SIR FRANCIS BACON HIS APOLOGIE IN CERTAINE imputations concerning the late Earle of Essex VVritten to the right Honorable his very good Lord the Earle of Deuonshire Lord Lieutenant of Ireland LONDON Printed for FELIX NORTON and are to be sold in Pauls churchyard at the signe of the Parot 1604. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HIS VERIE GOOD LORD THE Earle of Deuonshire Lord Lieutenant of Ireland IT may please your good Lordship I cannot be ignorant and ought to be sensible of the wrong which I sustaine in common speech as if I had bene false or vnthankfull to that noble but vnfortunate Earle the Earle of Essex And for satisfying the vulgar sort I do not so much regard it though I loue good name but yet as an handmaid and attendant of honestie 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 loue to the wayting woman and therefore to woo or court common fame otherwise then it followeth vpon honest courses I for my part finde not my selfe fit nor disposed But on the other side 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 giue satisfactiō vnto then to your Lordship First because you loued my Lord of Essex and therefore will not be partiall towards me which is part of that I desire next because it hath euer pleased you to shew your selfe to me an honorable friend and so no basenesse in me to seeke to satisfie 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 shal decide this matter wherin my Lord my defence needeth to be but simple and briefe namely that whatsoeuer I did concerning that action and proceeding was done in my dutie and seruice to the Queene and the State in which I would not shew my selfe false hearted nor faint hearted for anie mans sake liuing For euerie honest man that hath his heart well planted will forsake his King rather then forsake God and forsake his friend rather then forsake his King and yet will forsake any earthly commoditie yea and his owne life in some cases rather then forsake his friend I hope the world hath not forgotten these degrees else the heathen saying Amicus vsque ad ar as shal iudge them And if anie man shall say that I did officiously intrude my selfe into that businesse because I had no ordinary place the like may be said of all the businesse in effect that passed the hands of the learned counsell either of State or Reuenues these manie yeares wherein I was continually vsed For as your Lordship may remember the Queene knewe 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 deuide priuate fauor from office And I for my part though I was not so vnseene in the world but I knewe the condition was subiect to enuie and perill yet because I knew againe she was constant in her fauours and made an end where she began and specially because she vpheld me with extraordinarie accesse and other demonstrations of confidence and grace I resolued to endure it in expectation of better But my scope desire is that your Lordship wold be pleased to haue the honourable patience to know the truth in some particularitie of all that passed in this cause wherein I had any part that you may perceiue howe honest a heart I euer bare to my Soueraigne and to my Countrey to that Noble man who had so well deserued of me and so well accepted of my deseruings whose fortune I cannot remember without much griefe But for anie action of mine towards him there is nothing that passed me in my life time that cometh to my remembrance with more clearnesse and lesse checke of conscience for it wil appeare to your Lordship that I was not onely not opposite to my Lord of Essex but that I did occupy the vtmost of my wits and aduenture my fortune with the Queene to haue reintegrated his and so continued faithfully and industriously till his last fatall impatience for so I wil call it after which day there was not time to worke for him though the same my affectiō when it could not worke vpon the subiect proper went to the next with no ill effect towards some others who I thinke do rather not know it then not acknowledge it And this I will assure your Lordship I will leaue nothing vntold that is truth for anie enemie that I haue to adde on the other side I must reserue much which makes for me vpon manie respects of dutie which I esteeme aboue my credite and what I haue here set downe to your Lordship I protest as I hope to haue any part in Gods fauour is true It is wel knowne how I did many yeares since dedicate my trauels and studies to the vse as I may terme it seruice of my Lord of Essex which I protest before God I did not making election of him as the likeliest meane of mine owne aduancement but out of the humor of a man that euer from the time I had anie vse of reason whether it were reáding vpon good bookes or vpon the example of a good father or by nature I loued my countrey more then was answerable to my fortune and I held at that time my Lord to be the fittest instrument to do good to the State and therefore I applied my selfe to him in a manner which I thinke happeneth rarely amongst men for I did not only labour carefully and industriously in that he set me about whether it were matter of aduice or otherwise but neglecting the Queenes seruice mine owne fortune and in a sort my vocation I did nothing but deuise and ruminate with my selfe to the best of my vnderstanding propositions memorials of any thing that might cōcerne his Lordships honor fortune or seruice And when not long after I entred into this course my brother Maister Anthony Bacon came from beyond the seas being a Gentleman whose abilitie the world taketh knowledge of for matters of State specially forreine I did likewise knit his seruice to be at my Lords disposing And on the other side I must will euer acknowledge my Lords loue trust and fauour towards me last of all his liberalitie hauing infeoffed me of land which I sold for eighteene hundred pounds to Maister Reynold Nicholas and I thinke was more worth and that at such a time and with so kinde and noble circumstances as the maner was as much as the matter which though it be but an idle digression yet because I am not willing to be short in commemoration of his benefites I will presume to trouble your Lordship with
