well populated and produces sugar, rice, indigo, and tobacco. It has a number of sugar-mills and carries on a large local trade. The capital, Bacolor, is situated 47 miles northwest of Manila, with which it is connected by a road. It has a telegraph station and is connected by rail with Macabebe, about 6 miles southeast. Population, 10,600.
BA'CON. A town in the Philippines, in the Province of Albay, Luzon. It lies on the Gulf of Albay, about miles east of Albay, the capital. Population, over 13,000 (Map: Philippine Islands, J 6).
BACON, Alice Mitchell (1858—). An American writer and teacher. She was born at New Haven, Conn., the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Leonard Bacon. She taught at Hampton Institute, from 1883 to 1888, and at the Peeresses' School, Tokio, Japan, in 1889, where she wrote Japanese Girls and Women (1894; illustrated edition, 1901), which has become a classic, and A Japanese Interior (1893). She returned to Hampton Institute in 1890, and founded the Dixie Hospital for the training of colored nurses. In 1900 she began teaching in the Peeresses' School and Girls' High School, Tokio, Japan.
BACON, Benjamin Wisner (1860—). An American theologian. He was born at Litchfield, Conn., and graduated at Yale. He has prepared a translation of Wildeboer's Kanon des Ouden Verbonds (The Genesis of Genesis) (1891); Triple Tradition of the Exodus (1894); and Introduction to the New Testament.
BACON, Delia Salter (1811-59). An American author (born at Tallmadge, Ohio), the sister of Leonard Bacon (q.v.). She wrote Tales of the Puritans (1857), and other works of fiction, and in 1857 published in London her Philosophy of the Plays of Shakespeare Unfolded, with a preface by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this book she zealously advocated the theory that Francis Bacon wrote the plays of Shakespeare. Though this theory was not original with her, she was the first to give it general currency. Consult: Hawthorne, "Recollections of a Gifted Woman," in Our Old Home (Boston, 1863); and Theodore Bacon, Delia Bacon (Boston, 1889).
BACON, Francis, Baron Verulam, Viscount Saint Albans (1561-1626). A celebrated English philosopher. He was born in London on January 22, 1561. His father, Sir Nicholas Bacon (q.v.), was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and his mother was the learned Ann Cooke, sister of Burghley's wife. In early childhood. Bacon manifested superior powers and an ardent love of knowledge; his precocious intelligence was so great, and his sedateness so remarkable, that Queen Elizabeth took pleasure in calling him her 'young lord keeper.' In his thirteenth year he was sent to the University of Cambridge, which he quitted, after a residence of two years, with a low opinion of the course of study pursued there, and also of the Aristotelian system of philosophy. On leaving the university he went to Paris in 1576, in the suite of Sir Amias Paulet, the English Ambassador, and there he is said to have occupied himself chiefly with statistics and diplomacy. The sudden death of his father in 1579 recalled him to England, where, after failing to procure from the Government a provision which would enable him to devote himself to science and literature, he betook himself for several years to the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1582. Two years afterwards he entered Parliament from the borough of Melcombe Regis. In 1584 or 1585 he published a "Letter of Advice to Queen Elizabeth," in which he advocated "that whosoever would not bear arms against all foreign princes, and namely the Pope, that should anyway invade her Majesty's dominions, should be a traitor." In 1586 he became a bencher of Gray's Inn, and in 1589 wrote another letter, this time in defense of Elizabeth's course in Church matters. But neither these letters nor the support of the Earl of Essex, whose favor he had won, could counteract the effect produced on the Queen and the Lords by his opposition in Parliament to some taxation measures in which the Government was interested. A chance was given him to apologize for this act of antagonism, but he resolutely refused, and thereby lost an opportunity to become attorney-general (1594). Another failure to apologize was followed by failure to secure the solicitor-generalship, although he was now supported by both Essex and Burghley. These facts it is well to keep in mind, because they show a strength of character in striking contrast to the glaring sycophancy of his conduct in later years. When Essex found that he could do nothing for his favorite at court, he presented him with a private estate worth about £1800, and also supported him in a suit for the hand of Lady Hatton, whom Bacon wished to marry for her wealth. Lady Hatton, however, preferred Coke, Bacon's future enemy. In spite of his readiness thus to accept the patronage of Essex, when the latter was brought to trial for his conduct in Ireland, Bacon acted as Queen's counsel against his friend. His motives in this matter have been differently interpreted. Some say that, because he was straitened in his circumstances at this time, he was anxious to conciliate the Court. Others maintain, with perhaps more justice, that he took this stand as being the only course open to him for securing the least severe sentence possible for his old friend. Essex himself, however, did not concur in this interpretation of Bacon's conduct. The result of this first trial of Essex was that he was set at liberty; only, however, shortly afterwards to be tried again — this time for conspiracy. Bacon was now, without doubt, largely instrumental in securing for the Crown the verdict against the accused. The merits of the case cannot be discussed here. Bacon asserted that his official position made it necessary that he should ignore ties of friendship; but then perhaps he should not have allowed himself to be put in such a position. Furthermore, the conscientious performance of official duties at the expense of his personal advantage was by no means a conspicuous trait in his character. After the Earl's execution he wrote, at the request of the Queen, A Declaration of the Practices and Treasons Attempted and Committed by Robert, Earl of Essex, which was printed by authority, but with so many changes made by another hand that Bacon cannot justly be held responsible for its authorship.
With the advent of the reign of James I., a new opportunity opened to Bacon, and by paying court to the King he made rapid progress. He
