Egypt; which seemeth to have been the most an- | Indian, that showed him a bladder, which, if it were

cient monarchy, how conveniently it stands upon a neck of land commanding both seas on either side, and embracing, as it were with two arms, Asia and Africk, besides the benefit of the famous river of Nilus. And therefore we see what hath been the fortune of that country, there having been two mighty returns of fortune, though at great distance of time; the one in the times of Sesostris, and the other in the empire of the Mamalukes, besides the middle greatness of the kingdom of the Ptolemies, and of the greatness of the caliphs and sultans in the latter times. And this region, we see likewise, is of strait | and defensible access, being commonly called of the Romans, Claustra Ægypti.* Consider in like manner the situation of Babylon, being planted most strongly in regard of lakes and overflowing grounds Cumque superba staret Babylon spolianda trophæis. between the two great navigable rivers of Euphrates And after that, again it obtained the seat of the and Tigris, and in the very heart of the world: highest caliph or successors of Mahomet. And at having regard to the four cardines of east and west this day, that which they call Bagdat, which joins and northern and southern regions. And therefore to the ruin of the other, containeth one of the greatwe see, that although the sovereignty alter, yet the est satrapies of the Levant. So again Persia, seat still of the monarchy remains in that place. being a country imbarred with mountains, open to For after the monarchies of the kings of Assyria, the seas, and the middle of the world, we see hath which were natural kings of that place, yet when had three memorable revolutions of great monthe foreign kings of Persia came in, the seat re- archies. The first in the time of Cyrus; the mained. For although the mansion of the persons second in the time of the new Artaxerxes, who of the kings of Persia were sometimes at Susa, and raised himself in the reign of Alexander Severus, sometimes at Ecbatana, which were termed their emperor of Rome; and now of late memory, in winter and their summer parlours, because of the Ismael the sophy, whose descendants continue in mildness of the air in the one, and the freshness in empire and competition with the Turks to this day. the other; yet the city of estate continued to be So again Constantinople, being one of the most Babylon. Therefore we see, that Alexander the excellentest seats of the world, in the confines of Great. according to the advice of Calanus the | Europe and Asia.

borne down at one end, would rise at the other, and therefore wished him to keep himself in the middle of his empire, chose accordingly Babylon for his seat, and died there. And afterwards likewise in the family of Seleucus and his descendants, kings of the east, although divers of them, for their own glory, were founders of cities of their own names, as Antiochia, Seleucia, and divers others, which they sought by all means to raise and adorn, yet the greatness still remained according unto nature with the ancient seat. Nay, further on, the same remained during the greatness of the kings of Parthia, as appeareth by the verse of Lucan, who wrote in Nero's time.

ADVICE TO SIR GEORGE VILLIERS,

AFTERWARDS DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM,

WHEN HE BECAME FAVOURITE TO KING JAMES;

RECOMMENDING MANY IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO GOVERN HIMSELF
IN THE STATION OF PRIME MINISTER.

WRITTEN BY SIR FRANCIS BACON, ON THE IMPORTUNITY OF HIS PATRON AND FRIEND.

NOBLE SIR,

It

WHAT you requested of me by word, when I last waited on you, you have since renewed by your letters. Your requests are commands unto me; and yet the matter is of that nature, that I find myself very unable to serve you therein as you desire. hath pleased the king to cast an extraordinary eye of favour upon you, and you express yourself very desirous to win upon the judgment of your master, Mem. To add the reasons of the three properties.

and not upon his affections only. I do very much commend your noble ambition herein; for favour so bottomed is like to be lasting; whereas, if it be built but upon the sandy foundation of personal respects only, it cannot be long-lived.

[My lord, when the blessing of God, to whom in the first place I know you ascribe your preferment, and the king's favour, purchased by your noble parts, promising as much as can be expected from a gentleman, had brought you to

in crotchets is What is found borrowed from the original edition pub

lished in 4to. 1661.

this high pitch of honour, to be in the eye, and ear, and even in the bosom of your gracious master; and you had found by experience the trouble of all men's confluence, and for all matters, to yourself, as a mediator between them and their sovereign, you were pleased to lay this command upon me: first in general, to give you my poor advice for your carriage in so eminent a place, and of so much danger if not wisely discharged: next in particular by what means to give despatches to suitors of all sorts, for the king's best service, the suitors' satisfaction, and your own ease. I humbly return you mine opinion in both these, such as a hermit rather than a courtier can render.]

Yet in this you have erred, in applying yourself to me, the most unworthy of your servants, to give assistance upon so weighty a subject.

