who saw the times from his point of view could possibly think such an employment unworthy of him; for no one could think that it was such service as any other man could have performed equally well. To secure at once the detection of the guilty, the acquittal of the innocent, the quieting of public fears, the satisfaction of a Protestant majority justly irritated, and the clear vindication of the Government against suspicion of injustice towards the Catholic minority, was a task requiring the rarest combination of sagacity, prudence, patience, candour, temperance, and fortitude; and many illustrations might be found in the annals of Elizabeth's reign of great inconveniences traceable directly to the imperfect performance of it. Elizabeth was not nearly so well provided with counsel now as she had been. Walsingham was gone; Burghley was nearly worn out, and frequently disabled for business; Robert Cecil, though very acute, dexterous, and industrious, and for so young a man well practised, had more of craft than wisdom; Essex was only twenty-seven years old, quite new in business, naturally impetuous and governed by casual impulses, and ambitious of greatness rather in war than at the council-board; of Cobham we know but little; Ralegh was out of favour and away; there was no Solicitor-General; and Coke, who was now the principal champion of the Crown in the courts of criminal justice, where its most hazardous battle had to be fought, was impatient, intemperate, offensive, overbearing, and (for all his subtlety and legal skill) had no genius either for discovering the truth so that he might choose an unassailable position, or for maintaining it in such a manner as to carry with him the sympathies of a popular audience: for his great errors in this kind, which are commonly admitted, but imputed to the servility of his youth, are in my opinion more truly attributable to wilfulness of temper and defect of understanding. In such circumstances, who can say that Bacon, being called on to assist in the investigation of a secret and extensive conspiracy of which no one yet knew either the centre or the circumference, ought to have declined the task and retired with a couple of men to philosophize at Cambridge ?

From this task his illness, though it prevented him from proceeding with the special business on which he had been dispatched, did not otherwise absolve him. On his return to London at the end of July he found the Council busy with the examination of persons implicated in the plot,-Essex and Cobham bearing a principal part. And it was not long before he was himself employed again as an examiner.1

1 See a list of" names of persons diversely charged;" dated 16th August, 1594; where, opposite to the name Henry Petit, is written, "He is already committed, and to be examined by Mr. Bacon and Waad."-S. P. O.: Domestic, 1604.

5.

He found leisure however to pay his mother, who was at this time suffering more than usually from anxieties and jealousies, a flying visit at Gorhambury. The peculiar condition of her mind and spirits will partly appear from a letter which she sent after him on his return to London. But we have means of getting a still clearer view of her. We have seen her as she appeared to Captain Allen on a first interview, and as she exhibits herself in her own letters. But she is a person worth studying from all sides, and therefore I shall now show her as she appeared to her household.

Edward Spencer, a nephew of the Alderman, was a servant of Anthony Bacon's; in what particular capacity I do not know; but he had been employed at Gorhambury, and had scholarship enough to report his troubles to his master,-more faithfully perhaps than a more practised penman would have done. His first letter has no date, but seems to have been written towards the end of July, 1594.1

My humble duty remembered unto your good Worship. I thought good to write unto you to satisfy you how unquiet my Lady is with all her household. Edward Yates sent a grænen2 (?) bitch to Redbourn, and Mr. Lawson sent her to me to keep. And as soon as my Lady did see her, she sent me word she should be hanged. Now I had thought to sent her to kepein3 (?). Now by-and-by she sent word by Cros (?) that if I did not make her away she should not sleep in her bed; so indeed I hung her up; whereat she was very angry, and said I was fransey, and bade me go home to my master and make him a fool, I should make none of her. There is a company of ye: I marvel where he picked ye out. There is Mr. Lawson, who have gotten away my brewer, and your master together: but he shall hear of it one day. My comen1 shall be served when your master and the brewer will.' The bitch was good for nothing, else I would not a hung her. My Lady do not speak to me as yet. I will give none offence to make her angry; but nobody can please her long together. Thus not troubling your Worship any further, I rest, praying for your Worship's health with my daily prayer.

