“I humbly pray your Lordship to consider that time groweth precious with me, and that a married man is seven years elder in his thoughts the first day....  And were it not to satisfy my wife’s friends, and to get myself out of being a common gaze and a speech, I protest before God I would never speak word for it.  But to conclude, as my honourable Lady your wife was some mean to make me to change the name of another, so if it please you to help me to change my own name, I can be but more and more bounden to you; and I am much deceived if your Lordship find not the King well inclined, and my Lord of Salisbury forward and affectionate.”

To Salisbury he writes: 

“I may say to your Lordship, in the confidence of your poor kinsman, and of a man by you advanced, Tu idem fer opem, qui spem dedisti; for I am sure it was not possible for any living man to have received from another more significant and comfortable words of hope; your Lordship being pleased to tell me, during the course of my last service, that you would raise me; and that when you had resolved to raise a man, you were more careful of him than himself; and that what you had done for me in my marriage was a benefit to me, but of no use to your Lordship....  And I know, and all the world knoweth, that your Lordship is no dealer of holy water, but noble and real; and on my part I am of a sure ground that I have committed nothing that may deserve alteration.  And therefore my hope is your Lordship will finish a good work, and consider that time groweth precious with me, and that I am now vergentibus annis.  And although I know your fortune is not to need an hundred such as I am, yet I shall be ever ready to give you my best and first fruits, and to supply (as much as in me lieth) worthiness by thankfulness.”

Still the powers were deaf to his appeals; at any rate he had to be content with another promise.  Considering the ability which he had shown in Parliament, the wisdom and zeal with which he had supported the Government, and the important position which he held in the House of Commons, the neglect of him is unintelligible, except on two suppositions:  that the Government, that is Cecil, were afraid of anything but the mere routine of law, as represented by such men as Hobart and Doddridge; or that Coke’s hostility to him was unabated, and Coke still too important to be offended.

Bacon returned to work when the Parliament met, November, 1606.  The questions arising out of the Union, the question of naturalisation, its grounds and limits, the position of Scotchmen born before or since the King’s accession, the Antenati and Postnati, the question of a union of laws, with its consequences, were discussed with great keenness and much jealous feeling.  On the question of naturalisation Bacon took the liberal and larger view.  The immediate union of laws he opposed as premature.  He was a willing servant of the House, and the House readily made use of him.  He reported the result of conferences, even when his own opinion was adverse to that of the House.  And he reported the speeches of such persons as Lord Salisbury, probably throwing into them both form and matter of his own.  At length, “silently, on the 25th of June,” 1607, he was appointed Solicitor-General.  He was then forty-seven.