dealing grew to this that the Queen by some slacknesse of my Lords as I imagine liked him worse and worse and grew more incensed towards him Then she remembring belike the continuall and incessant and confident speeches and courses that I had held on my Lords side becam utterly alienated from me and for the space of at least three monthe which was betweene Michaelmasse and New-yeares tide following would not as much as look on me but turned away from mee with expresse and purpose-like discountenance wheresoever she saw me and at such time as I desired to speake with her about Law businesse over sent me forth very slight refusals insomuch as it is most true that immediately after New-yeares tide I desired to speak with her and being admitted to her I dealt with her plainely and said Madam I see you withdraw your favour from me and now I have lost many friends for your sake I shall leese you too you have put me like one of those that the Frenchmen call Enfans perdus that serve on foot before horsmen so have you put mee into matters of envie without place or without strength and I know at Chesse a pawne before the King is ever much plaid upon a great many love me not because they thinke I have been against my Lord of Essex and you love mee not because you know I have been for him yet will I never repent me that I have dealt in simplicitie of heart towards you both without respect of cautions to my selfe and therefore vivus vidensque pereo If I doe breake my necke I shall doe it in a manner as Mr. Dorrington did it which walked on the battlements of the Church many dayes and tooke a view and survey where he should fall and so Madam said I I am not simple but that I take a prospect of mine overthrow only I thought I would tell you so much that you may know that it was faith and not folly that brought me into it and so I will pray for you Vpon which speeches of mine uttered with some passion it is true her Majestie was exceedingly moved and accumulated a number of kinde and gratious words upon me and willed mee to rest upon this Gratia mea sufficit and a number of other sensible and tender words and demonstrations such as more could not be but as touching my Lord of Essex ne verbum quidem Whereupon I departed resting then determined to meddle no more in the matter that that I saw would overthrow mee and not be able to doe him any good And thus I made mine own peace with mine own confidence at that time and this was the last time I saw her Majesty before the 8. of February which was the day of my Lord of Essex his misfortune after which time for that I performed at the barre in my publike service your Lordship knoweth by the rules of duty that I was to doe it honestly and without any prevarication but for any putting my selfe into it I protest before God I never moved neither the Queen nor any person living concerning my being used in the service either of evidence or examination but it was meerly laid upon me with the rest of my fellowes And for the time which passed I meane between the arraignement and my Lords suffering I will remember I was but once with the Queen at what time though I durst not deale directly formy LORD as things then stood yet generally I did both commend her Majesties mercie tearming it to her as an excellent balme that did continually distill from her Soveraigne hands and made an excellent odour in the senses of her people and not only so but I took hardinesse to extenuate not the fact for that I durst not but the danger telling her that if some base or cruell minded persons had entred into such an action it might have caused much bloud and combustion but it appeared well they were such as knew not how to play the malefactors and some other words which I now omit And for the rest of the carriage of my selfe in that service I have many honourable witnesses that can tell that the next day after my Lords arraignment by my diligence and information touching the quality and nature of the offendors 6. of 9. were stayed which otherwise had bin attainted I bringing their Lordships letter for their stay after the Jury was sworn to passe upon them so neare it went and how carefull I was and made it my part that whosoever was in trouble about that matter assoone as ever his case was sufficiently knowne and defined of might not continue in restraint but bee set at liberty and many other parts which I am well assured stood with the duty of an honest man But indeed I will not deny for the case of S. Thomas Smith of London the Queene demanding my opinion of it I told her I thought it was as hard as many of the rest but what was the reason because at that time I had seene only his accusation had never bin present at any examination of his and the matter so standing I had bin very untrue to my service if I had not delivered that opinion But afterwards upon a reexamination of some that charged him who weakned their own testimony and especially hearing himselfe viva voce I went instantly to the Queen out of the soundnesse of my conscience and not not regarding what opinion I had formerly delivered told her Majesty I was satified and resolved in my conscience that for the reputation of the action the plot was to countenance the action further by him in respect of his place then they had indeed any interest