MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS. 91 



the prosperity of your enterprise, I frequently pray. And 

 as in so great discomfort it hath pleased God someways to 

 regard my desolateness, by raising me so great and so 

 worthy a friend in your absence, as the new placed Lord 

 Keeper,* in whose placing as it hath pleased God to esta 

 blish mightily one of the chief pillars of this estate, that is, 

 the justice of the land, which began to shake and sink, and 

 for that purpose no doubt gave her majesty strength of 

 heart of herself to do that in six days, which the deepest 

 judgment thought would be the work of many months; so 

 for my particular, I do find in an extraordinary manner, 

 that his lordship doth succeed my father almost in his 

 fatherly care of me, and love towards me, as much as he 

 professeth to follow him in his honourable and sound 

 courses of justice and estate; of which so special favour 

 the open and apparent reason I can ascribe to nothing 

 more than the impression, which, upon many conferences 

 of long time used between his lordship and me, he may 

 have received both of your lordship s high love and good 

 opinion towards his lordship, verified in many and singular 

 offices, whereof now the realm, rather than himself, is like 

 to reap the fruit ; and also of your singular affection towards 

 me, as a man chosen by you to set forth the excellency of 

 your nature and mind, though with some error of your 

 judgment. Hereof if it may please your lordship to take 

 knowledge to my lord, according to the style of your wonted 

 kindness, your lordship shall do me great contentment. 

 My lord told me he had written to your lordship, and 

 wished with great affection he had been so lucky as to 

 have had two hours talk with you upon those occasions, 

 which have since fallen out. So wishing that God may 

 conduct you by the hand pace by pace, I commend you 

 and your actions to his divine providence. 



Your Lordship s ever deepliest bounden, 



May 10, 1596. FR. BACON. 



The Earl of Essex to Mr. Francis Bacon.f 



Sir, 



I have thought the contemplation of the art military 

 harder than the execution. But now I see where the 

 number is great, compounded of sea and land forces, the 



* Egerton. 



t Among the papers of Antony Bacon, Esq. vol. xi. Ibl. 139, in the Lambeth 

 Library. 



