thought fit to difpenfe therewith for fome time, that his lordship might have the bet ter opportunity to take care of his health, and purfue the proper measures of putting bis debts into fome courfe of payment. The parliament being prorogued in heat, king James confulted with the viscount as to the best methods of reforming the courts of justice, and taking away other grievances which the parliament had enquired into. The lord St Alban drew up a meerial on this occafion, ftill extant in his works. James gave him a licence to remain fix weeks at Sir John Vaughan's houfe, at Parfons-green, or at London, as his occafions fhould require. His lordship's private affairs were extremely perplexed at this time, by former ill management, and now, by the lofs of his employments, rendered defperate. His fine of forty thousand pounds he was unable to pay. The king was defirous of remitting it; but his own fituation was fo critical, that he dared not do it openly. Recourse was forced to be had to a ftratagem. James figned a warrant to the attorney-general, Sir Thomas Coventry, for the affignment of the fine to fome of the lord St. Alban's friends, under the notion of being his creditors. The next month the king figned his pardon, (his parliamentary fentence difabling him from fitting in the houfe of peers, holding any employment, or coming within the verge of the court, excepted). It met, however, at first, with fome stay at the feal, then in the custody of the lord keeper Williams. His licence being expired, king James found himself fo circumftanced, that he could not, without giving much umbrage and offence to many perfons, grant a renewal of it at that time: he, therefore, with prudence declined it. The lord St. Alban patiently acquiefced, and retired to his feat at Gorhambury. Here happened an accident, which has been mentioned ás a proof, that his fpirits did not fink with his fortunes: the prince coming to London, faw at a distance a coach, followed by a confiderable number of people on horse-* back. On enquiry, he was told it was the viscount of St. Alban, attended by his friends. "Well then, faid his royal highnefs with a fmile, let what will be done, this man fcorns to go out like a snuff." He had, indeed, no reason to complain of the court, fince he was himfeif the cause ef his misfortunes, and met with nothing that could increase his fenfe of them. The king was gracious to him, to a degree that offended many; the prince of Wales willingly performed whatever he defired for his fervice; Buckingham was as hearty, and, if any thing, more refpectful in his friendfhip to him after than before his fall. There was indeed some fmall difference between the favourite and him, about York-houfe, which the former wanted to purchase. As it was only a mifunderstanding, it was foon accommodated. It is evident Buckingham's kindness was not confined to bare expreffions; for, very foon after this, he prevailed on the king to grant the viscount a difcharge of that part of his fentence which afflicted him moft, his being reftrained from coming within the verge of the court: this he had called an imprisonment. Nor was he wanting in any thing elfe that could be expected from him. Being thus withdrawn from the glare of a public station into the fhade of retirement and studious leifure, the lord St. Alban now lamented, that ambition and falfe glory had fo long diverted him from the noblest and moft ufeful employments of a reasonable being: mortified, no doubt, into these fentiments, by a fevere conviction, in his own perfon, of the inftability and emptiness of all human grandeur. Hie acknowledged, with regret, that he had too long neglected the ambition of a fine genius; and by plunging into bufinefs and affairs, which require much kefs capacity, but greater firmnefs of mind than the purfuits of learning, had exposed himself to fuch grievous calamities. Henceforth, we view him in a more pleafing, though lefs confpicuous fituation: freed from the fervitude of a court; from an intolerable attendance on the vice and follies of men, every way his inferiors; in a condition now to pursue the native bent of his genius; to live to himself, and for the advantage, not of one age, or of one people only, but of all mankind, and of all times every where in this performance, evident traces of a spirit, unbroken by age, 1622 and unfubdued by misfortunes. It has been highly applauded, and as much condemned; a proof that it has more than common merit. My lord St. Alban lived in the reign of flattery. If he therefore has not wholly, in this performance, escaped the infection of the age, yet through a few foftenings we can eatily difcern the true character of Henry. The ftile has been objected to, as full of affectation, and falfe eloquence. But that was the vice, not of the man, but of the times he lived in; and particularly of a court, that, after the fovereign's example, delighted in the tinfel of wit and writing, in the poor ingenuity of punning and quibbling. On the whole, this hiftory of Henry VII. though not free from faults, adds to the author's character, that of an excellent hiftorian. But his affairs were ftill in a fhattered condition. He had treasured up nothing in his prosperity against the day of adversity. He laboured under the incumbrance of a vaft debt. Large fums were necessary to make his philofophical experiments. Even thofe, whom we fee clofe and