THE STOCK FROM WHICH BACON CAME.
"A prodigy of parts he must be who was begot by wise Sir Nicholas Bacon,
born of the accomplished Mrs. Ann Cooke," says an early biographer.
Nicholas Bacon is said to have been born at Chislehurst, in Kent, in
1509. He was the second son of Robert Bacon, of Drinkstone, in Suffolk,
Esquire and Sheep-reeve to the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds. It is believed
that he was educated at the abbey school. He speaks of his intimacy with
Edmund Rougham, a monk of that house, who was noted for his wonderful
proficiency in memory. He was admitted to the College of Corpus Christi,
Cambridge, and took the degree of B.A. in 1526-7. He went to Paris soon
afterwards, and on his return studied law at Gray's Inn, being called to
the Bar in 1533, and admitted ancient in 1536. He was appointed, in
1537, Clerk to the Court of Augmentations. In 1546 he was made Attorney
of the Court of Wards and Liveries, and continued as such under Edward
VI. Upon the accession of Mary he conformed to the change of religion
and retained his office during her reign. Nicholas Bacon and William
Cecil, each being a widower, had married sisters. When Elizabeth came to
the throne Cecil became her adviser. He was well acquainted with
Nicholas Bacon's sterling worth and great capacity for business, and
availed himself of his advice and assistance. The Queen delivered to
Bacon the great seal, with the title of Lord Keeper, on the 22nd
December, 1558, and he was sworn of the Privy Council and knighted. By
letters patent, dated 14th April, 1559, the full powers of a Chancellor
were conferred upon him. In 1563 he narrowly escaped the loss of his
office for alleged complicity in the issue of a pamphlet espousing the
cause of the House of Suffolk to the succession. He was restored to
favour, and continued as Lord Keeper until his death in 1579. The Queen
visited him at Gorhambury on several occasions. Sir Nicholas Bacon, in
addition to performing the important duties of his high office in the
Court of Chancery and in the Star Chamber, took an important part in all
public affairs, both domestic and foreign, from the accession of
Elizabeth until his death. He first married Jane, daughter of William
Fernley, of West Creting, Suffolk, by whom he had three sons and three
daughters. For his second wife he married Anne, daughter of Sir Anthony
Cooke, by whom he had two sons, Anthony and Francis. It is of more
importance for the present purpose to know what type of man was the
father of Francis Bacon. The author of the "Arte of English Poesie"
(1589) relates that he came upon Sir Nicholas sitting in his gallery
with the works of Quintillian before him, and adds: "In deede he was a
most eloquent man and of rare learning and wisdome as ever I knew
England to breed, and one that joyed as much in learned men and good
witts." This author, speaking of Sir Nicholas and Burleigh, remarks,
"From whose lippes I have seen to proceede more grave and naturall
eloquence then from all the oratours of Oxford and Cambridge."
In his "Fragmenta Regalia" Sir Robert Naunton describes him as "an
archpeece of wit and wisdom," stating that "he was abundantly facetious
which took much with the Queen when it was suited with the season as he
was well able to judge of his times." Fuller describes him as "a man of
rare wit and deep experience," and, again, as "a good man, a grave
statesman, and a father to his country." Bishop Burnet speaks of him as
"not only one of the most learned and pious men, but one of the wisest
ministers this nation ever bred." The observations of the author of "The
Statesmen and Favourites of England in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth" are
very illuminating. "Sir Nicholas Bacon," he says, "was a man full of wit
and wisdome, a gentleman and a man of Law with great knowledge therein."
