beacon lights of history-iii-2-第51部分

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hindrance　to　an　appreciation　of　his　merits　as　a　lawyer　and　his

preferment　in　his　profession。



In　1586　he　entered　parliament；　sitting　for　Taunton；　and　also　became

a　bencher　at　Gray's　Inn；　so　that　at　twenty…six　he　was　in　full

practice　in　the　courts　of　Westminster；　also　a　politician；　speaking

on　almost　every　question　of　importance　which　agitated　the　House　of

Commons　for　twenty　years；　distinguished　for　eloquence　as　well　as

learning；　and　for　a　manly　independence　which　did　not　entirely

please　the　Queen；　from　whom　all　honors　came。



In　1591；　at　the　age　of　thirty…one；　he　formed　the　acquaintance　of

Essex；　about　his　own　age；　who；　as　the　favorite　of　the　Queen；　was

regarded　as　the　most　influential　man　in　the　country。　　The

acquaintance　ripened　into　friendship；　and　to　the　solicitation　of

this　powerful　patron；　who　urged　the　Queen　to　give　Bacon　a　high

office；　she　is　said　to　have　replied：　〃He　has　indeed　great　wit　and

much　learning；　but　in　law；　my　lord；　he　is　not　deeply　read；〃　an

opinion　perhaps　put　into　her　head　by　his　rival　Coke；　who　did　indeed

know　law　but　scarcely　anything　else；　or　by　that　class　of　old…

fashioned　functionaries　who　could　not　conceive　how　a　man　could

master　more　than　one　thing。　　We　should　however　remember　that　Bacon

had　not　reached　the　age　when　great　offices　were　usually　conferred

in　the　professions；　and　that　his　efforts　to　be　made　solicitor…

general　at　the　age　of　thirty…one；　and　even　earlier；　would　now　seem

unreasonable　and　importunate；　whatever　might　be　his　attainments。

Disappointed　in　not　receiving　high　office；　he　meditated　a　retreat

to　Cambridge；　but　his　friend　Essex　gave　him　a　villa　in　Twickenham；

which　he　soon　mortgaged；　for　he　was　in　debt　all　his　life；　although

in　receipt　of　sums　which　would　have　supported　him　in　comfort　and

dignity　were　it　not　for　his　habits　of　extravagance；the　greatest

flaw　in　his　character；　and　which　was　the　indirect　cause　of　his

disgrace　and　fall。　　He　was　even　arrested　for　debt　when　he　enjoyed　a

lucrative　practice　at　the　courts。　　But　nothing　prevented　him　from

pursuing　his　literary　and　scientific　studies；　amid　great

distractions；for　he　was　both　a　leader　at　the　bar　and　a　leader　of

the　House　of　Commons；　and　if　he　did　not　receive　the　rewards　to

which　he　felt　entitled；　he　was　always　consulted　by　Elizabeth　in

great　legal　difficulties。



It　was　not　until　the　Queen　died；　and　Bacon　was　forty…seven　years

old；　that　he　became　solicitor…general　（1607）；　in　the　fourth　year　of

the　reign　of　James；　one　year　after　his　marriage　with　Alice　Barnham；

an　alderman　s　daughter；　〃a　handsome　maiden；〃　and　〃to　his　liking。〃

