ETON&quot;. CCCCl 



rest both to his body and mind, which he much required 

 from his age, being now almost threescore years, and from 

 his urgent pecuniary wants; for he had always been as 

 careless of money, as though our Saviour s words, Care 

 not for to-morrow/ were to be literally understood.&quot; He, 

 therefore, upon condition of releasing a grant, which he 

 possessed, of the mastership of the Rolls, was appointed 

 provost, (a) 



At this disappointment Bacon could not be much affected. 

 One day, as he was dictating to Dr. Rawley some of the 

 experiments in his Sylva, he had sent a friend to court, 

 to receive for him a final answer, touching the effect of a 

 grant which had been made him by King James. He had 

 hitherto only hope of it, and hope deferred ; and he was 

 desirous to know the event of the matter, and to be freed, 

 one way or other, from the suspense of his thoughts. His 

 friend returning, told him plainly that he must thenceforth 



() The following is from the Life of Wotton, &quot; To London he came the 

 year before King James died; who having for the reward of his foreign 

 service promised him the reversion of an office which was fit to be turned 

 into present money, which he wanted for a supply of his present necessities, 

 and also granted him the reversion of the Master of the Rolls place, if he 

 outlived charitable Sir Julius Caesar, who then possessed it: and then, 

 grown so old, that he was said to be kept alive beyond nature s course, by the 

 prayers of those many poor which he daily relieved. But these were but 

 in hope ; and his condition required a present support : for in the beginning 

 of these employments he sold to his elder brother, the Lord Wotton, the 

 rent-charge left by his good father, and, which is worse, was now at his 

 return indebted to several persons, whom he was not able to satisfy, but by 

 the King s payment of his arrears due for his foreign employments, he had 

 brought into England many servants, of which some were German and 

 Italian artists. This was part of his condition who had many times hardly 

 sufficient to supply the occasions of the day : (for it may by no means be 

 said of his providence, as himself said of Sir Philip Sidney s wit, that it was 

 the very measure of congruity) he being always so careless of money, as 

 though our Saviour s words, Care not for to-morrow/ were to be literally 

 understood.&quot; 



VOL. XV. (Id 



