SOL1CITORSHIP. XXXI 



him ; but, having discovered his error, he immediately ac 

 knowledged that his suspicions were unfounded. () He 

 still, however, maintained that there had been treachery 

 somewhere, and that a word the Queen had used against 

 him had been put into her mouth by Sir Robert s mes 

 senger. 



Essex, with all the zeal of his noble and ardent nature, 

 endeavoured to influence the Queen on behalf of his friend, 

 by every power which he possessed over her affections and 

 her understanding; (b) availing himself of the most happy 

 moments to address her, refuting all the reasons which she 

 could adduce against his promotion, and representing the 

 rejection of his suit as an injustice to the public, and a 

 great unkindness to himself. Not content with these 

 earnest solicitations, Essex applied to every person by 

 whom the Queen was likely to be influenced. 



That Bacon had a powerful enemy was evinced not only 

 by the whole of Elizabeth s conduct during this protracted 

 suit, but by the anger with which she met the earnest 

 pleadings of Essex ; by her perpetual refusals to come to 

 any decision, and above all, by her remarkable expressions, 

 that &quot; Bacon had a great wit, and much learning, but that 

 in law he could show to the uttermost of his knowledge, 

 and was not deep.&quot; Essex was convinced that this enemy 

 was the Lord Keeper, to whom he wrote, desiring &quot; that 

 the Lord Keeper would no longer consider him a suitor for 

 Bacon, but for himself; that upon him would light the 

 disgrace as well of the protraction as of the refusal of the 

 suit; and complained with much bitterness of those who 

 ought to be Bacon s friends, (c) 



(a) See note O O at the end. (b) See note P P at the end. 



(c) To the Right Honourable the Lord Keeper, fyc. My very good 

 Lord, The want of assistance from them which should be Mr. Fr. Bacon s 

 friends, makes [me] the more industrious myself, and the more earnest in 



