beacon lights of history-iii-2-第56节

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of　the　Stuart　kings。



And　yet　while　the　man　is　made　to　appear　in　such　hideous　colors；　his

philosophy　is　exalted　to　the　highest　pinnacle　of　praise；　as　the

greatest　boon　which　any　philosopher　ever　rendered　to　the　world；　and

the　chief　cause　of　all　subsequent　progress　in　scientific　discovery。

And　thus　in　brilliant　rhetoric　we　have　a　painting　of　a　man　whose

life　was　in　striking　contrast　with　his　teachings；a　Judas

Iscariot；　uttering　divine　philosophy；　a　Seneca；　accumulating

millions　as　the　tool　of　Nero；　a　fallen　angel；　pointing　with　rapture

to　the　realms　of　eternal　light。　　We　have　the　most　startling

contradiction　in　all　history；glory　in　debasement；　and　debasement

in　glory；　the　most　selfish　and　worldly　man　in　England；　the　〃meanest

of　mankind；〃　conferring　on　the　race　one　of　the　greatest　blessings

it　ever　received；not　accidentally；　not　in　repentance　and　shame；

but　in　exalted　and　persistent　labors；　amid　public　cares　and


physical　infirmities；　from　youth　to　advanced　old　age；　living　in　the

highest　regions　of　thought；　studious　and　patient　all　his　days；　even

when　neglected　and　unrewarded　for　the　transcendent　services　he

rendered；　not　as　a　philosopher　merely；　but　as　a　man　of　affairs　and

as　a　responsible　officer　of　the　Crown。　　Has　there　ever　been；　before

or　since；　such　an　anomaly　in　human　history；so　infamous　in　action；

so　glorious　in　thought；　such　a　contradiction　between　life　and

teachings；so　that　many　are　found　to　utter　indignant　protests

against　such　a　representation　of　humanity；　justly　feeling　that　such

a　portrait；　however　much　it　may　be　admired　for　its　brilliant

colors；　and　however　difficult　to　be　proved　false；　is　nevertheless

an　insult　to　the　human　understanding？　　The　heart　of　the　world　will

not　accept　the　strange　and　singular　belief　that　so　bad　a　man　could

confer　so　great　a　boon；　especially　when　he　seemed　bent　on　bestowing

it　during　his　whole　life；　amid　the　most　harassing　duties。　　If　it

accepts　the　boon；　it　will　strive　to　do　justice　to　the　benefactor；

as　he　himself　appealed　to　future　ages；　and　if　it　cannot　deny　the

charges　which　have　been　arrayed　against　him；especially　if　it

cannot　exculpate　him；it　will　soar　beyond　technical　proofs　to　take

into　consideration　the　circumstances　of　the　times；　the　temptations

of　a　corrupt　age；　and　the　splendid　traits　which　can　with　equal

authority　be　adduced　to　set　off　against　the　mistakes　and　faults

which　proceeded　from　inadvertence　and　weakness　rather　than　a

debased　moral　sense；even　as　the　defects　and　weaknesses　of　Cicero

are　lost　sight　of　in　the　acknowledged　virtues　of　his　ordinary　life；

and　the　honest　and　noble　services　he　rendered　to　his　country　and

mankind。





Bacon　was　a　favored　man；　he　belonged　to　the　upper　ranks　of　society。

His　father；　Sir　Nicholas　Bacon；　was　a　great　lawyer；　and　reached　the

highest　dignities；　being　Lord　Keeper　of　the　Great　Seal。　　His

mother's　sister　was　the　wife　of　William　Cecil；　the　great　Lord

Burleigh；　the　most　able　and　influential　of　Queen　Elizabeth's

ministers。　　Francis　Bacon　was　the　youngest　son　of　the　Lord　Keeper；

and　was　born　in　London；　Jan。　22；　1561。　　He　had　a　sickly　and　feeble

constitution；　but　intellectually　was　a　youthful　prodigy；　and　at

nine　years　of　age；　by　his　gravity　and　knowledge；　attracted　the

admiring　attention　of　the　Queen；　who　called　him　her　young　Lord

Keeper。　　At　the　age　of　ten　we　find　him　stealing　away　from　his

companions　to　discover　the　cause　of　a　singular　echo　in　the　brick

conduit　near　his　father's　house　in　the　Strand。　　At　twelve　he

entered　the　University　of　Cambridge；　at　fifteen　he　quitted　it；

already　disgusted　with　its　pedantries　and　sophistries；　at　sixteen

he　rebelled　against　the　authority　of　Aristotle；　and　took　up　his

residence　at　Gray's　Inn；　the　same　year；　1576；　he　was　sent　to　Paris

in　the　suite　of　Sir　Amias　Paulet；　ambassador　to　the　court　of

France；　and　delighted　the　salons　of　the　capital　by　his　wit　and

profound　inquiries；　at　nineteen　he　returned　to　England；　having　won

golden　opinions　from　the　doctors　of　the　French　Sanhedrim；　who　saw

in　him　a　second　Daniel；　and　in　1582　he　was　admitted　as　a　barrister

of　Gray's　Inn；　and　the　following　year　composed　an　essay　on　the

Instauration　of　Philosophy。　　Thus；　at　an　age　when　young　men　now

leave　the　university；　he　had　attacked　the　existing　systems　of

science　and　philosophy；　proudly　taking　in　all　science　and　knowledge

for　his　realm。



About　this　time　his　father　died；　without　leaving　him；　a　younger

