FRANCIS BACON: SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. FRANCIS BACON, the great Light of modern Philosophy, was the son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, who for twenty years held the office of Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was born at York House, London, the residence of his father, on the 22d of January, 1561. His mother, Anne Cooke, was his father's second wife, and had one other son, Anthony, two years older than Francis. As her oldest sister was the wife of Lord Treasurer Burleigh, Francis stood, from his birth, in a sort of double relation to the Court. Both Lady Burleigh and Lady Bacon were highly educated women; their father, Sir Anthony Cooke, being the preceptor of King Edward the Sixth. Lady Bacon, before her marriage, translated Bishop Jewel's Apology into Latin, and is said to have done it so well, that the good prelate could discover no error in it, nor suggest any alteration. Of the childhood of Francis and his brother little is known. Their early education was superintended by their accomplished mother. The health of Francis was delicate and fragile; which may partly account for the studious and thoughtful turn which seems to have marked his boyhood. Queen Elizabeth, it is said, took special delight in "trying him with questions," when he was a little boy; and was so much pleased with the sense and gravity of his answers, that she used to call him in sport her "young Lord Keeper." And Bacon himself tells us that, in his boyhood, the Queen once asked him how old he was, and that he promptly replied, "Two years younger than your Majesty's reign." It is also said that, when very young, he stole away from his playfellows, to investigate the cause of a singular echo in St. James's Fields, which had excited his curiosity. At the age of thirteen, Bacon entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where he remained three years, and then left without taking a degree. It is said that, while in college, he studied diligently the great models of antiquity; but even at that early age he took a dislike to the philosophy of Aristotle, not on account of the author, to whom he ascribed all high attributes, but for the unfruitfulness of the method; it being a philosophy strong only for disputations and contentions, but barren of works for the benefit of the life of man. The Lord Keeper had designed his son Francis for a public career as a statesman or diplomatist, and with that view took him out of college, at the age of sixteen, and sent him to Paris, where he spent some time under the care of Sir Amyas Paulet, the English ambassador at the French Court. It is said that while there he invented an ingenious method of writing in cipher. The main purpose in sending him abroad was, that he might study men; and with that view he travelled to various places in France and Italy; but it well appears that, though he was a keen observer of men, he could not withdraw his mind altogether from the investigation of natural phenomena. After about three years spent on the Continent, he was called home by the sudden death of his father. This event changed the whole course of his life. Sir Nicholas had intended to purchase an estate for Francis, as he had done for his other sons; but, as death came upon him before this intention was carried out, the money was divided equally among all his children, the youngest son being thus left with only one fifth of what was intended for him so that, instead of living only to study, he was under the necessity of studying how to live. Bacon now fixed upon the law as his profession, and in 1580 became a member of Gray's Inn, which was one of the four principal schools or colleges for students of the law in London. As he had great power of application in whatever he undertook, his all-gifted mind made swift advances in legal studies, and in June, 1582, he was admitted as an utter barrister, which was the first degree in legal practice. February, 1586, saw him advanced to what was called the high table of Gray's Inn, and he soon after became a bencher. Meanwhile he had kept up his philosophical studies, and published the first fruits thereof in a work rather ambitiously entitled The Greatest Birth of Time; which, however, fell so dead upon the world that it is now heard of only in one of his letters, written long afterwards, to Father Fulgentio; and its only effect at the time was to mark him out as a rash speculatist. In 1584, while yet a student of Gray's Inn, Bacon was elected to Parlia ment by one of the borough constituencies of Dorsetshire. On this great stage he continued to figure conspicuously for upwards of thirty years. In the Fall of 1586 he took his seat in the House of Commons for Taunton; and in the next Parliament we find him representing Liverpool. In February, 1593, he was member for the County of Middlesex; and from that time onward his reputation as a statesman stood so high, that various constituencies appear to have striven for the honour of having him as their representative; and in some instances he was elected for several places at the same time. Bacon was an exceedingly industrious and useful member of Parliament. As a practical legislator, he was probably second to no man of his time. His great skill and diligence in the business of his place caused him to be put upon many important committees; and whenever he addressed the whole House, as he very often did, he appears to have surpassed all the others both in commanding and rewarding the attention of the members. Ben Jonson tells us that "the fear of every man who heard him was, lest he should make an end." One passage in his parliamentary life seems to call for some special