iudge specially if he knew the Queene and do remember those times whether they were not the labours of one that sought to bring the Queene about for my Lord of Essex his good The troth is that the issue of all his dealing grew to this that the Queene by some flacknesse 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 became vtterly alienated from me and for the space of at least three moneths which was betweene Michaelmas and Newyears tide following would not as much as looke on me but turned away frō me with expresse and purpose-like discountenance wheresoeuer she saw me and at such time as I desired to speake with her about Law businesse euer sent me forth very slight refusals insomuch as it is most true that immediatly after Newyeares tide I desired to speake with her and being admitted to her I dealt with her plainely and said Madame I see you withdraw your fauor from me and now I haue lost many friends for your sake I shall leese you too you haue put me like one of those that the Frenchmen call Enfans perdus that serue on foote before horsmen so haue you put me into matters of enuie without place or without strength and I know at Chesse a pawn before the king is euer much plaid vpon a great many loue me not because they thinke I haue bene against my Lord of Essex and you loue me not because you know I haue bene for him yet will I neuer repent me that I haue dealt in simplicitie of heart towards you both without respect of cautions to my selfe and therefore viuus vidensque pereo If I do breake my necke I shall do it in manner as Maister Dorrington did it which walked on the battlements of the Church many daies and tooke a view and suruey where he should fall and so Madame said I I am not so simple but that I take a prospect of mine ouerthrow 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 vttered with some passion it is true her Maiestie was exceedingly moued and accumulated a number of kind and gracious words vpon me and willed me to rest vpon 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 Wherupon I departed resting then determined to meddle no more in the matter as that that I saw would ouerthrowe me and not be able to do him any good And thus I made mine owne peace with mine owne confidence it that time and this was the last time I saw her Maiestie before the eight of Februarie which was the day of my Lord of Essex his misfortune After which time for that I performed at the barre in my publike seruice your Lordship knoweth by the rules of dutie that I was to do it honestly and without preuarication but for any putting my selfe into it I protest before God I neuer moued neither the Queene nor any person liuing concerning my being vsed in the seruice either of euidence or examination but it was meerely laid vpon me with the rest of my fellowes And for the time which passed I meane betweene the arraignement and my Lords suffering I well remember I was but once with the Queene at what time though I durst not deale directly for my Lord as things then stood yet generally I did both commend her Maiesties mercie tearming it to her as an excellent balme that did continually distill from her Soueraigne hands and made an excellent odour in the senses of her people and not onely so but I tooke 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 haue 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 as for the rest of the cariage of my selfe in that seruice I haue many honorable witnesses that can tell that the next day after my Lords arraignement by my diligence and information touching the qualitie and nature of the offendors sixe of nine were stayed which otherwise had bene attainted I bringing their Lordships letter for their stay after the Iurie was sworne to passe vpon them so neare it went and how carefull I was and made it my part that whosoeuer was in trouble about that matter assoone as euer his case was sufficiently knowne and defined of might not continue in restraint but be set at libertie and many other parts which I am well assured of stood with the dutie of an honest man But indeed I will not deny for the case of Sir Thomas Smith of London the Queene demaunding 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 and had neuer bene present at any examination of his and the matter so standing I had bin very vntrue to my seruice if I had not deliuered that opinion But afterwards vpon a reexamination of some that charged him who weakned their owne testimonie and especially hearing himselfe viua voce I went instantly to the Queene out of the soundnesse of my conscience and not regarding what opinion I had formerly deliuered told her Maiestie I was satisfied and resolued 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 Maiesty taking a liking of my pen vpon that which I had done before concerning the proceeding at Yorke house and likewise vpon some other declarations which in former times by her appointment I put in writing commaunded me to penne that booke which was published for the better satisfaction of the world which I did but so as neuer Secretarie had more particular and expresse directions and instructions in euery point how to guide my hand in it and not onely so but after that I had made a first draught therof and propounded it to certaine principall Councellers by her Maiesties appointment it was perused weighed censured altered and made almost anew writing according to their Lordshippes better consideration wherein their Lordshippes and my selfe both were as religious and curious of truth as desirous of satisfaction and my selfe indeed gaue only words and forme of stile in pursuing their direction And after it had passed their allowance it was againe exactly perused by the Queen her selfe and some alterations made againe by her appointment nay and after it was set to print the Queene who as your Lordshippe knoweth as she was excellent in great matters so she was exquisite in small and noted that I could not forget my auncient respect to my Lord of Essex in terming him euer My Lord of Essex My Lord of Essex in almost euery page of the booke which she thought not fit but would haue it made Essex or the late Earle of Essex whereupon of force it was printed de noue and the first copies suppressed by her peremptorie commaundement And this my good Lord to my furthest remembrance is all that passed wherein I had part which I haue set downe as neare as I could in the very words and speeches that were vsed not because they are worthie the repetition I mean those of mine owne but to the end your Lordship may liuely and plainly discerne betweene the face of truth and a smooth tale And the rather also because in things that passed a good while since the very wordes and phrases did sometimes bring to my remembrance the matters wherein I report me to your Honourable iudgement whether you do not see the traces of an honest man and had I bene as well beleeued either by the Queene or by my Lord as I was well heard by them both both my Lord had beene fortunate and so had my selfe in his fortune To conclude therfore I humbly pray your Lordshippe 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 haue deserued or find that I shall deserue the contrarie and euen so I continue At your Lordships Honorable commandements very humbly FINIS
