272 SIR FRANCIS BACON S APOLOGY 



&quot;respect of cautions to myself; and therefore 

 &amp;lt; vivus vidensque pereo ; if I do break my neck, 

 I shall do it in a manner as Mr. Dorrington 

 did it, which walked on the battlements of 

 &quot;the church many days, and took a view and 

 survey where he should fall. And so, madam, 

 said I, I am not so simple but that I take a 

 &quot; prospect of mine overthrow ; only I thought 

 I would tell you so much, that you may know 

 &quot; that it was faith, and not folly that brought 

 me into it, and so I will pray for you.&quot; Upon 

 which speeches of mine uttered with some passion, it 

 is true her majesty was exceedingly moved ; and ac 

 cumulated a number of kind and gracious words 

 upon me, and willed me to rest upon this, &quot; Gratia 

 mea sufficit,&quot; and a number of other sensible and 

 tender words and demonstrations, such as more 

 could not be ; but as touching my lord of Essex, 

 &quot; ne verbum quidem.&quot; Whereupon I departed, 

 resting then determined to meddle no more in the 

 matter ; as that, that I saw would overthrow me, 

 and not be able to do him any good. And thus I 

 made mine own peace with mine own confidence* at 

 that time ; and this was the last time I saw her ma 

 jesty before the eighth of February, which was the 

 daf of my lord of Essex his misfortune ; after which 

 time, for that I performed at the bar in my public 

 service, your lordship knoweth, by the rules of duty 

 that I was to do it honestly, and without prevarica- 

 eation; but for my putting myself into it, I protest 



* Query conscience, but note that in the first edition it is 

 confidence. 



