x ii PREFACE. 



In February, 1591-2, his brother Anthony came to live in 

 Gray s Inn, and from the motherly solicitude of Lady Bacon 

 for her eldest son s religious welfare, we learn that Francis 

 was negligent in the use of family prayers, and was not to be 

 held up as a pattern to his brother, or resorted to for counsel 

 in such matters. 



To the autumn of 1592 Mr. Spedding with great probability 

 assigns the speeches in praise of Knowledge and of the Queen, 

 which were apparently written for some Court device, perhaps 

 that contrived by the Earl of Essex for the Queen s day. In 

 close connexion with the latter of these is the treatise entitled 

 Certain observations upon a libel published this present year, 

 1592, which Bacon wrote in reply to the Responsio ad edictum 

 Regince Anglice of Father Parsons. 



In the Parliament which met on February 19, 1592-3, Bacon, 

 who had hitherto been returned only by boroughs, now sat as 

 member for Middlesex. It was in the course of this session 

 that, according to Macaulay, he indulged in a burst of patriot 

 ism, which cost him a long and bitter remorse, and which he 

 never ventured to repeat. In this sounding sentence there is 

 hardly a word of truth. What really happened may be briefly 

 told. On the 26th of February Bacon, with Sir Robert Cecil 

 and other leading members of the House, moved that a com 

 mittee of supply be appointed to provide against the dangers 

 with which the country was threatened both by Rome and 

 Spain, and other confederates of the Holy League. A few 

 fragments of his speech in support of the motion have been 

 preserved, and he himself was one of the committee appointed. 

 Another committee was formed by the Lords, the two com 

 mittees consulted together, and the result of their conference 

 was communicated to the House of Commons by Sir Robert 

 Cecil. The Lords demanded at least a treble subsidy, payable 

 in three years by two instalments each year; Bacon spoke 

 next, and yielded to the subsidy, but misliked that this House 

 should join with the Upper House in the granting of it. 

 (D Ewes, Journal of the House of Commons, p. 483.) His 

 opposition was solely in defence of the privilege of the House 



