or to step into some other Course. So as I am more free than ever I was from any Occafion of unworthy conforming myself to you, more than general Good-manners, or your particular good. Ufage shall provoke; and if you had not been short-fighted in your own Fortune (as I think) you might have had more Ufe of me; but that Tide is past. I write not this to shew any Friends what a brave Letter I have writ to Mr. Attorney; I have none of those Humours: but that I have. written is to a good End, that is, to the more decent Carriage of my Master's Service, and to our particular better understanding one another. This Letter, if it shall be answered by you in Deed, and not in Word, I suppose it will not be worse for us both; else it is but a few Lines lost, which for a much smaller Matter I would adventure.. So this being to yourself, I for my Part rest

Your &c.

FR. BACON..

LETTER XVI.

To the SAME, when Lord Chief Justice in disgrace.

My very good Lord,

Hough it be true, that who confidereth the Wind and the Rain, shall neither fow nor reap, Ecclef. ix. 15. yet there is a Seafon for every Action. And fo there is a Time to speak, and a Time to keep filence; there is a Time when the Words of a poor simple Man may profit; and that poor Man in the Preacher which delivered the City by his Wisdom, found, that without this Opportunity,

!

portunity, the Power both of Wisdom and Eloquence lose but their Labour, and cannot charm the deaf Adder. God therefore, before his Son that bringeth Mercy, fent his Servant the Trum peter of Repentance, to level a very high Hill, to prepare the Way before him, making it smooth and streight. And as it is in spiritual Things, where Chrift never comes before his Way-maker hath laid even the Heart with Sorrow and Repentance; fince self-conceited and proud Persons think themselves too good and too wife to learn of their Inferior, and therefore need not the Physician: so in the Rules of earthly Wisdom, it is not possible for Nature to attain any Mediocrity of Perfection, before she be humbled by knowing herfelf and her own Ignorance. Not only Knowledge, but also every other Gift (which we call the Gift of Fortune) have Power to pull up earthly-Afflictions only level these Molehills of Pride, plough the Heart, and make it fit for Wifdom to fow her Seed, and for Grace to bring forth her Increase. Happy is that Man therefore, both in regard of heavenly and earthly Wisdom, that is thus wounded, to be cured; thus broken, to be made straight; thus made acquainted with his own Imperfections, that he may be perfected.

Supposing this to be the time of your Affliction, that which I have propounded to myself is, by taking this seasonable Advantage, like a true Friend (though far unworthy to be counted fo) to shew you your true Shape in a. Glass, and that not in a false one to flatter you, nor yet in one that should make you feem worse than you are, and fo offend you; but in one, made by the Reflection of your own Words and Actions, from whose Light proceeds the Voice of the People, which is often not unfitly

unfitly called the Voice of God. But therein (fince I purposed a Truth) I must intreat liberty to be plain, a Liberty at this time I know not whether or no I may use safely; I am sure at other times I could not yet of this refolve yourself, it proceedeth from Love, and a true Defire to do you good; that you, knowing the general Opinion, may not altogether neglect or contemn it, but mend what you find amiss in yourself, and retain what your Judgment shall approve; for to this end shall Truth be delivered as naked as if yourself were to be anatomized by the Hand of Opinion. All Men can see their own Profit; that Part of the Wallet hangs before. A true Friend (whose worthy Office I would perform, fince I fear both yourself and all great Men want such, being themselves true Friends to few or none) is first to shew the other, and which is from your Eyes.

First therefore behold your Errors. In Discourse you delight to speak too much, not to hear other Men; this some say becomes a Pleader, not a Judge. For by this fometimes your Affections are intangled with a Love of your own Arguments, though they be the weaker; and rejecting of those, which when your Affections were fetled, your own Judgment would allow for strongest. Thus while you speak in your own Element, the Law, no Man ordinarily equals you; but when you wander (as you often delight to do) you then wander indeed, and give never fuch Satisfaction as the curious Time requires. This is not caused by any natural Defect, but first for want of Election, when you, having a large and fruitful Mind, should not fo much labour what to speak, as to find what to leave unspoken, Rich Soils are often to be weeded.

Secondly,

Secondly, you cloy your Auditory, when you would be observed. Speech must either be sweet or short.

Thirdly, you converse with Books, not Men, and Books specially Humane, and have no excellent Choice with Men, who are the best Books: for a Man of Action and Imployment you seldom converse with, and then but with your Underlings; not freely, but as a Schoolmaster with his Scholars, ever to teach, never to learn. But if sometimes you would in your familiar Discourse hear others, and make election of such as know what they fpeak, you should know many of these Tales you tell to be but ordinary, and many other things which you delight to repeat, and serve in for Novelties, to be but stale. As in your Pleadings you were wont to insult over Misery, and to inveigh bitterly at the Persons (which bred you many Enemies whofe Poison yet fwelleth, and the Effects now appear,) so are you still wont to be a little careless in this Point to praise or dispraise upon flight Grounds, and that sometimes untruly, fo that your Reproofs or Commendations are for the most part neglected and contemned; when the Cenfure of a Judge (coming flow but fure) should be a Brand to the Guilty, and a Crown to the Virtuous. You will jest a Man in Public, without respect to the Person's Dignity, or your own. This disgraceth your Gravity more than it can advance the Opinion of your Wit; and so do all Actions which we see you do directly with a Touch of Vain-glory, having no Respect to the true End. You make the Law to lean too much to your Opinion, whereby you shew yourself to be a legal Tyrant, striking with that Weapon where you please, since you are able to turn the Edge any way. way. For thus the wise Master of the Law gives warning to young Students, that they should be wary, left while they hope to be instructed by your Integrity and Knowledge, they should be deceived with your Skill, armed with Authority. Your too much Love of the World is too much feen, when having the Living of 100001. you relieve few or none. The Hand that hath taken fo much, can it give so little? Herein you shew no Bowels of Compaffion, as if you thought all too little for yourself; or that God had given you all that you have (if you think Wealth to be his Gift, I mean that you get well, for I know fure the rest is not) only to that End you should still gather more, and never be satisfied, but try how much you could gather, to account for all at the great and general Audit-day. We defire you to amend this, and let your poor Tenants in Norfolk find some Comfort, where nothing of your Estate is spent towards their Relief, but all brought up hither, to the impoverishing of your Country.

In your last, which might have been your best piece of Service to the State, affectioned to follow that old Rule which giveth Justice leaden Heels and iron Hands, you used too many Delays, till theDelinquent's Hands were loosed, and yours bound. In that Work you seemed another Fabius; here the Humour of Marcellus would have done better. What needed you have fought more Evidences than enough? while you pretended the finding out of more (missing your aim) you difcredited what you had found. This best. Judgments think, though you never used such Speeches as are fathered upon you, yet you might well have done it, and but righly: for this Crime was second to none but the Powder-plot; 'That would have blown up

all