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