The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

NOTES TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING.. 245
protection was necessary for the advancement of knowledge. "Amongthe promoters of frivolous studies, may be reckone.
In his letter of the 12th of October, 1620, to the king, he says, the modern Latin poets, of various nations: the making verses
speaking of the Novum Organum: " This work is but a new in a dead language was the prevalent taste and occupation
body of clay, whereunto your majesty, by your countenance of the learned world, at the revival of letters, and produced
and protection, may breathe life. And, to tell your majesty almost infinite attempts of an inferior order, for a very few
truly what I think, I account your favour may be to this work good poets. Those, in fact, who possessed the powers of
as much as an hundred years' time: for I am persuaded, the imagination and judgment, displayed them successfully in
work will gain upon men's mlinds in ages, but your gracing it whatever language they wrote: as Politan, Fracastilo, Vida,
may make it take hold more swiftly; which I.would be very Criton, (whose two remaining poems have great merit,)
glad of, it being a work meant, not for praise or glory, but for Mantuan, and some others. The rest attained the language,
practice, and the good of men." and were elegantly dull. Such were Vaniere and Rapin the
If this opinion of the necessity of the king's protection, or jesuits, Barbeirni, (D'Urban,) and even Casimir with some
of any patronage, for the progress of knowledge, be now exceptions. —dnon. JXISS. JNotes.
supposed a weakness: if in these times, and in this enlighten- N C
ed country, truth has nothing to dread: if Galileb may now,
without fear of the inquisition, assert that the earth moves Referring to page 139.
round; or if an altar is raised to the "unknown God," he In the Novum Organum this sentiment is repeated. " The
who is ignorantly worshipped, we may declare; let us not opinions which men entertain of antiquity, is a very idle
be unmindful of the present state of the press in other coun- thing, and almost incongruous to the word; for the old age
tries, or forget that, although Bacon saw a little ray of distant and length of days of the world, should in reality be accounted
light, yet that it was seen from far, the refraction of truth yet antiquity, and ought to be attributed to our own times, not to
below the horizon. Let us not forget that he had neither the youth of the world, which it enjoyed among the ancients:
schools nor disciples. "We," he says, "judge also, that for that age, though with respect to us it be ancient and
mankind may conceive some hope from our example, which greater, yet, with regard to the world, it was new and less
we offer not by way of ostentation, but because it may be And as we justly expect a greater knowledge of things, and
useful. If any one, therefore, should despair, let him con- a riper judgment, from a man of years than from a youth, or,
sider a man as much employed in civil affairs as any other of account of the greater experience, and the greater variety
his age, a man of no great share of health, who must there- and number of things seen, heard, and thought of, by the
fore have lost much time, and yet, in his undertaking, he is person in years; so might much greater matters be justly exthe first that leads the way, unassisted by any mortal, and pected from the present age, (if it knew but its own strength,
steadfastly entering the true path that was absolutely untrod and would make trial and apply,) than from former times;
before, and submitting his mind to things, may thus have as this is the more advanced age of the world, and now ensomewhat advanced the design." Let us, remembering this, riched and furnished with infinite experiments and observanot withhold from him the indulgence which he solicits for tions."
the infirmities from which even philosophy is not exempt. Sir Henry Wotton, in his answer to Bacon's presentation
~" I am not ignorant what it is that I do now move and at- of the Novum Organuni, says, "Of your Novumn Organum I
tempt, nor insensible of mine own weakness to sustain my shall spgak more hereafter; but I have learnt thus much
purpose; but my hope is that if my extreme love to learning already by it, that we are extremely mistaken in the conlpllcarry me too far, I may obtain the excuse of affection; for tation of antiquity by searching it backwards; because, in'that it is not granted to man to love and to be wise.' " deed, the first times were the youngest."
In addition to these reasons, the explanation to the penetration and judgment of the reader in the body of the treatise NOTE D.
of the object of the address with which it opens, ought not Referring to page 139.
to be forgotten; and some caution ought, it should seem, to Bacon, in various parts of his works, expresses his disapbe used in not suffering our judgments to be warped when probation of method and arrangement, but acknowledges the
examining a charge of indignity offered by such a philosopher necessity of attention to style, for the purpose of rendering
to philosophy; but, after every caution which can in justice philosophy acceptable to heedless or unwilling ears.-See
be used, and after every allowance which can in charity be page 214 of this volume, where he explains the preference of
made, it cannot but be wished that this work, which will be writing in aphorisms to methodical writing: for as to writing
consecrated to the remotest posterity for its many excellen- in aphorisms, he says; 1st. It trieth the writer whether he be
cies, had not in any part or for any purpose, been wanting in superficial or solid. 2d. Methods are more fit to win consent
that dignity for which, as a whole, it stands so proudly emi- or belief, but less fit to point to action. 3d. Aphorisms genenent. rate inquiry. And again, see page 241, when speaking of inhNOTE B. terpretation of Scripture, he says,
"It is true that knowledges reduced into exact methods
Referring to page 139. have a show of strength, in that each part seemeth to support
As to prevalence of delicate learning. and sustain the other; but this is more satisfactory than sub" After the barbarism of the feudal times, the only polite- stantial: like unto buildings which stand by architecture and
ness of conversation, as the only knowledge, was among the compaction, which are more subject to ruin than those which
clergy. Tournaments, hunting, hawking, &c. made the sole are built more strong in their several parts though less comoccupation of the nobility. Upon the revival of the humanity pacted."
studies, they were eagerly followed, to polish as well as to And again he says,
inform. They answered that end which keeping good com- "The worst and most absurd sort of triflers are those who
pany does at this day; they gave an habitual elegance to the have pent the whole art into strict methods and narrow sysconversation and sentiments of those who cultivated them, tems, which men commonly cry up for the sake of their reguand were therefore, at that time, of mulch more positive im- larity and style.
port than at present, or even in Bacon's time. As society "Knowledge is uttered to men in a form, as if every thing
became improved, and its intercourse became more frequent, were finished: for it is reduced into arts and methods which
the nicety and time bestowed in these pursuits became a fri- in their divisions do seem to include all that may be. And
volous vanity: the end was otherwise answered. Hence how weakly soever the parts are filled, yet they carry the
may be deduced their gradual decline, till at length they serve show and reason of a total; and thereby the writings of some
nov, for the first institutions of schools, and, perhaps, for the received authors go for the very act; whereas antiquity used
occasional amusement of a kew persons of just taste, who to deliver the knowledge which the mind of man had gathered
read them not for information, but through indolence. in observations, aphorisms, or short or disposed sentences, or
"Of the renovation of the humanity studies, in Europe, small tractates of some parts that they had diligently mediparticularly the Greek language, vid. Hody de Grncis illustri- tated and laboured; which did incite men both to ponder that
bus, &c., who has given the lives of Leon. Pilatus, who was which was invented and to add and supply farther."
master to Boccace, of Crysolorus, Gaza, Trapezuntius, Bes- Rawley, in his preface to the Sylva Sylvarum, says, "I have
sarion, and others, who passed into Europe, and lectured on heard his lordship often say, that, if hee should have served
the Green language, both before and after the taking of Con- the glory of his owne name, hee had beene better not to have
stantinople. published this naturall history: for it may seeme an indigestod
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