Besides　this　office；　which　brought　him　L1000　a　year；　he　about　this

time　had　a　windfall　as　clerk　of　the　Star　Chamber；　which　added　L2000

to　his　income；　at　that　time　from　all　sources　about　L4500　a　year；a

very　large　sum　for　those　times；　and　making　him　really　a　rich　man。

Six　years　afterward　he　was　made　attorney…general；　and　in　the　year

1617　he　was　made　Lord　Keeper；　and　the　following　year　he　was　raised

to　the　highest　position　in　the　realm；　next　to　that　of　Archbishop　of

Canterbury；　as　Lord　Chancellor；　at　the　age　of　fifty…seven；　and　soon

after　was　created　Lord　Verulam。　　That　is　his　title；　but　the　world

persists　in　calling　him　Lord　Bacon。　　In　1620；　two　years　after　the

execution　of　Sir　Walter　Raleigh；　which　Bacon　advised；　he　was　in　the

zenith　of　his　fortunes　and　fame；　having　been　lately　created

Viscount　St。　Albans；　and　having　published　the　〃Novum　Organum；〃　the

first　instalment　of　the　〃Instauratio　Magna；〃　at　which　he　had　been

working　the　best　part　of　his　life；some　thirty　years；〃A　New

Logic；　to　judge　or　invent　by　induction；　and　thereby　to　make

philosophy　and　science　both　more　true　and　more　active。〃



Then　began　to　gather　the　storms　which　were　to　wreck　his　fortunes。

The　nation　now　was　clamorous　for　reform；　and　Coke；　the　enemy　of

Bacon；　who　was　then　the　leader　of　the　Reform　party　in　the　House　of

Commons；　stimulated　the　movement。　　The　House　began　its　scrutiny

with　the　administration　of　justice；　and　Bacon　could　not　stand

before　it；　for　as　the　highest　judge　in　England　he　was　accused　of

taking　bribes　before　rendering　decisions；　and　of　many　cases　of

corruption　so　glaring　that　no　defence　was　undertaken；　and　the　House

of　Lords　had　no　alternative　but　to　sentence　him　to　the　Tower　and

fine　him；　to　degrade　him　from　his　office；　and　banish　him　from　the

precincts　of　the　court；a　fall　so　great；　and　the　impression　of　it

on　the　civilized　world　so　tremendous；　that　the　case　of　a　judge

accepting　bribes　has　rarely　since　been　known。



Bacon　was　imprisoned　but　a　few　days；　his　ruinous　fine　of　L40；000

was　remitted；　and　he　was　even　soon　after　received　at　court；　but　he

never　again　held　office。　　He　was　hopelessly　disgraced；　he　was　a

ruined　man；　and　he　bitterly　felt　the　humiliation；　and　acknowledged

the　justice　of　his　punishment。　　He　had　now　no　further　object　in

life　than　to　pursue　his　studies；　and　live　comfortably　in　his

retirement；　and　do　what　he　could　for　future　ages。



But　before　we　consider　his　immortal　legacy　to　the　world；　let　us

take　one　more　view　of　the　man；　in　order　that　we　may　do　him　justice；

and　remove　some　of　the　cruel　charges　against　him　as　〃the　meanest　of

mankind。〃



It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that；　from　the　beginning　of　his　career

