Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-28

PERSONAL HIsToRY OF LORD BACON; from
unpublished papers. By William Hep
worth Dixon Of the Inner Temple. Boston'
Ticknor and Field.
Macauly, in his essay upon Bacon, OBJ
serves "that the moral character Of man
eminent in letters, or in the fine arts, is
treatsd--olter by cotemporaries-almOst al
ways, by posterity--with extraordinary ten
derness." Since the days Of Francis Bacon,
no one has gainsaid his wisdom or his vast
learning; but very many have found rea-
sons, while admiring his distinguished and
shining abilities, 10 condemn the qualities
Of his heart. Pope, in memorable iiue,
called him "the wisest, brightest, meanest
Of mankind" and it is this line which our
author has made the text for condemning
either tne honesty or the judgment of not
only Pope, but Lord Campbell, Macauly and
various other writers, who have differed with
himself in their estimate of Bacon's char
acter. The Personal History" is evident
" the work Of an ardent admireri whose
admiration constantly leads him to an
extreme of condemnation, certainly unwise,
if it be not unjust. As defence merely,
it might be acceptable; as an history it
must be wanting. Its language is too much
tinctured with bitterness, not to betray the
prejudice Of its author. II is the voice Of q
passionate pleader, not of 3 calm, discrimi-
nate Judge.
The ingratitude of Bacon to Essex, is one
of the gravest of the many charges which
have been brought against him. These
charges Mr.. Dixon answers not so much by
sndeaYoring to prove their falsity as by
abusing Essex. To obtain place for his
friend, the Earl declares that he "stOOd
against all the world !" that he "spent all
his power, might, authority end amity, but
| it was given to another" Fooled in these
attempts, he, to console Bacon, conferred
upon him an estate, with, as tae latter ae-
knowledged, " so kind and noble eireum-
stances, as the manner was worth more
than the matter" Dixon says that the loss
of these positions was due, solely to Essex
''that he persistently urged the matter to the
queen," who cat length became angry with
his selfish pride :" that the estate was accept
ed because of Essex's ''posts and sulks" al
th ugh Bacon hesitated to owe any feudal
obligation to so vain and weak a man. Ad-
mitting that Essex had been unwise, 1t
would hardly seem proper, since he bestow-
ed all that was in his power, to impugn the
generosity of his motive. When at length
fortune deserted his patron and beneiao-
tor, Bacon, too, deserted him, and not only
that: but he brought to bear his vast powers,
his legal knowledge, his unsurpassed logical
ability, his influence, for the purpose of shut
ing up every avenue of escape, and crush
ing him.
The whole Of Baeon's course seems to have
been that of a man who is willing to sacri-
fee everything, his principles and his
friends alike, to his ambition. That his ma
ture was capable of the finer feelings and
sympathies, is undoubtedly truej but that
he cast them aside, when it suited his pur-
pose so to do, that he stiaed them, that he
might rise, seems to be equally true, When
called TO an account for his own offences, al
though Dixon says that che feels that he is
a sacrifice, !" his own words are, "I do plain
Iy and ingenuously confess that am guilty
of corruption, and do renOunee all defence
and further II beseech your LordshiPs to
be merciful to a broken reed
The volume contains many interesting
letters and much valuable matter not before
published.
T. ,.,n he obtained of J. B. Cobb & Co.