Your servant to command,

EDWARD SPENCER.

On the 31st of July he writes again :-5

My humble duty first remembered unto your Worship; these may be to let you understand my Lady is in good health, and very glad to hear 1 Lambeth MSS. 650. 151. Original: docketed, "Lre. de Edward Spencer a Mons, le de Juillet, 1594."

? Probably grewnd, greyhound. See Nares. ?

4

commons

3 keeping?

5 Lambeth MSS. 650. 152. Original.

of the return of Mr. Francis and of his good health; and saith that they were not his friends that did procure him that journey, no though it were my Lord of Essex himself. I did tell her your Worship was minded to send to the fair to buy some horses, and that your Worship had sent down what money you could spare by Mr. Lawson and me. Well, saith she, let him do as he will, he shall have none of me. He have undone me, and nobody else but he.-Then I made bold and said, Madam, I hope you hold it well bestowed; for my master hath geten great experience and great worship both within the land and without.—She saith, I hold it well bestowed! but I know not how vainly it have been spent. But I am sure he have geten a weak body of his own and is diseased in the meantime.— Now my master saith he is as well contented to be as he is as many noblemen at the Court which spend all that they can and live in discredit.— With that she sigheth, and pray for you that the Lord's holy spirit may guide you. I did tell her your Worship would a written to her, but the Scottish gentleman did come in the meantime. And she saith, No, no, it is no matter, I do not care.-My Lady did ask me how many horses you did mean to buy: and I told her four or five.-My sons they be vain-glorious; but they will leave it one day.-I told her of Mr. Trot's horse, how he was broke-winded. And my Lady saith, Crossby shall hear of it; but if he could be come by again, Crossby would give four pound for him again. Now for the brewer, I do not hear my Lady say anything, not as yet. Thus I leave your Worship to the Lord, this last of July; desiring God to bless your Worship with increase of health of body and soul, with increase of worship and all things needful for your Worship.

Your servant to command for ever,

A fortnight after, he sent another report :

EDWARD Spencer.

My humble duty first remembered to your good Worship.' I thought good to write unto you to sartey you of my Lady's great unquietness in the house. Since her last falling out with me she showed me a good countenance as ever she did before. Now yesterday I had a sparhawk given me and she killed a brace of partridges, and then I came home before the evening was shut in: indeed all the folk had supped: whereat she seemed to be very sore angry, with these words,- What, come you home now? I would you and your hawk would keep you away altogether. You have been a-breaking of hedges between neighbour and neighbour: and now you come home out of order and show an ill example in my house. Well you shall keep no hawk here.'-'I am the more sorrier. I have given no

1 Lambeth MSS. 650. 169. Original.

2 Meaning 'certify,' I suppose. I have modernized the spelling of these letters wherever I had no doubt about the word. The original spelling is not that of a scholar, but of a man endeavouring to represent the sound of each word. "My owmbelle dewteye fireste remembred to yower good woreshepe. I thoughte good to wright unto yow to sartey yow of my Ladies graete unquêtenes in the houes. Senes hur laste folleingout withe me," etc. etc.

