Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/373

 protection was necessary for the advancement of knowledge. In his letter of the 12th of October, 1620, to the king, he says, speaking of the Novum Organum: "This work is but a new body of clay, whereunto your majesty, by your countenance and protection, may breathe life. And, to tell your majesty truly what I think, I account your favour maybe to this work as much as an hundred years' time: for I am persuaded, the work will train upon men's minds in ages, but your gracing it may make it take hold more swiftly; which I would be very glad of, it being a work meant, not for praise or glory, but for practice, and the good of men."

If this opinion of the necessity of the king's protection, or of any patronage, for the progress of knowledge, be now supposed a weakness: if in these times, and in this enlightened country, truth has nothing to dread: if Galileo may now, without fear of the inquisition, assert that the earth moves round; or if an altar is raised to the "unknown God," he who is ignorantly worshipped, we may declare; let us not be unmindful of the present state of the press in other countries, or forget that, although Bacon saw a little ray of distant light, yet that it was seen from far, the refraction of truth yet below the horizon. Let us not forget that he had neither schools nor disciples. "We," he says, "judge also, that mankind may conceive some hope from our example, which we offer not by way of ostentation, but because it may be useful. If any one, therefore, should despair, let him consider a man as much employed in civil affairs as any other of his age, a man of no great share of health, who must therefore have lost much time, and yet, in his undertaking, he is the first that leads the way, unassisted by any mortal, and steadfastly entering the true path that was absolutely untrod before, and submitting his mind to things, may thus have somewhat advanced the design." Let us, remembering this, not withhold from him the indulgence which he solicits for the infirmities from which even philosophy is not exempt. "I am not ignorant what it is that I do now move and attempt, nor insensible of mine own weakness to sustain my purpose; but my hope is that if my extreme love to learning carry me too far, I may obtain the excuse of affection; for that it is not granted to man to love and to be wise." In addition to these reasons, the explanation to the penetration and judgment of the reader in the body of the treatise of the object of the address with which it opens, ought not to be forgotten; and some caution ought, it should seem, to be used in not suffering our judgments to be warped when examining a charge of indignity offered by such a philosopher to philosophy; but, after every caution which can in justice be used, and after every allowance which can in charity be made, it cannot but be wished that this work, which will be consecrated to the remotest posterity for its many excellencies, had not in any part or for any purpose, been wanting in that dignity for which, as a whole, it stands so proudly eminent.

Referring to page 139.

As to prevalence of delicate learning.

"After the barbarism of the feudal times, the only politeness of conversation, as the only knowledge, was among the clergy. Tournaments, hunting, hawking, &c. made the sole occupation of the nobility. Upon the revival of the humanity studies, they were eagerly followed, to polish as well as to inform. They answered that end which keeping good company does at this day; they gave an habitual elegance to the conversation and sentiments of those who cultivated them, and were therefore, at that time, of much more positive import than at present, or even in Bacon's time. As society became improved, and its intercourse became more frequent, the nicety and time bestowed in these pursuits became a frivolous vanity: the end was otherwise answered. Hence may be deduced their gradual decline, till at length they serve now for the first institutions of schools, and, perhaps, for the occasional amusement of a few persons of just taste, who read them not for information, but through indolence.

"Of the renovation of the humanity studies, in Europe, particularly the Greek language, vid. Hody de Græcia illustribus, &.c., who has given the lives of Leon. Pilatus, who was master to Boccace, of Crysolorus, Gaza, Trapezuntius, Bessarion, and others, who passed into Europe, and lectured on the Greek language, both before and after the taking of Constantinople.

"Among the promoters of frivolous studies, may be reckoned the modern latin poets, of variou nations: the making verses in a dead language was the prevalent taste and occupation of the learned world, at the revival of letters, and produced most infinite attempts of an inferior order, for a very few good poets. Those, in fact, who possessed the powers of pagination and judgment, displayed them successfully in whatever language they wrote: as Politan, Fracastilo, Vida, Criton, (whose two remaining poems have great merit.) Mantuan, and some others. The rest attained the language, and were elegantly dull. Such were Vaniere and Rapin the Jesuits, Barbeirni, (D'Urban,) and even Casimir with some exceptions.—Anon. MSS. Notes.

Referring to page 139.

In the Novum Organum this sentiment is repeated. "The opinions which men entertain of antiquity, is a very idle thing, and almost incongruous to the word; for the old age and length of days of the world, should in reality be accounted antiquity, and ought to be attributed to our own times, not to the youth of the world, which it enjoyed among the ancients: for that age, though with respect to us it be ancient and greater, yet, with regard to the world, it was new and less. And as we justly expect a greater knowledge of things, and a riper judgment, from a man of years than from a youth, or account of the greater experience, and the greater variety and number of things seen, heard, and thought of, by the person in years; so might much greater matters be justly expected from the present age, (if it knew but its own strength, and would make trial and apply,) than from former times; as this is the more advanced age of the world, and now enriched and furnished with infinite experiments and observations."

Sir Henry Wotton, in his answer to Bacon's presentation of the Novum Organum, says, "Of your Novum Organum I shall speak more hereafter; but I have learnt thus much already by it, that we are extremely mistaken in the computation of antiquity by searching it backwards; because, indeed, the first times were the youngest."

Referring to page 139. Bacon, in various parts of his works, expresses his disapprobation of method and arrangement, but acknowledges the necessity of attention to style, for the purpose of rendering philosophy acceptable to heedless or unwilling ears.—See page 214 of this volume, where he explains the preference of writing in aphorisms to methodical writing: for as to writing in aphorisms, he says; 1st. It trieth the writer whether he be superficial or solid. 2d. Methods are more fit to win consent or belief, but less fit to point to action. 3d. Aphorisms generate inquiry. And again, see page 241, when speaking of interpretation of Scripture, he says,

"It is true that knowledges reduced into exact methods have a show of strength, in that each part seemeth to support and sustain the other; but this is more satisfactory than substantial: like unto buildings which stand by architecture and compaction, which are more subject to ruin than those which are built more strong in their several parts though less compacted." And again he says,

"The worst and most absurd sort of triflers are those who have pent the whole art into strict methods and narrow systems, which men commonly cry up for the sake of their regularity and style.

"knowledge is uttered to men in a form, as if every thing were finished: for it is reduced into arts and methods which in their divisions do seem to include all that maybe. And how weakly soever the parts are filled, yet they carry the show and reason of a total; and thereby the writings of some received authors go for the very act; whereas antiquity used to deliver the knowledge which the mind of man had gathered in observations, aphorisms, or short or disposed sentences, or small tractates of some parts that they had diligently meditated and laboured; which did incite men both to ponder that which was invented and to add and supply farther."

Rawley, in his preface to the Sylva Sylvarum, says, "I have heard his lordship often say, that, if nee should have served the glory of his owne name, hee had beene better not to have published this naturall history: for it may seeme an indigested