Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

AND HIS SECRET SOCIETY. 143
next night the King invited thr. masquers, with their assistants,
to the number of forty, to a solemn supper in the new marriageroom,
where they were well treated, and much graced with kissing
his majesty's hand, and everyone having a particular accoglienza
with him." *
None of Bacon's biographers or critics have expressed the
smallest surprise that, in days when Shakspere and Ben Jonson
were at the height of their fame, it was neither the one nor the
other of them, but the Solicitor- General, who was employed to
" contrive," and ultimately to manage, the first masque which
had been " presented" to the King. Under similar circumstances
we should expect that Mr. Beerbohrn Tree or Mr. Irving
would be invited to undertake such a management; it would not
have occurred to us to apply for help to Sir Edward Clarke,
Q. C, M. P.
In 1G13 Francis Bacon was appointed Attorney-General. This
happened just before the marriage of the Earl of Somerset with
Lady Essex, on December 26th. There were very unpleasant
chcumstances connected with this marriage, which are now
known to historians, but which it is unnecessary here to enter
upon. As Spedding says, it is but fair to the world of rank,
wealth, fashion, and business, which hastened to congratulate
the bride and bridegroom with gifts unprecedented in number
and value, to remember that it does not follow that they would
have done the same if they had known what we know. 2 It was
proposed that during the week of festivities which celebrated this
marriage the four Inns of Court (the Middle and Inner Temple,
Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn) should join in getting up a masque,
but they could not manage it, and once more we find Bacon
called upon to supply their dramatic deficiencies.
It appears that Bacon considered that he owed Somerset some
complimentary offering, because Somerset claimed (though Bacon
doubted it) to have used his influence with the King to secure
Bacon's promotion. The approaching marriage gave the latter
an opportunity for discharging an obligation to a man for whom
i lb. 229.
2 Letters and Life, iv. 392. The following passages are nearly all extracted
from this volume of Spedding.