A.D. 1594.

SPEECH AGAINST THE SUBSIDY.

15

The courtiers were thrown into a state of horror and amazement. The Queen, in the present temper of the House, and with news of the approach of a Spanish armament, deemed it prudent to take no public notice of this outrage; but she was deeply incensed, and desired it to be intimated to the delinquent, by the Lord Treasurer and the Lord Keeper, that he must never more look to her for favour or promotion. An eloquent eulogist says, "he heard them with the calmness of a philosopher; "d but his answers show that he was struck with repentance and remorse, and that, in the hope of obtaining pardon, he plainly intimated that he should never repeat the offence. In all time coming, he never sought popularity more than might well stand with his interest at Court.

A.D. 1594.

Ere long his compunction for his opposition to the subsidy was aggravated by the opportunity which occurred of obtaining professional honours. Egerton, the Attorney-General, was to be made Master of the Rolls. Some of Bacon's friends were sanguine enough to think that per saltum he ought to have been appointed to succeed him; but

f

d Montagu, who in his valuable edition of you will favour?"-Essex. "I wonder at your Bacon uniformly idolises his hero.

e In his letter to Burghley he tries to explain away what he had said, as if only actuated by good wishes for the Queen's service; and thus concludes: "I most humbly pray your Lordship first to continue me in your own good opinion, and then to perform the part of an honourable and good friend towards your poor servant and ally, in drawing her Majesty to accept of the sincerity and simplicity of my zeal, and to hold me in her Majesty's favour, which is to me dearer than my life."

He must be supposed to have been sobbing when he thus addresses the flinty-hearted Puckering:-"Yet notwithstanding (to speak vainly as in grief) it may be her Majesty has discouraged as good a heart as ever looked towards her service, and as void of self-love. And so, in more grief than I can well express, and much more than I can well dissemble, I leave your Lordship, being as ever your Lordship's entirely devoted, &c."

f The following dialogue is said to have passed between the Earl of Essex and Sir Robert Cecil, as they were about this time travelling together, in the same coach:Cecil. "My Lord, the Queen has determined to appoint an Attorney-General without more delay. I pray, my Lord, let me know whom

question. You cannot but know that resolutely, against all the world, I stand for your cousin, Francis Bacon."-Cecil. "I wonder your Lordship should spend your strength on so unlikely a matter. Can you name one precedent of so raw a youth promoted to so great a place?"-Essex. "I have made no search for precedents of young men who have filled the office of Attorney-General; but I could name to you, Sir Robert, a man younger than Francis, less learned, and equally inexperienced, who is suing and striving with all his might for an office of far greater weight." -Cecil. "I hope my abilities, such as they are, may be equal to the place of Secretary, and my father's long services may deserve such a mark of gratitude from the Queen. But although her Majesty can hardly stomach one so inexperienced being made her Attorney, if he would be contented with the Solicitor's place, it might be of easier digestion to her."-Essex. "Digest me no digestions. The Attorneyship for Francis is that I must have, and in that I will spend all my power, might, authority, and amity, and with tooth and nail procure the same for him against whomsoever." See Nares' Life of Burghley, vol. iii. p. 436. But although there may be some foundation for this conversation, it cannot be accurately reported;

Sir Edward Coke, who had served as Solicitor-General for two
years, was sure to be promoted almost as a matter of course,
and the great struggle arose respecting the office of Solicitor.
To this Bacon had the strongest claim, from the respect enter-
tained for his father's memory,-from his relationship to the
Prime Minister, from his high accomplishments,-from his
eminence at the bar,-from his success in parliament,—and
from the services he had rendered as Queen's Counsel Extra-
ordinary. He had two obstacles to surmount-his unlucky
speech, and the jealousy of the Cecils. In more recent times
his chance of promotion would have been increased by an
occasional display of independence, showing how formidable
he might be in regular opposition; but in Elizabeth's reign
the system of retaining a wavering adherent or gaining over a
formidable antagonist by appointment to office had not com-
menced, and constant subserviency to the Court was considered
indispensable in all aspirants to Court favour. Burghley, and
his hopeful son Robert, now coming forward as Secretary of
State, pretended to support their kinsman, but in reality were
afraid that, with favourable opportunities, he would disconcert
their deep-laid scheme of making the premiership hereditary
in the house of Cecil.

