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lightening beams, which emanate from the brilliancy of more independent-more daring-more intrepid

tions of the other celebrated, experimental, chemical, philosophers; ---of Mayow, and Hales of England;-of Glauber of Amsterdam; of Brandt of Berlin;-of Lemery, and Mariotte of Paris;-of Beccher of Spires;-of Ernest Stahl of Anspach ;-and of Boerhave of Leyden. (See Brande's "Diss. on the Progress of Chemical Philosophy," Ency. Britt. N. Supp. vol. iii.). We have purposely, in this honoured and renowned catalogue, omitted the names of Pascal, Barrow, Cudworth, Clarke; Archbishops Bramhall and Tenison; Bishops Wilkins, and Cumberland; More, and the Prince of critics -Bentley ;-for we shall have occasion, more particularly, in future dissertations to refer to their lives and works. All these, in their various labours, for the advancement of Religion, philosophy, and science, have followed Bacon, as their oracle and guide. Among the latter stands pre-eminently the great Bentley, who, in his wellknown "Confutation of Atheism"-being the first set of Sermons preached at Boyle's lecture-demonstrated the unassailable power of that philosophy (Newtonian), which owed its existence and progress to his illustrious precursor Lord Verulam. Nor has the distinguished Cotes,- of whose astonishing powers, Sir Isaac Newton used to say, "if Mr. Cotes had lived we should have known something" (Biog. Brit.), omitted acknowledging Bentley's achievements, at the end of the very learned, and admirable Preface, which he wrote for the Second Edition of the "Principia Mathematica," published in 1713, in defence of that noble monument of Genius, against the futile and cavilling objections of its opponents. We have not space to show any further proofs of the inconceivable advances and changes, which the intellectual and moral world underwent, ever since it received the illumination of the knowledge, which the sublime and creative genius of our Bacon produced. We will merely call the attention of our readers to a few of the confirmatory eulogiums made by the best writers. "I have been induced to think, that if there were a beam of knowledge derived from God upon any man, in these modern times, it was upon him. He was religious; for though the world be apt to suspect and prejudice great Wits and Politicians to have somewhat of the Atheist; yet he was conversant with God, as appeareth by several passages throughout the whole current of his writings. He repaired frequently (when his health would permit him) to the Service of the Church, to hear Sermons, to the Administration of the Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ; and he died in the true Faith established in the Church of England. Divers of his Works have been anciently, and yet lately translated into other Tongues, both learned, and modern, by foreign pens; several persons of Quality, during his Lordship's life, crossed the Seas, on purpose to gain an opportunity of seeing him, and discoursing with him. Among the rest, Marquis Fiat, a French Nobleman, who came Ambassador into England, in

and more towering geniuses,-that, these noble exertions were not for the mere propagation of refined

the beginning of Queen Mary, Wife to King Charles, was taken with an extraordinary desire of seeing him; for which he made way by a friend: and when he came to him, being then, through weakness, confined to his bed; the Marquis saluted him with this high expression-" that his Lordship had been ever to him like the Angels, of whom he had often heard, and read much in Books, but he never saw them." When his History of Henry the Seventh was to come forth, it was delivered to the old Lord Brook, to be perused by him; who, when he had dispatched it, returned it to the Author, with this eulogy-" commend me to my Lord, and bid him take care to get good paper and ink, for the work is incomparable." (Extracts from Bacon's life by Dr. Rawley).-"I affirm with good assurance (for truth is bold) that amongst those few, who by the strength of their private reason, have resisted popular errors, and advanced real and useful learning, there has not arisen a more eminent person than the Lord High Chancellor Bacon. Such great wits are not the common births of time; and they surely intended to signify so much, who said of the Phoenix (tho' in hyperbole as well as Metaphor) that Nature gives the world that individual species but once in five hundred years. Certainly that character was most due unto himself which he gave unto Zenophanes, of whom he said, that he was a man of vast conceit, and that minded nothing but Infinitum" (Extracts from Archbishop Tenison's Introduction, published before the "Remains of Lord Bacon," 1679.).-"Such, and so unlimited were his views for the universal advancement of Science. Such was the noble aim to which all his philosophic labours were directed. What Cæsar said, in compliment to Cicero, may, with justice be applied to him; that it was more glorious to have extended the limits of human wit, than to have enlarged the bounds of the Roman world. Sir Francis Bacon really did so : a truth acknowledged not only by the greatest names in Europe, but by all the public societies of its most civilized nations. France, Italy, Germany, Britain, I may, add, even Russia, have taken him for their leader, and submitted to be governed by his institutions. The empire he has erected in the learned world, is as universal as the free use of reason, and the one must continue till the other is no more" (Mallet's Life of Bacon, prefixed to a complete edition of his Works, published in 1740, 4 vols. folio,-p. lxv.).—“The power and compass of such a mind, which could form such a plan before-hand, and trace not merely the outlines, but many of the most minute ramifications of sciences, which did not yet exist, must be an object of admiration to all succeeding ages. He is destined (if indeed anything in the world be so destined) to be an instantia singularis among men; and as he had no rival in times past, he is likely to have none in those which are to come. If ever a second Bacon is to arise, he must be ignorant of the first" (The above is the eulogium pronounced VOL. I.

