marry with some
convenient advancement. For as for any ambition, I do assure your
Honour, mine is quenched. In the Queen's, my excellent Mistress's,
time the _quorum_ was small: her service was a kind of freehold,
and it was a more solemn time. All those points agreed with my
nature and judgment. My ambition now I shall only put upon my pen,
whereby I shall be able to maintain memory and merit of the times
succeeding.

"Lastly, for this divulged and almost prostituted title of
knighthood, I could without charge, by your Honour's mean, be
content to have it, both because of this late disgrace and because
I have three new knights in my mess in Gray's Inn's commons; and
because I have found out an alderman's daughter, an handsome
maiden, to my liking."

Cecil, however, seems to have required that the money should be repaid
by the day; and Bacon only makes a humble request, which, it might be
supposed, could have been easily granted.

"IT MAY PLEASE YOUR GOOD LORDSHIP,--In answer of your last
letter, your money shall be ready before your day: principal,
interest, and costs of suit. So the sheriff promised, when I
released errors; and a Jew takes no more. The rest cannot be
forgotten, for I cannot forget your Lordship's _dum memor ipse
mei_; and if there have been _aliquid nimis_, it shall be amended.
And, to be plain with your Lordship, that will quicken me now which
slackened me before. Then I thought you might have had more use of
me than now I suppose you are like to have. Not but I think the
impediment will be rather in my mind than in the matter or times.
But to do you service I will come out of my religion at any time.

"For my knighthood, I wish the manner might be such as might grace
me, since the matter will not; I mean, that I might not be merely
gregarious in a troop. The coronation is at hand. It may please
your Lordship to let me hear from you speedily. So I continue your
Lordship's ever much bounden,

"FR. BACON.
"From Gorhambury, this 16th of July, 1603."

But it was not done. He "obtained his title, but not in a manner to
distinguish him. He was knighted at Whitehall two days before the
coronation, but had to share the honour with 300 others."

It was not quite true that his "ambition was quenched." For the rest of
Cecil's life Cecil was the firs