, 1861-03-21


him second time. "The public could i'll excuse
Bacon for appearing against so munifcent q bene-
factor. He was none Of the crown lawyers; so
was not obliged by his Office to assist in this trial
yet did he not scFupe, in order TO obtain the
Queens favor, to be active in depriving of life
his friend and patron whose generosity be had Of
ten experienced" Well may the world look with
some feeling Of contempt upon all its greatness
and divines preach Che depravity of human nature,
when they can point to Bacon the pride of hu-
manity and the glory of the civilized work" |"
willing to be counsel for the sake Of the Queens fa-
vOr, against his best friend and benelactor-Cook
| tyrannicaly abusing his authority to hurry him
| to the Tower, because he had befriended Bacon,
his rival and enemy: and Bacon using every base
means for her majesty's grace, who had loved and
ought to have protected Essex, to bring that high.
noble and chivalrOus spirit to the scafold! Es-
sex had so repeatedly, by his fidelity to him under
all circumstances, in prosperity and adversely, laid
Bacon under the most sacred ObligatiOnsO of friend
ship, that even the Earls bitterest enemies looked
for return from Bacon in this trying hour. The
peers, and Judges and noble pre!ates were metel
to tears. Even Cecil, his greatest antagonist re-
Tented, and treated him with kindness and human
ity. But Bacon's ingratitude and perlidy stopped
not here. He was not content, when Essex was
tried before the prvy council, with hurrying him
to the Tower: nor, in his final trial, with hasten
ing his condemnation and sentence to the scaiold;
but he had the meanness Of soul to engage in
drawing up a narrative Of that days proceedings,
to satisfy the public of the Justice and enity O
Of the Queens conduct towards Essex! 10 rob
him Of Office, ami position, and power, AMI even
life Itself, was not enough he was willing to bar
ter away his friends fair iame--all for the royal
favor.
After the nOb!e-hearted pure-minded great
souled Essex was laid in his grave, Bacon wrote
out that days proceedings" 10 brand his name
with iniamy. Elizabeth repentcd her harshness and
unkindness towards her former iavorite when it
was too late and she passed into another world
with heavy weight Of grief and bitter rcmorse
resting on her soul.
Abort this time Bacon was reduced to extreme
pov,ry. Tosuch extremity was he reduced that at
one time he was arrested in the street for debt
o. G3OH, to goldsmith, and thrown into prison,
where he lay some time in vile spongchOuse in
| Coleman street lie sought To better his condi-
I on Ly mari g :, AMI paid his suit to rich young
wldew-LAdy HattOn-with what success We
shall soon sce.
The wife Of Coke died in 1898, and left him
w'tI ten enid en-; and the disconsolate husband,
utter carefully noting he virtues Of his deceased
vile in his pock' Diary. within four months mar
| ried a secon this same Lady HattOn, daughter
Of ThOs. Cecil and widow OI the nephew Of Lord
Chancellor Hat,Op. Coke WIS then forty-nine
years Of age and she but twenty and she dis
| liked him from III m ilge day ever afterwards.
Bacon, her cousin, had sought her hand in vain,
and here Coke Outstripped him again-Out Of spite
to bis uns ccessfnl rival, and for the sake of
tilthy lucr.," marrying the young, beautiful and
wea thy widow, Pr. UGt,ig. But he caught tar
tar that time. The eccentric manners and viO-
! lent temper OF this woman made her q disgrace
and II torment to her connections" Fortunately
for Bacon she rejcctd him. marrying his enemy
=" that narrow.minded, bad-hearted pedant, Sir
Edward Coke-and did her best to make him as
miserable as he deserved to be-" She not only
diskcd him, but she hated hisdry pursuits, spurned
his s ciety and his name; ; and after giving birth
to diught r, peremptorily refused 10 live with
him any longer.
QUEEN L isabeth dying. James l., Of England,
| (whJ had be, james VI, Of Scotand,) came to
the throne in 1908. He continued Coke as at
tOrney General, and conferred on him the dignity
Of knighthOod.
The trial Of the adventurous Raleigh was his
first cause under the new Sovereign. Here, again,
the great lawyer sti1ed justice and mercy ignoring
all clemeney, and tyrannizng over the prisoner
shametnlly, the prosecuting attorney
Popham, the reformed highway robber," judge.
Both did their utmost to prove him guilty. Ra-
leigh, in his defence, laid down the law rs Coke,
one Of Englands most profound judges, knew how
in after life ~ define it but as be did not define
! il on that occasion.
| Sycophancy, so long as it could minister to his
love OF gain, and power, and cater to his depraved
appetite for wealth and glory, urged him on in
his unc.ean work. When this availcd him moth
iHg-.-why, he would be u patriot not from prin-
ciple, but ambition RELENTLESS hate-revenge. He
soon had a cause just in his line. Next to the
last object Of his cruelty and maeyolonce, was
Guy Faux AMI his accompECos in the famous
/ Guupowdcr Pot Of Nov. 5, 1905. During the
course of the tril, Sir Evcrard Digby, one Of
the culprs, confessed his guilt, and that he de-
served the vilest death, but begged OF Coke, while
hap.ng insult and abuse upon their heads, some
mercy AID moderation OF Justice" Coke dealt
out to him the dose prescribed in Psalms GIN, .
--l3. Let his vile be widow, and his children
vagabonds; let there be none to extend mercy
unto him; LIT his pOsturity be destroyed, and IN
tho next generation let his be bi0tted out =
| Knowing that he could not escape punishment,
/ he implord only forgiveness saying that il their
lordsh p' orgave him, he could ego more cheer
\ fully To the gal ows." In the presence Of the
cruel Coke, the more noble lords answered." The
, Lord forgive You and we do"
In 1906, Coke, af or the Gunpowd,r Plot had
been disposed of, AMI after bccOnH', rs Lord
Camphe expresses it, latigued if not satiatcd
with amlssing money at the BAR was made
Chief Justice Of the Court Of Common Pleas.
The Kings hvOr and prerOgatiyes were as doar TO
him in this Office US ever before.
Meantime, Bacon, that " sublimcst yet meancst
Of men," whom Pope in one emphatic line pro
nOunctS
"The wispst. brightest, mcanest Of mankind
was deeply laying his plans fer promotion, but hc
d,sircd ~ build hims,'lf up On Cokes downfall 4;
and to both Of these works he applied all his
subtle arts
BY Cuke's last eeva,ion 10 the Common Pfas,
Bao0n bocame Solicitor G,nra'. aud Hobart
passgSl irVm this TO thu higher olice Il Attorney
Gsn'Tal, which Coke had just vacated. They
we're both advancing. bu, Coke was still ahead in