Category: Biographies
The standard work is "The Life and Letters of Francis Bacon," by James Spedding, which was published from 1858-1869. It comprises seven volumes, with 3,033 pages. The first twenty years of Bacon's life are disposed of in 8 pages, and the next ten years in 95 pages, of which 43...
Spedding states that the earliest composition of Bacon which he had been able to discover is a letter written in his 20th year from Grays Inn. From that time forward, he continu...
11. CHAPTER XI.In the "Reliquiae Bodleianae," published in 1703, is a letter written without date by Thomas Bodley to Francis Bacon. This letter does not appear to have been known to Mallett,...
6. CHAPTER VI.Francis Bacon was at Blois with Sir Amias Paulet in 1577. In the same year was published the first edition of the first part of "Academie Francoise par Pierre de la Primaudaye E...
14. CHAPTER XIV.The theory now put forward is based upon the assumption that Francis Bacon at a very early age adopted the conception that he would devote his life to the construction of an ade...
24. CHAPTER XXII.Dr. G. G. Gervinus, the eminent German Historian and Professor Extraordinary at Heidelberg, published in 1849 his work, "Shakespeare Commentaries." This was years before any sug...
26. CHAPTER XXIV.It has been urged by critics that Bacon, whilst professing to take all knowledge for his province, ignored one-half of it--that half which was a knowledge of himself; that to hi...
8. CHAPTER VIII.This brilliant young scholar landed with Sir Amias Paulet at Calais on the 25th of September, 1576, and with him went straight to the Court of Henry III. of France. It is remark...
19. CHAPTER XVIII.At a very early period in the history of printing, the custom was introduced of placing on title-pages, at the heads and ends of the chapters, emblematical designs. In English p...
16. Chapter VI. is entirely devoted to his defence and is headed "Certaintrue general notes upon the actions of the Lord Burghley." Either "The Life" and the "Observations on a Libel" are by the same writer or the author of the former borrowed the la...
21. CHAPTER XX."Shakespeare's Sonnets never before Imprinted," have afforded commentators material for many volumes filled with theories which to the ordinary critical mind appear to have no f...
25. CHAPTER XXIII.A distinguished member of the Bench in a recent post-prandial address referred to Bacon as "a shady lawyer." Irresponsible newspaper correspondents, when attacking the Baconian...
18. CHAPTER XVII.Is it not strange that there is no mention of any connection of Francis Bacon with this work? There was a conference held at Hampton Court Palace before King James on January, 1...
20. CHAPTER XIX.In "Shakespeare and the Emblem Writers" the Rev. Henry Green endeavours to show the similarities of thought and expression between the great poet and the authors of Emblemata, b...
28. Chapter CV. There must be an analysis of nature by proper rejectionsand exclusions, and then, after a sufficient number of negatives, a conclusion should be arrived at from the affirmative instances. "It is in this induction," Bacon adds, "that...
5. CHAPTER V.It is at this stage that the mystery of Francis Bacon begins to develop. Every channel through which information might be expected appears to be blocked. Besides a few pamphlets...
10. CHAPTER X.What was this rare and unaccustomed suit of which the Queen could have had no experience and which, according to Spedding, would make it unnecessary for Bacon to follow "ordinar...
3. CHAPTER III.In the registry of St. Martin's will be found this entry: Mr. Franciscus Bacon 1560 Jan 25 (_filius D'm Nicho Bacon Magni Angliae sigilli custodis_)." Rawley in his "Life of the...
2. CHAPTER II.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...
13. CHAPTER XIII.The half century from 1576 to 1625 stands by itself in the history of the literature of this country. During that period not only was the English language made, not only were th...
7. CHAPTER VII.There is another work which it is impossible not to associate with this period, and that is John Barclay's "Argenis." It is little better known than is "The French Academy," and...
1. CHAPTER I.The standard work is "The Life and Letters of Francis Bacon," by James Spedding, which was published from 1858-1869. It comprises seven volumes, with 3,033 pages. The first twen...
27. CHAPTER XXV.To attempt anything of the nature of a review of Bacon's acknowledged works is a task far too great for the scope of the present volume. To attempt a survey of the whole of his...
4. CHAPTER IV.Francis Bacon went to reside at Trinity College, Cambridge, in April, 1573, being 12 years and 3 months of age. While the plague raged he was absent from the end of August, 1574...
17. CHAPTER XVI.Sir Sydney Lee has written[43]:--"As a specimen of typography, the First Folio is not to be commended. There are a great many contemporary folios of larger bulk far more neatly...
12. CHAPTER XII.It is difficult to leave this subject without some reference to the articles which have appeared in the press and magazines referring to the suggestion that there were left conc...
23. scene ii., which is noteworthy. Hamlet, speaking to Horatio, says:--"I sat me down Devised a new commission; wrote it fair; I once did hold it, as our statists do, A baseness to write fair, and labour'd much How to forget that learning; but, Sir...
22. CHAPTER XXI.In the "Advancement of Learning" Bacon refers to the annotations of books as being deficient. There was living at the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth centu...
15. CHAPTER XV.The work I have for several years engaged in, of treating of those families that have been Barons of this Kingdom, necessarily induced me to apply to our Nobility for such helps...