Francis himself considered this the crisis of his fate, and resorted to means of gaining his object which would be spurned at by a modern expectant of the office, who does not interfere in any way regarding the appointment, till he receives a letter from the Lord Chancellor or the First Lord of the Treasury asking him to accept it.

His applications to the Lord Treasurer might be excusable, although couched in language which would now be considered very formal between a nephew and an uncle, and very abject even between a dependant and his patron.

The following is one of the answers which he received :

:

'Nephew,-I have no leisure to write much; but, for answer, I have attempted to place you; but her Majesty hath required the Lord Keeper to give to her the names of divers lawyers to be preferred, wherewith he

as the office of Attorney-General at this time was not vacant for a single day-Egerton having been appointed Master of the Rolls, and Coke appointed to succeed him as Attorney-General, on the 10th of April, 1594 (Dugd. Chr. See Pat. 36 Eliz.)-and there is an ex

treme improbability in supposing that any of
the Cecils would speak so openly against
Francis Bacon, whom they were pretending
to support, although they secretly sought to
depress him.

1

A.D. 1594. ASKS FOR OFFICE OF SOLICITOR-GENERAL.

17

made me acquainted, and I did name you as a meet man, whom his Lordship allowed in way of friendship for your father's sake; but he made scruple to equal you with certain whom he named-as Brograve and Branthwayt, whom he specially commendeth. But I will continue the remembrance of you to her Majesty, and implore my Lord of Essex's help.

"Your loving uncle,

"W. BURGHLEY." h

The office of Solicitor-General continuing long vacant after the promotion of Coke to be Attorney-General, in April 1594, Bacon again went down on the knees of his heart to his obdurate uncle :

“I have ever had your Lordship in singular admiration; whose happy ability her Majesty hath so long used to her great honour and yours. Besides, that amendment of state or countenance which I have received hath been from your Lordship. And, therefore, if your Lordship shall stand a good friend to your poor ally, you shall but tueri opus which you have begun. And your Lordship shall bestow your benefit upon one that hath more sense of obligation than of self-love.... If her Majesty thinketh that she shall make an adventure in using one that is rather a man of study than of practice and experience, surely I may remember to have heard that my father was made Solicitor of the Augmentations, a Court of much business, when he had never practised, and was but twenty-seven years old.

"Your Lordship's in all humbleness to be commanded,

"FRANCIS BACON." i

There can be no doubt that, on such an appointment, the Queen would have been guided by the sincere advice of him who had induced her to make Sir Nicholas Lord Keeper at the commencement of her reign; Puckering, on whom he threw the blame, had likewise been promoted by him, and was entirely under his control.

The anxious aspirant wrote repeatedly to the Lord Keeper, remonstrating with him, and trying to soften him. "If your Lordship consider my nature, my course, my friends, my opinion with her Majesty if this eclipse of her favour were past, I hope you will think I am no unlikely piece of wood to shape you a true servant of."k "I understand of some business like enough to detain the Queen to-morrow, which maketh me earnestly to pray your good Lordship, as one that I have found to take my fortune to heart, to take some time to i June 7, 1594. j The subsidy speech. k April 5, 1594.

h Sept. 27, 1593. VOL. III.

с

remember her Majesty of a solicitor." If it please your Lordship but to call to mind from whom I am descended, and by whom, next to God, her Majesty, and your own virtue, your Lordship is ascended, I know you will have a compunction of mind to do me any wrong; and therefore, good my Lord, where your Lordship favoureth others before me, do not lay the separation of your love and favour upon myself."

