beacon lights of history-iii-2-第57节

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with　the　administration　of　justice；　and　Bacon　could　not　stand

before　it；　for　as　the　highest　judge　in　England　he　was　accused　of

taking　bribes　before　rendering　decisions；　and　of　many　cases　of

corruption　so　glaring　that　no　defence　was　undertaken；　and　the　House

of　Lords　had　no　alternative　but　to　sentence　him　to　the　Tower　and

fine　him；　to　degrade　him　from　his　office；　and　banish　him　from　the

precincts　of　the　court；a　fall　so　great；　and　the　impression　of　it

on　the　civilized　world　so　tremendous；　that　the　case　of　a　judge

accepting　bribes　has　rarely　since　been　known。



Bacon　was　imprisoned　but　a　few　days；　his　ruinous　fine　of　L40；000

was　remitted；　and　he　was　even　soon　after　received　at　court；　but　he

never　again　held　office。　　He　was　hopelessly　disgraced；　he　was　a

ruined　man；　and　he　bitterly　felt　the　humiliation；　and　acknowledged

the　justice　of　his　punishment。　　He　had　now　no　further　object　in

life　than　to　pursue　his　studies；　and　live　comfortably　in　his

retirement；　and　do　what　he　could　for　future　ages。



But　before　we　consider　his　immortal　legacy　to　the　world；　let　us

take　one　more　view　of　the　man；　in　order　that　we　may　do　him　justice；

and　remove　some　of　the　cruel　charges　against　him　as　〃the　meanest　of

mankind。〃



It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that；　from　the　beginning　of　his　career

