CCCclxX LIFE OF BACON. 



of the harp, the sound whereof no sooner ceased, or was 

 drowned by some louder noise, but every beast returned 

 to his own nature ; wherein is aptly described the nature 

 and condition of men : who are full of savage and unre 

 claimed desires of profit, of lust, of revenge, which as long 

 as they give ear to precepts, to laws, to religion, sweetly 

 touched with eloquence, and persuasion of books, of ser 

 mons, of harangues, so long is society and peace maintained; 

 but if these instruments be silent, or sedition and tumult 

 make them not audible, all things dissolve into anarchy 

 and confusion.&quot; 



Reform of In gradual reform of the law, his exertions were inde 

 fatigable. He suggested improvements both of the civil 

 and criminal law : he proposed to reduce and compile the 

 whole law; and in a tract upon universal justice, &quot; Leges 

 Legum,&quot; he planted a seed which, for the last two centuries, 

 has not been dormant, and is now just appearing above 

 the surface. He was thus attentive to the ultimate and 

 to the immediate improvement of the law : the ultimate 

 improvement depending upon the progress of knowledge. 

 &quot; Veritas temporis filia dicitur, non authoritatis :&quot; the im 

 mediate improvement upon the knowledge by its professors 

 in power, of the local law, the principles of legislation, and 

 general science. 



So this must ever be. Knowledge cannot exist with 

 out the love of improvement. The French Chancellors, 

 D Aguesseau and L Hopital, were unwearied in their exer 

 tions to improve the law ; and three works upon imaginary 

 governments, the Utopia, the Atlantis, and the Armata, 

 were written by English Chancellors. 



Sir Wm. So Sir William Grant, the reserved intellectual Master of 

 the Rolls, struck at the root of sanguinary punishment, 

 when, in the true spirit of philosophy, he said, &quot; Crime is 

 prevented not by fear, but by recoiling from the act with 



