B A C O N. 



185 



Bicon, mini. These sourses of error lie lias numbered under 

 Francis. four heads, which he calls idola tribus, idola spccits, 

 ' " ' idola fori, and idola theatri; by which terms he 

 means' the prejudices arising, 1. From the original and 

 universal disp itions of the human mind; or, 2. From 

 the peculiarities of individual constitutions and ha- 

 bits; or, 3. From the imperfections and abuses of 

 lancuan-e, the medium of communication between man 

 and man ; or, 4. From the attachment to prevalent 

 theories and erroneous rules of judging. The object 

 of the whole work was to reclaim men from the de- 

 vious and intricate paths, in which they had long 

 wandered, to the sound and profitable application of 

 their understandings. Its principal fault is the ob- 

 scurity resulting from the want of illustrations ; a 

 fault not chargeable on the author, who could not be 

 expected to invent specimens of- a mode of proceed- 

 ing hitherto little cultivated! James I. said of this 

 book, that it was like " the peace of God, which 

 passeth all understanding." 



These works formed the two first parts of the 

 plan, to which the author gave the name of Instau- 

 ratio Magna ; the first containing a distribution of 

 the sciences, and the second unfolding a mode of 

 procedure in the interpretation of nature. His plan 

 embraced foyr other objects, for the accomplishment 

 of which he had thrown together many detached 

 hints under various titles. His third object was to 

 prepare an arrangement of the phenomena of the 

 universe, with a view to establish natural philosophy 

 on the basis of observation and experiment. The exe- 

 cution of this object was attempted in his Syka Si/l- 

 varum, a work of very indifferent merit. The fourth 

 part of his labours, which he called Scala Intel/ectus, 

 he intended to devote to a progressive series of in- 

 quiries, containing a detailed exemplification of his 

 method in the various sciences. The fifth part, de- 

 nominated Prodromi, the Anticipations I'luloso- 

 phice ficvundw, was intended as a temporary disposi- 

 tion of his materials till there was leisure to complete 

 the whole structure, by the addition of the sixth 

 part, which he called Philosophia Secunda, sivc 

 Scienlia Attiva, to which all the other steps were pre- 

 paratory. This ultimate object of all his labours was 

 to establish a system of philosophy on the severe and 

 chaste principles of experimental research; but he 

 had not the temerity to expect, that he would ever be 

 able, personally, to conclude this arduous task. 



What his lordship did accomplish was unquestion- 

 ably a vast accession to the progress of the human 

 mind ; but his merit is probably overrated by many, 

 who know little of the real value of his writings. 

 The minds of meii had been gradually preparing to 

 cast off the yoke of authority. The revival of let- 

 ters in the 15th century, the invention of printing, 

 the reformation of religion, and various other causes, 

 had introduced a freedom of discussion, over which 

 the doctrines of the schools had little controuL In- 

 dividuals had sprung up in different kingdoms, who 

 had the hardihood to revolt from the dogmas of 

 Aristotle ; and others, who, by devoting themselves 

 to experimental inquiries, had demonstrated the fal- 

 lacy of many opinions hitherto deemed infallible. 

 John of .Salisbury, Grosthead bishop of Lincoln, 

 Roger Bacon, Occam, Erasmus, Ludovicus Vives, 

 VOL. in. i>art I. 



Faber, and even Faracelsus, Montaigne, and Bruno, 

 as well as Luther and his coadjutors, had taught 

 men to question the decrees of the Lyceum, and to 

 set at nought the thunders of the Vatican. Dr 

 Gilbert had ascertained the laws of magnetic action, 

 and furnished an admirable specimen of the induc- 

 tive method. Copernicus had discovered the true 

 theory of the planetary revolutions ; a theory which 

 Bacon impotently endeavoured to refute. Other emi- 

 nent men, contemporary with Bacon, and unaided by 

 his writings, particularly Galileo, Kepler, and Gas- 

 sendi, were pursuing a course similar to that which 

 he delineated, and acquiring immortal fame by im- 

 provements in geometry and physics, of which sciences 

 he had scarcely learned the rudiments. It must not 

 be disguised, that Bacon had never formed a fair 

 estimate of the praise due to his predecessors and 

 fellow-labourers. His Censure of the more Eminent 

 Pliilosoplters is expressed in the most acrimonious 

 strain of scurrility. He was too ambitious of inno- 

 vation, and too fond of paradox. In violation of his 

 own rules, he often assumed facts without sufficient- 

 ly scrutinising the evidence on which they rested, 

 or sometimes without any examination at all ; and 

 very frequently, in his attempts to account for facts, 

 he negligently acquiesced in hypothetical principles, 

 which had obtained a popular currency. His dis- 

 tinctions are often perplexed, or indefinite, particular- 

 ly with regard to physical and metaphysical science. 

 His language also is destitute of precision, being ex- 

 travagantly metaphorical, and also replete with un- 

 natural conceits and obscure allusions. It is much 

 more reprehensible than Aristotle's, which he has 

 blamed for abounding with new words. Lord Ba- 

 con professes to retain the ancient terms, but to al- 

 ter their uses ; a practice which is apt to puzzle and 

 mislead ordinary readers. With all these faults, and 

 others on which it might seem invidious to dwell, 

 Bacon must be allowed the merit of having bequeath- 

 ed to the world a larger and more precious mass of 

 sound logical instructions, deduced from his own re- 

 flections, than are to be found in the writings of all 

 the authors who preceded him. 



Of his English productions it is unnecessary to 

 say much. His Essays have obtained a considerable 

 share of popularity ; but the observations contained 

 in them, though frequently just and striking, are 

 not always very consistent with one another. His 

 speeches, law tracts, and historical or political pa- 

 pers, are heavy and uninteresting compositions, con- 

 taining many specimens of bad taste and spurious 

 wit, interspersed occasionally with useful and pro- 

 found remarks. The treatise on the Wisdom of the 

 Ancients is ingenious, but extremely whimsical and 

 puerile. His Apophthegms are not of higher dignity 

 than Joe Miller's Jests ; indeed, the one book ap- 

 pears to be the prototype of the other. His Letters 

 have neither ease nor dignity ; and the greater part 

 of them are full of teazing solicitations for prefer- 

 ment. 



Lord Bacon professed a great veneration for reli- 

 gion. Some theological disquisitions, and sacred 

 meditations, are found among his remains ; and one 

 of his prayers has, with little discrimination, been 

 applauded by Addison as if it rivalled the devotion 

 2a 



Bacon, - 

 Francis. 