the relating to you the maner of it After the Queene had denied me the Sollicitors place for the which his Lordship had bene a long and earnest sutor on my behalfe it pleased him to come to me from Richmond to Twicknam Parke and brake with me said Maister Bacon the Queene hath denied me yon place for you and hath placed another I know you are the least part of your owne matter but you fare ill because you haue chosen mee for your meane and dependance you haue spent your time and thoughts in my matters I die these were his verie words If I do not somewhat towards your fortune you shall not denie to accept a peece of Land which I will bestow vpon you My answer I remember was that for my fortune it was no great matter but that his Lordships offer made me call to minde what was wont to be said when I was in Fraunce of the Duke of Guise that he was the greatest vsurer in Fraunce because he had turned all his estate into Obligations meaning that he hast left him selfe nothing but onely had bound numbers of persons to him Now my Lord said I I would not haue you imitate his course nor turne your state thus by great giftes into obligations for you will find many bad debters he bad me take no care for that and pressed it wherupon I said My Lord I see I must be your homager and hold land of your gift but do you know the maner of doing homage in law alwaies it is with a sauing of his faith to the King and his other Lords and therefore my Lord said I I can be no more yours then I was and it must be with the auncient sauings and if I grow to be a rich man you will giue me leaue to giue it back to some of your vnrewarded followers But to returne sure I am though I can arrogate nothing to my selfe but that I was a faithfull remembrancer to his Lordship that while I had most credit with him his fortune went on best And yet in two maine points we alwaies directly contradictorily differed which I wil mention to your Lordship because it giueth light to all that followed The one was I euer set this downe that the onely course to be held with the Queene was by obsequiousnesse and obseruance and I remember I would vsually gage cōfidently that if he would take that course constantly and with choice of good particulars to expresse it the Queene would be brought in time to Assuerus question to aske VVhat should be done to the man that the King wold honour meaning that her goodnesse was without limite where there was a true concurrence which I knew in her nature to be true My Lord on the other side had a setled opinion that the Queene could be brought to nothing but by a kind of necessitie and authority and I well remember when by violent courses at any time he had got his will he wold aske me Now Sir whose principles be true and I would againe say to him My Lord these courses be like to hote waters they will helpe at a pang but if you vse thē you shall spoile the stomacke and you shall be faine still to make them stronger and stronger and yet in the end they will lesse their operation with much other varietie wherewith I vsed to touch that string Another point was táhat I alwaies vehemently disswaded him from seeking greatnes by a militarie dependance or by a popular dependance as that which would breed in the Queene iealousie in himselfe presumption and in the State perturbation and I did vsually compare them to Icarus two wings which were ioyned on with waxe and would make him venture to soare too high and then faile him at the height And I would further say vnto him My Lord stand vpon two feet and flie not vpō two wings The two feete are the two kinds of Iustice Commutatiue and Distributiue vse your greatnesse for aduancing of merit and vertue and releeuing wrongs and burdens you shall need no other art or finenesse but he would tell me that opinion came not from my mind but from my robe But it is very true that I that neuer meant to inthral my selfe to my Lord of Essex nor any other man more thē stood with the publike good did though I could little preuaile diuert him by all means possible from courses of the warres and popularitie for I saw plainely the Queene must either liue or die if she liued then the times would be as in the declination of an old Prince if she died the times would be as in the beginning of a new and that if his Lordship did rise too fast in these courses the times might be dangerous for him and he for them Nay I remember I was thus plaine with him vpon his voyage to the Ilands when I saw euery spring put foorth such actions of charge and prouocation that I said to him My Lord when I came first vnto you I tooke you for a Phisition that desired to cure the diseases of the State but now I doubt you will be like those Phisitions which can be content to keepe their patients low because they would alwaies be in request which plaineresse he neuerthelesse tooke very well as he had an excellent care and was patientissimus veri and assured me the case of the Realme required it and I thinke this speech of mine and the like renewed afterwards pricked him to write that Apologie which is in many mens hands But this difference in two points so maine and materiall bred in processe of time a discontinuance of priuatenesse as it is the manner of men seldom to communicate where they thinke their courses not approued betweene his Lordship and my selfe so as I was not called nor aduised with for some yeare and a halfe before his Lordships going into Ireland as in former time yet neuerthelesse touching his going into Ireland it pleased him expresly and in a set manner to desire mine opinion and counsell At which time I did not onely disswade but protest against his going telling him with as much vehemencie and asseueration as I could that absence in that kind would exulcerate the Queens mind whereby it would not be possible for him to carrie himselfe so as to giue her sufficient contentment nor for her to carie her selfe so as to giue him sufficient countenance which would be ill for her ill for him and ill for the State And because I wold omit no argument I remember I stood also vpon the difficultie of the action setting before him out of Histories that the Irish was such an enemie as the ancient Gaules or Britons or Germaines were and that we saw how the Romans who had such discipline to gouerne their soldiers and such donatiues to encourage thē and the whole world in a maner to leauie them yet when they came to deale with enemies which placed their felicitie onely in libertie and