You know, I am no courtier, nor versed in state affairs; my life, hitherto, hath rather been contemplative than active; I have rather studied books than men; I can but guess, at the most, at these things, in which you desire to be advised: nevertheless, to show my obedience, though with the hazard of my discretion, I shall yield unto you.

it belongeth to you to take care of yourself, and to know well what the name of a favourite signifies. If you be chosen upon the former respects, you have reason to take care of your actions and deportment, out of your gratitude, for the king's sake; but if out of the latter, you ought to take the greater care for your own sake.

You are as a new-risen star, and the eyes of all men are upon you; let not your own negligence make you fall like a meteor.

A

[Remember well the great trust you have undertaken; you are as a continual centinel, always to stand upon your watch to give him true intelligence. If you flatter him, you betray him; if you conceal the truth of those things from him which concern his justice or his honour, although not the safety of his person, you are as dangerous a traitor to his state, as he that riseth in arms against him. false friend is more dangerous than an open enemy: kings are styled gods upon earth, not absolute, but "Dixi, dii estis ;" and the next words are, "sed moriemini sicut homines;" they shall die like men, and then all their thoughts perish. They cannot possibly see all things with their own eyes, nor hear all things with their own ears; they must commit many great trusts to their ministers. Kings must be answerable to God Almighty, to whom they are but vassals, for their actions, and for their negligent omissions: but the ministers to kings, whose eyes, ears, and hands they are, must be answerable to God and man for the breach of their duties, in violation of their trusts, whereby they betray them. Opinion is a master wheel in these cases: that courtier who obtained a boon of the emperor, that he might every morning at his coming into his presence humbly whisper him in the ear and say nothing, asked no unprofitable suit for himself: but such a fancy raised only by opinion cannot be long-lived, unless the man have solid worth to uphold it; otherwise when once discovered it vanisheth suddenly. But when a favourite in court shall be raised upon the foundation of merits, and together with the care of doing good service to the king, shall give good despatches to the suitors, then can he not choose but prosper.]

Sir, in the first place, I shall be bold to put you in mind of the present condition you are in; you are not only a courtier, but a bed-chamber man, and so are in the eye and ear of your master: but you are also a favourite; the favourite of the time, and so are in his bosom also; the world hath so voted you, and doth so esteem of you: for kings and great princes, even the wisest of them, have had their friends, their favourites, their privadoes, in all ages; for they have their affections as well as other men. Of these they make several uses: sometimes to communicate and debate their thoughts with them, and to ripen their judgments thereby; sometimes to ease their cares by imparting them; and sometimes to interpose them between themselves and the envy or malice of their people; for kings cannot err, that must be discharged upon the shoulders of their ministers; and they who are nearest unto them must be content to bear the greatest load. [Remember then what your true condition is: the king himself is above the reach of his people, but cannot be above their censures; and you are The contemplation then of your present condition his shadow, if either he commit an error, and is loth must necessarily prepare you for action: what time to avow it, but excuses it upon his ministers, of can be well spared from your attendance on your which you are first in the eye; or you commit the master, will be taken up by suitors, whom you canfault or have willingly permitted it, and must suffer not avoid nor decline without reproach. For if you for it: and so perhaps you may be offered a sacrifice do not already, you will soon find the throng of to appease the multitude.] But truly, Sir, I do not suitors attend you; for no man, almost, who hath to believe or suspect that you are chosen to this emi- do with the king, will think himself safe, unless you nency, out of the last of these considerations; for be his good angel, and guide him; or at least that you serve such a master, who by his wisdom and you be not a malus genius against him: so that, in goodness is as free from the malice or envy of his respect of the king your master, you must be very subjects, as I think, I may truly say, ever any king wary that you give him true information; and if the was, who hath sat upon his throne before him: but matter concern him in his government, that you do I am confident, his Majesty hath cast his eyes upon not flatter him: if you do, you are as great a traitor you, as finding you to be such as you should be, or to him in the court of heaven, as he that draws his hoping to make you to be such as he would have sword against him and in respect of the suitors you to be; for this I may say, without flattery, your which shall attend you, there is nothing will bring outside promiseth as much as can be expected from you more honour and more ease, than to do them a gentleman: but be it in the one respect or other, | what right in justice you may, and with as much

speed as you may: for believe it, Sir, next to the obtaining of the suit, a speedy and gentle denial, when the case will not bear it, is the most acceptable to suitors: they will gain by their despatch; whereas else they shall spend their time and money in attending; and you will gain, in the ease you will find in being rid of their importunity. But if they obtain what they reasonably desired, they will be doubly bound to you for your favour; "Bis dat qui cito dat," it multiplies the courtesy, to do it with good words and speedily.

