THE JEST OF THE ACHING HEART. 485 and a work which the King made his own, and did, and as I hear doth take, much to heart. It is in favorem vitæ where the other part is in favorem lucri. You may perhaps think me partial to apothecaries that have been ever puddling in physic all my life.” This is very grim pleasantry of Francis Verulam. One sees well enough the aching heart, for never was there a more transparent attempt, to seem merry or force a smile. He wishes to make it appear a trifle. There is the old stroke of duplicity however. The King "doth, as I hear, take this fair business much to heart." He is wincing-but proceeds :— "There is a circumstance that touches upon me, but post diem, for it is comprehended in the charge and sentence passed upon me. It is true that after I had put the seal to the patent, the apothecaries presented me with a hundred pounds. It was no judicial affair. But howsoever, as it may not be defended, so I were glad it were not raked up more than needs. I doubt only the chair (Coke), because I hear he useth names sharply; and besides, it may be he hath a tooth at me yet, which is not fallen out with age. But the best is, as one saith, Satis est lapsos non erigere; urgere vero jacentes, aut præcipitantes impellere, certe est inhumanun. Mr. Chancellor, if you will be nobly pleased to grace me upon this occasion, by showing tenderness of my name and commiseration of my fortune, there is no man in that assembly from whose mouth I had rather it should come. I hope it will be no dishonour to you. It will oblige me much, and be a uniting point of our last reintegrade of friendship. I rest "Your faithful Friend to do your service." Twenty-three cases are proved against Bacon. Throughout the proceedings, so guilty does he know himself, that he declines to appear. On the 30th of April he sends, 486 THE ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY. however, an acknowledgment of his offences to the lords, praying for mercy. "Upon advised consideration of the charge, descending into my own conscience, and calling my memory to account as far as I am able, I do plainly and ingenuously confess that I am guilty of corruption, and do renounce all defence, and put myself on the grace and mercy of mercy of your He then proceeds to deal seriatim with every one of the twenty-three cases, and pleads guilty to all. "For extenuation," he concludes, "I will use none concerning the matters themselves; only it may please your lordships, out of your nobleness, to cast your eyes of compassion upon my person and estate." He then proceeds to excuse himself that there be no cases, more than two years old. An evasion, as the Egerton case is of much longer standing, and to pray leniency and mercy as he is very poor. On its being read before the lords, they appoint a committee of twelve of their number to go to the Chancellor and demand if his hand is the hand. which signed it, and if he is prepared to stand by his signature. His answer to the committee was, My lords, it is my act, my hand, and my heart: I beseech your lordships to be merciful to a broken reed."† Which report being made, it was agreed by the house to move his Majesty to sequestrate the seals, and to entreat his Highness the prince that he would be pleased to do this. 66 It must not, however, be supposed that Bacon's confession was obtained from him without effort, or spontaneously. Such proceeding would not have been con * Parliamentary History,' 1244. † Ibid. 1247. FAWNS UPON THE KING AND HIS JUDGES. 487 sistent with his nature. To temporise and scheme, to jump from point to point, till finally brought down by the hunter, is his system of action. On the 24th of the same month he had sent an admission of his guilt, so craftily framed, and so obscured by metaphor and historic illustration, that it was hardly clear from it whether Bacon was an injuring or an injured person-a martyr or a saint. It suggested that the seal should be taken from him and given to the King. "Your lordships will be pleased to behold your chief pattern the King, our sovereign, a King of incomparable clemency, and whose heart is inscrutable for wisdom and goodness; and your lordships will remember there sat not these hundred years before (since Henry VII.) a Prince in your house; and never such a prince, whose presence deserveth to be made memorable by records and acts mixed of mercy and justice. Yourselves are either nobles, and compassion ever beateth in the veins of noble blood, or reverend prelates, who are the servants of Him that would not 'break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax." He suggests that his questioning will have the same effect as his punishment, for the questioning of men in eminent · places hath the same severe terror, though not the same rigour, with the punishment. "Neque minus firmata est disciplina militaris periculo Quinti Maximi, quam miserabili supplicio Titi Manlii." But neither his art nor his artifice availed. Now the Lords and Commons are at last, a little too far advanced to be treated with words and promises. Flattery will do much, but though it will dull the edge of punishment, it 488 THE LAST POINT OF DEFENCE ABANDONED. will not destroy the verdict. The unbounded adulation of the King, that he exceeds in wisdom even Elizabeth, is a masterly cover to his retreat, and, as we shall see, will be efficacious beyond measure. But even flattery of the poor pedant cannot work miracles. It With the country madly excited from end to end, it will hardly suffice to let so capital an offender escape. was therefore resolved, "That the Lord Chancellor's submission was not satisfactory, for that his confession therein was not fully nor particularly set down, but did in some sort extenuate it, and seemed to prescribe the sentence to be given against him by the House." Driven from point to point-So conscience-stricken that he dare not face the house-So overwhelmed by his own guiltiness that he cannot answer but by confession-So conscious that these cases proved are but an infinitesimal part of the grand sum total of corruption, to be charged against him; Bacon will no longer fight. If a point was to be gained by craft, by audacity, by dissimulation or violence, by threat or by adulation, he would have maintained it. But the fortress of his high honour and dignity, on which he had so long stood, was no longer tenable. A very full and a very entire confession, so as to secure the favour of the court, is the only step left. When everything is absolutely proved, then the plea of guilty, and the full confession, are graceful acts. He will make them. It will save further search, further proof. So he acknowledges, as we have shown, explicitly, but with palliation and subterfuge where they are possible, the twenty-three cases brought against him. £. બં THE CASES OF BRIBERY PROVED. They are as follows : That in the cause of Sir Rowland, against Sir Edward Hodie and Hodie, jewelled buttons, valued Lady Wharton For Monk, Jevon, and Young's cases, each £100 300 Kenday and Valore. Bribes of both sides. Kenday 200 150 For Booth, Peacock, and Dukes' cases Of Sir Ralph Hunsbye . Of Lord Montaine, with promises of more at end of Reynell and Peacock-both sides-Reynell Peacock Of Barber. Of the Grocers and Apothecaries-both sides-Grocers 489 Lastly. That he had given way to great exactions by his servants in respect of private seals and sealing injunctions. To all these charges he confessed separately and distinctly. They amount, as will be seen, to a very large sum in those days, equivalent, accepting the relative value of money in that day and in our own, to nearly one hundred thousand pounds. In certain cases, it will be seen, he took bribes of both sides, which, when they were equal, might have tended to |