sparing on every other occafion, are yet profufe in gratifying a favourite paffion. Such were the caufes of that diftrefs, and those difficulties with which he was still oppreffed. Unfortunately, he was no oeconomist. He had continued ftill to live in too expenfive a way after his disgrace. Yet, however uneafy and perplexed his condition might be, he was by no means neceffitous. His grant from the alienation-office he fill retained; that brought him fix hundred pounds a-year; he enjoyed a pension from the crown of twelve hundred, and his own eftate amounted to about feven hundred more, The penfion, it has been faid, was not kept well paid. But the great grievance was, his enormous debt contracted in his profperity: this was the canker-worm, which was the caufe of all his troubles. He was not able to pay off more than eight thousand of it, after his fall; and at his death, he owed upwards of twenty-two thoufand. Had he enjoyed his offices longer, it is imagined he would have retrenched his expences, and difcharged his debts as far as he could; but his fall coming upon him at the very juncture when he first underflood in how very ruinous a condition his affairs were, over whelmed him at once, and entirely prevented his extricating himself from the difficulties he was involved in. That his troubles bore very hard upon him, clearly appears from the paffionate expreffions he made ufe of in feveral of his letters to king James. This proceeded from his own circumstances, which would not allow him to fettle things to his wish, (for his mind was ever honeft) and in fome measure also to the king's; which would as little permit him to relieve his lordship in proportion to his wants, or to the kindness he Aill retained for him. All these things together might very well weigh him down, fo as to occafion frequent applications to his majesty and his friends at court. nothing can be more depreffive than a To a great mind, narrow fortune, unproportioned to its wants yet of fuch a fingular conftruction was my lord St. Albans's temper, and fo thoroughly were all his paffions wrought to obedience, that he suffered nothing to hurry his thoughts to the prejudice of his ftudies, which he ever regarded as the principal occupation of his life. Of this Dr. Rawley, his chaplain and amanuenfis, gives a remarkable inftance. His lordship was dictating to him one day fome of his experiments. That fame day he had fent a friend to court to receive a final answer, concerning the effect of a grant made him by king James. He had hitherto only hopes of it; and he was defircus to know the event, that he might be freed, one way or other, from the fufpence of his thoughts. His friend, returning, told him plainly, that, how much foever his fortune needed it, he must despair of that grant. "Be it fo," faid his lordship; and then dismissing his friend with great chearfulness, and many thankful acknowledgements for his fervice, he came straightway to Dr. Rawley, and, without any change in his countenance or temper, faid, "Well, Sir, yon bufinefs won't go on, let us go on with this in our power," and then dictated to him a-fresh for fome hours, without the fmaileft hesitancy of fpeech, or difcernible interruption of thought. The abfence of the marquis of Buckingham, who went the romantic journey into Spain, with Charles prince of Wales, to fetch the infanta at this juncture, taught the lord St. Alban, by experience, that no one about the 1623 court had fo warm and fincere an inclination to promote his requests. This, together with his former difficulties, brought down his hopes to fuch a degree of humility, that the smallest acquifition of fortune was welcome to him. He adually follicited the king, on the death of Mr. Murray, to fucceed him as provoft of Eaton college; to which this anfwer was given, "That his majesty could not value his lordship fo little, or conceive he limited his defires fo low : in which, however, he should have been gratified, had not the place been engaged for Sir William Beecher, his agent in France." The The marquis of Buckingham, while he was abroad, was created a duke by the fame title; and, at his return, saw himfelf in fuch plenitude of power, as no fubject had ever enjoyed in this kingdom. Not only the favourite, both of the poffeffor and heir of the crown, he was in the highest credit with the people, for having been the means of breaking off the Spanish match, fo grating to their ears. viscount St. Alban presented him with the Advancement of Learning, tranflated into Latin, and fo much augmented and enriched, that it might, with equal justice, have passed for a new performance. His noble patron not only kindly received it, but continued to do him very many important fervices; procuring him confiderable fums of money, and from time to time fresh marks of royal favour. In acknowledgement for thefe, he de1624 dicated to him a Latin tranflation of his Effays, which he likewife augmented and polished to a great degree of perfection. Being thus rendered into a more univerfal language, for the English was then fluctuating, and not fixed as it is at prefent, he imagined they would be preferved as long as books fhall last. they were intended not to amuse, but inftruct; as they are neither a satire on human nature, nor the fchool of fcepticiím; M. de Voltaire obferves, that they have been lefs popular than the maxims of Rochefoucait, or the