e past it was no small grief unto me to hear
the mouth of so many upon this occasion open to load you with
innumerable malicious and detracting speeches, as if no music were
more pleasing to my ears than to rail of you, which made me rather
regret the ill nature of mankind, that like dogs love to set upon
him that they see once snatched at. And to conclude, my Lord, you
have hereby a fair occasion so to make good hereafter your
reputation by your sincere service to his Majesty, as also by your
firm and constant kindness to your friends, as I may (your
Lordship's old friend) participate of the comfort and honour that
will thereby come to you. Thus I rest at last

"Your Lordship's faithful friend and servant,
"G.B."

"MY EVER BEST LORD, now better than yourself,--Your Lordship's pen,
or rather pencil, hath pourtrayed towards me such magnanimity and
nobleness and true kindness, as methinketh I see the image of some
ancient virtue, and not anything of these times. It is the line of
my life, and not the lines of my letter, that must express my
thankfulness; wherein if I fail, then God fail me, and make me as
miserable as I think myself at this time happy by this reviver,
through his Majesty's singular clemency, and your incomparable love
and favour. God preserve you, prosper you, and reward you for your
kindness to

"Your raised and infinitely obliged friend and servant,
"Sept. 22, 1617.
FR. BACON, C.S."

Thus he had tried his strength with Buckingham. He had found that this,
"a little parent-like" manner of advising him, and the doctrine that a
true friend "ought rather to go against his mind than his good," was not
what Buckingham expected from him. And he never ventured on it again. It
is not too much to say that a man who could write as he now did to
Buckingham, could not trust himself in any matter in which Buckingham,
was interested.

But the reconciliation was complete, and Bacon took his place more and
more as one of the chief persons in the Government. James claimed so
much to have his own way, and had so little scruple in putting aside, in
his superior wisdom, sometimes very curtly, Bacon's or any other
person's recommendations, that though his services were great, and were
not unrecognised, he never had the power and influence in affairs to
which his boundless devotion to the Crown, h