speaks fair to you at your first coming. It is to serve their turn. . . . Regard your health and serve the Lord in truth.” On the 17th of May :1 "I send to know how you do. For myself I am but languescens, but in good cheer and comfort, I thank God. The good man Rolff, my tenant at Burston, but lately recovered, is desirous to see you. He is an honest man and a kind tenant, and of discretion and dealing. I sent my man Bury to direct him, and to see you and your brother how it is with you both. I humbly thank God for the comfortable company of Mr. Wyborne and Wylblud. Those may greatly be afraid of God his displeasure which work the woeful disappointing of God his work in his vineyard, by putting such to silence in these bold shining days. Haud impune ferent, come when it shall.... Think on yourself wisely. Be not overruled still by subtle and hurtful hangers-on." On the 24th of May :3 "Gratia et salus. That you increase in amending I am glad. God continue it every way. When you cease of your prescribed diet, you had need, I think, to be very wary both of your sudden [change] of quantity and of season of your feeding; specially suppers late or full. Procure rest in convenient time. It helpeth much to digestion. I verily think your brother's weak stomach to digest hath been much caused and confirmed by untimely going to bed, and then musing nescio quid when he should sleep, and then in consequent by late rising and long lying in bed: whereby his men are made slothful and himself continueth sickly. But my sons haste not to hearken to their mother's good counsel in time to prevent. The Lord our heavenly Father heal and bless you both as his sons in Christ Jesu. I promise you touching your coach, if it be so to your contentation, it was not wisdom to have it seen or known at the Court: you shall be so much pressed to lend, and your man for gain so ready to agree, that the discommodity thereof will be as much as the commodity. Let not your men see my letter. I write to you and not to them." Again, on the 29th of May :4 "I am glad and thank God of your amendment. But my man said he heard you rose at three of the clock. I thought that was not well. So suddenly from bedding much to rise so early; newly out of your diet. Extremities be hurtful to whole, more to the sickly.. Be wise and godly ... too, and discern what is good and what not for your health. . . . I like not your lending your coach yet to any Lord or Lady. If you once begin, you shall hardly end. . . . It was not well it was so soon sent into the Court, to make talk and at last be procured or misliked. Tell your brother I counsel you to send it no more. What had my Lady Shreifess to borrow your coach ?" 1 Lambeth MSS. 648. 103. 3 Lambeth MSS. 648. 106. 2 Two of the suspended preachers. 4 Lambeth MSS. 618. 110. On the 29th of June:1 "If you deal with Elsdon, be very well advised. . . . These days are full of fraud. My man said you wished to have strawberries to gift. I have sent I think all there be, and this day gathered. . . . I send them by the boy of my kitchen, a shrewd-witted boy and prettily catechized, but yet an untoward crafty boy...I look for him again at night. I pray you stay him not. He is able enough to do it, God willing: do not pity, it will make him worse. If you give him 6d. of your own self, it is too much. . . . It is here very hot indeed. Let not your men drink wine this hot weather; nor your brother's neither, tell him. Divers sick of hot agues. God keep us sound in the faith and send us health and a care to please God above all.... I thank your brother for Mr. Wylblud. Much good may he do for such, and take no hurt by the others I pray God. Impart this, because I mean to both my letter.” On the 6th of July:2 "I pray God you have done well and wisely. I fear you have yielded to that which was first shot at, I mean Barley.... I am sorry for it, and must needs be worse for you as I yet can think. . . . The uppermost strawberries are good to be eaten, and were more choicely gathered for that purpose, for you or your brother. The Lord direct you both with his holy spirit, and bless you." On the 24th of July :4 I thank you for your letter; but I understand not one chief point, nor do not desire yet; but you had need be very circumspect and wise. . . . I assure you I ask not nor know not where Lawson is, but this I counsel: be very wary that his very subtle and working head work not your cumber. You have been long absent, and by your sickliness cannot be your own agent, and so, wanting right judgment of our state, may be much deceived. That which you did for the merchants was scantly well taken, and fell not out as you looked. And I remember once you dealt with -;5 I wot not now wherefore, it is a good while since, but both envy and also dislike did appear: some doubting your soundness in religion, you were so great with some such great Papists then. Have a sure warrant and ground, lest you may purchase encumbrance without good success, contrary to your expectation. Be not too bold with Kupią Onσavpapio. Lose not his pidav. You know what I mean. . . . Be not overcredulous nor too open. Sub omni lapide latet anguis. Get health to serve God and your country as he shall enable and call you.. Be not too forward in state matters. Wise have withdrawn hisce diebus. . . . This Monday one brought hither for you from Mr. Gray dozen pigeons, whereof I send you the dozen, . . . which I send all by Peter my cook. I would your brother's cook were like him in Christian behaviour; and yet a young man and merry. Give him a shilling, because he had good will to carry them on foot." 1 Lambeth MSS. 648. 109. 3 An estate of Anthony Bacon's. ... 2 Lambeth MSS. 648. 