effays of Montaigne: a remark that does my lord St. Alban honour; who was too great a man to court a reputation from the multitude, by facrificing to that malignity, or indulging that curious extravagance, which too miny readers expect to find gratified, even in writings of a moral kind. Of all As his works, these have been the most current, and are at this day held in the fame juft eftimation as when they firft appeared. On the calling of a new parliament, he turned his thoughts upon another fubjeĉt, in a treatise he wrote, entitled, Confiderations on a War with Spain ; which he prefented to the prince of Wales, and to his fifter, Elizabeth, queen of Bohemia. He likewife drew up the heads of a speech, upon the fame fubject, for his friend Sir Edward Sackville. The favourable acceptance these services met with encouraged him to petition king 1625 James for a total remiffion of his cenfure, "To the end, faid he, that this blot of ignominy may be removed from me, and from my memory with posterity." His majesty hereupon granted him a full and entire pardon. In the warrant directed for this purpofe to the attorneygeneral, he took notice of his lordship's having already fatisfied juftice by his fufferings; and that himself being always inclined to temper juftice with mercy, and likewife calling to remembrance his former good services, and how well and profitably he had spent his time, fince his troubles, he was graciously pleased to remove from him that part of his fentence which still remained upon him, incapacity and disablement, and to remit to him all penalties whatsoever inflicted thereby. Shortly after, he loft his kind master, king James; and, in the first parliament called by his fucceffor Charles, was fummoned to take his feat there; though his infirmities would not allow him to do it. Nothing can give a more exalted idea of the fruitfulness and vigour of my lord St. Alban's genius, than the number and nature of those writings which he compofed in this laft fcene of his life. Under the difcouragement of a public cenfure, broken in his health, broken in his fortunes, he enjoyed his retirement not above five years: a little portion of time! yet he found means to crowd into it what might have been the whole business, and the glory too, of a long and fortunate life. Some of his former pieces we have feen he methodized and enriched: feveral new ones he compofed, no lefs confiderable for the greatnefs and variety cf the arguments he treated, than for his manner of treating them. Nor were they works works of mere erudition and labour, that require little elfe but strength of conftitution and obftinate application: they were original efforts of genius and reflection, on fubjects either new, or handled in a manner that makes them fo. His notions he drew from his own fund; they were folid, comprehensive, and systematical; the difpofition of his whole plan throw ing light and grace on all the particular parts. In confidering every fubject, he feems always to have placed himself in a point of view, fo advantageous and elevated, that he could from thence difcover a whole country round him, and mark out the several spots of it diftinctly and with eafe. Thefe characters are equally due to the works in which he made fome progrefs, and to thofe he could only attempt *. In the courfe of this life, mention only has been made of the principal performances of the lord chancellor St. Alban, and these no otherwife than as they have been closely connected with, or made parts of his life. But, that this account of fo great a perfonage may be as perfect as the limits it is confined to will allow, the patience of the reader is craved a little longer, for the following lift of the chancellor's works, which make four very large volumes in folio, that a better and more complete idea may be formed of his stupendous knowledge and abilities. We have endeavoured to ftudy conciseness and brevity, and to avoid tautology as much as poffible. The grand inftauration of the fciences, including the Novum Organum, composes the first volume. The fecond confifts of philofophical treatifes, on an infinite variety of subjects and experiments; likewife feveral other tracts, viz. On the wisdom of the ancients: On the happinefs of queen Elizabeth's reign: Sacred meditations: On our Saviour's miracles: On innocence and prudence: On the excellency of charity: On the measure of cares: On terrestrial hope: On hypocrites: On impoftures; and on the various kinds of impofture: On atheism; herefies; the church and fcriptures: Letters and congratulations which paffed between him, and the univerfities of Oxford and Cambridge: The advancement of learning. The third volume comprehends the remainder of his philofophical works, including the natural history and experiments; and also several other pieces: fuch as, Medical remains and receipts New Atalantis, an unfinished work: Apophthegms: Elegant fentences, fome made, others collected, by him: Collection of sentences out of his writings: Effays, civil and moral: A fragment and tables of the colours of good and evil: Hiftory of the reign of Henry VII. Analysis of that of Henry VIII. and the beginning of the hiftory of Great Britain: Mifcellaneous works published first by Dr. Rawley, after his decease: Confiderations on a war with Spain; and on a holy war: Hiftory of the alienation office: Advice to Sir George Villiers. The fourth