PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS OF LORD BACON. 403 



" experiments ; but after the most diligent scrutiny, and by 

 " degrees, and by wary inductions faithfully made, they re- 

 " cord the truth and event of trials, and transmit them to po- 

 " sterity. They resort not immediately to general proposi- 

 ■" tions upon every specious appearance ; but seek light and in- 

 " formation from particulars, that they may gradually advance 

 " to general rules and maxims." In an after work, he speaks 

 of Bacon's services in the following expressive terms : " By 

 " standing up against the Dogmatists, he emancipated and set 

 " free philosophy ; which had long been a miserable cap- 

 " tive ; and which hath ever since made conquests in the ter- 

 " ritories of Nature *." 



It was about this period, that Mr Boyle was honoured with 

 the appellation of the second Bacon f, in compliment to his 

 exertions to advance the knowledge of experimental physics ; 

 and there can be no doubt, that his discoveries and exertions 

 did contribute essentially to establish the credit of the Eng- 

 lish School. Neither can there be any doubt, as to the influ- 

 ence of Bacon's writings in determining the nature and objects 

 of his philosophical pursuits. This is admitted, or implied, in 

 many parts of his works %. It is clear, indeed, that he was 

 considered by his contemporaries as a marked disciple of Ba- 

 con. " You have," says Dr Beale, in one of his letters 

 to him, upon the subject of his discoveries, " particularised, 

 " explicated, and exemplified, those fair encouragements, and 

 " affectionate directions, which Lord Bacon in a wide generali- 

 se 2 «Jy 



* Evelyn's Numismata. 



f See Glanvill's Plus Ultra, p. 57. 



X Boyle's Works, vol. i. p. 305, (5. ; vol. ii. p. 472. ; vol. iii. p. 422. ; vol. ix. 

 p. 59, 246. ; vol. v. p. 507. 



