Recommending Antony to frequent "the religious exercises of the sincerer sort," she warns him not to follow his brother's advice or example.

Antony was advised to use prayer twice a day with his servants.

"Your brother," she adds, "is too negligent therein." She is anxious about Antony's health, and warns him not to fall into his brother's ill-ordered habits: "I verily think your brother's weak stomach to digest hath been much caused and confirmed by untimely going to bed, and then musing _nescio quid_ when he should sleep, and then in consequent by late rising and long lying in bed, whereby his men are made slothful and himself continueth sickly.

But my sons haste not to hearken to their mother's good counsel in time to prevent." It seems clear that Francis Bacon had shown his mother that not only in the care of his health, but in his judgment on religious matters, he meant to go his own way.

Mr.Spedding thinks that she must have had much influence on him; it seems more likely that he resented her interference, and that the hard and narrow arrogance which she read into the Gospel produced in him a strong reaction.