princes, until the days of her majesty's father of faction.
famous menmory, unheard of. Out of which pu- The Low Countries, which were, within the
rity of religion have since ensued, beside the age of a young man, the richest, the best peopled,