The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

LIFE OF BACON. liii
If his work had been addressed to the philoso- frenzy is a good emblem; for words are but
phy of the country, instead of having confined his images of matter, and to fall in love with theln is
professional objections to divines and politicians, all one as to fall in love with a picture."
he would have explained that, as our opinions These different subjects are classed under the
always constitute our intellectual and often our quaint expression of 1"Distempers of Learning,"
worldly wealth, prejudice is common to us all, to which, that the metaphor may be preserved, he
and is particularly conspicuous amongst all pro- has appended various other defects, under the more
fessional men, with respect to the sciences which quaint term of ", Peccant Humours of Learning."
they profess. His observations upon the advantages of learnHis objections to learning from the errors of ing, although encumbered by fanciful and minute
learned men, contain his observations upon the analysis, abound with beauty; for, not contenting
study of words; upon useless knowledge; and himself with the simple position with which phiupon falsehood, called by him delicate learning; losophy would be satisfied, that knowledge teaches
contentious learning; and fantastical learning; us how to select what is beneficial, and avoid what
all of them erroneously considered objections to is injurious, he enumerates various modes, divine
learning; as the study of words is merely the se- and human, by which the happiness resulting from
lection of one species of knowledge; and conten- knowledge ever has been and ever will be manitious learning is only the conflict of opinion which fested.
ever exists when any science is in progress, and After having stated what he terms divine proofs
the way from sense to the understanding is not of the advantages of knowledge, he says, the husufficiently cleared; and falsehood is one of the man proofs are:
consequences attendant upon inquiry, as our diminishes afflictions from nature.
1. Learning diminishes afflictions from nature.
opinions, being formed not only by impressions
O ^.0~~~~~ 2. Learning diminishes evils from man to man.
upon our senses, but by confidence in the com-. earning
3. There is a union between learning and milimunication of others and our own reasonings, un- tary virtue.
avoidably teem with error, which can by time tary virtue.
alone be corrected. 4. Learning improves private virtues.
alone be corrected.
1. It takes away the barbarism of men's
As it is Bacon's doctrine that knowledge con-. It takes away the barbarism of men
sists in understanding the properties of creatures minds.
2. It takes away levity, temerity, and inand the names by which they are called,,the
occupation of Adam in Paradise," it may seem solency.
3. It takes away vain admiration,
extraordinary that he should not have formed a. It takes away
4. It takes away, or mitigates fear.
higher estimate than he appears to have formed. It
of the study of wo. Wordsass5. It disposes the constitution of the mind
of the study of words. Vords assist thought; not to be fixed or settled in its defects,
they teach us correctness; they enable us to acbut to be susceptible of growth and
quire the knowledge and character of other na- reformation.
tions; and the study of ancient literature in par- 5. It is power.
ticular, if it is not an exercise of the intellect, is a 5. It advances fortune.
discipline of humanity; if it do not strengthen
7. It is our greatest source of delight.
the understanding, it softens and refines the taste;. It i.. ZD~~, S ~8. It insures immortality.
it gives us liberal views; it accustoms the mind to
take an interest in things foreign to itself; to love These positions are proved by all the force of
virtue for its own sake; to prefer glory to riches, his reason, and adorned by all the beauty of his
and to fix our thoughts on the remote and perma- imagination. When speaking of the power of
nent, instead of narrow and fleeting objects. It knowledge to repress the inconveniences which
teaches us to believe that there is really some- arise from man to man, he says, "c In Orpheus's
thing great and excellent in the world, surviving theatre all beasts and birds assembled, and, forall the shocks and accidents and fluctuations of getting their several appetites, some of prey,
opinion, and raises us above that low and servile some of game, some of quarrel, stood all sociably
fear, which bows only to present power and up- together, listening to the airs and accords of the
start authority. Romeand Athensfilled aplacein harp; the sound whereof no sooner ceased, or
the history of mankind which can never be occu- was drowned by some louder noise, but every
pied again. They were two cities set on a hill beast returned to his own nature; wherein is
which cannot be hid; all eyes have seen them, aptly described the nature and condition of men,
and their light shines like a mighty sea-mark into who are full of savage and unreclaimed desires
the abyss of time: of profit, of lust, of revenge; which, as long as
"Still green with bays each ancient altar stands." they give ear to precepts, to laws, to religion,
sweetly touched with eloquence and persuasion
But, notwithstanding these advantages, Bacon of books, of sermons, of harangues, so long is
says, "the studying words and not matter is a society and peace maintained; but if these indistemper of learning, of which Pygmalion's struments be silent, or sedition and tumult make
(E 2)