and apparent reason I can ascribe to nothing more than to the impression which, upon many conferences of long time used between his Lordship and me, he may have received both of your Lordship's high love and good opinion towards his Lordship, verified in many and singular offices, whereof now the realm rather than himself is like to reap the fruit; and also of your singular affection towards me, as a man chosen by you to set forth the excellency of your nature and mind, though with some error of your judgment. Hereof [if] it may please your Lordship to take knowledge to my Lord, according to the style of your wonted kindness, your Lordship shall do me great contentment. My Lord told me he had written to your Lordship, and wished with great affection he had been so lucky as to have had two hours' talk with you upon those occasions which since have fallen out. So wishing that God may conduct you by the hand pace by pace, I commend you and your actions to his divine good preservation.

Your Lordship's ever deepliest bounden,

FR. BACON.

This letter was forwarded to the Earl by Anthony Bacon in another from himself; drawing his attention more particularly to the vacancy in the Rolls made by the advancement of Egerton; for which place "by plurality at Court and generality elsewhere" his brother had been named: and suggesting that he should write a few lines in his favour to the new Lord Keeper and to Sir John Fortescue, Chancellor of the Exchequer; and perhaps some "general recommendation by the way" to the Queen, though "without any particular designment:" and adding a special caution not to say anything about it to Burghley or Cecil. Francis, it seems, had had enough of suitorship, and would not "enter into the list of competition;" though Egerton himself was favourable," and though he appears to have been now again on gracious terms with the Queen," and continued to be employed in the business of the learned Counsel. He was at this time endeavouring by the help of Sir John Fortescue to bring his brother's services under the favourable notice of her Majesty: and while these letters of the 10th of May were on their way to the fleet, he sent him the following report.

1 Birch, i. 482.

2 See letter to Egerton, further on.

3 Birch, i. 468. 4 Examination of Randall, 3rd May, 1596. S.P.O. On the 14th of July I find him described in a Patent Roll as " unum de Consilio nostro erudito in lege."-See Dixon's Personal History, p. 357.

My very good Brother,1

I have remembered your salutations to Sir Jh. Fortescue, and delivered him the Gazetta, desiring him to reserve it to read in his barge. He acknowledged it to be of another sort than the common. I delivered him also so much of Dr. Hawkins' letter as contained advertisements copied out, which is the reason I return the letter to you now, the Gazetta being gone with him to the Court. The refiner's conclusion I have not acquainted him with, meaning to keep it for some apt time. So in haste I wish you comfort of Twicknam ague this 15th of May, 1596. Your entire loving brother,

A few days after, he wrote again:

My very good Brother,3

FR. BACON.

I send you the Gazetta returned from Sir Jh. Fortescue with his loving commendations. There is a commission for the Rolls, sed nihil ad nos. I hear nothing from my Lord of Essex. Aluvarez' matter in the Chancery, as I could perceive by my Lord Keeper, receiveth course of arbitrement, wherein my Lord joined strangers with English, and ordered it as I imagine to the parties' reasonable contentment, though he were crossed with a verdict at common law. My chief sending is to know how you do, as you may see by the rest of the stuff of my letter. I observe your intention of privateness, else had I visited you. So I commend you to God's good preservation this Ascension day. Your entire loving brother,

FR. BACON.

The "Commission for the Rolls" here mentioned was no doubt "a Commission to Justices Clench, Gawdy, Beaumont, and Owen, and certain others Masters of the Chancery, to hear the causes in the ab

1 Lambeth MSS. 657. 30. Original: own hand. Docketed, "De Mons' Francois Bacon, le mois de May, 1596."

2 Dr. Hawkyns was an intelligencer employed in the Earl's service at Venice, and had sent news of important movements, or indications of movements, on that side of Europe. The "Gazetta" is described by Birch as "the written Italian gazette," -a narrative, I presume, enclosed in Dr. Hawkyns's letter.

Lambeth MSS. 657. 109. Original: own hand. Addressed, "To the r. w. my very good brother, Mr Anth. Bacon, at Twycknam Park." Docketed, "De Mons François Bacon, mois de June, 1596:" a mistake: Ascension day in 1596 fell on the 20th of May.

sence of the Lord Keeper, until a Master of the Rolls be appointed;" which, as we learn from Burghley's diary, was issued on the 15th of May, 1596.1

What "Aluvarez' matter in the Chancery" was, I do not know; but I presume from Bacon's apology for the stuff of his letter, that it was not a matter of importance.

In the meantime the Earl of Essex, though Bacon had not yet received any answer to his letter of the 10th of May, had not forgotten his friend's business. While Anthony Bacon was still at Twickenham, Captain Garrett arrived one evening at Gray's Inn with a packet for him, which Francis opened and forwarded, with the following letter, undated and in the docket dated incorrectly-but written sometime between the 20th and 30th of May.

