XXXVI LIFE OF BACOX. 



whereof no sooner ceased, or was drowned by some louder 

 noise, but every beast returned to his own nature ; wherein 

 is aptly described the nature and condition of men : who 

 are full of savage and unreclaimed desires of profit, of lust, 

 of revenge, which as long as they give ear to precepts, to 

 laws, to religion, sweetly touched with eloquence, and 

 persuasion of books, of sermons, of harangues; so long 

 is society and peace maintained ; but if these instruments 

 be silent, or sedition and tumult make them not audible, 

 all things dissolve into anarchy and confusion.&quot; 



His preface contains his favourite doctrine, that &quot; there 

 is a debt of obligation from every member of a profession 

 to assist in improving the science in which he has success 

 fully practised, (0) and he dedicated his work to the Queen, 

 as a sheaf and cluster of fruit of the good and favourable 

 season enjoyed by the nation, from the influence of her 

 happy government, by which the people were taught that 

 part of the study of a good prince was to adorn and honour 

 times of peace by the improvement of the laws. Although 

 this tract was written in the year 1596, and although he 

 was always a great admirer of Elizabeth, it was not pub 

 lished till after his death, (a) 



The exertions which had been made by Essex to obtain 

 the solicitorship for his friend, and his generous anxiety 

 to mitigate his disappointment, had united them by the 

 strongest bonds of affection. 



In the summer of 1596, Essex was appointed to the 

 command of an expedition against Spain ; and though he 

 was much troubled during the embarkation of his troops, 

 by the want of discipline in the soldiery, chiefly volunteers, 

 and by the contentions of their officers, too equal to be 

 easily commanded, yet he did not forget the interests of 

 Bacon, but wrote from Plymouth to the new-placed lord 



(a) See note 3 G at the end. 