or intelligence with him It is very true also about that time her Majesty taking a liking of my pen upon that which I had done before concerning the proceeding at Yorke-house and likewise upon some other declarations which in former time by her appointment I put in writing commanded me to penne that book which was published for the better satisfaction of the world which I did but so as never Secretary had more particular and expresse directions and instructions in every point how to guide my hand in it and not only so but after that I had made a first draught thereof and propounded it to certaine principall Councellers by her Majesties appointment it was perused weighed censured altered and made almost anew writing according to their Lordships better consideration wherein their Lordships and my selfe both were as religious and curious of truth as desirous of satisfaction and my selfe indeed gave only words and form of stile in pursuing their direction And after it had passed their allowance it was again exactly perused by the Queen her selfe and some alteratioons made again by her appointment nay and after it was set to print the Queen who as your Lordship knoweth as she was excellent in great maters so she was exquisite in small and noted that I could not forget my ancient respect to my Lord of Essex in terming him ever My Lord of Essex my Lord of Essex in almost every page of the booke which shee thought not fit but would have it made Essex or the late Earle of Essex whereupon of force it was printed de novo and the first copies suppressed by her peremptory commandement And this my good Lord to my furthest remembrance is all that passed wherein I had part which I have set downe as neare as I could in the very words and speeches that were used not because they are worthy the repetition I meane those of mine own but to the end your Lordship may lively and plainly discerne between the face of truth and a smooth tale And the rather also because in things that passed a good while since the very words and phrases did sometimes bring to my remembrance the matters wherein I report me to your Honourable judgments whether you do not see the traces of an honest man and had I bin as well believed either by the Queene or by my Lord as I was well heard by them both my Lord had bin fortunate and so lead my selfe in his fortune To conclude therefore I humbly pray your Lordship to pardon me for troubling you with this long Narration and that you will vouchsafe to hold me in your good opinion till you know I have deserved or finde that I shall deserve the contrary and even so I continue At Your Lordships honourable commandements very humbly FINIS
SIR FRANCIS BACON HIS APOLOGIE In certaine Imputations concerning the late Earle of ESSEX WRITTEN To the Right Honourable His very Good LORD the Earle of DEVON-SHIRE LORD LIVETENANT OF IRELAND London Printed 1642. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE His Very good Lord the Earle of Devonshire Lord Lievtenant of Ireland IT may please Your good Lordship I cannot be ignorant and ought to bee sensible of the wrong which I sustaine in common speech as if I had beene false or unthankfull to that Noble but unfortunate Earle the Earle of Essex and for satisfying the vulgar sort I doe not so much regard it though I love a good name but yet as an hand maid and attendant of honesty and vertue For I am of his opinion that said pleasantly That it was a shame to him that was a suter to the Mistresse to make love to the waiting woman and therefore to woo or Court common fame otherwise than it followeth upon honest courses I for my part finde not my selfe fit nor disposed But on the otherside there is no worldly thing that concerneth my selfe which I hold more deare then the good opinion of certaine persons amongst which there is none I would more willingly give satisfaction unto then to your Lordship First because you loved my Lord of Essex and therefore will not bee partiall towards mee which is part of that I desire next because it hath ever pleased you to shew your selfe to me an honourable friend and so no basenesse in me to seeke to satifie you and lastly because I know your Lordship is excellently grounded in the true rules and habits of duties and moralities which must be they which shall decide this matter wherein my Lord my defence needeth to be but simple and briefe namely that whatsoever I did concerning that action and proceeding was done in my duty and service to the Queene and the State in which I would not shew my selfe false-hearted nor faint hearted for any mans sake living For every honest man that hath his heart well planted will forsake his King rather than forsake God and forsake his friend rather than forsake his King and yet will forsake any earthly commodity yea and his owne life in some cases rather than forsake his friend I hope the world hath not forgotten these degrees else the heathen saying Amicus usque adaras shall judge them And if any man shall say that I did officiously intrude my selfe in that businesse because I had no ordinary place the like may be said of all the businesse in effects that passed the hand of the learned counsel either of State or Revenues these many Yeares wherein I was continually used For as your Lordship may remember