le for these
four hundred years as any furder severity."

At length, informally, but for the first time distinctly, the full
nature of the accusation, with its overwhelming list of cases, came to
Bacon's knowledge (April 20 or 21). From the single charge, made in the
middle of March, it had swelled in force and volume like a rising
mountain torrent. That all these charges should have sprung out of the
ground from their long concealment is strange enough. How is it that
nothing was heard of them when the things happened? And what is equally
strange is that these charges were substantially true and undeniable;
that this great Lord Chancellor, so admirable in his despatch of
business, hitherto so little complained of for wrong or unfair
decisions, had been in the habit of receiving large sums of money from
suitors, in some cases certainly while the suit was pending. And
further, while receiving them, while perfectly aware of the evil of
receiving gifts on the seat of judgment, while emphatically warning
inferior judges against yielding to the temptation, he seems really to
have continued unconscious of any wrong-doing while gift after gift was
offered and accepted. But nothing is so strange as the way in which
Bacon met the charges. Tremendous as the accusation was, he made not the
slightest fight about it. Up to this time he had held himself innocent.
Now, overwhelmed and stunned, he made no attempt at defence; he threw up
the game without a struggle, and volunteered an absolute and unreserved
confession of his guilt--that is to say, he declined to stand his trial.
Only, he made an earnest application to the House of Lords, in
proceeding to sentence, to be content with a general admission of
guilt, and to spare him the humiliation of confessing the separate facts
of alleged "bribery" which were contained in the twenty-eight Articles
of his accusation. This submission, "grounded only on rumour," for the
Articles of charge had not yet been communicated to him by the accusers,
took the House by surprise. "No Lord spoke to it, after it had been
read, for a long time." But they did not mean that he should escape with
this. The House treated the suggestion with impatient scorn (April 24).
"It is too late," said Lord Saye. "No word of confession of any
corruption in the Lord Chancellor's submission," said Southampton; "it
stands with the justice and honour of this House not to proceed without
the parties' particular confess