474 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
if inspired by some special impulse, had each started on a separate 
road of discovery. They each shone like separate lights, and their 
united effulgence created the new day. Countries, I think, as well 
as individuals, moved independently of one another. At all events, 
I think that England moved independently of Italy in respect of 
the formation of scientific societies. In the eighth volume of your 
“ Transactions ” there is a learned paper contributed by Professor 
Macvey Napier fifty-nine years ago, in which he collects from writers 
of the 17th century, evidences of the influence exercised hy Lord 
Bacon’s works, and of the high esteem in which they were held. 
Professor Napiers case is fully made out, and he not only establishes 
the general fact that Bacon made a deep impression on his own age 
and the succeeding times, but also he proves, in particular, the imme- 
diate and direct connection between Lord Bacon’s writings and the 
foundation of the Boyal Society. The original founders of the 
Royal Society had those writings continually in their thoughts. 
Bacon’s splendid aspirations, clothed in some of the stateliest prose 
that the world has ever seen, had struck upon men’s minds and 
filled them with enthusiasm. Bacon was not content with setting 
forth his views in the abstract, but in his New Atlantis he exhi- 
bited in concrete, but imaginary, form, the benefits which would 
result, and the state of things which would arise, when the new 
philosophy had been thoroughly welcomed, and experimental science 
had been thoroughly established among men. The chief feature in 
Bacon’s undiscovered island of the fancy was “ Solomon’s House,” 
in which the employments of the Fellows are described as follows: — 
“We have twelve that sail into foreign countries, who bring in the 
books and patterns of experiments of all other parts. These we call 
Merchants of Light. We have three that collect the experiments 
which are in all books. These we call Depredators. We have three 
that collect experiments of all mechanical arts, and also of liberal 
sciences, and also of practices which are not brought into arts. 
These we call Mystery-men. We have three that try new experi- 
ments, such as themselves think good. These we call Pioneers or 
Miners. We have three that draw the experiments of the former 
four into titles and tablets, to give the better light for the drawing 
of observations and axioms out of them. These we call Compilers. 
We have three that bind themselves to looking into the experiments 