the Queene knew her strength so well as she looked her word should be a warrant and after the manner of the choisest Princes before her did not alwayes tye her trust to place but did sometime devide private favour from office And I for my part though I was not so unseene in the world but I knew the condition was subject to envie and perill yet because I knew againe shee was constant in her favours and made an end where she began and specially because she upheld mee with extraordinary accesse and other demonstrations of confidence and grace I resolved to endure it in expectation of better But my scope and desire is that Your Lordship would bee pleased to have the Honourable patience to know the truth in some particularity of all that passed in this cause wherein I had any part that you may perceive how honest a heart I ever bare to my Soveraigne and to my Country and to that Nobleman who had so well deserved of me and so well accepted of my deservings whose fortune I cannot remember without much griefe But for any action of mine towards him there is nothing that passed me in my life time that commeth to my remembrance with more clearenesse and lesse checke of Conscience for it will appeare to your Lordship that I was not onely not opposite to my Lord of Essex but that I did occupy the utmost of my wit and adventure my fortune with the Queene to have reintegrated his and so continued faithfully and industriously till his last fatall impatience for so I will call it after which day there was not time to worke for him though the same my assection when it could not worke upon the subject proper went to the next with no ill effect towards some others who I thinke doe rather not know it then not acknowledge it And this I will assure your Lordship I will leave nothing untold that is truth for any enemy that I have to adde and on the other side I must reserve much which makes for mee upon many respects of duty which I esteeme above my credit and what I have here set downe to your Lordship I protest as I hope to have any part in Gods favour is true It is well knowne how I did many yeares since dedicate my travels and studies to the use and as I may terme it service of my Lord of Essex which I protest before God I did not making election of him as the likeliest meane of mine owne advancement but out of the humor of a man that ever from the time I had any use of reason whether it were reading upon good bookes or upon the example of a good father or by nature I loved my Countrie more than was answerable to my fortune and I held at that time my Lord to be the fitter instrument to doe good to the State and therefore I applied my selfe to him in a manner which I think happeneth rarely amongst men for I did not onely labour carefully and industriously in that he set me about whether it were matter of advice or otherwise but neglecting the Queenes service mine owne fortune and in a sort my vocation I did nothing but advise and ruminate with my selfe to the best of my understanding propositions and memorials of any thing that might concerne his Lordships honour fortune or service And when not long after I entred into this course my brother Master Anthony Bacon came from beyond the Seas being a Gentleman whose abilitie the world taketh knowledge of for matters of State specially forreigne I did likewise knit his service to be at my Lords disposing And on the other side I must and will ever acknowledge my Lords love trust and favour towards me last of all his liberality having infeoffed me of Land which I sold for 18. hundred pounds to Master Reynold Nicholas and I think was more worth and that at such a time and with so kinde and noble circumstances as the manner was as much as the matter which though it be but an idle digression yet because I am not willing to bee short in commemoration of his benefits I will presume to trouble your Lordship with the relating to you the manner of it after the Queene had denied mee the Sollicitors place for
I was to have carried some token or favour from her Majestie to my Lord using all the art I had both to procure her Majestie to send and my selfe to bee the messenger for as to the former I feared not to alleadge to her that this proceeding toward my Lord was a thing towards the people very implausible and therefore wished her Majestie howsoever shee did yet to discharge her selfe of it and to lay it upon others and therefore that she should intermixe hâ—r proceeding with some immediate graces from her selfe that the world might take knowledge of her Princely nature and goodnesse lest it should alienate the hearts of her people from her Which I did stand upon knowing very well that if shee once relented to send or visite those demonstrations would prove matter of substance for my Lords good And to draw that employment upon my selfe I advised her Majestie that whensoever God should move her to turne the light of her favours towards my Lord to make signification to him thereof that her Majestie if she did it not in person would at the least use some such meane as might not intitle themselves to any part of the thankes as persons that were thought mightie with her to worke her or to bring her about but to use some such as could not be thought but a meere conduct of her owne goodnesse but