DECLINE OF HIS HEALTH. CCCCXXV11 



This was one of the last of the King s acts, who thus A. D. 

 faithfully performed, to the extent of his ability, all his 

 promises. He died at Theobalds, on the 27th of March, 

 1625. (a) James. 



His lordship was summoned to parliament in the suc 

 ceeding reign, but was prevented, by his infirmities, from 

 again taking his seat as a peer. 



Though Lord Bacon s constitution had never been strong, Decline of 

 his temperance and management of his health seemed to 

 promise old age, which his unbounded knowledge and 

 leisure for speculation could not fail to render useful to the 

 world and glorious to himself. The retirement, which in 

 all the distractions of politics refreshed and consoled him, 

 was once more his own, and nature, whom he worshipped, 

 spread her vast untrodden fields before him, where with 

 science as his handmaid he might wander at his will ; but 

 the expectations of the learned world and the hopes of his 

 devoted friends were all blighted by a perceptible decay 

 of his health and strength in the beginning of the sickly 

 year of 1625. 



During this year his publications were limited to a new Apo- 

 edition of his Essays,(&) a small volume of Apothegms, (c) the & ms - 



disablement; and to remit to him all penalties whatsoever inflicted by that 

 sentence. Having therefore formerly pardoned his fine, and released his 

 confinement, these are to will and require you to prepare, for our signature, 

 a bill containing a pardon, in due form of law, of the whole sentence ; for 

 which this shall be your sufficient warrant. 



(//) See an interesting account of his death in Racket s Life of Williams. 



(/&amp;gt;) The particulars of this edition have been already explained. See 

 note 3 I. 



(c) Bacon s Apothegms are either, 1st. In this his own publication. 

 2ndly. A few in the Bacon iana. 3rdly. A few in Aubrey. Of the Apoph 

 thegms published in 1625 the following is the preface by Lord Bacon : 

 &quot; Julius Caesar did write a collection of apophthems, as appears in an 

 epistle of Cicero. I need say no more for the worth of a writing of that 

 nature. It is pity his book is lost ; for I imagine they were collected with 



