Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/279

 ANALYSIS OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. Periander, being consulted with how to prt X irt &amp;lt;i tifniiini/ tinit/i/ itstirptd, bid //it- i/tt *!&amp;lt;t ii^&amp;gt; r dtli iiil unil re/io i irlnit /if saw him dn; and went into hii, garden and topped all tin hig/ir*/ fliwers. Hypotheses respecting the origin of words 213 Of Grammar. Man still striveth to reintegrate himself in those benedictions, from which by his fault he hath been deprived; and as he hath striven against the first general curse by the invention of all other arts, so hath he sought to come forth of the second general curse, which was tlit confusion of tongues, by the art of gram mar; whereof I fie us? in a mother tongue is small, in a foreign tongue more, but most in such foreign tongues as have ceased tn be vul gar tongues, and are turned only to learned tongues. The accidents of words, as measure, sound, &c. is an appendix to grammar. There are various sorts of ciphers. As there be many of great account in their countries and provinces, which, when they come up to the seat of the estate, are but of mean rank and scarcely regarded ,- so these arts, being here placed with the principal and supreme sciences, seem petty things,- yet to such as have chosen them to spend their la bours and studies in them, they seem great matters. THE METHOD OF SPEECH. It is deficient. Impatience of method. Different sorts of methods. The use of grammar is small in mother tongues is greater in foreign living tongues; but greatest in dead languages 213 Duties of grammar are two. . Popular. . Philosophical. Popular grammar is for the learning and speaking lan guages. Philosophical grammar examines the power of words as they are the footsteps of reason 213 First Method. Magistral which teaches, or initiative which insinuates 214 He that delivereth knowledge, desireth to de liver it in such form as may be best believed, and not as may be best examined; and he that receiveth knowledge, desireth rather pre sent satisfaction, than expectant inquiry,- and so rather not to doubt, than not to err. Knowledge that is delivered as a thread to Le spun on, ought to be delivered and inti mated, if it were possible, in the same method wherein it was invented ,- and so is it possible of knowledge induced. It is in knowledge as it is in plants ,- if you mean to use the plant, it is no matter for the roots ,- but if you mean to remove it to grow, . then it is more assured to rent upon roots than slips. so the delivery of knowledges, as it is now used, is as of fair bodies of trees without the roots ,- good for (he carpenter, but not fur the planter. But if you will have sciences grow, it is less matter fir the shaft or body of the tree, so you look well to the taking up of thtroot*. Second Method. A concealed or revealed style. 214 Third Method. Method or aphorisms. . Delivery by aphorisms is a test of the knowledge of the writer. . Methodical delivery is better to procure con sent than to generate action. . Aphorisms invite to augment knowledge. Fourth Method. Delivery by assertions with tfteir oroofs or interrogations. . Delivery by interrogations should be used only to remove stny prejudices. If it be immoderately fallowed, is as pre judicial to the proceeding &amp;gt;f learning, as it is to the proceeding of an army to go about to besiege every little fort or hold. For if the field be kept, and the sum of the enterprise pursued, those smaller things will come in tf themselves. Fifth Met/lad. Accommodation of delivery according to the matter which is to be treated. Sixth Method. Delivery according to the anticipation in the minds of the hearers. . Those whose conceits are seated in po pular opinions need only to dispute or to prove. . Those whose conceits are beyond po pular opinions have a double labour. 1st. That they may be conceited. 2d. That they may prove. . Science not consonant to presupposi tions must bring in aid similitudes. Method considers the disposition of the work, and tho limitation of propositions 215 It belongeth to architecture to consider not only the whole frame of a work, but the seve ral beams and columns. Observations upon the limits of propositions. Of the method of imposture. A mass of words of all arts, to give men countenance, that those which use the terms might be thought to understand the art i which collections are much like a fripper s of broker s shop, that hath ends of every thing but nothing of worth. ILLUSTRATIVE OF SPEECH 216 . Eloquence is in reality inferior to wisdom; but in popular opinions superior to it. It is said by God to Moses, when he disal led himself for want of this faculty, Aaron shall be thy speaker, and thou shall be to him as God. . The deficiences in eloquence are rather in some collections than in the art itself. . The office of rhetoric is to apply reason to imagina tion for the better moving of the will. . The disturbers of reason are fallacies of arguments: assiduity of impression, and violence of pae- sion. . The counteractors of these disturbers are logic, mo rality and rhetoric. . Speech is more conversant in adorning what w good than in colouring evil. &quot;Virtue, if she could be seen, would more great love and affection /&quot; so seeing that ehe cannot lie showed to the sense by corponti shape, the next degree is to show her to the imagina tion in lively representation. . The affections not being pliant to reason, rhetoric is necessary. . Difference between logic and rhetoric.