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Bacon's Good Pens Besides Gray’s Inn lawyers, we know from a number of sources, including the Bacon brothers’ correspondence, Rawley’s biography of Francis Bacon and Aubrey’s diary, that these ‘good pens’ included, at different times, people such as:- IntelligencersNicholas Faunt , a good friend of Anthony’s who had been secretary and foreign emissary to Sir Francis Walsingham when the latter was the Queen’s Secretary of State; Anthony Standen, who was first Walsingham’s then Anthony’s secret foreign agent; Tom Lawson, Anthony’s personal secretary and courier; Jaques Petit, Anthony’s page and courier. There were also lesser-known assistants, such as William Philippes and Edward Jones, all of whom were mainly working with Anthony Bacon on intelligence matters. PoetsJohn Lyly, Ben Jonson, John Florio, John Davies of Hereford, Sir John Davies, George Herbert and George Wither. Lyly, who was Oxford’s secretary from 1580 onwards, became one of Anthony Bacon’s ‘good pens’ at Essex House. Ben Jonson was known to Francis Bacon as ‘my man John’. George Wither, the poet, satirist and emblem writer, is reputed to have written the anonymous satirical poem published in 1645, entitled The Great Assizes holden in Parnassus by Apollo and his Assessours, in which the whole mystery and aim of Francis Bacon and his society is alluded to and almost revealed. OthersDr Lancelot Andrewes , multi-linguist theologian and scholar, Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, who became Dean of Westminster in 1601, then later Bishop of Chichester, Ely and Winchester respectively, who co-directed the translation of the Bible and who was not only a good friend of long-standing but also Francis’ ‘inquisitor’ during the writing of his Advancement of Learning. Timothy Bright , a clergyman and physician, who published Characterie (1588), the first book on shorthand, and A Treatise on Melancholy (1586); William Camden , the Clarenceux King-of-Arms, who had granted John Shakespeare a coat of arms. Tobie Mathew (1577-1655), eldest son of Dr Tobie Mathew, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, later Bishop of Durham and ultimately Archbishop of York. Francis Bacon refers to Tobie and his brother Anthony Bacon as as his closest friends and confidants.[1] Sir Thomas Meautys, together with a Mr Young, were Francis Bacon’s chief secretaries when he was Lord Chancellor. Meautys became a personal friend of Francis and married the granddaughter of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Francis’ half-brother. Dr William Rawley, a close friend of Francis Bacon, was Bacon’s private chaplain as well as a secretary. Francis bequeathed most of his manuscripts to Rawley upon his death. Dr William Harvey, another close friend of Francis Bacon, announced the discovery of the blood system to the world, was Francis’ private physician. Thomas Hobbes, a secretary, was a particular favourite when Francis was Lord Chancellor, and he would regularly walk with Francis in the gardens and woods of Gorhambury whilst Francis reflected on nature and dictated his thoughts to him. Hobbes was later to become famous as the author of the work of political theory, Leviathan. Peter Böener was in Francis’ service both as an apothecary and a secretary for many years until the beginning of 1623. Böener later published a translation in Dutch of Bacon’s Essays,Wisdom of Ancients and Religious Meditations ( Leyden, 1646), grouped in one volume, and prefixed the collection with a ‘Life of Bacon’.[2] Böener considered Francis Bacon to be ‘a phoenix without equal’. Böener concludes his testimony to Bacon with a wish that ‘a statue in honour of him may be erected in his country as a memorable example to all of virtue, kindness, peacefulness and patience’. Thomas Bushell served Francis Bacon from 1608 (when aged fifteen) as a gentleman usher, seal-bearer and amanuensis, and stayed with Bacon until Bacon’s impeachment, in which, as he later revealed, he was one of the causes of his master being accused of corruption. Francis forgave him, however, and Bushel returned to serve his master until Bacon’s death, after which he became a mining engineer in Somerset and Cardigan. He acknowledged that his own knowledge was based on Francis Bacon’s knowledge of minerals and mining, for Francis had taken especial care to make Bushell ‘the heir to his knowledge in mineral philosophy’ and a few other inventions as well.[3] There were clearly many more, but who they might have been is not certain. Francis Bacon’s reference to ‘Ye law at Twick’nam for merrie tales’[4] obviously suggests that other lawyers from Gray’s Inn and possibly other Inns of Court made up this writers’ group, at least in the earlier days and maybe throughout the Shakespeare period. Letters show that Gray’s Inn men were still assisting Francis in the last years of his life, when he was trying to complete the writings that he had planned for the Great Instauration. Post-ImpeachmentAfter his impeachment, Francis was deserted by some of his helpers and friends, partly because he could no longer pay them. But there were some whom Francis described as the ‘good pens who forsake me not’, and they included the poets Ben Jonson and George Herbert, together with Thomas Hobbes, Peter Böener, Dr. William Rawley andSir Thomas Meautys. During the post-impeachment years Francis produced the final versions of most of his philosophical works and translated as many of them as he could into Latin, it being the international language. Although Francis himself was well able to write fluently in Latin, French and Italian, he had the assistance of Doctor Hacket, Bishop of Lichfield, together with Ben Jonson and George Herbert, in translating the final versions of his Essays, Advancement of Learning and other works into Latin.[5] Tobie Mathew helped in translating Bacon’s Essays into both Italian and Latin. (Ben Jonson also contributed to and probably helped oversee the production of the Shakespeare Folio.) Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam, Viscount St Alban, died on Easter Day, 9 April 1626. He left copious manuscripts and letters, a library of books and a generous will—although the debts that continued from the time of his misfortune were so great that the benefits of his will could not be fully realised. Some of his letters and manuscripts were given into the care of his principal secretary and friend, Sir Thomas Meautys, others to his chaplain Dr William Rawley, and some to be looked after by his brother-in-law Sir John Constable and his literary friend Sir William Boswell, the English Ambassador at The Hague. Francis left them instructions to publish some and reserve others to a ‘private succession’ of literary ‘sons’. His extensive library he bequeathed to Constable, but it seems that the books had to be sold because of the insolvency of his estate when he died. Peter Dawkins, July 2005 (See also the author’s book, The Shakespeare Enigma) Refs: 1. The only known copy of this book was discovered in 1871. 2. Peter Böener, ‘Life of Bacon’, De Proef-Stucken van den Franciscus Bacon ( Leyden, 1646). 3. Thomas Bushell, Abridgement of the Lord Chancellor Bacon’s Philosophical Theory in Mineral Prosecutions (1659). See also A. de la Pryme, Memoirs of Thomas Bushell, ed. W. Harrison (1878). 4. Francis Bacon, Promus of Formularies and Elegancies, Folio 109, Entry 1165 (c.1594-1595), ed. and publ. by Mrs Henry Pott (1883). 5. Baconiana, or, Certain genuine remains of Sr. Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, and Viscount of St. Albans in arguments civil and moral, natural, medical, theological, and bibliographical... ( London: J. D. for Richard Chiswell, 1679), p.24-26 & p.60:-
The Francis Bacon Research Trust |