SIR FRANCIS BACONS APOLOGY 



me did in so clear terms free from my lord from 

 all disloyalty as I did, that, your lordship knoweth, 

 must be ascribed to the superior duty I did owe to the 

 queen s fame and honour in a public proceeding, and 

 partly to the intention I had to uphold myself in 

 credit and strength with the queen, the better to be 

 able to do my lord good offices afterwards : for as 

 soon as this day was past, I lost no time ; but the 

 very next day following, as I remember, I attended 

 her majesty, fully resolved to try and put in ure 

 my utmost endeavour, so far as I in my weakness 

 could give furtherance, to bring my lord again 

 speedily into court and favour ; and knowing, as 

 I supposed at least, how the queen was to be used, 

 I thought that to make her conceive that the mat 

 ter went well then, was the way to make her 

 leave off there : and I remember well, I said to her, 

 &quot; You have now, madam, obtained victory over 

 &quot; two things, which the greatest princes in the 

 &quot; world cannot at their wills subdue ; the one is 

 &quot; over fame ; the other is over a great mind : for 

 &quot; surely the world is now, I hope, reasonably well sa- 

 &quot; tisfied ; and for my lord, he did shew that humili- 

 &quot; ation towards your majesty, as I am persuaded he 

 &quot; was never in his life-time more fit for your ma- 

 &quot; jesty s favour than he is now : therefore if your 

 &quot; majesty will not mar it by lingering, but give 

 &quot; over at the best, and now you have made so good 

 &quot; a full point, receive him again with tenderness, I 

 cc shall then think, that all that is past is for the 

 &quot; best.&quot; Whereat, I remember, she took exceeding 



