fortune, so for the growing up of your own feathers, specially ostrich’s, or any other save of a bird of prey, no man shall be more glad.  And this is the axletree whereupon I have turned and shall turn, which to signify to you, though I think you are of yourself persuaded as much, is the cause of my writing; and so I commend your Lordship to God’s goodness.  From Gray’s Inn, this 20th day of July, 1600.

     “Your Lordship’s most humbly,
     “FR. BACON.”

To this letter Essex returned an answer of dignified reserve, such as Bacon might himself have dictated—­

“MR. BACON,—­I can neither expound nor censure your late actions, being ignorant of all of them, save one, and having directed my sight inward only, to examine myself.  You do pray me to believe that you only aspire to the conscience and commendation of bonus civis and bonus vir; and I do faithfully assure you, that while that is your ambition (though your course be active and mine contemplative), yet we shall both convenire in codem tertio and convenire inter nosipsos.  Your profession of affection and offer of good offices are welcome to me.  For answer to them I will say but this, that you have believed I have been kind to you, and you may believe that I cannot be other, either upon humour or my own election.  I am a stranger to all poetical conceits, or else I should say somewhat of your poetical example.  But this I must say, that I never flew with other wings than desire to merit and confidence in my Sovereign’s favour; and when one of these wings failed me I would light nowhere but at my Sovereign’s feet, though she suffered me to be bruised with my fall.  And till her Majesty, that knows I was never bird of prey, finds it to agree with her will and her service that my wings should be imped again, I have committed myself to the mire.  No power but my God’s and my Sovereign’s can alter this resolution of

     “Your retired friend,
     “ESSEX.”

But after Essex’s mad attempt in the city a new state of things arose.  The inevitable result was a trial for high treason, a trial of which no one could doubt the purpose and end.  The examination of accomplices revealed speeches, proposals, projects, not very intelligible to us in the still imperfectly understood game of intrigue that was going on among all parties at the end of Elizabeth’s reign, but quite enough to place Essex at the mercy of the Government and the offended Queen.  “The new information,” says Mr. Spedding, “had been immediately communicated to Coke and Bacon.”  Coke, as Attorney-General, of course conducted the prosecution; and the next prominent person on the side of the Crown was not the Solicitor, or any other regular law officer, but Bacon, though holding the very subordinate place of one of the “Learned Counsel.”