clJV LIFE OF BACON. 



During the time he was Solicitor, he composed, as it 

 seems, his &quot; Confession of Faith.&quot; (a) 



Attorney Bacon as Solicitor naturally looked forward to the office 

 General. Q f Attorney General, to which he succeeded on the 27th of 

 October, upon the promotion of Sir Henry Hobart to the 

 Chief Justiceship of the Common Pleas, (b) Never was 

 man more qualified for the office of Attorney General than 

 Bacon. With great general knowledge, ever tending to 

 humanize (c) and generate a love of improvement ; (d) with 

 great insight into the principles of politics (e) and of uni 

 versal justice, (e) and such worldly experience as to enable 

 him to apply his knowledge to the times in which he lived. 

 &quot; Non in republica Platonis ; sed tanquam in fsece Ro- 

 muli;&quot; with long unwearied professional exertion in the 

 law of England, publications upon existing parts of the 

 law, and efforts to improve it, he entered upon the duties 

 of his office with the well founded hope in the profession, 

 that he would be an honour to his name and his country, 



the case in the ninth book of the Lord Coke s reports; at the end of which 

 the whole series of the murder and trial is exactly related. See also vol. 

 vi. p. 167. 



(a) See the preface to vol. vii. p. xix. 



(6) There are extant two letters to Lord Salisbury (see vol. xii. p. 63), 

 one to the Chancellor, vol. xii. p. 105, and one to the King, vol. xii. p. 106, 

 respecting this appointment. 



(c) Advancement of Learning, vol. ii. p. 80. &quot; It is an assured truth 

 which is contained in the verses : 



Scilicet ingenuas didicisse fideliter artes, 

 Emollit mores, nee sinit esse feros.&quot; 



It taketh away the wildness and barbarism and fierceness of men s minds ; 

 but indeed the accent had need be upon l fideliter : for a little superficial 

 learning doth rather work a contrary effect.&quot; 



(rf) Advancement of Learning, vol. ii. p. 82. &quot; The unlearned man 

 knows not what it is to descend into himself, or to call himself to account ; 

 nor the pleasure of that suavissima vita, indies sentire se fieri meliorern. &quot; 



() See note C C at the eod. 