until　his　fall；　only　four　or　five　serious　charges　have　been　made

against　him；that　he　was　extravagant　in　his　mode　of　life；　that　he

was　a　sycophant　and　office…seeker；　that　he　deserted　his　patron

Essex；　that　he　tortured　Peacham；　a　Puritan　clergyman；　when　tried

for　high…treason；　that　he　himself　was　guilty　of　corruption　as　a

judge。



In　regard　to　the　first　charge；　it　is　unfortunately　too　true；　he

lived　beyond　his　means；　and　was　in　debt　most　of　his　life。　　This

defect；　as　has　been　said；　was　the　root　of　much　evil；　it　destroyed

his　independence；　detracted　from　the　dignity　of　his　character；

created　enemies；　and　led　to　a　laxity　of　the　moral　sense　which

prepared　the　way　for　corruption；thereby　furnishing　another

illustration　of　that　fatal　weakness　which　degrades　any　man　when　he

runs　races　with　the　rich；　and　indulges　in　a　luxury　and　ostentation

which　he　cannot　afford。　　It　was　the　curse　of　Cicero；　of　William

Pitt；　and　of　Daniel　Webster。　　The　first　lesson　which　every　public

man　should　learn；　especially　if　honored　with　important　trusts；　is

to　live　within　his　income。　　However　inconvenient　and　galling；　a

stringent　economy　is　necessary。　　But　this　defect　is　a　very　common

one；　particularly　when　men　are　luxurious；　or　brought　into

intercourse　with　the　rich；　or　inclined　to　be　hospitable　and

generous；　or　have　a　great　imagination　and　a　sanguine　temperament。

So　that　those　who　are　most　liable　to　fall　into　this　folly　have　many

noble　qualities　to　offset　it；　and　it　is　not　a　stain　which　marks　the

〃meanest　of　mankind。〃　　Who　would　call　Webster　the　meanest　of

mankind　because　he　had　an　absurd　desire　to　live　like　an　English

country　gentleman？



In　regard　to　sycophancy；　a　disgusting　trait；　I　admit；we　should

consider　the　age；　when　everybody　cringed　to　sovereigns　and　their

favorites。　　Bacon　never　made　such　an　abject　speech　as　Omer　Talon；

the　greatest　lawyer　in　France；　did　to　Louis　XIII。；　in　the

Parliament　of　Paris。　　Three　hundred　years　ago　everybody　bowed　down

to　exalted　rank：　witness　the　obsequious　language　which　all　authors

addressed　to　patrons　in　the　dedication　of　their　books。　　How　small

the　chance　of　any　man　rising　in　the　world；　who　did　not　court　favors

from　those　who　had　favors　to　bestow！　　Is　that　the　meanest　or　the

most　uncommon　thing　in　this　world？　　If　so；　how　ignominious　are　all

politicians　who　flatter　the　people　and　solicit　their　votes？　　Is　it

not　natural　to　be　obsequious　to　those　who　have　offices　to　bestow？

This　trait　is　not　commendable；　but　is　it　the　meanest　thing　we　see？



In　regard　to　Essex；　nobody　can　approve　of　the　ingratitude　which

Bacon　showed　to　his　noble　patron。　　But；　on　the　other　hand；　remember

the　good　advice　which　Bacon　ever　gave　him；　and　his　constant　efforts

to　keep　him　out　of　scrapes。　　How　often　did　he　excuse　him　to　his

royal　mistress；　at　the　risk　of　incurring　her　displeasure？　　And　when

Essex　was　guilty　of　a　thousand　times　worse　crime　than　ever　Bacon

committed；even　high…treason；　in　a　time　of　tumult　and

insurrection；and　it　became　Bacon's　task　as　prosecuting　officer　of

the　Crown　to　bring　this　great　culprit　to　justice；　was　he　required

by　a　former　friendship　to　sacrifice　his　duty　and　his　allegiance　to

his　sovereign；　to　screen　a　man　who　had　perverted　the　affection　of

the　noblest　woman　who　ever　wore　a　crown；　and　came　near　involving

his　country　in　a　civil　war？　　Grant　that　Essex　had　bestowed　favors；

and　was　an　accomplished　and　interesting　man；was　Bacon　to　ignore

his　official　duties？　　He　may　have　been　too　harsh　in　his　procedure；

but　in　that　age　all　criminal　proceedings　were　harsh　and

inexorable；there　was　but　little　mercy　shown　to　culprits；

especially　to　traitors。　　If　Elizabeth　could　bring　herself；　out　of

respect　to　her　wounded　honor　and　slighted　kindness　and　the　dignity

of　the　realm　and　the　majesty　of　the　law；　to　surrender　into　the

hands　of　justice　one　whom　she　so　tenderly　loved　and　magnificently

rewarded；　even　when　the　sacrifice　cost　her　both　peace　and　life；

snapped　the　last　cord　which　bound　her　to　this　world；may　we　not

forgive　Bacon　for　the　part　he　played？　　Does　this　fidelity　to　an

official　and　professional　duty；　even　if　he　were　harsh；　make　him

〃the　meanest　of　mankind〃？



In　regard　to　Peacham；　it　is　true　he　was　tortured；　according　to　the

practice　of　that　cruel　age；　but　Bacon　had　no　hand　in　the　issuing　of

the　warrant　against　him　for　high…treason；　although　in　accordance

with　custom　he；　as　prosecuting　officer　of　the　Crown；　examined

Peacham　under　torture　before　his　trial。　　The　parson　was　convicted；

but　the　sentence　of　death　was　not　executed　upon　him；　and　he　died　in

jail。



And　in　regard　to　corruption；the　sin　which　cast　Bacon　from　his

high　estate；　though　fortunately　he　did　not　fall　like　Lucifer；　never

to　rise　again；may　not　the　verdict　of　the　poet　and　the　historian

be　rather　exaggerated？　　Nobody　has　ever　attempted　to　acquit　Bacon

for　taking　bribes。　　Nobody　has　ever　excused　him。　　He　did　commit　a

crime；　but　in　palliation　it　might　be　said　that　he　never　decided

against　justice；　and　that　it　was　customary　for　great　public

functionaries　to　accept　presents。　　Had　he　taken　them　after　he　had

rendered　judgment　instead　of　before；　he　might　have　been　acquitted；

for　out　of　the　seven　thousand　cases　which　he　decided　as　Lord…

Chancellor；　not　one　of　them　has　been　reversed：　so　that　he　said　of

himself；　〃I　was　the　justest　judge　that　England　has　had　for　fifty

years；　and　I　suffered　the　justest　sentence　that　had　been　inflicted

for　two　hundred　years。〃　　He　did　not　excuse　himself。　　His

ingenuousness　of　confession　astonished　everybody；　and　moved　the

hearts　of　his　judges。　　It　was　his　misfortune　to　be　in　debt；　he　had

pressing　creditors；　and　in　two　cases　he　accepted　presents　before

the　decision　was　made；　but　was　brave　enough　to　decide　against　those

who　bribed　him；hinc　illae　lacrymae。　　A　modern　corrupt　official

generally　covers　his　tracks；　and　many　a　modern　judge　has　been

bribed　to　decide　against　justice；　and　has　escaped　ignominy；　even　in

a　country　which　claims　the　greatest　purity　and　the　loftiest　moral

standard。　　We　admit　that　Bacon　was　a　sinner；　but　was　he　a　sinner

above　all　others　who　cast　stones　at　Jerusalem？



In　reference　to　these　admitted　defects　and　crimes；　I　only　wish　to

show　that　even　these　do　not　make　him　〃the　meanest　of　mankind。〃

What　crimes　have　sullied　many　of　those　benefactors　whom　all　ages

will　admire　and　honor；　and　whom；　in　spite　of　their　defects；　we　call

good　men；not　bad　men　to　be　forgiven　for　their　services；　but

excellent　and　righteous　on　the　whole！　　See　Abraham　telling　lies　to

the　King　of　Egypt；　and　Jacob　robbing　his　brother　of　his　birthright；

and　David　murdering　his　bravest　soldier　to　screen　himself　from

adultery；　and　Solomon　selling　himself　to　false　idols　to　please　the

wicked　women　who　ensnared　him；　and　Peter　denying　his　Master；　and

Marcus　Aurelius　persecuting　the　Christians；　and　Constantine　putting

to　death　his　own　son；　and　Theodosius　slaughtering　the　citizens　of

Thessalonica；　and　Isabella　establishing　the　Inquisition；　and　Sir

Mathew　Hale　burning　witches；　and　Cromwell　stealing　a　sceptre；　and

Calvin　murdering　Servetus；　and　Queen　Elizabeth　lying　and　cheating

and　swearing　in　the　midst　of　her　patriotic　labors　for　her　country

and　civilization。　　Even　the　sun　passes　through　eclipses。　　Have　the

spots　upon　the　career　of　Bacon　hidden　the　brightness　of　his　general

beneficence？　　Is　he　the　meanest　of　men　because　he　had　great　faults？

When　we　speak　of　mean　men；　it　is　those　whose　general　character　is

contemptible。



Now；　see　Bacon　pursuing　his　honorable　career　amid　rebuffs　and

enmities　and　jealousies；　toiling　in　Herculean　tasks　without

complaint；　and　waiting　his　time；　always　accessible；　affable；

gen