bloggingprof 2b's List: New Bacon

Bacon was elected to the House of Commons in 1584. He served until 1614. During his time in the House he wrote letters of advice to Elizabeth I, Queen of England, but his suggestions were never implemented. When he opposed a bill for a royal subsidy in 1593, he lost favor with the queen.

Once, he publicly opposed   the queen and lost his high position. Subsequently, however, he supported   the queen's decision to hang his best friend. His motivations and his reasonings   in this case have frequently been debated.

After the   death of Queen Elizabeth I and the ascension of James I, Bacon's star   rose once more. He was made Solicitor-General in 1607 and six years later   Attorney-General; in 1617, he was given his father's former position,   Lord Keeper of the Great Seal; the following year he was named Lord Chancellor   and the Baron Verulam. During the reign of James I, Bacon also wrote his   two most important philosophical works. The first, The Advancement   of Learning (1605)

About 1591 he formed a friendship with the Earl of Essex, from whom he received many tokens of kindness ill requited. In 1593 the offices of Attorney-general, and subsequently of Solicitor-general became vacant, and Essex used his influence on Bacon's behalf, but unsuccessfully, the former being given to Coke, the famous lawyer. These disappointments may have been owing to a speech made by Bacon on a question of subsidies. To console him for them Essex presented him with a property at Twickenham, which he subsequently sold for £1800, equivalent to a much larger sum now.

By 1601 Essex had lost the Queen's favour, and had raised his rebellion, and Bacon was one of those appointed to investigate the charges against him, and examine witnesess, in connection with which he showed an ungrateful and indecent eagerness in pressing the case against his former friend and benefactor, who was executed on Feb. 25, 1601. This act Bacon endeavoured to justify in A Declaration of the Practices and Treasons, etc., of...the Earl of Essex, etc.