until　his　fall；　only　four　or　five　serious　charges　have　been　made

against　him；that　he　was　extravagant　in　his　mode　of　life；　that　he

was　a　sycophant　and　office…seeker；　that　he　deserted　his　patron

Essex；　that　he　tortured　Peacham；　a　Puritan　clergyman；　when　tried

for　high…treason；　that　he　himself　was　guilty　of　corruption　as　a

judge。



In　regard　to　the　first　charge；　it　is　unfortunately　too　true；　he

lived　beyond　his　means；　and　was　in　debt　most　of　his　life。　　This

defect；　as　has　been　said；　was　the　root　of　much　evil；　it　destroyed

his　independence；　detracted　from　the　dignity　of　his　character；

created　enemies；　and　led　to　a　laxity　of　the　moral　sense　which

prepared　the　way　for　corruption；thereby　furnishing　another

illustration　of　that　fatal　weakness　which　degrades　any　man　when　he

runs　races　with　the　rich；　and　indulges　in　a　luxury　and　ostentation

which　he　cannot　afford。　　It　was　the　curse　of　Cicero；　of　William

Pitt；　and　of　Daniel　Webster。　　The　first　lesson　which　every　public

man　should　learn；　especially　if　honored　with　important　trusts；　is

to　live　within　his　income。　　However　inconvenient　and　galling；　a

stringent　economy　is　necessary。　　But　this　defect　is　a　very　common

one；　particularly　when　men　are　luxurious；　or　brought　into

intercourse　with　the　rich；　or　inclined　to　be　hospitable　and

generous；　or　have　a　great　imagination　and　a　sanguine　temperament。

So　that　those　who　are　most　liable　to　fall　into　this　folly　have　many

noble　qualities　to　offset　it；　and　it　is　not　a　stain　which　marks　the

〃meanest　of　mankind。〃　　Who　would　call　Webster　the　meanest　of

mankind　because　he　had　an　absurd　desire　to　live　like　an　English

country　gentleman？



In　regard　to　sycophancy；　a　disgusting　trait；　I　admit；we　should

consider　the　age；　when　everybody　cringed　to　sovereigns　and　their

favorites。　　Bacon　never　made　such　an　abject　speech　as　Omer　Talon；

the　greatest　lawyer　in　France；　did　to　Louis　XIII。；　in　the

Parliament　of　Paris。　　Three　hundred　years　ago　everybody　bowed　down

to　exalted　rank：　witness　the　obsequious　language　which　all　authors

addressed　to　patrons　in　the　dedication　of　their　books。　　How　small

the　chance　of　any　man　rising　in　the　world；　who　did　not　court　favors

from　those　who　had　favors　to　bestow！　　Is　that　the　meanest　or　the

most　uncommon　thing　in　this　world？　　If　so；　how　ignominious　are　all

politicians　who　flatter　the　people　and　solicit　their　votes？　　Is　it

not　natural　to　be　obsequious　to　those　who　have　offices　to　bestow？

This　trait　is　not　commendable；　but　is　it　the　meanest　thing　we　see？



In　regard　to　Essex；　nobody　can　approve　of　the　ingratitude　which

Bacon　showed　to　his　noble　patron。　　But；　on　the　other　hand；　remember

the　good　advice　which　Bacon　ever　gave　him；　and　his　constant　efforts

to　keep　him　out　of　scrapes。　　How　often　did　he　excuse　him　to　his

royal　mistress；　at　the　risk　of　incurring　her　displeasure？　　And　when

Essex　was　guilty　of　a　thousand　times　worse　crime　than　ever　Bacon

committed；even　high…treason；　in　a　time　of　tumult　and

insurrection；and　it　became　Bacon's　task　as　prosecuting　officer　of

the　Crown　to　bring　this　great　culprit　to　justice；　was　he　required

by　a　former　friendship　to　sacrifice　his　duty　and　his　allegiance　to

his　sovereign；　to　screen　a　man　who　had　perverted　the　affection　of

the　noblest　woman　who　ever　wore　a　crown；　and　came　near　involving

his　country　in　a　civil　war？　　Grant　that　Essex　had　bestowed　favors；

and　was　an　accomplished　and　interesting　man；was　Bacon　to　ignore

his　official　duties？　　He　may　have　been　too　harsh　in　his　procedure；

but　in　that　age　all　criminal　proceedings　were　harsh　and

inexorable；there　was　but　little　mercy　shown　to　culprits；

especially　to　traitors。　　If　Elizabeth　could　bring　herself；　out　of

respect　to　her　wounded　honor　and　slighted　kindness　and　the　dignity

of　the　realm　and　the　majesty　of　the　law；　to　surrender　into　the

hands　of　justice　one　whom　she　so　tenderly　loved　and　magnificently

rewarded；　even　when　the　sacrifice　cost　her　both　peace　and　life；

snapped　the　last　cord　which　bound　her　to　this　world；may　we　not

forgive　Bacon　for　the　part　he　played？　　Does　this　fidelity　to　an

official　and　professional　duty；　even　if　he　were　harsh；　make　him

〃the　meanest　of　mankind〃？



In　regard　to　Peacham；　it　is　true　he　was　tortured；　according　to　the

practice　of　that　cruel　age；　but　Bacon　had　no　hand　in　the　issuing　of

the　warrant　against　him　for　high…treason；　although　in　accordance

with　custom　he；　as　prosecuting　officer　of　the　Crown；　examined

Peacham　under　torture　before　his　trial。　　The　parson　was　convicted；

but　the　sentence　of　death　was　not　executed　upon　him；　and　he　died　in

jail。



And　in　regard　to　corruption；the　sin　which　cast　Bacon　from　his

high　estate；　though　fortunately　he