18 J. nopKiNSOisr—ANNivERSAEY address: 



of Kepler ; and that he should contemn Gilbert's experiments in 

 maii,netism. But the Copernican system was then merely an 

 hypothesis by which the movements of the planets could be 

 exjjlained in a more simple manner than by the Ptolemaic system. 

 It was a necessary basis for Kepler's empirical laws of the distances 

 of the planets from the sun, and the times of their revolution round 

 it, which were known in England in the year 1610; but, although 

 Kepler's views strongly strengthened the hypothesis of Copernicus, 

 absolute proof was not forthcoming until Newton discovered the 

 laws of gravitation. 



In 1614 Bacon is returned as a Member of Parliament for St. 

 Albans, Ipswich, and Cambridge, and elects to sit for his University. 

 In the following year he takes part in a trial which but for this 

 might have passed almost unnoticed — that of Peacham for treason. 

 The prominence given to this trial by Bacon's chief detractors,. 

 Campbell and Macaulay, make it necessary to refer to it here. 

 Peacham was rector of Hinton St. George in Somersetshire, and 

 was removed from the Church for grossly libelling his bishop, and 

 for other misdeeds. His house was searched, and in it was found a 

 seditious pamphlet prepared for publication, inciting to the murder 

 of the King, his son and heir, and his officers. When questioned 

 he accuses sevei'al persons in high position of treasonable know- 

 ledge of it, and makes it appear that a formidable conspiracy is on 

 foot. As he is known to be a bad character, doubts are raised as 

 to his truthfulness, and the Crown appoints a Commission of eight, 

 Bacon being one, to examine him under torture at their discretion. 

 Bacon, also, is directed by the King to consult the judges as to 

 whether they were of opinion that seditious writing legally amounted 

 to treason. Peacham is tried and sentenced to death, after which 

 he offers to tell the truth if his life is spared. His written con- 

 fession is in existence, and although in it he admits that his 

 accusation of others as his accomplices was unjust, he spins a tissue 

 of evident falsehoods. AYe may certainly regret that our great 

 philosopher should have been associated in a cruel and utterly 

 unphilosophical means of endeavouring to elicit truth, but for him 

 to have refused to act might in those times have been considered a 

 treasonable offence. Suffering and death were looked upon very 

 differently then than they are now. But a revulsion against the 

 use of torture was springing up, in which Bacon took a prominent 

 part. Of the eight who examined Peacham he is the only one who 

 has raised his voice against the practice, and yet he is the only one 

 who has been accused of inhumanity. Even the King had witnessed 

 torture, for he was present when Guy Eawkes was stretched. 



