favourite. At the
close of 1591 he was acting as the earl's confidential adviser, and exerted
himself, together with his brother Anthony, diligently in the earl's
service. In February 1593 parliament was called, and Bacon took his seat
for Middlesex. The special occasion for which the House had been summoned
was the discovery of one of the numerous popish plots that distracted
Elizabeth's reign.

As Bacon's conduct in this emergency seriously affected his fortunes and
has been much misunderstood, it is necessary to state, as briefly as
possible, the whole facts of the case. The House having been duly informed
of the state necessities, assented to a double subsidy and appointed a
committee to draw up the requisite articles. Before this was completed, a
message arrived from the House of Lords requesting a conference, which was
granted. The committee of the Commons were then informed that the crisis
demanded a triple subsidy to be collected in a shorter time than usual,
that the Lords could not assent to less than this, and that they desired to
confer on the matter. This proposal of the Lords to discuss supply
infringed upon the privileges of the Commons; accordingly, when the report
of committee was read to the Lower House, Bacon spoke against the proposed
conference, pointing out at the same time that a communication from the
Lords might be received, but that the actual deliberation on it must be
taken by themselves alone. His motion, after some delay, was carried and
the conference was rejected. The Lords upon this lowered their demands, and
desired merely to make a communication, which, being legitimate, was at
once assented to. The House had then before them the proposal for a triple
subsidy, to be collected in three, or, as the motion ultimately was shaped,
in four years, instead of in six, as the ordinary custom would have been.
Bacon, who approved of the increased subsidy, was opposed to the short
period in which it was proposed to raise it. He suggested that it would be
difficult or impossible for the people to meet such heavy demands, that
discontent and trouble would arise, and that the better method of procedure
was to raise money by levy or imposition. His motion appears to have
received no support, and the four years' subsidy was passed unanimously.
Bacon, as it turned out, had been mistaken in thinking that the country
would be unable to meet the increased taxation, and his conduct, though
prompted by a pure