250 SIR FRANCIS BACON S APOLOGY 



turned all his estate into obligations ; meaning, that 

 he had left himself nothing, but only had bound 

 numbers of persons to him. &quot; Now, my lord, said 

 &quot; I, I would not have you imitate his course, nor 

 &quot; turn your estate thus by great gifts into obliga- 

 &quot; tions, for you will find many bad debtors.&quot; He 

 bade me take no care for that, and pressed it : 

 whereupon I said, &quot; My lord, I see I must be your 

 &quot; homager, and hold land of your gift ; but do you 

 &quot; know the manner of doing homage in law ? Al- 

 &quot; ways it is with a saving of his faith to the king 

 &quot; and his other lords ; and therefore, my lord, said 

 &quot; I, I can be no more yours than I was, and it must 

 &quot; be with the ancient savings : and if I grow to be 

 &quot; a rich man, you will give me leave to give it back 

 &quot; again to some of your unrewarded followers.&quot; 



But to return : sure I am, though I can arrogate 

 nothing to myself but that I was a faithful remem 

 brancer to his lordship, that while I had most credit 

 with him his fortune went on best : and yet in two 

 main points we always directly and contradictorily 

 differed, which I will mention to your lordship, be 

 cause it giveth light to all that followed. The one 

 was, I ever set this down, that the only course to be 

 held with the queen, was by obsequiousness and ob 

 servance ; and I remember I would usually engage 

 confidently, that if he would take that course con 

 stantly, and with choice of good particulars to ex 

 press it, the queen would be brought in time to 

 Ahasuerus s question, to ask, &quot; What should be done 

 &quot; to the man that the king would honour ?&quot; Mean- 



