had
still a third son who was determined to root out abuses; and that not
until the present proceedings had been taken had he recognised the
advantages of parliamentary government. Upon this, the leading men
with whom Williams had formed a connexion, desisted from attacking the
First Minister. It even came about that a person of high rank,
accused at the bar of the House of Lords, who had let fall an
expression, comparing Buckingham to old favourites of hateful memory,
was obliged to retract it with considerable ceremony. But a victim was
required: one was found in the Lord Chancellor Bacon.

Although condemned by law and morality, an evil practice still
prevailed of receiving presents of money in official transactions. The
sums were known and have been registered, by means of which Gondomar
retained the services of a number of statesmen in the interest of
Spain. How many similar abuses in the control of the Treasury had been
brought to light only a short time before! Even the great philosopher,
who in his writings is so zealous against bribes, contracted during
his administration the stain of receiving them. That he might stand on
an equality with the great lords, he incurred inordinate expenses,
which these bribes assisted him to meet. Edward Coke was wholly in the
right when he exclaimed that a corrupt judge was 'the grievance of
grievances.'[410] Two-and-twenty cases were proved in which the
supreme judge, the Lord Chancellor of England, had taken presents from
the parties concerned. Lord Bacon made no attempt to justify his
conduct; he only affirmed--and this appears in fact to have been the
case--that in his decisions he never was influenced by the presents
that had been made him. When he was called to account for them, he
acquiesced himself in the justice of the proceeding, for he allowed
that a reform was necessary, and only deemed himself unfortunate in
being the person with whom it began. The Lords pronounced sentence
upon him that he should never again fill an official position, nor be
capable of sitting in Parliament, and that he should be banished from
the precincts of the court.

Apart from its importance as affecting individuals, this event is
very important in the history of the constitution, which now returned
to its former paths. That the Lower House again as in old times was
able to procure the fall of one of the highest officials, is an
evidence of its growing power. That the First Minister and fav