My very good Brother,2

I received yesternight by Captain Garrett this packet, directed as you may perceive to yourself. But because I discerned it was but a case, and knew the occasion of the dispatch, loath to make two labours of one, I opened it, and found this letter to you which I send unbroken as reason was (together with your former letter), a letter to myself which I send opened, and these other three letters unsealed. You may perceive my Lord's good affection and care, being surcharged with business to write and write so many letters. His Lordship's discretion also in writing in general terms to my Lord Keeper I do not dislike. I suppose there is some seal for the like occasions remaining with Mr. Reynolds, for to make up these letters. My desire is the letter to my Lord Keeper should simply be delivered by one of your men. The letter to Sir J. Foscue, accompanied with some few words of your own taking knowledge of the contents, and that it is a thing carried wholly without my knowledge between my Lord and yourself. The letter to my Lord Buckhurst would be stayed and kept by us, to the end if need be I may take occasion to show his Lordship what my Lord intended and what I detained, if the matter grow to any life. For before to acquaint his Lordship with it being made as I imagine I think it not safe. I thank you for your last letter, and am sorry of this renewal of the stone. But

1 Murdin, p. 809.

Lambeth MSS. 657. 107. Original: own hand. Addressed, "To the r. w. his very loving brother, Mr Anthony Bacon, at Twicknam Park." Docketed, "De Mons Francois Bacon, le mois de Juin, 1596."

VOL. II.

D

of the two, better recourse of pain than intermission to breed peril. God keep you.

Your entire loving brother,

FR. BACON.

The letters contained in the Earl's packet have been printed in Birch's Memoirs of Queen Elizabeth,' and, as they are short, I cannot better complete the story than by reprinting them as they stand.

Sir,

To ANTHONY BACON.

I send you three letters, to my Lord Keeper, my Lord of Buckhurst, and my cousin Fortescue. They are all open because you may read them; and when you have done with them, Reynolds shall both seal and deliver them. If you knew what a purgatory it were to govern this unwieldy body, and to keep these sharp humours from distempering the whole body, you would rather free me from writing than challenge my short writing. I wish to you as to myself, and rest for ever

Your true friend,

ESSEX.

My very good Lord,

TO THE LORD KEEPER.

I do understand by my very good friend Mr. Francis Bacon how much he is bound to your Lordship for your favour. I do send your Lordship my best thanks, and do protest unto you that there is no gentleman in England of whose good fortune I have been more desirous. I do still retain the same mind; but because my intercession hath rather hurt him than done him good, I dare not move the Queen for him. To your Lordship I earnestly commend the care I have of his advancement; for his parts were never destined for a private and (if I may so speak) an idle life. That life I call idle, which is not spent in public business: for otherwise he will ever give himself worthy tasks. Your Lordship in performing what I desire shall oblige us both, and within very short time see such fruit of your own work as will please you well. And so commending your Lordship to God's best protection, I rest at your Lordship's commandment.

By the advancement of Sir Thomas Egertion to the place of Lord Keeper (in which choice I think my country very happy) there is void the office of Master of the Rolls. I do both for private and public respects

wish Mr. Francis Bacon to it before all men, and should think much done for her Majesty's service if he were so placed as his virtues might be active, which now lie as it were buried. What success I have had in commending him to her Majesty your Lordship knows. I would not for the second time hurt him with my care and kindness; but I will commend unto your Lordship his cause, not as his alone, nor as mine his friend's, but as a public cause, wherein your Lordship shall have honour, and the world satisfaction to see worthy fruits of your own work, and exceeding thankfulness from us both: and so I rest

Your Lordship's cousin and friend most affectionate and assured.

Cousin,

To SIR JOHN FORTESCUE.

I do now commend unto you both present actions and absent friends; I mean those who are absent from me, so as I neither can defend them from wrong nor help to that right their virtue deserves. And because one occasion offers itself before the rest, I will commend unto you one above the rest. The place is the Mastership of the Rolls, the man Mr. Francis Bacon, a kind and worthy friend to us both. If your labour in it prevail, I will owe it to you as a particular debt, though you may challenge it as a debt of the state. And so, wishing you all happiness, I rest

Your Lordship's cousin and friend affectionate and assured.

The Earl's letter to Bacon himself is interesting as giving some little indication of the intellectual sympathy which formed one of the bonds between them. We have no detailed account of any of their conversations. But in the first sentences of this letter,-as in the letters of advice quoted in the last chapter (supposing them to be the Earl's own composition),-I fancy that I see the reflexion of thoughts which would be naturally suggested and excited in talking with Bacon upon such subjects.

Sir,1

I have thought the contemplation of the art military harder than the execution. But now I see, where the number is great, compounded of sea and land forces, the most tyrones and almost all voluntaries, the second officers equal almost in age, quality, and standing in the wars, it is hard for any man to approve himself a good commander. So great is my zeal to omit nothing and so short my sufficiency to perform all, as, besides my charge, myself doth afflict myself. For I cannot follow the precedents of our dissolute armies, and my helpers are a little amazed with me, when they are come from governing a little troop to a great, and from ..... to all the greatest spirits of our state. And sometimes I am as much trou2 I cannot make out these words.

1 Lambeth MSS. 657. 139.

2