396 ON THE SCOPE AND INFLUENCE OF THE 



" turn themselves into all shapes, so that we know not in what 

 " predicament to put their heat, or what genus to give it *." 



That New Philosophy, which had already produced so much 

 embarrassment among the followers of Aristotle, had already 

 also led to the formation of a Philosophical Society, destined, 

 at no distant day, to realize, in some sort, one of Bacon's 

 favourite projects. In his letter to King James, written on the 

 publication of the Novum Organwn, he states, that his chief 

 object in publishing the work, before completing it according 

 to his original plan, was, to try to procure help towards com- 

 piling an " experimental history of Nature f." He more than 

 once alludes, in the work itself, to the great things that might be 

 accomplished in philosophical inquiries, by a conjunction of la- 

 bours ; and in a romantic piece, called the New Atlantis, he gives 

 an account of a feigned College or Society, magnificently endow- 

 ed, and whose business was the improvement of all the depart- 

 ments of physical knowledge. To this College he gives the 

 name of Solomons House. The intention of this piece evidently 

 was, to exhibit a grand and alluring representation of the ad- 

 vantages that might be derived from the co-operation of num- 

 bers in scientific pursuits, and of the renown that a Prince might 

 acquire by forming an establishment directed to such purposes. 

 These views and schemes were not forgotten by his followers. 

 In the year 1645, a Society was formed in London, for the pur- 

 pose of discussing subjects connected with Natural Philosophy, 

 at stated weekly meetings ; and the name first given to this So- 

 ciety appears to have been that of the Philosophical College J. 



Some 



* Ross's Arcana Microcosmi, or the hid secrets of Man's body discovered ; 

 with a refutation of Lord Bacon's Natural History, p. 263, 2G4-. 

 -J- Bacon's Works, vol. iii p. 594?. 



+ See Boyle's Life, prefixed to his Works, p. 31. This Society was some- 

 times called the Invisible College.— Ibid, p 40. 42. 



