138 Bacon 



mentioned, and words: although some have been willing 

 by curious inquiry, or rather by apt feigning to have derived 

 imposition of names from reason and intendment; a 

 speculation elegant, and, by reason it searcheth into 

 antiquity, reverent; but sparingly mixed with truth, and 

 of small fruit. This portion of knowledge, touching the 

 notes of things and cogitations in general, I find not in 

 quired but deficient. And although it may seem of no 

 great use, considering that words and writings by letter 

 do far excel all the other ways; yet because this part 

 concerneth, as it were, the mint of knowledge, (for words 

 are the tokens current and accepted for conceits, as moneys 

 are for values, and that it is fit men be not ignorant that 

 moneys may be of another kind than gold and silver,) I 

 thought good to propound it to better inquiry. 



Concerning speech and words, the consideration of them 

 hath produced the science of grammar: for 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 the confusion of tongues, by the 

 art of grammar ; whereof the use in a mother tongue 1 is 

 small, in a foreign tongue more; but most in such foreign 

 tongues as have ceased to be vulgar tongues, and are 

 turned only to learned tongues. The duty of it is of two 

 natures; the one popular, which is for the speedy and 

 perfect attaining languages as well for intercourse of 

 speech as for understanding of authors; the other philo 

 sophical, examining the power and nature of words, as 

 they are the footsteps and prints of reason : which kind of 

 analogy between words and reason is handled sparsim, 

 brokenly, though not entirely; and therefore I cannot 

 report it deficient, though I think it very worthy to be 

 reduced into a science by itself. 



Unto grammar also belongeth, as an appendix, the con 

 sideration of the accidents of words; which are measure, 

 sound, and elevation or accent, and the sweetness and 

 harshness of them; whence hath issued some curious 



1 The Latin is &quot; linguis quibusque vernaculis.&quot; Edition 1605 has 

 in another tongue, which is clearly a misprint the antithesis lying 

 between a &quot; vernacular &quot; or mother tongue, and a foreign language. 



