The newspaper., 1907-02-22
Life and Works of Bacon.
BY MRS. EFFIE JAMES HEM.

was the youngest son of Sir Nicholas
Bacon, Lord Keeper to Queen Eliza
beth, by Ann Coke, one OF the daueh-
ters of Sir Anthony Coke, tutor to
King Edward VI. He was born at
York House, in the Strand, London,
on the 22d of January, 1861.
Like several other extraordinary
men. he is supposed to have inherited
his genius from his mother, and he
certainly was indebted to her for the
early culture of his mind, and the
love OF books, for which during life,
he was distinguished.
Young Francis was delicate, and
unable to join in the rough sports
suited for boys ofrobust constitution.
The Lord Keeper was too much
occupied with his official duties to be
able to give more than his blessing to
his boy. But Lady Bacon, who was
not only a tender mother, but wo-
man of highly cultivated mind after
the manner of her age, devoted her
self ardently to her youngest child,
who exhibited from early infancy the
dawnings of extraordinary intellect.
Bacon, therefore, in his youth enjoyed
every advantage which high station,
intimate association with the court
and free intercourse with learned
and noble people could give.
The queen delighted to converse
with him and used to call him her
young Lord Keeper" On one oc-
casion, he greatly pleased her by his
to children, how old he was? "Ex-
actly two years younger than your
maiesty's happy reign" Under his
mothers care assisted by domestic
tutor, Francis continued until he
reached his thirteenth year. He
took most kindly to his books and
made extraordinary proficiency in
the studies prescribed to him. In
his thirteenth year he was sent to
Trinity College, Cambridge. He
spent three years at college.
We have rather vague accounts OF
his studies during this period. 1t
is said he ran through the whole
circle of liberal arts as they were
then taught; but all that is certain
is, that at his departure he carried
with him a profound contempt for
the course OF study pursued there.
He left Cambridge without oaking
IN. wifi n fvnI vic.
ton that the system Of academical
education in England (Which has
remained substantially the same
since his time) was radically vicious.
While at college ami before he was
sixteen, he began to oppose the
philosophy of Aristotle. Bacon
now spent three whole years in
France, the most valuable OF his
life. His literary eminence may be
traced to his long sojourn in a for
eign country during the age OF pre-
paratory studies, almost as much as
that OF Hume or of Gibbon. He re
sided at Paris with his fathers friend,
Sir Amyas Paulet, English minister
AT the r TeUcu court. ne sOuSut
that which is most of all profitable
in travel, acquaintance with the
secretaries and employed men Of
Ambassadors, and so in travelling in
one country he gained the experience
OF many. Probably with a view OF
being engaged in diplomacy, he
studied with great interest the art
of writing in cipher, and he invented
n method so ingenious, that many
years after he thought it deserving
a place in the "De Augmentis.
While thinking he would spend his
life in such speculations and pursuits,
he heard of the sudden death of his
father. He Immediately returned to
England, and found the income left
him wholly insufficient for his sup
port without n profession or an Of
flee. "He had to think how to live,
instead of living only to think" He
at once began the study OF the law.
Ee pursued his study with the ut
most diligence and determination to
excel.
He was admitted to the bar in
1882, and was soon known to be an
IL. Il