In the reign of Elizabeth there was always a sort of “ Opposition," which did not seek to form a party against Burghley in parliament or in the country,-which did not differ from him in religion,--had not any adverse system of policy to pursue, either at home or abroad, but which engrossed the greatest share of the Queen's personal favour, and struggled for an equal share of the royal patronage.

The reigning favourite now was the youthful Earl of Essex, whose bad qualities were redeemed by chivalrous bravery, romantic generosity, and singular warmth in his friendships.. Mistrusting the kindness and good faith of his natural allies, Francis Bacon cultivated him with great assiduity; and the soldier, disposed to admiration of all that is great and beautiful, was fascinated by the genius and accomplishments of the orator and philosopher. A close intimacy was formed between them, which, on the patron's side, amounted to pure and fervent friendship, but which ended most mournfully and discreditably for the party patronised.

The letters written by Essex about this time demonstrate the intense zeal with which he tried to use his influence with the Queen for the promotion of his friend; and are curious, as showing the terms on which he lived with his royal mistress, who, as tender as ever in her affections, had become more chary of her reputation, and did not continue to raise such suspicions in her Court as in the times of Leicester and Hatton :

"I found the Queen so wayward, as I thought it not fit time to deal with her in any sort, especially since her choler grew towards myself, which I have well satisfied this day, and will take the first opportunity I can to move your suit."—"1 have now spoken with the Queen, and I see no stay from obtaining a full resolution of what we desire."-“I went yesterday to the Queen, through the galleries, in the morning, afternoon, and at night. I had long speech to her of you, wherein I urged both the point of your extraordinary sufficiency, proved to me, not only

m Aug. 19, 1594.

A.D. 1594.

HIS LETTER TO THE QUEEN.

19

by your last argument, but by the opinions of all men I spake withal, and the point of mine own satisfaction, which I protested should be exceeding great if, for all her unkindness and discomforts past, she should do this one thing for my sake. She did acknowledge you had a good wit and an excellent gift of speech, and much other good learning. But in the law, she rather thought you could make show to the uttermost of your knowledge, than that you were deep. I added, her Majesty had made me suffer and give way in many things else, which all I should hear, not only with patience, but with great contentment, if she would but grant my humble suit in this one; and for the pretence of the approbation given you upon partiality, that all the world, lawyers, Judges, and all, could not be partial to you; for somewhat you were crossed for their own interest, and some for their friends; but yet all did yield to your merit.""I have received your letter, and since I have had opportunity to deal freely with the Queen. I have dealt confidently with her, as a matter wherein I did more labour to overcome her delays than I did fear her denial. I told her how much you were thrown down with the correction she had already given you, that she might in that point hold herself already satisfied. And because I found that Tanfield had been most propounded to her, I did most disable him. I find the Queen very reserved, staying herself upon giving any kind of hope, yet not passionate against you till I grew passionate for you. I urged her, that, though she could not signify her mind to others, I might have a secret promise, wherein I should receive great comfort, as in the contrary great unkindness. She said she was neither persuaded nor would hear of it till Easter, when she might advise with her counsel, who were now all absent; and, therefore, in passion, bid me go to bed if I would talk of nothing else. Wherefore, in passion, I went away, saying, while I was with her I could not but solicit for the cause and the man I so much affected; and, therefore, I would retire myself till I might be more graciously heard; and so we parted. To-morrow I will go hence of purpose; and on Thursday I will write an expostulating letter to her. That night, or upon Friday morning, I will be here again, and follow on the same course.'

Bacon, feeling "the misery 'tis in suing long to bide," took a bold step, and wrote a letter to the Queen herself, which is most highly creditable to her character,—at least as estimated by him,—for, from his language to the Lord Treasurer and the Lord Keeper, we need not doubt that he would have addressed her in the most fulsome and slave-like strain, if he had not thought that he was likely to succeed better by pretending independence, and avowing a consciousness of his own worth:

Madam,-Remembering that your Majesty has been gracious to me, both in countenancing me and conferring upon me the reversion of