Ixxviii LIFE OF BACON. 



nace, she should be more favourable to the profession of 

 alchemy.&quot; 



Bacon, who was too wise to cross Elizabeth in the 

 spring-tide of her anger, without waiting till it was ebbing- 

 water, now exerted all his power to reconcile her to her 

 favourite, whom, in his many accesses to the Queen, he 

 availed himself of every opportunity to serve ; and, al-&amp;gt; 

 though he could not, without exciting her displeasure, 

 directly communicate with him, he, by the intervention 

 of a friend, regularly acquainted him with the progress he 

 made in abating the Queen s anger; and, the moment he 

 was restored to liberty, the assurances of his exertions were 

 repeated by letter, and through the whole summer were 

 regularly imparted to Essex. () 



speak in their dumb language, which your majesty will answer your own 

 chosen time. Till then no soul is so afflicted as that of 



&quot; Your Majesty s humblest vassal, ESSEX. 



The other letter was written on the 17th of November, the anniversary 

 of her accession to the throne : 



&quot; Vouchsafe, dread sovereign, to know there lives a man, though dead 

 to the world, and in himself exercised with continual torments of body and 

 mind, that doth more true honour to your thrice blessed day, than all 

 those that appear in your sight. For no soul had ever such an impression 

 of your perfections, no alteration shewed such an effect of your power, nor 

 no heart ever felt such a joy of your triumph. For they that feel the com 

 fortable influence of your majesty s favour, or stand in the bright beams of 

 your presence, rejoice partly for your majesty s, but chiefly for their own 

 happiness. Only miserable Essex, full of pain, full of sickness, full of 

 sorrow, languishing in repentance for his offences past, hateful to himself, 

 that he is yet alive, and importunate on death, if your favour be irrevo 

 cable ; he joys only for your majesty s great happiness and happy great 

 ness : and were the rest of his days never so many, and sure to be as 

 happy as they are like to be miserable, he would lose them all to have 

 this happy 17th day many and many times renewed with glory to your 

 majesty, and comfort of all your faithful subjects, of whom none is accursed 

 but your Majesty s humblest vassal, ESSEX.&quot; 



(6) See note 4 D at the end. 



