The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

LIFE OF BACON. lxxix
by which all mankind swerve from the truth, are ticians, &c., to their respective sciences, are glar
of two classes: 1st. ~Wvhen man is under the in- ing instances.
fluence of a passion more powerful than the love Idols of the Theatre, or depraved theories, are,
of truth, as worldly interest, crying " Great is of course, infinite and inveterate; appearing in
Diana of the Ephesians:" or, 2dly, WVhen,under the that numerous litter of strange, senseless, absurd
influence of the loveoftruth. he, like every lover, is opinions, which crawl about the world to the
hurried without due and cautious inquiry by the disgrace of reason, and the wretchedness of manhope of possessing the object of his affections; kind.
which manifests itself either in hasty assent, or Upon the destruction of these idols, Bacon is
hasty generalization, the parents of credulity:-in unceasing in his exhortations. " They must,"
tenacity in retaining opinions, the parent of preju- he says, " by the lover of truth be solemnly and
dice: —in abandoning universality, the parent of forever renounced, that the understanding may be
feeble inquiry:-or in indulging in' subtleties and purged and cleansed; for the kingdom of man,
refinements and endless inquiry, the parent of vain which is founded in the sciences, can scarce be
speculations, spinning out of itself cobwebs of entered otherwise than the Kingdom of God, that
learning, admirable for their fineness of texture, is, in the condition of little children:" and, with
but of no substance or profit. an earnestness not often found in his works, bie
As men associate by discourse, and words are adds, "' If we' have any humility towards the
imposed according to the capacity of the vulgar, Creator; if we have any reverence and esteem of
a false and improper imposition of words unavoid- his works; if we have any charity towards men,
ably possesses the understanding, leading men or any desire of relieving their miseries and neaway to idle controversies and subtleties, irreme- cessities; if we have any love for natural truths;
diable by definitions, which, consisting of words, any aversion to darlkness, any desire of purifying
shoot back, like the Tartar's bow, upon the the understanding, we must destroy these idols,
judgment from whence they came. which have led experience captive, and childishly
These defects of words, or Idols of the Market, triumphed over the works of God; and now at
are either names of non-existences, as the primum length condescend, with due submission and vemobile, the element of fire, &c.; or confused names neration, to approach and peruse the volume of
of existences, as beauty, virtue, &c.; which, from the creation; dwell some time upon it, and bringthe subtlety of nature being infinite, and of words ing to the work a mind well purged of opinions,
finite, must always exist. Words tell the mi- idols, and false notions, converse familiarly therenutes, but not the seconds. When we attempt to in. This volume is the language which has gone
reach heaven, we are stopped by the confusion of out to all the ends of the earth, unaffected by the
languages. confusion of Babel; this is the language that men
The Idols of the Den, or attachment by particu- should thoroughly learn, and not disdain to have
lar individuals to particular opinions, he thus ex- its alphabet perpetually in their hands; and in
plains: "We every one of us have our particular the interpretation of this language they should
den or cavern, which refracts and corrupts the spare no pains, but strenuously proceed, perselight of nature; either because every man has his vere, and dwell upon it to the last."
respective temper, education, acquaintance, course Such is a faint outline of Bacon's celebrated
of reading, and authorities; or from the difference doctrine of idols, which has sometimes been supof impressions, as they happen in a mind preju- posed to be the most important of all his works,
diced or prepossessed, or in one that is calm and and to expose the cause of all the errors by which
equal. Of which defects Plato's cave is an ex- man is misled.
cellent emblem: for, certainly, if a man were con- Upon the motives by which the lover of truth,
tinued from his childhood to mature age in a seeking nature with all her fruits abcut her, can
grotto or dark and subterraneous cave, and then alone be actuated, and which he has explained in
should come suddenly abroad, and should behold other parts of his works, he, in the Novum Orthe stately canopy of heaven and the furniture of ganum, contents himself with saying, " We
the world, without doubt he would have many would in general admonish all to consider the true
strange and absurd imaginations come into his ends of knowledge, and not to seek it for the gramind and people his brain. So in like manner tification of their minds, or for disputation, or
we live in the view of heaven, yet our spirits are that they may despise others, or for emolument,
enclosed in the caves of our bodies, complexions, or fame, or power, or such low objects, but for its
and customs, which must needs minister unto us intrinsic merit and the purposes of life."
infinite images of error and vain opinions, if they The obstacles to the acquisition of knowledge
do seldom and for so short a time appear above are:
ground out of their holes, and do not continually 1. Worldly occupation
live under the contemplation of nature, as in the 1. Want of time, 2. Sickness.
open air." Of these Idols of the Den, the attach- and 3. Shortness of life.
eient of professional men, divines, lawyers, poli- 2.Want of means.