The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-05-14
FRANCIS BACON

(RepOrt LOT ClaSS II, Dy +. b. II.
Francis Bacon, who has been termed 1.-The father
of inductive philosophy" born in London
Jan. %. 1861. His father. Sir Nicholas Bacon. was
celebrated lawyer and statesman, who held the
great seal of England for twenty years of Eliza
beth's reign. His mother. lady of fine talents.
was sister of Mildred. the second wife of the
great Lord Burleigh, the most able and infuen-
tal of Queen Elzabeth's ministers. At the age of
u years. Bacon sent to the University Of
Cambridge, where he is said to have distinguished
himself by his diligence to the several sciences as
then taught Though of feeble constitution he
was intellectual prod gy; and three years later
quit the university already disguised with the
Aristotelian philosophy and other studies which
were pursued there.
In 1876 he visited France in order to acquire
the French language. but the sudden death of his
father in 1879 obliged h i'm to return to England.
1t appears that his father died without leaving
him. a younger son. competence; and. mis- great
relatives failing to give him an Office that he
might be able to continue his search after truth
it became absolutely necessary that he should
adopt some profession. He chose that of law, and
was admitted to the bar in 1882.
At 26 years of age we find him member of Par.
lament. and an orator of the first order In the
relatives for an office. but it that Lord Bur-
leigh, who regarded him dangerous rival to his
own son, retarded rather than aided his promo
ton.
1t was probably short time after Bacon took
his seat in Parliament that he formed the &C.
quaintance of the Earl of Essex, who not only
his uncles rival. but also great favorite of the
Queen. The Earl became great friend to Bacon
bnt notwithstanding, as he says he spent all his
power. might, authority and amity." in Bacon s
behalf, he failed to get him the high Office he de-
sired. However, to compensate in some degree,
for Bacon's disappointment, Essex made him a
present of a valuable estate in Twickenham
which was soon mortaged by Bacon, for his ex-
travagant habits kept him in debt all his life
even while enjoying lucrative law practice he
arrested for debt
1t ) a lamentable fact that when Essexs fame
and ortunes began to decline. Bacon after a time
deserted him. When the Earl was subsequently
brought to trial for high treason, Bacon unneces-
sarily appeared prosecuting officer of the crown
and employed all his great talents in magnifying
the crimes of the man who had loved and trusted
him; and still, after the EarIs execution he
employed his skill further in blackening the char
acter of his benefactor. am led to believe that
when Pope characterized Bacon as 1.-The bright
est. wisest, meanest of mankind" he was think.
ing of Bacon's conduct in this matter.
When James mounted the throne, notwthstand-
ing the fact that the new king always felt kindly
toward Essex, Bacon favOrably received at
court. His talents" says Macaulay, secured
him from contempt, his temper and his manners
from hatred" He continued to grow in fav or,
and in 1906 married an aldermans daughter "a
handsome maiden" and " to his liking" The fol-
lowing year he was appointed Solicitor General,
and in 1913 he became Attorney General. Three
years afterwards he was made Lord Keeper and
the following year he was made Lord High Chan
cellor of England-the highest civil Office to which
any subject could attain. He soon after
created Baron Verulam. About 1920 he was in
the zenith of his fortunes and fame having been
created Viscount st. Alban and having published
his most celebrated work, Novum Organum-"A
new Logic, to judge or invent by induction, and
thereby to make philosophy and science both
more true and more active.'
He reached this high pinnacle of greatness-the
goal of his ambtion-by slow and toilsome pro.
cess, but he was only allowed to enjoy the high
honors of his office short time. for he was soon
after accused of accepting gifts from sutors in his
Court of Chancery.
For a time he strongly asserted his innocence
but as the evidence accumulated against him he
abandoned his defense, and confessed his guilt
On May g. 1921, after considerable discussion, the
House of Lords decided upon the sentence He
was condemned to pay fine of 5000, 900, to i'm
prisonment in the Tower during the kings pleas
ure. and to perpetual exclusion from office. After
two days sojourn at the Tower he was set at lib
erty. His fine was RENTED. and he was even
soon after received at court. But the disgrace
could never be removed from a name which
would otherwise have shown among the bright
aaf In Enoiah racords