John Chamberlain.

As the trial went on, however, Bacon spoke, not to save, but to condemn.  Did no memory of past kindliness cross his mind as he likened his friend to “Cain, that first murderer,” as he complained to the court that too much favor was shown to the prisoner, that he had never before heard “so ill a defense of such great and notorious treasons.”  The Earl answered in his own defense again and yet again.  But at length he was silent.  His case was hopeless, and he was condemned to death.  He was executed on 25th February, 1601.

Perhaps Bacon could not have saved his friend from death, but had he used his wit to try at least to save instead of helping to condemn, he would have kept his own name from a dark blot.  But a greater betrayal of friendship was yet to follow.  Though Essex had been wild and foolish the people loved him, and now they murmured against the Queen for causing his death.  Then it was thought well, that they should know all the blackness of his misdeeds, and it was Bacon who was called upon to write the story of them.

Even from this he did not shrink, for he hoped for great rewards.  But, as before, the Queen used him, and withheld “the bounty of her hand”; from her he received no State appointment.  He did indeed receive 1200 pounds in money.  It was scarcely as much as Essex had once given him out of friendship.  To Bacon it seemed too small a reward for his betrayal of his friend, even although it had seemed to mean loyalty to his Queen.  “The Queen hath done somewhat for me,” he wrote, “though not in the proportion I hoped.”  And so in debt and with a blotted name, Bacon lived on until Queen Elizabeth died.  But with the new King his fortunes began to rise.  First he was made Sir Francis Bacon, then from one honor to another he rose until he became at last Lord High Chancellor of England, the highest judge in the land.  A few months later, he was made a peer with the title of Baron Verulam.  A few years later at the age of sixty he went still one step higher and became Viscount St. Albans.

Bacon chose the name of Baron Verulam from the name of the old Roman city Verulamium which was afterwards called St. Albans.  It was near St. Albans that Bacon had built himself a splendid house, laid out a beautiful garden, and planted fine trees, and there he kept as great state as the King himself.

He had now reached his highest power.  He had published his great work called the Novum Organum or New Instrument in which he taught men a new way of wisdom.  He was the greatest judge in the land and a peer of the realm.  He had married too, but he never had any children, and we know little of his home life.

It seemed as if at last he had all he could wish for, as if his life would end in a blaze of glory.  But instead of that in a few short weeks after he became Viscount St. Albans, he was a disgraced and fallen man.