122. These few 4. passages, selected as fair samples, are enough to give an idea of the woman; a better idea perhaps than could be derived from more studied compositions on subjects less ordinary. For here we not only have her words just as they came to her pen and would have come to her tongue, but we see her in a relation which everybody can thoroughly understand. The relation between the sovereign and the subject, or the Church and her members, changes as creeds and constitutions change, till at the distance of a few generations it becomes impossible to conceive it correctly without some power of imagination as well as much knowledge of the facts. But the relation between the mother and the son remains substantially the same; and Lady Bacon's affections, dispositions, manners, and temper, reveal themselves through her maternal solicitudes, serious and trivial, as clearly as if it were to-day: an affectionate, vehement, fiery, grave, and religious soul, just beginning to fail where such natures commonly fail first, in the power of self-command: in creed a Calvinist, in morals a Puritan. Of the letters which must for many years have been continually passing between her and Francis, only two or three have been preserved. But if we would understand his position, we must not forget that he had a mother of this character and temper living within a few hours' ride of his chambers, anxiously watching over his proceedings, and by advice or authority continually interfering in his affairs. The first of his letters to her which I have met with, is dated the 18th of February, 1591-2. It appears to be either the rough draft or a copy, written by himself in a great hurry, and preserved among his brother's papers. I know nothing more of the matter to which it relates; and need only remind the reader that in those days, when a subject holding land of the Crown by feudal tenure died during the minority of his heir, the Crown had the use of the property (subject only to the expenses of maintenance and education) until the heir came of age; that the Crown would sometimes make over this office, with the rights and duties appertaining, to a private person, by way of favour; and that Lord Burghley was at this time Master of the Wards. Madam, TO LADY BACON.1 Alderman Haywood is deceased this night; his eldest son is fallen ward. My Lord Treasurer doth not for the most part 1 Lambeth MSS. 648. 5. Draft, or copy, in Francis Bacon's own hand. hastily dispose of wards. It were worth the obtaining, if it were but in respect of the widow, who is a gentlewoman much commended. Your Ladyship hath never had any ward of my Lord. It was too early for my brother to begin with a suit to my Lord before he had seen his Lordship. And for me, I do at this time reserve my Lord to be my friend with the Queen. It may please your Ladyship to move my Lord, and to promise to be thankful to any other my Lord oweth pleasure unto. There would be no time lost herein. And so I most humbly take my leave. From my lodging, this 18th of February, 1591. Your Ladyship's most obedient Son, F. BACON. 5. I cannot find any allusion to this matter in the subsequent correspondence, nor can I tell whether this suggestion was acted upon. The two brothers seem to have remained at Gray's Inn together till the beginning of August, when Anthony went to Gorhambury, and Francis shortly after, "upon a flying report of the sickness," betook himself along with some of his lawyer friends to Twickenham Park; and asked Dr. Andrews, afterwards the famous Bishop, to join the party; whose duty however, as preacher at St. Giles's, detained him.1 On the 14th he wrote to invite Mr. Thomas Phillips; who had been formerly in the service of Walsingham,2 and was now employed by the Earl of Essex, apparently upon Bacon's recommendation. Mr. Phillips, To MR. PHILLIPS.3 I have excused myself of this progress; if that be to excuse, -to take liberty where it is not given. Being now at Twicknam, I am desirous of your company. You may stay as long and as little while as you will; the longer the better welcome. 1 George Jenkell to Anthony Bacon, 15th August, 1592: Lambeth MSS. 648. 134. Not long before (as I find by another paper in this collection, 653. 108), Francis had made the acquaintance of Thomas Cartwright, the great Puritan, whom Anthony had known before, and who had been called in as a kind of mediator between him and his mother in their domestic differences. 2 See Essex's letter: further on. This I suppose was the Mr. Phillips who had such skill in deciphering letters. 3 State Paper Office: Domestic, 1592. Original in his own hand. 4 The two Bacons had been invited on the 29th of July to Bissam, where their aunt Lady Hoby lived, and where the Queen was expected to pay a visit about this time on her progress. It does not appear that either of them accepted the invitation. See Birch, i. p. 78. Otia colligunt mentem. And indeed I would be the wiser by you in many things; for that I call to confer with a man of your fullIn sadness, come as you are an honest man. So I wish you all good, from Twicknam Park, this 14th of August, 1592. Yours ever assured, ness. FR. BACON. Another letter to the same person, dated the 15th of September, appears to relate to some service in which Phillips had been employed by the Earl of Essex, in the way of procuring intelligence from abroad. The times were so critical, and so many dark conspiracies on foot, that this art of procuring intelligence was among the most important qualifications of a Councillor, and a point in which the rival courtiers strove to outshine each other. Essex was not yet a Councillor, but in good hope of being sworn in soon, and eagerly seeking occasions to prove his worth. In this case there seems to have been some danger of disappointment, which Bacon was anxious to avert. What the particular occasion was cannot be determined from the expressions of the letter; but we happen to know that about this time the Council was occupied with some "great business about Jesuits and seminary priests; by some whereof there were matters of great weight discovered concerning the State, as a new practice or plot of invasion between Spain, Scotland, the Pope, and some other adherents, as Savoy,' etc." And it is not improbable that Mr. Phillips's" Mercury" was some intelligencer whom he had dispatched to gather news about this. Sir, 3 To MR. THOMAS PHILLIPS.2 I congratulate your return, hoping that all is passed on your side. Your Mercury is returned; whose return alarmed as upon some great matter, which I fear he will not satisfy. News of his coming came before his own letter, and to other than to his proper servant [?],3 which maketh me desirous to satisfy or to salve. My Lord hath required him to repair to me; which upon his Lordship's and mine own letters received I doubt not but he will with all speed perform; where I pray you to meet him if you may, that laying our heads together we may maintain his credit, satisfy my Lord's expectation, and procure some good service. 1 Edward Jones to Anthony Bacon, 12th Sept., 1592: quoted by Birch i. p. 87. 2 State Paper Office: Domestic, 1592. Original in his own hand. 3 I am not sure of this word: but I think it is 'S'.' |