which are extant.[25] One outstanding case, however, that of Dr
Steward,[26] casts some suspicion on all the others. The terms of
Buckingham's note[27] concerning it might easily have aroused doubts; and
we find that the further course of the action was to all appearances
exactly accommodated to Dr Steward, who [v.03 p.0142] had been so strongly
recommended. It is, of course, dangerous to form an extreme judgment on an
isolated and partially understood case, of which also we have no
explanation from Bacon himself, but if the interpretation advanced by Heath
be the true one, Bacon certainly suffered his first, and, so far as we can
see, just judgment on the case to be set aside, and the whole matter to be
reopened in obedience to a request from Buckingham.

It is somewhat hard to understand Bacon's position with regard to the king
during these years. He was the first officer of the crown, the most able
man in the kingdom, prudent, sagacious and devoted to the royal party. Yet
his advice was followed only when it chimed in with James's own will; his
influence was of a merely secondary kind; and his great practical skill was
employed simply in carrying out the measures of the king in the best mode
possible. We know indeed that he sympathized cordially with the home policy
of the government; he had no objection to such monopolies or patents as
seemed advantageous to the country, and for this he is certainly not to be
blamed.[28] The opinion was common at the time, and the error was merely
ignorance of the true principles of political economy. But we know also
that the patents were so numerous as to be oppressive, and we can scarcely
avoid inferring that Bacon more readily saw the advantages to the
government than the disadvantages to the people. In November 1620, when a
new parliament was summoned to meet on January following, he earnestly
pressed that the most obnoxious patents, those of alehouses and inns, and
the monopoly of gold and silver thread, should be given up, and wrote to
Buckingham, whose brothers were interested, advising him to withdraw them
from the impending storm. This prudent advice was unfortunately rejected.
But while he went cordially with the king in domestic affairs, he was not
quite in harmony with him on questions of foreign policy. Not only was he
personally in favour of a war with Spain for the recovery of the
Palatinate, but he foresaw in such a course of action the means of drawing
together mor