Bacon, Sir

NICHOLAS, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, B. at Chislehurst in 1510. After being educated at Corpus Christ i College, Cambridge, he studied law at Gray's Inn, London, in which he became so eminent as to be appointed Attorney of the Court of Wards. On the acce ion of Queen Elizabeth, he was made a Privy councillor and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. In every political crisis, his prudence appears to have preserved him from harm, while he made it his duty to hold himself aloof from any political party. When the queen visited him at his new mansion at Red grave, in Suffolk, she observed, in allusion to his corpulence, that he had built his house too little for him. "Not so, madame," answered he; "but your Majesty has made me too big for my house." B. was a wise and learned, rather than great man; he had, unquestionably, untiring diligence, lively genius, and ready wit, indulging in the latter very freely even on the bench. On one occasion, it is said, a culprit craved mercy of him on the plea of kindred, alleging, that, as the judge's name was Bacon , and his (the prisoner's) Hog , they were too closely allied to be separated; on which the judge retorted-"You and I cannot be kindred unle you be hanged , for Hog is not Bacon until it be well hanged ." - By his second wife, В. was father of the famous Francis, Lord Bacon, q . v. D. Feb. 20, 1579.