That you may be able to do this with the best advantage, my humble advice is this: when suitors come unto you, set apart a certain hour in a day to give them audience: if the business be light and easy, it may by word only be delivered, and in a word be answered; but if it be either of weight or of difficulty, direct the suitor to commit it to writing, if it be not so already, and then direct him to attend for his answer at a set time to be appointed, which would constantly be observed, unless some matter of great moment do interrupt it. When you have received the petitions, and it will please the petitioners well, to have access unto you to deliver them into your own hand, let your secretary first read them, and draw lines under the material parts thereof; for the matter, for the first part, lies in a narrow room. The petitions being thus prepared, do you constantly set apart an hour in a day to peruse those petitions; and after you have ranked them into several files, according to the subject matter, make choice of two or three friends, whose judgments and fidelities you believe you may trust in a business of that nature; and recommend it to one or more of them, to inform you of their opinions, and of their reasons for or against the granting of it. And if the matter be of great weight indeed, then it would not be amiss to send several copies of the same petition to several of your friends, the one not knowing what the other doth, and desire them to return their answers to you by a certain time, to be prefixed, in writing; so shall you receive an impartial answer, and by comparing the one with the other, as out of responsa prudentium, you shall both discern the abilities and faithfulness of your friends, and be able to give a judgment thereupon as an oracle. But by no means trust to your own judgment alone; for no man is omniscient: nor trust only to your servants, who may mislead you or misinform you; by which they may perhaps gain a few crowns, but the reproach will lie upon yourself, if it be not rightly carried.

For the facilitating of your despatches, my advice is farther, that you divide all the petitions, and the matters therein contained, under several heads: which, I conceive, may be fitly ranked into these eight sorts.

V. Peace and war, both foreign and civil, and in
that the navy and forts, and what belongs to them.
VI. Trade at home and abroad.
VII. Colonies, or foreign plantations.
VIII. The court and curiality.

And whatsoever will not fall naturally under one of these heads, believe me, Sir, will not be worthy of your thoughts, in this capacity, we now speak of. And of these sorts, I warrant you, you will find enough to keep you in business.

I begin with the first, which concerns religion. 1. In the first place be you yourself rightly persuaded and settled in the true protestant religion, professed by the church of England; which doubtless is as sound and orthodox in the doctrine thereof, as any christian church in the world.

[For religion, if any thing be offered to you touching it, or touching the church, or churchmen, or church government, rely not only upon yourself, but take the opinion of some grave and eminent divines, especially such as are sad and discreet men, and exemplary for their lives.]

2. In this you need not be a monitor to your gracious master the king: the chiefest of his imperial titles is, to be the Defender of the Faith, and his learning is eminent, not only above other princes, but above other men; be but his scholar, and you are safe in that.

[If any question be moved concerning the doctrine of the church of England expressed in the thirtynine articles, give not the least ear to the movers thereof: that is so soundly and so orthodoxly settled, as cannot be questioned without extreme danger to the honour and stability of our religion; which hath been sealed with the blood of so many martyrs and confessors, as are famous through the christian world. The enemies and underminers thereof are the Romish catholics, so styling themselves, on the one hand, whose tenets are inconsistent with the truth of religion professed and protested by the church of England, whence we are called protestants; and the anabaptists, and separatists, and sectaries on the other hand, whose tenets are full of schism, and inconsistent with monarchy: for the regulating of either, there needs no other coercion than the due execution of the laws already established by parliament.]

3. For the discipline of the church of England by bishops, &c. I will not positively say, as some do, that it is jure divino; but this I say and think ex animo, that it is the nearest to apostolical truth; and confidently I shall say, it is fittest for monarchy of all others. I will use no other authority to you, than that excellent proclamation set out by the king himself in the first year of his reign, and annexed before the book of Common-Prayer, which I desire

I. Matters that concern religion, and the church you to read; and if at any time there should be the and churchmen.

least motion made for innovation, to put the king in

II. Matters concerning justice, and the laws, and mind to read it himself: it is most dangerous in a the professors thereof.

III. Councillors, and the council table, and the great offices and officers of the kingdom.

IV. Foreign negotiations and embassies.

state, to give ear to the least alterations in government.
[If any attempt be made to alter the discipline of
our church, although it be not an essential part of
our religion, yet it is so necessary not to be rashly

altered, as the very substance of religion will be interested in it: therefore I desire you before any attempt be made of an innovation by your means, or by any intercession to your master, that you will first read over, and his Majesty call to mind, that wise and weighty proclamation, which himself penned, and caused to be published in the first year of his reign, and is prefixed in print before the book of Common-Prayer, of that impression, in which you will find so prudent, so weighty reasons, not to hearken to innovations, as will fully satisfy you, that it is dangerous to give the least ear to such innovators; but it is desperate to be misled by them: and to settle your judgment, mark but the admonition of the wisest of men, king Solomon, Prov. xxiv. 21. My son, fear God and the king, and meddle not with those who are given to change."]

