The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

124 APOPHTHEGMS.
who had not had the effect of some of the queen's Lord St. Albans, wishing him a good Easter. My
grants so soon as he had.hoped and desired, lord thanked the messenger, and said, "I-He could
paused a little; and then made answer, " Madam, not at present requite the count better than in rehe thinks of a woman's promise." The queen turning him the like; that he wished his lordship
shrunk in her head; but was heard to say, "Well, a good passover."
Sir Edward, I must not confute you." Anger 13. My Lord Chancellor Elsmere, when he
makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor. had read a petition which he disliked, would say,
6. When any great officer, ecclesiastical or "W What, you would have my hand to this now 1"
civil, was to be made, the queen would inquire And the party answering, "Yes;" he would say
after the piety, integrity, learning of the man. further, ",Well, so you shall: nay, you shall
And when she was satisfied in these qualifica- have both my hands to it." And so would, with
tions, she would consider of his personage. And both his hands, tear it in pieces.
upon such an occasion she pleased once to say to 14. I knew a wise man,* that had it for a byme, " Bacon, how can the magistrate maintain word, when he saw men hasten to a conclusion,
his authority when the man is despised." "Stay a little that we may make an end the
7. In eighty-eight, when the queen went from sooner."
Temple-bar along Fleet-street, the lawyers were 15. Sir Francis Bacon was wont to say of an
ranked on one side, and the companies of the angry man who suppressed his passion, "'That
city on the other; said Master Bacon to a lawyer he thought worse than he spake;" and of an angry
that stood next him, "Do but observe thecourtiers; man that would chide, "'T'hat he spoke worse
if they bow first to the citizens, they are in debt; than he thought."
if first to us, they are in law." 16. He was wont also to say, "' That power in
8. King James was wont to be very earnest an ill man was like the power of a black witch;
with the country gentlemen to go from London he could do hurt but no good with it." And he
to their country houses. And sometimes he would add, "That the magicians could turn water
would say thus to them, " Gentlemen, at London into blood, but could not turn the blood again to
you are like ships in a sea, which show like no- water."
thing; but in your country villages you are like 17. When Mr. Attorney Cook, in the exchequer,
ships in a river, which look like great things." gave high words to Sir Francis Bacon, and stood
9. Soon after the death of a great officer, who much upon his higher place: Sir Francis said to
was judged no advancer of the king's matters, the him, ", Mr. Attorney, the less you speak of your
king said to his solicitor Bacon, who was his own greatness, the more I shall think of it; and
kinsman, " Now tell me truly, what say you of the more, the less."
your cousin that is gone!" Mr. Bacon answer- 18. Sir Francis Bacon, coming into the Earl of
ed, " Sir, since your majesty doth charge me, I'll Arundel's garden, where there were a great nume'en deal plainly with you, and give you such a ber of ancient statues of naked men and women,
character of him, as if I were to write his story. made a stand, and, as astonished, cried out, "' The
I do think he was no fit counsellor to make your resurrection."
affairs better: but yet he was fit to have kept 19. Sir Francis Bacon, who was always for
them from growing worse." The king said, moderate counsels, when one was speaking of
"- On my so'l, man, in the first thou speakest like such a reformation of the Church of England, as
a true man, and in the latter like a kinsman." would in effect make it no church; said thus to
10. King James, as he was a prince of great him, "- Sir, the subject we talk of is the eye of
judgment, so he was a prince of marvellous plea- England; and if there be a speck or two in the
sant humour; and there now come into my mind eye, we endeavour to take them off, but he
two instances of it. As he was going through were a strange oculist who would pull out the
Lusen, by Greenwich, he asked what town it eye."
was! They said, Lusen. He asked a good 20. The same Sir Francis Bacon was wont to
while after, "What town is this we are now in I" say; " That those who left useful studies for
They said still,'twas Lusen. "' On my so'l," said useless scholastic speculations, were like the
the king, "I will be king of Lusen." Olympic gamesters, who abstained from necessary
11. In some other of his progresses, he asked labours, that they might be fit for such as were
how far it was to a town whose name I have for- not so."
gotten. They said, c Six miles." Half an hour 21. He likewise often used this comparison:t
after, he asked again. One said, "Six miles and " The empirical philosophers are like to pisan half." The king alighted out of his coach, mires; they only lay up and use their store. The
and crept under the shoulder of his led horse. rationalists are like to spiders; they spin all out
And when some asked his majesty what he meant. of their own bowels. But give me a philosopher,
" I must stalk," said he,'" for yonder town is
~~sht~y. and flies me." *~ ~~ See this also in his Essay of Despatch.
t See the substance of this in Nov. Org. ed. Lugd. Bat.
12. Count Gondomar sent a compliment to my p. 105, and Inter Cogitata et Visa, p. 53.