PREFACE. 



BIOGRAPHY. 



Of the importance of biography, Bacon speaks 

 in his Advancement of Learning ;* concluding his 

 remarks by saying, &quot; Bona Fama propria possessio 

 u defunctorum,&quot; which possession I cannot but note, 

 that in our times it lieth much waste and that therein 

 there is a deficience. This deficience with respect 

 to Elizabeth he was anxious to supply by the pub 

 lication of his sentiments, &quot; in Felicem Memoriam 

 &quot; Elizabethae :&quot; but this publication seems to have re 

 quired some caution, and to have been attended 

 with some difficulty. In 1605, Bacon thus spoke : 

 &quot; But for a tablet, or picture of smaller volume, 

 &quot; (not presuming to speak of your majesty that 

 &quot; liveth,) in my judgment the most excellent is that 

 &quot; of Queen Elizabeth, your immediate predecessor in 

 &quot; this part of Britain ; a princess that, if Plutarch 

 &quot; were now alive to write lives by parallels, would 

 &quot; trouble him, I think, to find for her a parallel 

 &quot; amongst women. This lady was endued with 

 &quot; learning in her sex singular, and rare even amongst 

 &quot; masculine princes ; whether we speak of learning, 

 &quot; language, or of science, modern, or ancient, divi- 

 &quot; nity or humanity : and unto the very last year of 

 &quot; her life she was accustomed to appoint set hours 

 for reading ; scarcely any young student in any 

 &quot; university more daily, or more duly. As for her 

 &quot; government, I assure myself, I shall not exceed, 

 &quot; if I do affirm that this part of the island never had 

 * Page 111. 