volume contains, A propofition touching the compiling and amendment of the laws of England: The elements of the common laws of England: The maxims of the law; and the ufe thereof: A preparation towards the union of the laws of England and Scotland: The offices of constable and sheriffs, courts-leet, &c. Argunients in great and difficult cafes: Divers cafes argued before the judges: Jurifdiction of the marches: Draught of an act against an ufurious shift of gain: Ordinances for the better and more regular adminiftration of juftice in the chancery: The reading on the ftatute of uses: Argument in the cafe of the Poft Nati: Difcourfe of the happy union of the two kingdoms: Articles concerning the union. Speeches in parliament : On subsidy; On purveyors; On the general naturalization of the Scottish nation; On the union of the laws; On the merchants petition, respecting the Spanish grievances : Speech to the king, when he delivered the grievances of the commons; To the lords at a conference; To the commons, concerning the king's messages; For granting a fupply; On the fubject of the Undertakers: Speech to the judges, before the fummer circuits, 1617; To Sir William Jones, upon his being appointed chief-juftice of Ireland; To Sir John Denham, when he was called to be one of the barons of the Exchequer; To juftice Hutton, when appointed a judge of the Common-pleas : His fpeech in the houfe of peers, when first he was made chancellor. Charges: At the feffions of the verge ; At the arraignment of lord Sanquhar; Concerning duels, and a decree on the fame: Charge against William Talbot; Mr. Oliver St. John; Mr. Qwen : Mr. Licm.den, Sir John Wentworth, and Sir John Hollės; against Robert and mined, and broken into, his health. He Nothing could be more agreeable to fo elevated a mind, as that of my lord St. Alban, than the confolation he received in the great respect fhewn him by the moft eminent foreigners; fome of whom vifited him as one whofe talents were an ornament, not only to his age, but to human nature itself. When the marquis D'Effiat, the French ambaffador, who brought into England the princefs MaryHenrietta, wife to Charles I. paid his first vint to his lordship, he compared him to the angels, of whom he had heard and read much but had never feen. My lord St. Alban replied with a becoming modesty, "That if the charity of others compared him to an angel, his own infirmities told him he was a man." This nobleman caufed his Efays to be translated into French, and contracted fo clofe a friendship with him, that they commenced a correspondence, which was never interrupted until the death of the viscount St. Alban. In thofe letters, the marquis esteemed it a parti-pired, on the 9th day of April, being cular honour to be ftiled his fon; he likewife defired and obtained his picture, which be carried into France. But thefe honours did not hinder the lord St. Alban from thinking of his own end. The multiplicity of business and fiudy, in which he had been all his lifetime engaged; but above all the anguish of mind he secretly endured, had under Eafter-day, in the 66th year of his age. How he bore this indifpofition, or what difcourfes he held at the nearer approaches of death, no account is to be found; an omiffion which every reader muft feel and regret as nothing can awaken the at tention, nothing affect the heart of man, more strongly, than the behaviour of eminent perfonages in their laft moments; and Frances, earl and counters of Somerfet: Obfervations on a libel: Report of Dr. Lopez the queen phyfician's deteftable treafon: Declaration of the treafons and practices of the earl of Effex; particulars which paffed at his arraignment and time of fuffering; Apology concerning the fame declaration : Considerations on the plartation in Ireland: Advice to the king, concerning the estate of Mr. Sutton, founder of the Charter-house. Theological works; Advertisement on the controverfies of the church of England; Confiderations on the better pacification and edification of the fame; Concerning the liturgy, ceremonies, and fubfcription; On the provision for fuficient maintenance in the church. A prayer, or pfalm, made by the lord St. Alban, lord-chancellor for his own ufe: The student's prayer: The writer's prayer : Tranflation of psalms into English Verse: Explanation what manner of persons those should be, that are to execute the power of the king's prerogative: Short notes for civil converfation: An effay on death: Character of a believing Chriftian: A prayer made and used by the lord chancellor Bacon: A great number of letters in the reigns of Elizabeth and James. In an appendix; Of the true greatnefs of Great-Britain: Notes of a speech on a war with Spain Speeches in parliament: A difcourfe in praife of his fovereign: The proceedings of the earl of Effex: Of the state of Europe: State pieces in the reign of king James: Proclamations: Certificates on feveral fubjects: Directions for the court of wards: Philofophical pieces: A treatise in praise of knowledge: Valerius Terminus of the interpretation of nature: Many other fragments in philofophy. His laft will is at the end of the fecond volume. These several articles are differently arranged, in a more methodical manner, with respect to the times in which they were written, in the edition of 1753, wherein are contained several other pieces. The above lift is taken from the edition of 1740, |