Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

101 FRANCIS BACON
royal progress down to
Blois, Tours and Poictiers, in the midst
of alarms, intrigues, and disturbances, intermixed with festivities
and license, such as he could nevtr have dreamed of. The
French historian of the war, though a witness of and actor in
this comedy, turned from it in disgust. 1 " When two courts
which rivalled each other in gallantry were brought together
the consequence may be guessed. Every one gave himself up to
pleasure; feasts and ballets followed each other, and love became
the serious business of life. " 2
At Poictiers, which he reached in 1577, Francis Bacon set up
headquarters for three years. Yet we are quite sure, from remarks
dropped here and there, that, during these three years,
he made various excursions into Spain and Italy, learning to
speak, or, at least, to understand, both Spanish and Italian.
He also made acquaintance with Michel de Montaigne, then
Mayor of Bordeaux, and perhaps he travelled with him, and kept
his little record of the travels. 3 For during the time of Francis
Bacon's sojourn in France we still hear of him as studying and
writing. Plunged for the first time into the midst of riotous
courtly dissipation, the record of him still is, that he was
observing, drawing up a paper on the state of Europe — and
what else? We think also that he was writing essays on the
society which was spread out before him, and which he regarded
as a scene in a play. He wrote as the thoughts ran into his
pen, with never-failing judgment and perception, with the
naivete of youth, with much enjoyment, but with mistrust of
himself, and with profound dissatisfaction, not only with the
state of society, but with his own enjoymeut. Society, he knew,
would neither relish nor be improved by essays which were
known to be written by a youth of eighteen or nineteen ; he
would, therefore, borrow the robe of respected eld, and the
essays should come forth with authority, fathered by no less
a person than the Mayor of Bordeaux. 4
l Hepworth Dixon.
2 Sully's Memoirs.
3 The Journal du Voyage de Michel de Montaigne en Italic par la Suisse
et l'Allemagne, 1579 (Old Style), is written in the third person: "He, M. de
Montaigne, reported," etc.
4 Of course it will be understood that the first edition only of the Essays is sup-