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4. Take heed, I beseech you, that you be not an instrument to countenance the Romish catholics. cannot flatter, the world believes that some near in blood to you are too much for that persuasion; you must use them with fit respects, according to the bonds of nature but you are of kin, and so a friend to their persons, not to their errors.

5. The archbishops and bishops, next under the king, have the government of the church and ecclesiastical affairs: be not you the mean to prefer any to those places for any by-respects; but only for their learning, gravity, and worth their lives and doctrine ought to be exemplary.

6. For deans, and canons or prebends of cathedral churches; in their first institution they were of great use in the church; they were not only to be of counsel with the bishop for his revenue, but chiefly for his government in causes ecclesiastical: use your best means to prefer sch to those places who are fit for that purpose, men eminent for their learning, piety, and discretion, and put the king often in mind thereof; and let them be reduced again to their first institution.

is seated in the golden mean; the enemies unto her are the extremes on either hand.

10. The persons of churchmen are to be had in due respect for their work's sake, and protected from scorn; but if a clergyman be loose and scandalous, he must not be patronized nor winked at; the example of a few such corrupt many.

11. Great care must be taken, that the patrimony of the church be not sacrilegiously diverted to lay uses: his Majesty in his time hath religiously stopped a leak that did much harm, and would else have done more. Be sure, as much as in you lies, stop the like upon all occasions.

12. Colleges and schools of learning are to be cherished and encouraged, there to breed up a new stock to furnish the church and commonwealth when the old store are transplanted. This kingdom hath in latter ages been famous for good literature; and if preferment shall attend the deservers, there will not want supplies.

II. Next to religion, let your care be to promote justice. By justice and mercy is the king's throne established.

1. Let the rule of justice be the laws of the land, an impartial arbiter between the king and his people, and between one subject and another: I shall not speak superlatively of them, lest I be suspected of partiality, in regard of my own profession; but this I may truly say, They are second to none in the christian world.

[They are the best, the equallest in the world between prince and people; by which the king hath the justest prerogative, and the people the best liberty and if at any time there be an unjust deviation, "Hominis est vitium, non professionis."]

2. And as far as it may lie in you, let no arbitrary power be intruded: the people of this kingdom love the laws thereof, and nothing will oblige them more, than a confidence of the free enjoying of them : what the nobles upon an occasion once said in parliament, "Nolumus leges Angliæ mutari," is im

7. You will be often solicited, and perhaps importuned to prefer scholars to church livings: you may farther your friends in that way, cæteris pari-printed in the hearts of all the people. bus; otherwise remember, I pray, that these are not places merely of favour; the charge of souls lies upon them; the greatest account whereof will be required at their own hands; but they will share deeply in their faults who are the instruments of their preferment.

8. Besides the Romish catholics, there is a generation of sectaries, the anabaptists, Brownists, and others of their kinds; they have been several times very busy in this kingdom, under the colour of zeal for reformation of religion: the king your master knows their disposition very well; a small touch will put hira in mind of them; he had experience of them in Scotland, I hope he will beware of them in England; a little countenance or connivancy sets them on fire.

3. But because the life of the laws lies in the due execution and administration of them, let your eye be, in the first place, upon the choice of good judges: these properties had they need to be furnished with; to be learned in their profession, patient in hearing, prudent in governing, powerful in their elocution to persuade and satisfy both the parties and hearers, just in their judgment; and, to sum up all, they must have these three attributes; they must be men of courage, fearing God, and hating covetousness; an ignorant man cannot, a coward dares not, be a good judge.

4. By no means be you persuaded to interpose yourself, either by word or letter, in any cause depending, or like to be depending in any court of justice, nor suffer any other great man to do it where 9. Order and decent ceremonies in the church you can hinder it, and by all means dissuade the are not only comely, but commendable; but there king himself from it, upon the importunity of any must be great care not to introduce innovations, they for themselves or their friends: if it should prevail, will quickly prove scandalous; men are naturally it perverts justice; but if the judge be so just, and over-prone to suspicion; the true protestant religion of such courage, as he ought to be, as not to be in

clined thereby, yet it always leaves a taint of suspicion | becomes vacant, a puisne judge of that court, or of behind it; judges must be as chaste as Cæsar's wife, neither to be, nor to be suspected to be unjust; and, Sir, the honour of the judges in their judicature is the king's honour whose person they represent. 5. There is a great use of the service of the judges in their circuits, which are twice in the year held throughout the kingdom: the trial of causes between party and party, or delivering of the gaols in the several counties, are of great use for the ex-jeants but such as probably might be held fit to be pedition of justice; yet they are of much more use for the government of the counties through which they pass, if that were well thought upon.

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