son；　a　competence。　　Nor　would　his　great　relatives　give　him　an

office　or　sinecure　by　which　he　might　be　supported　while　he　sought

truth；　and　he　was　forced　to　plod　at　the　law；　which　he　never　liked；

resisting　the　blandishments　and　follies　by　which　he　was　surrounded；

and　at　intervals；　when　other　young　men　of　his　age　and　rank　were

seeking　pleasure；　he　was　studying　Nature；　science；　history；

philosophy；　poetry；everything；　even　the　whole　domain　of　truth；

and　with　such　success　that　his　varied　attainments　were　rather　a

hindrance　to　an　appreciation　of　his　merits　as　a　lawyer　and　his

preferment　in　his　profession。



In　1586　he　entered　parliament；　sitting　for　Taunton；　and　also　became

a　bencher　at　Gray's　Inn；　so　that　at　twenty…six　he　was　in　full

practice　in　the　courts　of　Westminster；　also　a　politician；　speaking

on　almost　every　question　of　importance　which　agitated　the　House　of

Commons　for　twenty　years；　distinguished　for　eloquence　as　well　as

learning；　and　for　a　manly　independence　which　did　not　entirely

please　the　Queen；　from　whom　all　honors　came。



In　1591；　at　the　age　of　thirty…one；　he　formed　the　acquaintance　of

Essex；　about　his　own　age；　who；　as　the　favorite　of　the　Queen；　was

regarded　as　the　most　influential　man　in　the　country。　　The

acquaintance　ripened　into　friendship；　and　to　the　solicitation　of

this　powerful　patron；　who　urged　the　Queen　to　give　Bacon　a　high

office；　she　is　said　to　have　replied：　〃He　has　indeed　great　wit　and

much　learning；　but　in　law；　my　lord；　he　is　not　deeply　read；〃　an

opinion　perhaps　put　into　her　head　by　his　rival　Coke；　who　did　indeed

know　law　but　scarcely　anything　else；　or　by　that　class　of　old…

fashioned　functionaries　who　could　not　conceive　how　a　man　could

master　more　than　one　thing。　　We　should　however　remember　that　Bacon

had　not　reached　the　age　when　great　offices　were　usually　conferred

in　the　professions；　and　that　his　efforts　to　be　made　solicitor…

general　at　the　age　of　thirty…one；　and　even　earlier；　would　now　seem

unreasonable　and　importunate；　whatever　might　be　his　attainments。

Disappointed　in　not　receiving　high　office；　he　meditated　a　retreat

to　Cambridge；　but　his　friend　Essex　gave　him　a　villa　in　Twickenham；

which　he　soon　mortgaged；　for　he　was　in　debt　all　his　life；　although

in　receipt　of　sums　which　would　have　supported　him　in　comfort　and

dignity　were　it　not　for　his　habits　of　extravagance；the　greatest

flaw　in　his　character；　and　which　was　the　indirect　cause　of　his

disgrace　and　fall。　　He　was　even　arrested　for　debt　when　he　enjoyed　a

lucrative　practice　at　the　courts。　　But　nothing　prevented　him　from

pursuing　his　literary　and　scientific　studies；　amid　great

distractions；for　he　was　both　a　leader　at　the　bar　and　a　leader　of

the　House　of　Commons；　and　if　he　did　not　receive　the　rewards　to

which　he　felt　entitled；　he　was　always　consulted　by　Elizabeth　in

great　legal　difficulties。



It　was　not　until　the　Queen　died；　and　Bacon　was　forty…seven　years

old；　that　he　became　solicitor…general　（1607）；　in　the　fourth　year　of

the　reign　of　James；　one　year　after　his　marriage　with　Alice　Barnham；

an　alderman　s　daughter；　〃a　handsome　maiden；〃　and　〃to　his　liking。〃

Besides　this　office；　which　brought　him　L1000　a　year；　he　about　this

time　had　a　windfall　as　clerk　of　the　Star　Chamber；　which　added　L2000

to　his　income；　at　that　time　from　all　sources　about　L4500　a　year；a

very　large　sum　for　those　times；　and　making　him　really　a　rich　man。

Six　years　afterward　he　was　made　attorney…general；　and　in　the　year

1617　he　was　made　Lord　Keeper；　and　the　following　year　he　was　raised

to　the　highest　position　in　the　realm；　next　to　that　of　Archbishop　of

Canterbury；　as　Lord　Chancellor；　at　the　age　of　fifty…seven；　and　soon

after　was　created　Lord　Verulam。　　That　is　his　title；　but　the　world

persists　in　calling　him　Lord　Bacon。　　In　1620；　two　years　after　the

execution　of　Sir　Walter　Raleigh；　which　Bacon　advised；　he　was　in　the

zenith　of　his　fortunes　and　fame；　having　been　lately　created

Viscount　St。　Albans；　and　having　published　the　〃Novum　Organum；〃　the

first　instalment　of　the　〃Instauratio　Magna；〃　at　which　he　had　been

working　the　best　part　of　his　life；some　thirty　years；〃A　New

Logic；　to　judge　or　invent　by　induction；　and　thereby　to　make

philosophy　and　science　both　more　true　and　more　active。〃



Then　began　to　gather　the　storms　which　were　to　wreck　his　fortunes。

The　nation　now　was　clamorous　for　reform；　and　Coke；　the　enemy　of

Bacon；　who　was　then　the　leader　of　the　Reform　party　in　the　House　of

Commons；　stimulated　the　movement。　　The　House　began　its　scrutiny

with　the　administration　of　justice；　an