place that cannot be refined to spirit. The common air is as the waste ground between the borders. Who would not smile at the astronomers, I mean not these few carmen which drive the earth about,' but the ancient astronomers, which feign the moon to be the swiftest of the planets in motion, and the rest in order, the higher the slower; and so are compelled to imagine a double motion; whereas how evident is it, that that which they call a contrary motion, is but an abatement of motion? The fixed stars overgo' Saturn, and so in them and the rest, all is but one motion, and the nearer the earth the slower-a motion also whereof air and water do participate, though much interrupted. But why do I in a conference of pleasure enter into these great matters, in sort that pretending to know much, I should forget what is seasonable? Pardon me, it was because all things may be endowed and adorned with speeches, but knowledge itself is more beautiful than any apparel of words that can be put upon it. And let not me seem arrogant without respect to these great reputed authors. Let me so give every man his due, as I give Time his due, which is to discover truth. Many of these men had greater wits, far above mine own, and so are many in the universities of Europe at this day. But, alas! they learn nothing there but to believe; first to believe that others know that which they know not; and after, themselves know that which they know not. But, indeed, facility to believe, impatience to doubt, temerity to answer, glory to know, doubt to contradict, end to gain, sloth to search, seeking things in words, resting in part of nature; these, and the like, have been the things which have forbidden the happy match between the mind of man and the nature of things, and in place thereof have married it to vain 1 Probably a sneer at Copernicus. His disparagement of him, I have alluded to in the preface. 2 Overgo. To pass over. In sort. 'How many weary steps Of many weary miles you have o’ergone, Are numbered in the travel of one mile.'-Shakespere. 'Flowers worn in such sort can neither be seen well, nor smelt by those that wear them.'-Hooker. 'Let's on our way in silent sort.'-Shakespere. notions and blind experiments; and what the posterity and issue of so honourable a match may be, it is not hard to consider. Printing, a gross' invention; artillery, a thing that lay not far out of the way; the needle, a thing partly known before: what a change have these three made in the world in these times; the one in state of learning, the other in state of the war, the third in the state of treasure, commodities, and navigation! And those, I say, were but stumbled upon and lighted upon by chance. Therefore, no doubt, the sovereignty of Man lieth hid in knowledge; wherein many things are reserved, which kings with their treasure cannot buy, nor with their force command; their spials' and intelligencers can give no news of them, their seamen and discoverers canot sail where they grow; now we govern nature in opinions, but we are thrall' unto her in necessity; but if we would be led by her in invention, we should command her in action. 1 Gross. Probably palpably obvious; which it was (as has been above remarked) as soon as a cheap paper was invented. Scouts. 'For he by faithful spials was assured That Egypt's king was forward on his way.'-Fairfax. Thrall Slave. 'No thralls like them that inward bondage have.' ANNOTATION. No better annotation can be given than in Bacon's own words, "The mistaking or misplacing of the last or farthest end of knowledge, is the greatest error of all the rest: For, men have entered into a desire of learning and knowledge, sometimes upon a natural curiosity, and inquisitive appetite; sometimes to entertain their minds with variety and delight; sometimes for ornament and reputation; and sometimes to enable them to victory of wit and contradiction; and most times for lucre and profession;-but seldom sincerely to give a true account of their gift of reason, to the benefit and use of men: As if there were sought in knowledge, a couch whereupon to rest a searching and restless spirit; or a terras for a wandering and variable mind to walk up and down with a fair prospect; or a tower of state for a proud mind to raise itself upon; or a fort or commanding ground for strife and contention; or a shop for profit or sale;—and not a rich store-house for the glory of the Creator, and the relief of man's estate." 1 Advancement of Learning. |