pposition of the last Parliament. There was no want of worldly wisdom
in it; certainly it was more adapted to James's ideas of state-craft
than the simpler plan of Sir Henry Nevill, that the King should throw
himself frankly on the loyalty and good-will of Parliament. And thus he
came to be on easy terms with James, who was quite capable of
understanding Bacon's resource and nimbleness of wit. In the autumn of
1613 the Chief-Justiceship of the King's Bench became vacant. Bacon at
once gave the King reasons for sending Coke from the Common Pleas--where
he was a check on the prerogative--to the King's Bench, where he could
do less harm; while Hobart went to the Common Pleas. The promotion was
obvious, but the Common Pleas suited Coke better, and the place was more
lucrative. Bacon's advice was followed. Coke, very reluctantly, knowing
well who had given it, and why, "not only weeping himself but followed
by the tears" of all the Court of Common Pleas, moved up to the higher
post. The Attorney Hobart succeeded, and Bacon at last became Attorney
(October 27, 1613). In Chamberlain's gossip we have an indication, such
as occurs only accidentally, of the view of outsiders: "There is a
strong apprehension that little good is to be expected by this change,
and that Bacon may prove a dangerous instrument."

CHAPTER V.

BACON ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND CHANCELLOR.

Thus, at last, at the age of fifty-two, Bacon had gained the place which
Essex had tried to get for him at thirty-two. The time of waiting had
been a weary one, and it is impossible not to see that it had been
hurtful to Bacon. A strong and able man, very eager to have a field for
his strength and ability, who is kept out of it, as he thinks unfairly,
and is driven to an attitude of suppliant dependency in pressing his
claim on great persons who amuse him with words, can hardly help
suffering in the humiliating process. It does a man no good to learn to
beg, and to have a long training in the art. And further, this long
delay kept up the distraction of his mind between the noble work on
which his soul was bent, and the necessities of that "civil" or
professional and political life by which he had to maintain his estate.
All the time that he was "canvassing" (it is his own word) for office,
and giving up his time and thoughts to the work which it involved, the
great _Instauration_ had to wait his hours of leisure; and his
exclamation, so often repeated, _Multum incol