BaconMacmillan and Company, 1888 - 287 pages |
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abuses accusation Advancement ambition Aristotle Bacon Buckingham Burghley called Cecil Chancery charge claims Coke Commons confess confidence corruption counsel course Court dangerous disgrace doubt duty Earl English essay Essex fashion favour favourite fortune Francis Bacon give Gondomar Gorhambury Government Gray's Inn hand hath heart Hobart honour hope House House of Commons House of Lords idea imagination Instauratio interest James James's judge justice King King's knew knowledge language Latin lawyers letter Lord Burghley Lord Chancellor Lordship Majesty Majesty's man's matter ment method mind natural philosophy nature never Novum Organum opinion Parliament person philosophy prerogative Puritan Queen question reason referees Salisbury seems sentence servant Southampton Spedding speech spirit Star Chamber strange suitors things thought tion Toby Matthews trial truth unto wanted wisdom words writes wrote York House
Popular passages
Page 96 - I do confess, since I was of any understanding, my mind hath in effect been absent from that I have done ; and in absence are many errors, which I do willingly acknowledge ; and, amongst the rest, this great one that led the rest ; that knowing myself by inward calling to be. fitter to hold a book, than to play a part, I have led my life in civil causes ; for which I was not very fit by nature, and more unfit by the pre-occupation of my mind.
Page 174 - And now, when I thought most of peace and honour, thy hand is heavy upon me. and hath humbled me according to thy former loving-kindness, keeping me still in thy fatherly school, not as a bastard, but as a child. Just are thy judgments upon me for my sins, which are more in number than the sands of the sea, but have no proportion to thy mercies; for what are the sands of the sea? Earth, heavens, and all these, are nothing to thy mercies.
Page 206 - But because he that hath taken bribes is apt to give bribes, I will go farther, and present your Majesty with a bribe. For if your Majesty give me peace and leisure, and God give me life, I will present your Majesty with a good history of England, and a better digest of your laws.
Page 277 - Neither is this second fruit of friendship, in opening the understanding, restrained only to such friends as are able to give a man counsel, (they indeed are best,) but even without that a man learneth of himself, and bringeth his own thoughts to light, and whetteth his wits as against a stone, which itself cuts not. In a word, a man were better relate himself to a statue or picture, than to suffer his thoughts to pass in smother.
Page 277 - ... certain it is that whosoever hath his mind fraught with many thoughts, his wits and understanding do clarify and break up in the communicating and discoursing with another...
Page 174 - Besides my innumerable sins, I confess before thee, that I am debtor to thee for the gracious talent of thy gifts and graces, which I have neither put into a napkin, nor put it (as I ought) to exchangers, where it might have made best profit, but misspent it in things for which I was least fit: so as I may truly say, my soul hath been a stranger in the course of my pilgrimage. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for my Saviour's sake, and receive me unto thy bosom, or guide me in thy ways.
Page 83 - My ambition now I shall only put upon my pen, whereby I shall be able to maintain memory and merit of the times succeeding.
Page 173 - The state and bread of the poor and oppressed have been precious in mine eyes ; I have hated all cruelty and hardness of heart ; I have (though in a despised weed) procured the good of all men.
Page 137 - THIS day I have made even with the business of the kingdom for common justice ; not one cause unheard; the lawyers drawn dry of all the motions they were to make; not one petition unanswered. And this, I think, could not be said in our age before.
Page 47 - I have been like a piece of stuff bespoken in the shop ; and if her Majesty will not take me, it may be the selling by parcels will be more gainful. For to be, as I told you, like a child following a bird, which when he is nearest flieth away and lighteth a little before, and then the child after it again, and so in infinitum, I am weary of it...