notice. In the Parliament of 1593, upon a question of granting supplies, the two Houses appointed each a committee, to confer together, and make a joint report. When the result of that conference came up, Bacon opposed the action, claiming for the Commons the exclusive right to originate bills of that nature; and he moved that the House should "proceed herein by themselves apart from their Lordships." Thus his opposition went upon the ground of privilege. Nevertheless, both on that point, and also on the terms of the subsidy, he was outvoted, and he acquiesced. His conduct was very offensive to the Queen; and he is charged with having met her reprimand with "the most abject apologies." Even if this were true, it was nothing more than the whole House of Commons had often done before. But we have two letters from Bacon on the subject, addressed to Burleigh and Essex; both in a tone of manly self-justification. The Queen was angry at his speeches, and he expressed his grief that she should "retain an nard conceit of them." He adds the following: "It might please her sacred Majesty to think what my end should be in those speeches, if it were not duty, and duty alone. I am not so simple but I know the common beaten way to please. And whereas popularity hath been objected, I muse what care I should take to please many, that taketh a course of life to deal with few." Up to this time, and for some years longer, Bacon gained no lucrative position. For reasons which I cannot stay to explain, his uncle, the Lord Treasurer, lent him but scanty and grudging help. The only thing indeed which his Lordship did for this illustrious kinsman was to procure for him, in 1589, the reversion of the clerkship of the Star Chamber, which was worth some £1600 a year, but which did not fall vacant till twenty years after. Though Bacon did his work well, both as a lawyer and a legislator, still his thoughts and aspirations pointed elsewhere. He had indeed a strong desire of office, but it was not a selfish desire: it was rather the instructive yearning of his most original and comprehensive genius for leave to range in its proper home. His highest ambition was for a place which should supply his needs, and at the same time give him leisure to prosecute his intellectual conquests. Having taken all knowledge to be his province, with his vast contemplative ends he united but moderate civil ends. He had indeed an ardent, admiring, and steadfast friend in the Earl of Essex, who did all he could to help him in the matter of office and salary; but Essex was so rash in his temper, so ill-judging and so headstrong in his proceedings, that his friendship proved rather a hindrance than a help. In 1593 the office of Attorney-General became vacant. Bacon had hopes of the place, and Essex lent his influence in that behalf; but the Queen's displeasure could not be overcome. After a delay of many months, during which Bacon was kept in suspense, the office was given to Sir Edward Coke. By this promotion, the place of Solicitor-General fell vacant. Bacon then fixed his eye on that office, and Essex worked for him with all his might; but, after a suspense of a year and a half, his hopes were again blasted by the appointment of Sergeant Fleming. Chagrined and mortified at the failure of his suit, the generous Essex next conceived the design of compensating Bacon with a liberal share of his own property. He accordingly proposed to give him an estate worth about £1800, equivalent to some $50,000 in our time. But Bacon's insight of character naturally made him reluctant to incur such obligations, as he could not but see that the Earl was likely to mar all by his violent courses. He declined the offer. Essex insisted, and Bacon at last yielded, but with such words as show that he had too just a presentiment of what the Earl was coming to. "My Lord," said he, "I see I must be your homager and hold land of your gift: but do you know the manner of doing homage by law? Always it is with a saving of his faith to the King and his other lords; and therefore, my Lord, I can be no more yours than I was, and it must be with the ancient savings." In April, 1596, the Mastership of the Rolls- -an office having charge of all patents that pass the Great Seal, and of the records of the Chancery Court-became vacant, and Bacon was a candidate for the place. Essex again supported his claims, but with the same result as before,- suspense and final disappointment. This was followed, the next year, by an estrangement between Bacon and Essex. The Earl's rash and impetuous nature was carrying him into dangerous ways, and Bacon's wise counsels and friendly warnings were naturally distasteful to a man so averse to any selfrestraint. In the Spring of 1599, before Essex set out on his expedition to Ireland, Bacon had so far renewed his intercourse with him as to write him several friendly letters of advice, warning him that "merit is worthier than fame," and that "obedience is better than sacrifice." In September following, the Earl suddenly returned from that ill-starred expedition, covered with dishonour, and not free from disloyal and defiant thoughts. I now come to what is commonly regarded as the darkest passage in Bacon's life. In some respects it is rather dark indeed; yet the indictment, it seems to me, has sometimes been greatly overcharged,— an error which I would fain avoid. Some years before this time, Bacon had been appointed by the Queen one of her counsel learned in the law. This office he still held, and was of course bound to its duties. The crisis, which he had long foreboded, and had done his utmost to prevent, had now come. In the Spring of 1600 the Queen was for proceeding against Essex by public in |