I could never prevaile with her though I am perswaded shee saw plainely whereat I levelled but thee had me in jealousie that I was not hers intirely but still had inward and deepe respects towards my Lord more than stood at that time with her will and pleasure About the same time I remember an answer of mine in a matter which had some affinitie with my Lords cause which though it grew from me went after about in others names For her Majestie being mightily incensed with that booke which was dedicated to my Lord of Essex being a story of the first yeare of King Henry the fourth thinking it a seditious prelude to put into the peoples heads boldnesse and faction said she had good opinion that there was treason in it and asked me if I could not find any places in it that might be drawn within case of treason whereto I answered for treason surely I found none but for fellony very many And when her Majesty hastily asked me wherein I told her the Author had committed very apparent theft for he had taken most of the sentences of Cornelius Tacitus and translated them into English and put them into his text And another time when the Queene would not be perswaded that it was his writing whose name was to it but that it had some more mischievous Author and said with great indignation that shee would have him racked to produce his Author I replyed Nay Madam he is a Doctor never racke his person but racke his stile let him have pen inke and paper and help of books and be enjoyned to continue the story wherein it breaketh off and I will undertake by collecting the stiles to judge whether he were the Author or no. But for the maine matter sure I am when the Queene at that time asked mine opinion of my Lords case I ever in one tenor said unto her that they were faults which the Law might tearme Contempts because they were the transgression of her particular directions and instructions but then what defence might be made of them in regard of the great interest the person had in her Majesties favour in regard of the greatnesse of his place and the amplenesse of his Commission in regard of the nature of the businesse being action of War which in common cases cannot be tyed to strictnesse of instructions in regard of the distance of the place having also a Sea between that demands and commands must be subject to wind and weather in regard of a counsell of State in Ireland which he had at his backe to avow his actions upon and lastly in regard of a good intention that he would alleage for himselfe which I told her in some religions was held to bee a sufficient dispensation for Gods Commandements much more for Princes In all these regards I besought her Majestie to be advised again again how she brought the cauâ—e into any publike question Nay I went further for I told her my Lord was an eloquent and well spoken man and besides his eloquence of nature or art he had an eloquence of accident which passed them both which was the pittie and benevolence of his hearers and therefore that when he should come to his answer for himselfe I doubted his words would have so unequall passage above theirs that should charge him as would not be for her Majesties honour and therefore wished the conclusion might bee that they might wrap it up privately between themselves and that she would restore my Lord to his former attendance with some addition of her our to take away discontent But this I will never deny that I did shew no approbation generally of his being sent backe againe into Ireland both because it would have carried a repugnancy with my former discourse and because I was in mine owne heart fully perswaded that it was not good neither for the Queene nor for the State nor for himselfe and yet I did not disswade it neither but left it ever as locus lubricus For this particularitie I doe well remember that after your Lordship was named for the place in Ireland and not long before your going it pleased her Majestie at White Hall to speake to me of that nomination at which time I said to her Surely Madam if you meane not to imploy my Lord of Essex thither againe your Majestie cannot make a better choise and was going on to shew some reason and her Majestie interrupted me with great passion Essex said she whensoever I send Essex back againe into Ireland I will marrie you claime it of me whereunto I said Well Madam I will release that contract if his going be for the good of your State Immediately after the Queene had thought of a course which was also executed to have somewhat published in the Starre-Chamber for the satisfaction of the world touching my Lord of Essex his restraint and my Lord of Essex not to be called to it but occasion to be taken by reason of some Libels then dispersed which when her Majestie propounded unto mee I was utterly against it and told her plainely that the people would say that my Lord was wounded upon his backe and that Justice had her ballance taken from her which ever consisted of an accusation and defence with many other quicke and significant tearmes to that purpose in so much that I remember I said that my Lord in foro famae was too hard for her and therefore wished hâ—r as I had done before to wrap it up privately And certainly I offended her at that time which was rare with me For I call to minde that