CCCCxl LIFE OF BACON. 



himself within its narrow boundaries, or is indolently 

 content without seeking for any remote cause, (q) but 



might see the spectre. At length, on a serene morning, as the sun was 

 just appearing above the horizon, it stood before me, at a great distance, 

 towards the opposite mountain. It seemed to be the gigantic figure of a 

 man. It vanished in a moment.&quot; In September, 1796, the celebrated 

 Abb Haiiy visited this country. He says : &quot; After having ascended the 

 mountain for thirty times, I at last saw the spectre. It was just at sun 

 rise, in the middle of the month of May, about four o clock in the morning. 

 I saw distinctly a human figure of a monstrous size. The atmosphere was 

 quite serene towards the east. In the south-west a high wind carried 

 before it some light vapours, which were scarcely condensed into clouds 

 and hung round the mountains upon which the figure stood. I bowed. 

 The colossal figure repeated it. I paid my respects a second time, which 

 was returned with the same civility. I then called the landlord of the inn ; 

 and having taken the same position which I had before occupied, we looked 

 towards the mountain, when we clearly saw two such colossal figures, 

 which, after having repeated our compliment by bending their bodies, 

 vanished. When the rising sun throws his rays over the Broken upon the 

 body of a man standing opposite to fleecy clouds, let him fix his eye 

 steadfastly upon them, and in all probability he will see his own shadow 

 extending the length of five or six hundred feet, at the distance of about 

 two miles from him.&quot; 



(?) This is explained by Lord Bacon, in his doctrine of Idols, under the 

 head Abandoning Universality.&quot; lie says, &quot; Man has a tendency to 

 abandon universality, that is, to stop too soon in his inquiries, and to con 

 clude that he views the truth which he possesses in all its extent.&quot; This 

 may be thus illustrated : Rings twirled upon an axis appear spheres. A 

 lighted stick, moved quickly in a circle, appears a circle of fire, or what 

 boys call gold lace. A lighted flambeau carried quickly by night appears 

 tailed like a comet. When a musical string is struck, it vibrates, and 

 the strings appear double, treble, &c. These appearances originate in a 

 new impression being made before the effect of a former impression is 

 removed ; for if these motions are performed slowly, such appearances do 

 not exist. It may, therefore, be considered a general truth, that when a 

 new impression is made upon the organ of sight before the effect of a 

 former impression is removed, that is, when the motion of impulse is 

 quicker than the motion of recovery, this peculiar effect is produced. 

 Now the position, that Man has a tendency to abandon universality,&quot; 

 assumes that, the mind, having discovered this truth with respect to the 

 sense of seeing, is apt to rest content therewith, without considering that it 



