28 TEMPORIS PARTUS MASCULUS. 



cet ab ea ssepius longissime recedant), postea ex iis in- 

 vicem collatis reliquurn orationis sensam multo ingenii 

 labore, sed et multa libertate, divinat ; omnino tales et 

 isti naturae interpretes inveniuntur. Nam idola quisque 

 sua (non jam scense dico, sed prsecipue fori et specus 1 ), 

 veluti linguas vernaculas diversas, ad historiam afferen- 

 tes, confestim quae simile aliquid sonant arripiunt ; cae- 

 tera ex horum svmmetria interpretantur. Atque jam 

 tempus est (fili) ut nos recipiamus et expiemus, utpote 

 qui tarn profana et polluta (licet importandi 2 animo) 

 attrectaverimus. Ego vero adversus istos omnes mino- 

 ra quam pro ipsorum sontissimo reatu dixi. Tu tamen 

 fortasse minus istam redargutionem intelligis. Nam 

 pro certo habeas (fili) sententias istas quas adversus 

 istos tuli, nihil minus esse quam contumeliam. Ego 

 enim non ut Velleius apud Ciceronem, declamator et 

 philologus opiniones cursim perstringens, et magis abji- 

 ciens quam frangens ; vel ut Agrippa, neotericus homo, 

 in istiusmodi sermone ne nominandus quidem, sed triv- 

 ialis scurra, et singula distorquens et lusui propinans 

 (me miserum, qui hominum defectu cum brutis me 

 conferre necesse habeam !) ; 3 ita me gessi. Verum 



1 Only three species of idols are here noticed that of the tribe being 

 omitted. In the Advancement of Learning three kinds of idols are men- 

 tioned, but not by name. It seems however as if the third kind includes 

 two of the species mentioned in the Novum Organum ; namely the idols 

 of the forum, and those of the theatre. In Valerius Terminus four kinds 

 of idols are mentioned: those here and subsequently called idols of the 

 forum being there called idols of the palace. 



8 Of Cornelius Agrippa, thus contemptuously condemned, Jocher's judg- 

 ment is " Er war ein aufrichtiger, unerschrockener und grossmiithiger 

 Mann. Seine Naturgaben waren ganz besonder, und seine Erfahrenheit 

 in allt-n WissriiM'liatirn ungemein." He was born at Cologne in I486? 

 an<l died in 1535. His best known work is the treatise De Incert inline et 

 I'uiiitnte fScfentfarwH from which Bacon has apparently borrowed, though 

 not largely, in the Advancement of Learning. 



