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NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
Bacon's Novum Organum. Edited, with Introduction, Notes, 
&c., by Thomas Fowler, M.A., Professor of Logic in the 
University of Oxford. Clarendon Press Series. Oxford. 
1878. 
There have been many editions of the “ Novum Organum,” 
annotated with greater or lesser care. The book is read at 
Oxford, and it appeals to the interests of a large section of the 
cultivated community of a nation, in its fourfold bearing upon 
the history of Philosophy, Logic, Literature, and Science. 
Prof. Fowler’s edition is prefaced by a carefully-written Intro- 
duction, embodying the result of much literary research, and 
discussing all the principal points of interest connected with 
Bacon as a great thinker, and as a man who profoundly in- 
fluenced the mode of thought of succeeding ages. This is 
followed by the text of the “ Novum Organum,” which is accom- 
panied by numerous very exhaustive notes, in the preparation of 
the scientific portions of which the author acknowledges the 
assistance of Prof. H. G. S. Smith, Mr. Kitchen, and Prof. 
Clifton, while he gives frequent references to our most modern 
text-books, such as “ Watts’s Dictionary of Chemistry,” Ganot’s 
“ Physics,” Deschanel’s “ Physics,” and Tyndall’s “ Heat and 
Mode of Motion.” 
Prof. Fowler commences his Introduction by giving the dates 
of the principal events in Bacon’s life, and of the first publication 
of his writings. He then discusses the object of the “ Novum 
Organum,” and the nature of Bacon’s philosophical opinions. 
An important section (pp. 22 to 43) relates to Bacon’s scientific 
attainments and opinions. The author is compelled to admit 
the three charges most commonly brought against Bacon, but 
he finds something to plead in extenuation of each of them. 
“ The first is that he was a dilettante in Science. The second, 
that he was imperfectly acquainted with the existing state of 
knowledge. The third, that he grossly exaggerated the defects 
of his own time, which, in spite of all that he says, was really 
one of great and fruitful intellectual activity.” Even if we were 
to admit all this in its fullest extent, the services which Bacon 
rendered to Philosophy and Science would merit our warmest 
recognition. Prof. Fowler considers that the main peculiarities 
of Bacon’s method and teaching may be embraced under four 
heads: — “ (1.) The emphasis with which he insisted on the 
necessity of consulting and collecting facts, of going straight to 
Nature, of instituting observations and experiments before 
