PREFACE. xliii 
Lord Chancellor had obtained leave to go to his own home, 
and is talked of as President of the Council. On the 23rd, he 
reports that the Chancellor has removed from Fulham to his 
house at Gorhambury. Here he remained till the end of the 
year. From his retirement he writes to Buckingham (Sep- 
tember 5), ‘I am much fallen in love with a private life; but 
yet I shall so spend my time as shall not decay my abilities 
for use.” The occupation of his enforced leisure was the 
History of Henry VII, which was completed in manuscript 
by October. The fine inflicted by the sentence in Parliament 
was released by the King’s warrant on the 21st of September, 
but was assigned to trustees, that Bacon might be protected 
from the importunity of his creditors. He had nothing now 
but the pension of 1200/. a year which the King had recently 
given him, and his own private fortune. On being made Lord 
Keeper he had resigned not only the lucrative post of At- 
torney General, but the clerkship of the Star-Chamber. By 
his fall he had lost 6000/, a year. A pardon was issued under 
the Privy Seal on the 17th of October, but it appears to have 
been stayed by the new Lord-Keeper. The prohibition which 
prevented him from coming within twelve miles of the Court 
was relaxed in the following March, and he was allowed to 
approach as near as Highgate. Buckingham was annoyed at 
his refusal to give up York House, and opposed his return to 
London. In the course of the year, however, the restriction 
was removed, and he took up his residence at Bedford House, 
his own mansion meanwhile having been surrendered. The 
publication of the History of Henry the Seventh in the 
spring, and the translation into Latin of the Advancement 
of Learning, kept him fully employed. In the latter work he 
is said to have been assisted by George Herbert. Writing to 
Bishop Andrewes the dedication to his Dialogue touching a 
Holy War, which was also the work of this year, he says: 
‘And again, for that my book of Advancement of Learning 
may be some preparation, or key, for the better opening of 
the Instauration; because it exhibits a mixture of new con- 
ceits and old; whereas the Instauration gives the new un- 
