ple will listen. The habit of directness and
simplicity, which Bacon formed in his speaking, remained with him
through Life.

Among the many charges against Bacon's personal code of ethics, two
stand out conspicuously. The Earl of Essex, who had given Bacon an
estate then worth L1800, was influential in having him appointed to
the staff of counselors to Queen Elizabeth. When Essex was accused of
treason, Bacon kept the queen's friendship by repudiating him and
taking an active part in the prosecution that led to the earl's
execution. After James I. had made Bacon Lord High Chancellor of
England, he was accused of receiving bribes as a judge. He replied
that he had accepted only the customary presents given to judges and
that these made no difference in his decisions. He was tried, found
guilty, fined L40,000, and sentenced to be imprisoned in the Tower
during the king's pleasure. After a few days, however, the king
released him, forgave the fine, and gave him an annual pension of
L1200.

The question whether he wrote Shakespeare's plays needs almost as much
discussion on the moral as on the intellectual side. James Spedding,
after studying Bacon's life and works for thirty years, said: "I see
no reason to suppose that Shakespeare did not write the plays. But if
somebody else did, then I think I am in a position to say that it was
not Lord Bacon."

After his release, Bacon passed the remaining five years of his life
in retirement,--studying and writing. His interest in observing
natural objects and experimenting with them was the cause of his
death. He was riding in a snowstorm when it occurred to him to test
snow as a preservative agent. He stopped at a house, procured a fowl,
and stuffed it with snow. He caught cold during this experiment and,
being improperly cared for, soon died.

The Essays.--The first ten of his _Essays_, his most popular work,
appeared in the year 1597. At the time of his death, he had increased
them to fifty-eight. They deal with a with range of subjects, from
_Studies_ and _Nobility_, On the one hand, to _Marriage and Single
Life_ and _Gardens_ on the other. The great critic Hallam say: "It
would be somewhat derogatory to a man of the slightest claim to polite
letters, were he unacquainted with the _Essays_ of Bacon. It is,
indeed, little worth while to read this or any other book for
reputation's, sake; but very few in our language so well repay the
pains, or afford more nourishment to t