XC1I LIFE OF BACON. 



Through the whole trial Essex conducted himself with 

 courage and firmness worthy of a better cause. Though 

 assailed by the lawyers with much rancour, and harassed 

 by the deepest search into his offences; though harshly 

 questioned by his adversaries, and betrayed by his confede 

 rates, he stood at bay, like some noble animal, who fears 

 not his pursuers, nor the death that awaits him ; and when 

 at last the deliberate voices of his fellow peers proclaimed 

 him guilty, he heard the sentence with manly composure, 

 and, without one thought of himself, sought only to save 

 the life of his friend. 



Bacon having obtained a remission of the sentence in 

 favour of six persons (a) who were implicated, made one 

 more effort to serve this unhappy nobleman. He says, &quot; for 

 the time which passed, I mean between the arraignment and 

 my lord s suffering, I was but once with the Queen, at what 

 time though I durst not deal directly for my lord as things 

 then stood ; yet generally I did both commend her majesty s 

 mercy, terming it to her as an excellent balm that did con 

 tinually distil from her sovereign hands, and made an ex 

 cellent odour in the senses of her people : and not only so, 

 but I took hardness to extenuate, not the fact, for that I 

 durst not, but the danger, telling her that if some base or 

 cruel minded persons had entered into such an action, it 

 might have caused much blood and combustion : but it ap 

 peared well they were such as knew not how to play the 

 malefactors, and some other words which I now omit. 7 

 25th Feb. All exertions however proved fruitless, for after much 

 fluctuation on the Queen s part, (6) arising from causes 

 variously stated by historians, Essex, on the 25th of 

 February, was executed in the Tower. 



The Queen having been coldly received by the citizens, 



() Vol. vi. p. 273. (ft) Camden, p. 187. 



