The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

BOOK II. ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 239
purpose, if God give me leave, (having begun a prehension of them, they shall make that ancient
work of this nature in aphorisms,) to propound it and patient request, ", Verbera, sed audi;" let
hereafter, noting it in the mean time for deficient. men reprehend them, so they observe and weigh
And for your majesty's laws of England, I them: for the appeal is lawful, though it nmay be
could say much of their dignity, and somewhat it shall not be needful, from the first cogitations
of their defect; but they cannot but excel the of men to their second, and from the nearer times
civil laws in fitness for the government: for the to the times farther off. Now let us come to that
civil law was ",non hos queesitum munus in learning, which both the former times were nol
usus;" it was not made for the countries which it so blessed as to know, sacred and inspired Divi
governeth: hereof I cease to speak, because I will nity, the sabbath and port of all men's labourr
not intermingle matter of action with matter of and peregrinations.
general learning.
THE prerogative of God extendeth as well to
THus have I concluded this portion of learning the reason as to the will of man; so that as we
touching civil knowedge; and with civil know- are to obey his law, though we find a reluctation
ledge have concluded human philosophy; and in our will, so we are to believe his word, though
with human philosophy, philosophy in general. we find a reluctation in our reason. For if we
And being now at some pause, looking back into believe only that which is agreeable to our sense,
that I have passed through, this writing seemeth we give consent to the matter, and not to the auto me, "c si nunquam fallit imago" (as far as a man thor; which is no more than we would do towards
can judge of his own work,) not much better than a suspected and discredited witness; but that
that noise or sound which musicians make while faith which was accounted to Abraham for rightthey are tuning their instruments; which is no- eousness was of such a point as whereat Sarah
thing pleasant to hear, but yet is a cause why the laughed, who therein was an image of natural
music is sweeter afterwards: so have I been con- reason.
tent to tune the instruments of the muses, that Howbeit, if we will truly consider it, more
they may play that have better hands. And sure- worthy it is to believe than to know as we now
ly, when I set before me the condition of these know. For in knowledge man's mind suffereth
times, in which learning hath made her third from sense; but in belief it suffereth from spirit,
visitation or circuit in all the qualities thereof-as such one as it holdeth for more authorized than
the excellency and vivacity of the wits of this itself, and so suffereth from the worthier agent.
age; the noble helps and lights which we have Otherwise it is of the state of man glorified; foi
by the travails of ancient writers; the art of print- then faith shall cease, and we shall know as we
ing, which communicateth books to men of all are known.
fortunes; the openness of the world by naviga- Wherefore we conclude that sacred Theology,
tion, which hath disclosed multitudes of experi- (which in our idiom we call Divinity,) is groundments, and a mass of natural history; the leisure ed only upon the word and oracle of God, and not
wherewith these times abound, not employing upon the light of nature: for it is written,,,Cceli
men so generally in civil business, as the states enarrantgloriam Dei;" butit is notwritten,,, Coeli
of Graecia did, in respect of their popularity, and enarrant voluntatem Dei:" but of that it is said,
the states of Rome, in respect of the greatness of "Ad legem et testimonium: si non fecerint secuntheir monarchy; the present disposition of these dum verbum istud," &c. This holdeth not only
times at this instant to peace; the -consumption in those points of faith which concern the great
of all that ever can be said in controversies of re- mysteries of the Deity, of the creation, of the religion, which have so much diverted men from demption, but likewise those which concern the
other sciences; the perfection of your majesty's law moral truly interpreted: Love your enemies:
learning, which as a phoenix may call whole vol- do good to them that hate you; be like to your
lies of wits to follow you; and the inseparable heavenly Father, that suffereth his rain to fall
propriety of time, which is ever more and more upon the just and unjust. To this it ought to be
to disclose truth-I cannot but be raised to this applauded, "Nec vox hominum sonat:" it is a
persuasion, that this third period of time will far voice beyond the light of nature. So we see the
surpass that of the Grecian and Roman learning: heathen poets, when they fall upon a libertine
only if men will know their own strength, and passion, do still expostulate with laws and motheir own weakness both; and take one from the ralities, as if they were opposite and malignant to
other, light of invention, and not fire of contra- nature: "Et quod natura remittit, invida jura
diction; and esteem of the inquisition oftruth as of negant." So said Dendamis the Indian unto
an enterprise, and not as of a quality or ornament; Alexander's messengers, "That he had heard
and employ wit and magnificence to things of somewhat of Pythagoras, and some other of the
worth and excellency, and not to things vulgar wise men of Grecia, and that he held thein for
and of popular estimation. As for my labours, if excellent men: but that they had a fault, whicl
any man shall please himself or others in the re- was, that they had in too great reverence and