acause that your Ladyship should be offended, nor I will not. To please your Ladyship, I will pull off her head.'-Whereat she stamped, and said I would do by her as I did by the bitch. Insomuch she would let me have no supper. So truly I went to bed without my supper. There is not one man in the house but she fall out withal. She put away Winter a fortnight, and took away his cloak, and then sent for him again. She have fallen out with both the Knights, and they do not mean to continue with her. There is not one in the house but she fall out withal, and is not in charity one day in a week; but with priests, which will undo her. There is one Page which had six pound on her. Mr. Willcockes had a paper with a great deal of gold in it. Willblod had two quarterns of wheat. Dicke had something the other day; what I know not.-Now for your hay she saith you shall have none; and have given Crossby orders to sell it. She have fallen out with Crossby and bid him get him out of her sight.-Now for your Doctor at Redbourn, she saith he is a Papist or some sorcerer or conjurer or some vild name or other.-She is as far out with Mr. Lawson as ever she was, and call him villain and whoremaster with other vild words. -I will continue so long as I am able, but against my will.-I have not given no more cause than I have now told your Worship. And to yield my duty, what I am able I will, but not willing to be here unless she would be quiet. She make me to buy starch and soap to wash my linen withal : more than was wont to be; yet I care not so she would be quiet. Thus desiring your Worship to except my rude writing, I rest, praying for your Worship's health and increase of worship. This 16 of August.

Your servant to command for ever,

EDWARD SPencer.

This was written on Friday; Lady Bacon's letter to Francis1 was written on the following Tuesday-he having probably spent the Sunday with her.

I was so full of back pain when you came hither that my memory was very slipper: I forgot to mention of Ranie (?). If you have not, I have not received Franck[s] last half-year of midsummer; the first half so long unpaid. You will mar your tenants, if you suffer them. Mr. Brocket is suffered by your brother to cozen me and beguile me without check. I fear you came too late to London for your horse. Ever regard them. I desire Mr. Trot to hearken to some honest man and look to (?) as he may. If you can hear of a convenient place, I shall be willing if it so please God; for Lawson will draw your brother quocunque vult, ut timeo valde, and that with false semblance.

God give you both good health and hearts to serve him truly, and bless you always with his favour.

I send you

pigeons, taken this day and let blood. Look well

1 Lambeth MSS. 650. 171. Copy, by Anthony Bacon's amanuensis: docketed, "Copie de la lre. de Madame a Mons' Francois Bacon, le 20me d'Aoust, 1594.”

about you and yours too. I hear that Robert Knight is but sickly: I am sorry for it.

I do not write to my Lord Treasurer because you liked to stay. Let this letter be unseen. Look very well to your health. Sup not nor sit not up late. Surely I think your drinking to bedwards hindreth your and your brother's digestion very much. I never knew any but sickly that used it; besides ill for head and eyes. Observe well yet in time. 20 Aug. Gorhā. In Christo,

5.

A. BACON.

But why should Bacon have wished to "stay" his mother from "writing to the Lord Treasurer"? If the subject which she proposed to write about was the still-vacant Solicitorship, it is strange that he should have wished to delay an application to Burghley, whose concurrence in support of his suit he had always made such a point of. Perhaps it was about some other business which would have interfered with this; for it is certain that the suit for the Solicitorship was now in agitation again, and that, only four days after, he considered the time favourable for moving it. To that effect at least, on the 24th and again on the 25th of August, he addressed the Lord Keeper Puckering.

FRANCIS BACON TO THE LORD KEEPER.1

It may please your good Lordship,

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 remember her Majesty of a Solicitor this present day.

Our Tower employment 2 stayeth and hath done this three

1 Harl. MSS. 6996. 196. Original: own hand. Docketed (by mistake), " 13th of August, 1594."

2 This was the examination of the conspirators. On the 20th of August, Edmund Yorke had made a voluntary confession before W. G. Waad, Nicholas Blount, and Francis Bacon. "The matter was that there should be two sent from thence to kill her Majesty... who should be sent hither secretly for that purpose at such time as this examinate should think fittest to be in London, and so to execute the same; and if this examinate had opportunity, he himself should have executed the same," etc. etc. The Queen was to be killed (it seems) with some poisoned weapon; and offer was to be made of the crown to the Earl of Derby, towards which he would be assisted by the King of Spain. And if they could not kill the Queen, then they meant to raise some rebellion in the Earl of Derby's name. The same day Richard Williams was examined before the same persons, but confessed nothing.

On the 23rd (the day before this letter was written), it was resolved "to forbear