The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

IN PRAISE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. 447
you find moneys levied upon failts of lands, alien- Or that other,
ation, though not of the ancient patrimony, yet "Condit quisque diem collibus in suis."
of the rich and commodious purchases and perquisites of the crown only, because she will not be The opulency of the peace such as, if you have
grievous and burdensome to the people. This respect, to take one sign for many, to the number
treasure, so innocently levied, so honourably of fair houses that have been built since her
gathered and raised, with such tenderness to the reign, as Augustus said, "that he had received
subject, without any baseness or dryness at all, the city of brick, and left it of marble;" so she
how hath it been expended and employed. may say, she received it a realm of cottages, and
Where be the wasteful buildings, and the exorbi- hath made it a realm of palaces: the state of
tant and prodigal donatives, the sumptuous dissi- traffic great and rich: the customs, notwithpations in pleasures, and vain ostentations which standing these wars and interruptions, not fallen:
we find have exhausted the coffers of so many many profitable trades, many honourable discokings. It is the honour of her house, the royal veries: and, lastly, to make an end where no end
remunerating of her servants, the preservation of is, the shipping of this realm so advanced and
her people and state, the protection of her sup- made so mighty and potent, as this island is
pliants and allies, the encounter, breaking, and become, as the natural site thereof deserved, the
defeating the enemies of her realm, that hath been lady of the sea; a point of so high consequence,
the only pores and pipes whereby the treasure as it may be truly said, that the commandment
hath issued. Hath it been the sinews of ablessed of the sea is an abridgment or a quintessence
and prosperous peace t Hath she bought her of a universal monarchy.
peace. Hath she lent the King of Spain money This and much more hath she merited of her
upon some cavillation not to be repeated, and so subjects: now to set forth the merit of-her neighbought his favour l And hath she given large bours and the states about her. It seemeth the
pensions to corrupt his council. No, but she things have made themselves purveyors of conhath used the most honourable diversion of trou- tinual, new, and noble occasions for her to show
bles that can be in the world. She hath kept the them benignity, and that the fires of troubles
fire from her own walls by seeking to quench it in abroad have been ordained to be as lights and
her neighbours. That poor brand of the state of tapers to make her virtue and magnanimity more
Burgundy, and that other of the crown of France apparent. For when that one, stranger born, the
that remaineth, had been in ashes but for the family of Guise, being as a hasty weed sprung
ready fountain of her continual benignity. For up in a night, had spread itself to a greatness,
the honour of her house it is well known, that not civil but seditious; a greatness, not of
almost the universal manners of the times doth encounter of the ancient nobility, not of preincline to a certain parsimony and dryness in that eminency in the favour of kings, and not remiss
kind of expense; yet she retaineth the ancient of affairs from kings; but a greatness of innovanmagnificence, the allowance as full, the charge tion in state, of usurpations of authority, of
greater than in time of her father, or any king affecting of crowns; and that accordingly, under
before; the books appear, the computation will colour of consanguinity and religion, they had
not flatter. And for the remunerating and reward- brought French forces into Scotland, in the abing of her servants, and the attendance of the sence of their king and queen being within their
court, let a man cast and sum up all the books of usurped tutele; and that the ancient nobility of
gifts, fee-farms, leases, and custodies that have this realm, seeing the imminent danger of repassed her bountiful hands. Let him consider, ducing that kingdom under the tyranny of foagain, what a number of commodious and gainful reigners and their faction, had, according to the
offices, heretofore bestowed upon men of other good intelligence betwixt the two crowns, prayed
education and profession, have been withdrawn her neighbourly succours: she undertook the
and conferred upon her court. Let him remem- action, expelled the strangers, restored the nobiher what a number of other gifts, disguised by lity to their degree. And, lest any man should
other names, but, in effect, as good as money think her intent was to unnestle ill neighbours,
given out of her coffers, have been granted by and not to aid good neighbours, oi chat she was
her; and he will conclude, that her royal mind is readier to restore what was invaded by others
far above her means. The other benefits of her than to render what was in her own hands; see
politic, clement, and gracious government towards if the time provided not a new occasion afterthe subjects are without number; the state of wards, when, through their own divisions, without
justice good, notwithstanding the great subtility the intermise of strangers, her forces were again
and humorous affections of these times; the sought and required; she forsook them not,
security of peace greater than can be described prevailed so far as to be possessed of the castle
by that verse; of Edinburgh, the principal strength of that
" Tutus bos etenim rura perarnbulat: kingdom, with peace, incontinently, without
Nutrit rura Ceres, almnaque Faustitas." cunctations or cavillations, the preambles of a