He proceeds: "This gentleman understood his Mistress well and the times
better: He could raise factions to serve the one and allay them to suit
the others. He had the deepest reach into affairs of any man that was at
the Council table: the knottiest Head to pierce into difficulties: the
most comprehensive Judgement to surround the merit of a cause: the
strongest memory to recollect all circumstances of a Business to one
View: the greatest patience to debate and consider; (for it was he that
first said, let us stay a little and we will have done the sooner:) and
the clearest reason to urge anything that came in his way in the Court
of Chancery.... Leicester seemed wiser than he was, Bacon was wiser than
he seemed to be; Hunsden neither was nor seemed wise.... Great was this
Stateman's Wit, greater the Fame of it; which as he would say, _being
nothing, made all things_. For Report, though but Fancy, begets Opinion;
and Opinion begets substance.... He neither affected nor attained to
greatness: _Mediocria firma_, was his principle and his practice. When
Queen Elizabeth asked him, _Why his house was so little?_ he answered,
_Madam, my house is not too little for me, but you have made me too big
for my House. Give me_, said he, _a good Estate rather than a great one.
He had a very Quaint saying and he used it often to good purpose_, That
he loved the Jest well but not the loss of his Friend.... He was in a
word, a Father of his country and of _Sir Francis Bacon_."
Before speaking of Lady Ann Bacon, it is necessary to give some account
of her father, Sir Anthony Cooke. He was a great-grandson of Sir Thomas
Cooke, Lord Mayor of London, and was born at Giddy Hall, in Essex. Again
the most valuable observations on his character are to be found in "The
Lives of Statesmen and Favourites" before referred to. The author states
that Sir Anthony "was one of the Governors to King Edward the sixth when
Prince, and is charactered by Mr. Camden _Vir antiqua serenitate_. He
observeth him also to be happy in his Daughters, learned above their Sex
in Greek and Latine: namely, Mildred who married William Cecil, Lord
Treasurer of England; Anne who married Nichlas Bacon, Lord Chancellor of
England; Katherine who married Henry Killigrew; Elizabeth who married
Thomas Hobby, and afterwards Lord Russell, and Margaret who married
Ralph Rowlet."
"Gravity," says this author, "was the Ballast of Sir Anthony's Soul and
General Learning its leading.... Yet he was somebody in every Art, and
eminent in all, the whole circle of Arts lodging in his Soul. His
Latine, fluent and proper; his Greek, critical and exact; his Philology
and Observations upon each of these languages, deep, curious, various
and pertinent: His Logic, rational; his History and Experience, general;
his Rhetorick and Poetry, copious and genuine; his Mathematiques,
practicable and useful. Knowing that souls were equal, and that Women
are as capable of Learning as Men, he instilled that to his Daughters at
night, which he had taught the Prince in the day, being resolved to have
Sons by education, for fear he should have none by birth; and lest he
wanted an Heir of his body, he made five of his minde, for whom he had
at once a _Gavel-kind_ of affection and of Estate."
"Three things there are before whom (was Sir Anthony's saying) I cannot
do amis: 1, My Prince; 2, my conscience; 3, my children. Seneca told his
sister, That though he could not leave her a good portion, he would
leave her a good pattern. Sir Anthony would write to his Daughter
_Mildred, My example is your inheritance and my life is your
portion_....
"He said first, and his Grandchilde my Lord Bacon after him, That the
Joys of Parents are Secrets, and so are their Griefs and Fears.... Very
providently did he secure his eternity, by leaving the image of his
nature in his children and of his mind in his Pupil.... The books he
advised were not _many_ but _choice_: the business he pressed was not
reading, but digesting.... Sir John Checke talked merrily, Dr. Coxe
solidly and Sir Anthony Cooke weighingly: A faculty that was derived
with his blood to his Grandchilde Bacon."
Such then was the father of Lady Anne Bacon. She and her sisters were
famous as a family of accomplished classical scholars. She had a
thorough knowledge of Greek and Latin. An Apologie ... in defence of the
Churche of England by Dr. Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury, was translated by
her from the Latin and published in 1564. Sir Anthony had been exiled
during Mary's reign, for his adherence to the Protestant faith. His
daughter, Anne, inherited, not only his classical accomplishments, but
his strong Puritan faith and his hatred of Popery. Francis Bacon
describes her as "A Saint of God." There is a portrait of her painted by
Nathaniel Bacon, her stepson, in which she appears standing in her
pantry habited as a cook. In feature Francis appears to have resembled
his mother. He "had the same pouting lip, the same round head, the same
straight nose and Hebe chin."