FRANCIS BACON. 23 



the parties to the suit, and prevailed upon the successful suitor to 

 forego interest to which he liad adjudiied him to he entitled. That 

 this is the solitary instance of corruption proved against him, and 

 was not one of bribery, goes far to show that whatever were the 

 intentions of the donors of the presents he received, not one was 

 accepted by him as a bribe, not one influenced his judgments. 

 The fact seems to be that the House of Commons, then in contest 

 with the King and under the leadership of Coke, intent upon re- 

 dressing abuses, had determined to make a scapegoat of the Lord 

 Chancellor, as the King's chief adviser, and the only charge that 

 could be substantiated against him was that of accepting fees. For 

 this Coke would have had him hanged, citing precedents, but Lord 

 Arundel interposed; "His offences foul; confession pitiful; life 

 not to be touched." 



Three years later the Commons had a grievance against Bacon's 

 most virulent accuser next to Coke, — the Lord High Treasurer, 

 Lionel Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex. "He had done more than 

 any other man," says Gardiner, "to rescue the finances from dis- 

 order. He was a careful guardian of the public purse. But he 

 disliked war with Spain because it would be expensive," and had 

 done his best to avert it. The Commons wanted war with Spain, 

 and, being determined to get rid of him, impeached him for 

 corruption. He was deposed from his office and heavily fined. 

 He had partaken of the abuses of the time, as Bacon did, and 

 probably his place was wanted, as Bacon's was. In both cases 

 money was wanted, and it had become quite an art to raise it by 

 irregular means. The price of a baronetcy and of an earldom was 

 then well known. Sir Henry Montagu goes to Newmarket to 

 receive his staff of office as Lord Treasurer. " Take care, my 

 Lord," says Bacon, "wood is dearer at Newmarket than at any 

 other place in England" The staff cost him £20,000. So was it 

 an easy way of raising money to depose a man from office, fine him 

 heavily, and exact a heavy fee for the office from his successor. 

 Truly in those days Bacon was right in saying that in great place 

 "the standing is slippery." But by the favour of the King his 

 fine was virtually remitted. He was, moreover, released from the 

 Tower in two days, and the remainder of the sentence was eventually 

 annulled, not however without remonstrance from his successor, 

 who " stayed " his pardon for some days. 



The next few years of his life are chiefly spent at Gorhambury. 

 Here his father had endeavoured to supply water to the house he 

 built, by making reservoirs, the remains of which may still be seen, 

 in Pre Wood, and conveying into them water from the higher 



