The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

402 EDITOR'S PREFACE.
found amongst the papers of Lord Bacon, would it not be more probable that they were the effusion
of one of his pious friends, Herbert for instance, than that they were Lord Bacon's own production!'2d. If the Paradoxes are supposed to be polluted by an under current of infidelity, the very supposition is evidence against their authenticity, "6 for this lord was religious, and was able to render a reason of the hope which was in him.L He repaired frequently to the service of the church, to hear
sermons, to the administration of the sacrament of the blessed body and blood of Christ, and died in
the true faith, established in the Church of England."2
The internal evidence against the authenticity of the Paradoxes from the style is, that-ist, They,
in style, are in opposition to the whole tenor of Lord Bacon's works, which endeavours to make
doubtful things clear, not clear things doubtful.3 2d, The style of the Paradoxes, if they are supposed to contain an indirect attack upon Christianity, are in opposition to Lord Bacon's opinion of
the proper style for religious controversy. ", To search, he says, and rip up wounds with laughing countenance, to intermix Scripture and scurrility sometimes in one sentence, is a thing far from the devout
reverence of a Christian, and scant beseeming the honest regard of a sober man.' Non est major
confiusio quam serii et joci.' There is no greater confusion than the confounding of jest and earnest.
The majesty of religion, and the contempt and deformity of things ridiculous, are things as distant
as things may be. Two principal causes have I ever known of atheism; curious controversies, and profane scoffing. 3d, They have not any resemblance to the style of Lord Bacon; they are neither poetical,
adorned by imagery,4 nor learned, enriched by rare quotation; nor familiar, illustrated by examples,5
tal; and what was sown in corruption and defilement shall be raised in incorruption and glory; and a finite creature shall
possess an infinite happiness. Glory be to God." Compare this with his prayer. "Remember, 0 Lord, how thy servant
hath walked before thee: remember what I have first sought, and what hath been principal in my intentions. I have loved
thy assernblies: I have mourned for the divisions of thy church: I have delighted in the brightness of thy sanctuary. This
vine which thy right hand hath planted in this nation, I have ever prayed unto thee, that it might have the first and the latter
rain; and that it might stretch her branches to the seas and to the floods. The state and bread of the poor and oppressed
have been precious in mine eyes: I have hated all cruelty and hardness of heart: I have, though in a despised weed, procured the good of all men. If any have been my enemies, I thought not of them; neither hath the sun almost set upon my
displeasure; but I have been as a dove, free from superfluity of maliciousness. Thy creatures have been my books, but thy
scripltures much more. I have sought thee in the courts, fields, and gardens, but I have found thee in thy temples."
So in the Religio Medici, Sir Thomas Brown says, "For my religion, though there be several circumstances that might
perswade the world I have none at all, as the generall scandal of my profession, the natural course of my studies, the indif.
ferency of may behaviour, and discourse in matters of religion, neither violently defending one, nor with that common ardour
and contention opposing another; yet in despight hereof I dare, without usurpation, assume the honorable stile of a Chris.
tian; not that I meerely owe this stile to the font, my education or clime wherein I was borne as being bred up either to
confirme those principles my parents instilled into my unwary understanding; or by a generall consent proceed in the
religion of my counrtrey. But having, in my riper years, and confirmed judgment seene and examined all, I find miyselfe
obliged by the principles of grace, and the law of mine owne reason to embrace no other name but this; neither doth herein
my zeale so fare make me forget the generall charitie I owe unto humanity, as rather to hate than pity Turkes, Infidels and
(what is worse) Jewes, rather contenting myself to enjoy that happy stile, than maligning those who refuse so glorious a
title."
2 Such are the words of Dr. Rawley.
3In some part of his works, I do not recollect where, he says, "I endeavour not to inflate trifles into marvails, but to
reduce marvails to plain things:" and Rawley, in his life of Lord Bacon, says, " In the composing of his books he had rather
drive at a masculine and clear expression, than at any fineness or affectation of phrases, and would often ask if the meaning
were expressed plainly enough, as being one that accounted words to be but subservient, or ministeriall to matter; and not
the principalt. And if his stile were polite, it was because he could do no otherwise; neither was he given to any light
conceits; or descantinsg upon words, but did ever, purposely and industriously avoyd thenm; for he held such things to be but
di.gressions or diversions from the scope intended; and to derogate from the woeight and dignity of the stile."
4 As a specimen of his mode of illustrating by imagery, see the Advancement of Learning, vol. ii. page 177. In "Orpheus's
theatre, where all beasts and birds assembled; and, forgetting their several appetites, some of prey, some of game, some of
quarrel, stood all sociably together, listening to the airs and accords of the harp; the sound whereof no sooner ceased, or
was drowned by some louder noise, but every beast returned to his own nature: wherein is aptly described the nature and
condition of men, who are full of savage and unreclaimed desires of profit, of lust, of revenge; which as long as they give
ear to precepts, to laws, to religion, sweetly touched with eloquence and persuasion of books, of sermons, of harangues, so
long is society and peace maintained; but if these instruments be silent, or that sedition and tumult make them not audible, all things dissolve into anarchy and confusion."
5 In the Treatise De Augmentis, lib. v. 2, upoI literate experience or invention, not by art but by accident, he says, speaking of the error in supposing that experiments will succeed without due consideration of quantity of matter, " It is not altogether safe to rely upon any natural experiment, before proof be made both in a lesser, and greater quantity. Men should
remember the mockery of EAsop's housewife, who conceited that by doubling her measure of barley, her hen would daily
lay her two eggs; but the hen grew fat, and laid none." As specimens of his familiar illustration, see also the Advancement of Learning, when speaking of studies teeming with error, he says, " Surely to alchemy this right is due, that it may
be compared to the husbandman whereof AEsop makes the fable; that, when he died, told his sons, that he had left unto
them gold buried under ground in his vineyard; and they digged over all the ground, and gold they found none: but by
reason of their stirring and digging the mould about the roots of their vines, they had a great vintage the year following:
so assuredly the search and stir to make gold hath brought to light a great number of good and fruitful inventions and experiments, as well for the disclosing of nature as for the use of man's life." See again in exhibiting the nature of the philosophy of universals, "Philosopha Prima," the connection between all parts of nature, he says, "Is not the delight of the
quavering upon a stop in music, the same with the playing of light upon the water?
"' Splendet tremulo sub lumine pontus:' "-See vol. i. p. 194.
1 could willingly indulge myself with the selection of other instances, but remembering the admonition that "it is not
granted to love and to be wise," I stop.