2 4 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Plato/' sometimes with an apology, but from his influence Dee had 

 escaped farther than he himself perhaps knew. The amount of space 

 given in the " Fruitful Preface " to the explanation of the uses of 

 mathematics and the record of his varied activities give abundant proof 

 that this scholar believed in making knowledge effective for the benefit 

 of mankind. It is impossible to go through his writings without sus- 

 pecting that here is one source of Bacon's ideas. John Dee preceded 

 Francis Bacon at Cambridge by thirty years, and were there no positive 

 proof of their acquaintance it would not be probable that a man known 

 all over Europe for his learning and frequently called into service by 

 the Queen and her ministers should remain unknown to a young courtier 

 with the omnivorous intellect of a Francis Bacon. For many years Dee 

 kept an intermittent diary on the margin of his almanac in which is 

 found this note : 



Aug. 11 — 1582. Mr. Bacon and Mr. Phillips of the court called. 



Sir Nicholas Bacon was prominent at the court of Queen Elizabeth 

 and his two sons, Anthony and Francis, were court favorites, while yet 

 in their teens. As Sir Nicholas died in 1579 and Anthony Bacon was 

 on the continent in 1582, the " Mr. Bacon of the court " could not well 

 have been other than the young Francis. According to Bacon's own 

 testimony, he wrote his first letter on the " Instauration of Philosophy " 

 about 1583. 



Looking at this " faithful student of the school of verity," this " old 

 forworne mathematician," as he styles himself, we see a scholar familiar 

 with the contributions of all men up to his time, a pilgrim to every 

 shrine of knowledge; we see a councillor of kings, an adviser of ex- 

 plorers and men of affairs, a proud patriot, a profound believer in the 

 ability of man to obtain sovereignty over the forces of nature, a cour- 

 ageous man throwing down the gauntlet to authority. But there is a 

 reverse side to the picture. The desire to force the secrets of nature, 

 of which he had a deep presentiment, became a ruling passion. In the 

 midst of a discussion of " Statike (experiment of the Balance) " he 

 breaks off with this prayer : 



Oh that men wist what profit, (all manner of ways) by this Arte might 

 grow, to the liable examiner and diligent practiser. Tho only, knowest all 

 things precisely (0 God) . . . who hast created all things in Number, Waight, 

 and Measure: and hath wayed the mountains and hils in a Balance: who hast 

 peysed in thy hand both Heaven and Earth, . . . and being farther advertised 

 by thy merciful goodness that, three principall wayes, were, of thee, used in 

 Creation of all thy creatures, namely, Number, Waight and Measure, and for 

 as much as of Number and Measure, the two Artes (ancient, famous, and to 

 humaine uses most necessary) are, all ready, sufficiently known and extant: 

 This third key, we beseche thee (through thy accustomed goodness) that it 

 may come to the nedefull and sufficient knowledge of such thy servants, as in 

 thy workmanship would gladly finde thy true occasions. . . . Amen. 



Mervaile nothing at this pang (godly friend, you Gentle and Zealous 

 Student). An other day perchance, you will perceive, what occasion moved me. 



