— 
—————— 
PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS OF LORD BACON. 419 
It would be quite. unnecessary to proceed any farther, in ac- 
cumulating French authorities. The preceding deduction is 
sufficient to establish, not only that there is no foundation what- 
ever for the statement, that Bacon’s writings were little known 
in France previous to the publication of the Encyclopedie ; but 
that they had, at»a much earlier period, made an impression in 
that country, greatly favourable to the progress of truth*. I . 
shall, therefore, go on to inquire, though in a cursory man- 
ner, whether there are any similar proofs of equally early, at- 
tention having been paid to them, by the other lettered na- 
tions of the: Glonibindinie: 
Turning to Italy, we shall find, that caene also, Bacon’s philo- 
sophical works had attracted considerable notice, even before 
his death. Itis evident from his correspondence with Father 
Fuxeentio, that the Venetian philosophers were extremely in- 
quisitive about his publications +. His correspondence with 
Father Baranzan proves, that the Novum Organum was known, 
and had found anxious readers, in the north of Italy, at a surpri- 
wif 3G 2 singly 
- #* D’Avemnerr, in his Preliminary Discourse, assumes, that Bacon's writings 
remained long unheeded, and then exerts his ingenuity to show how this re- 
sult was to be expected. ‘ La scholastique qui dominoit de son temps, ne 
pouvoit étre renversée que. par des opinions hardies et nouvelles ; et il n’y a pas 
apparence qu'un philosophe, qui se contente de dire,—Vorla le peu que vous avez 
appris, voici ce qwil vous reste a chercher, soit destiné a faire beaucoup de bruit par- 
mi ses contemporains.” But were not Bacon’s opinions sufficiently bold, new, 
and animating, to attract the notice of an age already disposed to innova- 
tion? Did he not proclaim in the most energetic terms, that the whole of the 
antient systems and methods of philosophy must be abandoned as corrupt and 
incapable ; ; that the true path to science had been delineated only by him; and 
that countless discoveries waited to reward those who should follow that path 
with free minds and regulated perseverance ? \ 
—— “ He tryd each art, reprov’d each dull delay, 
Allur’d to brighter worlds, and led the way.” 
+ Tenntson’s Baconiana, p. 196, 197. 
