The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

HISTORY OF LIFE AND DEATH. 489
new juice, the old being consumed, and as (he prehensions. But mine intentions do both come
saith) to recover a sickness, is to renew youth. home to the matter, and are far from vain and
Therefore it were good to make some artificial credulous imaginations; being also such, as I
diseases, which is done by strict and emaciating conceive, posterity may add much to the matters
diets, of which I shall speak hereafter. which satisfy these intentions; but to the intentions themselves, but a little. Notwithstanding
Thie Ilntentions. there are a few things, and those of very great
moment, of which I would have men to be foreTo the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth articles. warned.
Having finished the inquisition according to First, We are of that opinion, that we esteem
the subjects, as, namely, of inanimate bodies, the offices of life to be more worthy than life itself.
vegetables, living creatures, man, I will come Therefore, if there be any thing of that kind that
now nearer to the matter, and order mine inquisi- may indeed exactly answer our intentions, yet so
tions by certain intentions, such as are true and that the offices and duties of life be thereby hinproper (as I am wholly persuaded,) and which dered, whatsoever it be of this kind, we reject it.
are the very paths to mortal life. For in this Perhaps we may make some light mention of
part, nothing that is of worth hath hitherto been some things, but we insist not upon them. For
inquired, but the contemplations of men have we make no serious nor diligent discourse, either
been but simple and non-proficients. For when of leading the life in caves, where the sunbeams
I hear men on the one side speak of comforting and several changes of the air pierce not, like
natural heat, and the radical moisture, and of Epimenides his cave; or of perpetual baths,
meats which breed good blood, such as may made of liquors prepared; or of shirts and searneither be burnt nor phlegmatic, and of the cloths, so applied, that the body should be alcheering and recreating the spirits, I suppose ways, as it were, in a box; or of thick paintings
them to be no bad men which speak these things; of the body, after the manner of some barbarous
but none of these worketh effectually towards nations; or of an exact ordering of our life and
the end. But when, on the other side, I hear diet, which aimeth only at this, and mindeth
several discourses touching medicines made of nothing else but that a man live, (as was that of
gold, because gold is not subject to corruption; Herodicus amongst the ancients, and of Cornarus
and touching precious stones, to refresh the the Venetian in our days, but with greater modespirits by their hidden properties and lustre, and ration,) or of any such prodigy, tediousness, or
that if they could be taken and retained in ves- inconvenience; but we propound such remedies
sels, the balsams and quintessences of living and precepts, by which the offices of life may
creatures would make men conceive a proud hope neither be deserted nor receive any great interof immortality. And that the flesh of serpents ruptions or molestations.
and harts, by a certain consent, are powerful to Secondly, On the other side, we denounce unto
the renovation of life, because the one c asteth his men that they will give over trifling, and not imaskin, the other his horns; (they should also have gine that so great a work as the stopping and
added the flesh of eagles, because the eagle turning back the powerful course of nature can
changes his bill.) And that a certain man, when be brought to pass by some morning draught, or
he had found an ointment hidden under the the taking of some precious drug, but that they
ground, and had anointed himself therewith from would be assured that it must needs be, that this
head to foot, (excepting only the soles of his feet) is a work of labour, and consisteth of many remedid, by his anointing, live three hundred years dies, and a fit connexion of them amongst themwithout any disease, save only some tumours in selves; for no man can be so stupid as to imagine
the soles of his feet. And of Artesius, who, that what was never yet done can be done, but.,when he found his spirit ready to depart, drew by such ways as were never yet attempted.
into his body the spirit of a certain young man, Thirdly, We ingeniously profess that some of
and thereby made him breathless, but himself those things which we shall propound, have not
lived many years by another man's spirit. And been tried by us by way of experiment, (for our
of fortunate hours, according to the figures of course of life doth not permit that,) but are deheaven, in which medicines are to be gathered rived (as we suppose) upon good reasons, out of
and compounded for the prolongation of life; and our principles and grounds, (of which some we
of the seals of planets, by which virtues may be set down, others we reserve in our mind,) and
drawn and fetched down from heaven to prolong are, as it were, cut and digged out of the rock
life; and such like fabulous and superstitious and mine of nature herself. Nevertheless, we
vanities. I wonder exceedingly that men should have been careful, and that with all providence
so muich dote as to suffer themselves to be deluded and circumspection, (seeing the Scripture saith of
with these things. And, again, I do pity man- the body of man, that it is more worth than rai1kind that they should have the hard fortune to be ment,) to propound such remedies as may at least
besieged with such frivolous and senseless ap- be safe, if peradventure they be not fruitful
VOL. III. —62