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III. 5.

1593.

Sept.

FRANCIS BACON TO LADY BACON.

From Gray's Inn, April 16, 1593.

My duty most humbly remembered. I assure
myself that your ladyship, as a wise and kind mother to
us both, will neither find it strange nor unwise that, ten-
dering first my brother's health, which I know by mine
own experience to depend not a little upon a free mind,
and then his credit, I presume to put your ladyship in
remembrance of your motherly offer to him the same day
you departed, which was that to help him out of debt you
would be content to bestow your whole interest in markes
upon him. The which unless it would please your ladyship
to accomplish out of hand, I have just cause to fear that
my brother will be put to a very shrewde plunge, either to
forfeit his reversion to Harwin (?) or else to undersell it very
much; for the avoiding of both which great inconveniences
I see no other remedy than your ladyship surrender in
time, the formal drafte whereof I refer to my brother him-
self, whom I have not any way as yet made acquainted
with this my motion, neither mean to do till I hear from
you. The ground whereof being only a brotherly care
and affection, I hope your ladyship will think and accept
of it accordingly: beseeching you to believe that being so
near and dear part of me as he is, that cannot but be a grief
unto me to see a mind that hath given so sufficient proof
of wit (?) in having brought forth many good thoughts
for the general to be overburdened and cumbered with a
care of clearing his particular estate. Touching myself,
my diet, I thank God, hitherto hath wrought good effect,
and am advised to continue this whole month, not meddling
with any purgative physic more than I must needs, which
will be but a trifle during my whole diet; and so I most
humbly take my leave.
F. B.

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LETTER TO A MONEY-LENDER.

47

1593.

Sept.

6. No young fellow of Gray's Inn, waiting for the tide to III. 6. flow, is sharper set for funds than the young knight for Middlesex or his elder brother. Anthony tries to raise his rents, and some of the men about him-godless rogues, as Lady Bacon says-propose that he shall let his farms to the highest bidders. Goodman Grinnell, who has the land at Barly, pays less rent than he ought: let him go out and a better man come in. But Goodman Grinnell speeds with his long face to Lady Ann. "What!" cries the good lady to her son; "turn out the Grinnells! Why, the Grinnells have lived at Barly these hundred and twenty years!" So the brothers have to look elsewhere. Bonds are coming due. A famous money-lender lives in the city, Spencer by name, rich as a Jew and close as a miser; him they go to, cap in hand, and with honeyed words. The miser is a good miser, and allows his bond to lie. Francis writes to him from his brother Edward's house at Twickenham Park, to which he has removed from Gray's Inn for the benefit of country air.

FRANCIS BACON TO MR. SPENCER.

GOOD MR. SPENCER,

Twickenham Park, Sept. 19, 1593.

Having understood by my man your kind offer to send my brother and me our old bond, we both accept the same with hearty thanks, and pray you to cause a new to be made for half a year more, which I will both sign and seal before one Booth, a scrivener, here at Isleworth, and deliver it him to your use, which you know will be as good in law as though you were here present. True it is that I cannot promise that my brother should be here at that time to join with me, by reason of his daily attendance in court, by occasion whereof I am to be your sole debtor

6. Lambeth MSS. 649, fol. 109.

1593. Sept.

III. 6. in the new bond. As for the mesne profits thereof, you will receive them presently. I have given charge to my man to deliver it. And so with my right hearty commendations from my brother and myself, with like thanks for your good will and kindness towards us, which we always shall be ready to acknowledge when and wherein we may, I commit you to the protection of the Almighty.

Your assured loving friend,

FR. BACON.

One likes to know that this good miser rose to be an alderman of London, and lived to see his daughter married to a peer. One dares not say, however, that one would like to have been Lord Compton, the husband of her choice, and heir of the miser's enormous hoard.

7. Bacon lies sick the whole summer of 1593, as a note to his old friend Lady Paulett shows. Her ladyship, who was so kind to him in his younger days in France, is now a widow; his good friend Sir Amias sleeping the great sleep under a splendid tomb in the chancel of St. Martin's church. Bacon is proud and glad to do the widow service.

MADAM,

FRANCIS BACON TO LADY PAULETT.

Twickenham Park, Sept. 23, 1593. Being not able myself, by reason of my long languishing infirmity, to render unto your ladyship by a personal visitation the respect I owe unto your ladyship, I would not fail to acquit some part of my debt by sending this bearer, my servant, expressly to know how your ladyship doth, which I beseech God may be no worse than I

7. Lambeth MSS. 619, fol. 214.

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1593.

Sept.

wish and have just cause to wish, considering your lady- III. 7. ship's ancient and especial kindness towards me. Which if I have not hitherto acknowledged it hath been only for want of fit occasions, but no way of dutiful affection, as I hope in time, with God's help, I shall be able to verify by good effects towards the young gentleman Mr. Blount, your nephew, or any other that appertains unto your ladyship. This is, good madam, much less than you deserve and yet all I can offer, which, notwithstanding, I hope you will accept, not that it is aught worth of itself, but in respect of the unfeigned good will from whence it proceedeth. And so, with my humble and right hearty commendations unto your good ladyship, I beseech God to bless you with increase of comfort in mind and body, and admit you to his holy protection.

Your ladyship's assured and ready in all kind affection to do you service,

FR. BACON.

8. Essex has need of strength such as these penniless men of genius have to spare. Francis Bacon has won all nature for his province. Anthony is a man of many parts; gay, supple, secret; fond of society and of affairs, of good wines and bright eyes; at home in cloister and in court; easy in morals, tolerant in creed; hail fellow with the vagabond and the noble, the King's mistress, the professional conspirator, the free lance, and the travelling monk. The two brothers enter into the Earl's service; Francis as his lawyer and man of political business, Anthony as his secretary; hoping, as many wise men hope, to make him the court leader of that great patriotic band of which Raleigh, Drake, and Vere are the fighting chiefs; the one

8. Lambeth MSS. 649; Devereux, i. 277; Sydney Papers, i. 360.

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1593.

Sept.

III. 8. part for which he is gifted beyond all other men. Under
their eyes he so far gains in gravity and sense that the
Queen swears him of her Privy Council, and even trusts
to his care much of her correspondence abroad. Day and
night their tongues and pens are busy in this work.
Anthony writes the Earl's letters, instructs his spies, drafts
for him despatches to the agents in foreign lands. Francis
shapes for him a plan of conduct at the court, and writes
for him a treatise of advice which should have been the
rule and would have been the salvation of his life.
For all these labours the workmen must be paid.

Oct. 3.

9. Duns weigh on the two brothers. Here are two notes to Lady Ann, both from Francis, full of the same sad romance of love and debt. One runs :

FRANCIS BACON TO LADY BACON.

MADAM,

From the Court, Oct. 3, 1593.

I received this afternoon at the Court your letter, after I had sent back your horse and written to you this morning. And for my brother's kindness, it is accustomed; he never having yet refused his security for me, as I, on the other side, never made any difficulty to do the like by him, according to our several occasions. And therefore, if it be not to his own disfurnishing, which I reckon all one with mine own want, I shall receive good ease by that hundred pounds; specially your ladyship of your goodness being content it shall be repaid of Mr. Boldroe's debt, which it pleased you to bestow upon me. And my desire is, it shall be paid to Knight at Gray's Inn, who shall receive order from me to pay two fifths [?] (which I wish had been two hundred) where I owe, and where it presseth

9. Lambeth MSS. 649, fol. 298, 274.

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