The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

LETTERS FROM STEPHENS. 71
the canvassing world is gone, and the deserving wishes of your company here, that so you might
world is come. And, withal, I find myself as use the same liberty concerning my actions,
one awaked out of sleep; which I have not been which now you exercise concerning my writings.
this long time, nor could, I think, have been now For that of Queen Elizabeth, your judgment of
without such a great noise as this, which yet is the temper, and truth of that part, which concerns
in acurd leni. I have written this to you in haste, some of her foreign proceedings, concurs fully
my end being no more than to write, and thereby with the judgment of others, to whom I have
to make you know that I will ever continue the communicated part of it; and as things go, I
same, and still be sure to wish you as heartily suppose they are more likely to be more and more
well as to myself. justified, and allowed. And, whereas you say,
for some other part, that it moves and opens a
fair occasion and broad way into some field of
contradiction; on the other side, it is written to
TO MR. MATHEW. me from the Leiger at Paris, and some others
also, that it carries a manifest impression of truth
SIR, —Two letters of mine are now already with it, and it even convinces as it goes. These
walking towards you; but so that we might meet, are their very words; which I write not for mine
it were no matter though our letters should lose own glory, but to show what variety of opinion
their way. I make a shift in the mean time to rises from the disposition of several readers.
be glad of your approaches, and would be more And, I must confess my desire to be, that my
glad to be an agent for your presence, who have writings should not court the present time, or
been a patient for your absence. If your body by some few places in such sorts as might make
indisposition make you acknowledge the health- them either less general to persons, or less perful air of your native country, much more do I manent in future ages. As to the Instauration,
assure myself that you continue to have your your so full approbation thereof, I read with much
mind no way estranged. And, as my trust with comfort, by how much more my heart is upon it;
the state is above suspicion, so my knowledge, and by how much less I expected consent and
both of your loyalty and honest nature, will ever concurrence in matter so obscure. Of this I can
make me show myself your faithful friend, with- assure you, that though many things of great
out scruple: you have reason to commend that hope decay with youth, (and multitude of civil
gentleman to me by whom you sent your last, businesses is wont to diminish the price, though
although his having travelled so long amongst the not the delight, of contemplations,) yet the prosadder nations of the world make him much the ceeding in that work doth gain with me upon my
less easy upon small acquaintance to be under- affection and desire, both by years and businesses.
stood. I have sent you some copies of my book And, therefore, I hope, even by this, that it is
of the Advancement, which you desired, and a well pleasing to God, from whom and to whom
little work of my recreation, which you desired all good moves. To him I most heartily comnot. My Instauration I reserve for our confer- mend you.
ence; it sleeps not. These works of the alphabet
are in my opinion of less use to you where you
are now, than at Paris; and therefore I conceived
that you had sent me a kind of tacit countermand
of your former request. But, in regard that some SiR,-Coming back from your invitation at
friends of yours have still insisted here, I send Eton, where I had refreshed myself with come
them to you; and, for my part, I value your own pany, which I loved; I fell into a consideration
reading more than your publishing them to others. of that part of policy whereof philosophy speaketh
Thus, in extreme haste, I have scribbled to you I too much, and laws too little; and that is, of edu.
know not what, which, therefore, is the less cation of youth. Whereupon fixing my mind
affected, and for that very reason will not be awhile, I found straightways, and noted, even in
esteemed the less by you. the discourses of. philosophers, which are so
large in this argument, a strange silence concerning one principal part of that subject. For,
as touching the framing and seasoning of youth
TO MR. MATHEW. to moral virtues, (as tolerance of labours, contiSIR,-I thank you for your last, and pray you nency from pleasures, obedience, honour, and the
to believe, that your liberty in giving opinion of like,) they handle it; but touching the improvethose writings which I sent you, is that which I ment and helping of the intellectual powers, as
sought, which I expected, and which I take in of conceit, memory, and judgment, they say noexceeding good part; so good, as that it makes thing; whether it were, that they thought it to
me:econtinue, or rather continue my hearty be a matter wherein nature only prevailed, or that