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speculations of profound philosophy-or, for gaining only a vantage-ground for the wider and bolder excur

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on the "Novum Organum," by Professor Playfair, at the close of his elaborate, and admirable analysis of that great work, p. 55.— There are some most interesting details about Bacon, in the Melanges de Litterature" in the fourth volume of Voltaire's works, chap. xiv. p. 225.). We have occupied a considerable space in descanting upon the unparalleled merits of Lord Bacon, on account of two very particular reasons. And the method we have pursued, in giving such details, with the authorities of the most eminent writers on these subjects, is for the purpose of opening wide the gates of an extended research into the universal field of learning, to endeavour to draw into those delightful regions, the illiterate, the thoughtless, and the indifferent. Besides, in the communication of knowledge, undeviating accuracy of information, and an unremitting appeal to established precedents, give a certain security, as well as an additional charm, to the pages of every production. In the ephemeral literature of the age, it is too manifest, there is in this respect, a glaring defect. And in the present instance, if the writer, should be so fortunate, as to awaken the sympathies of any of his readers, in behalf of the solid productions of the lamentably neglected, but inimitably exalted geniuses of former times,-who led into the hallowed paths of Religion and Virtue, the secondary truths of Science and Philosophy, he should not, indeed, consider that he had gained an inconsiderable prize. Whilst, it is fervently hoped, that, the learned will tolerate a repetition of familiar truths, from the lips of their well-known, and well-approved friends; whose names to them, are doubtless as familiar as household words." The two reasons, to which I have alluded, are in reference to our present inquiries, of supreme importance. For, in the first place, our curiosity is heightened,-when we contemplate the splendour that accompanies the almost divine genius of Bacon,-to ascertain the avowed sentiments of this astonishing man, in respect to the allimportant question of his views of the truth of Christianity, and of the doctrines of its faith. It cannot but furnish a true delight, to the faithful sons of the Church of England, to know, that this illustrious philosopher found a sheltering resting place in her sacred bosom,-lived, and died in her apostolic Communion; and continued during life one of her most pious, zealous, and devoted friends. The advocates for the truth of our divine and holy religion, therefore, may rejoice to enrol the name of Bacon in the bright catalogue, which already sheds around so brilliant a lustre, in having a galaxy of such glories, as a Newton, a Leibnitz, a Pascal, a Locke, a Boyle, a Hale, a Grotius, a Puffendorf, a Burlamaqui, a Euler, and we might add a Montesquieu, and a Cuvier, to increase and perpetuate its refulgent splendour. We might, in truth, pronounce of these illustrious, and honoured individuals of our species, the words which one of the most learned of Euler's pupils, used, when delivering the

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sions of enlightened Science. The aspirations of the sublime, and mighty spirit of Bacon, aimed at a higher

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Eulogy of his celebrated master." Their piety was rational and sincere; their devotion was fervent. Their faith was unfeigned. They were fully persuaded of the truth of Christianity; they felt its importance to the dignity and happiness of human nature: and looked upon its detractors, and opposers, as the most pernicious enemies of man (M. Fuss, Eulogy of M. L. Euler, in the highly interesting Life, prefixed to the English translation of his Algebra). It is true, we dare not insert in this distinguished list, the name of the great naturalist-Buffon; we may well conjecture, that the heavenly purity of the precepts of Revelation, which extends, as well to the thought as to the deed, ill-accorded, with a life, which was uninterruptedly steeped in the depths of profligacy, libertinism, and vanity. He might certainly with some shadow of reason, proclaim an earnest hostility to Christianity; for, he could not but discover in its dictates an utter-an implacable aversion to the impurity, and sensuality of his own ill-spent life. Buffon might, indeed, in the habitual indulgence of his superlative self-complacency, and proverbial vanity, claim an equality with the above celebrated characters, in the degree of the wisdom of this world," which he presumed that he possessed, as he was often wont to say-" the works of eminent geniuses are few; they are those of Newton, Bacon, Leibnitz, Montesquieu, and my own!"-but, he was removed from them at an infinite distance, in the degree of that "wisdom that is from above, which is first pure, then peacable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."James chap. iii. 17. (See Buffon's Life in "Nouveau Dictionnaire Historique," 8vo. Lyons. 1804.). And the second reason, which, directly concerns our investigations, is the very extraordinary fact, and remarkable proof, afforded to us in the instance of Bacon-of that deep-rooted aversion, and inveterate malice, which the Court of Rome has unceasingly manifested to every production, which the brilliancy of genius, or benevolence of man, may have ushered into the world, in the hope of enlightening our common species,-of extending the circumscribed domains of intellect,-of guiding aright the natural curiosity of men amid the trackless ocean of universal speculation,-or of dissipating those darkening clouds of ignorance, and increasing mists of superstition, which have so long, and so often enveloped humanity, to the discomfiture of the vaunted prowess of human wit, and disgrace of the proud sagacity of unassisted reason. Such of our readers, then, who are not aware that the Papacy has always been an unblushing, and declared foe to the pro gress of mental improvement, cannot but be struck with utter astonishment, when we inform them that Rome has proscribed, and prohibited the works and philosophy of Lord Bacon. In the " Index Librorum Prohibitorum," which has been published by authority so recently as in 1819 at Rome, we may get a deep insight into the

-a more exalted prize. He loved to soar above to a higher sphere, elevated on wings-sustained as it were by the teachings of faith, and upborne by the convictions of humility:-he felt the utter insignificancy of that little portion of earthly wisdom, which is the lot of man here below to obtain :-he thought and wrote, in the spirit of one of the greatest of his disciples and followers-the immortal Newton; who, though, he had subjected the whole circle of the loftiest acquisitions of Science, and made them tributary in their conquest, and mastered perhaps, more than ever man knew

"Who first th'Almighty's works display'd

And smooth'd that mirror, in whose polish'd face
The great Creator now conspicuous shines;

Who open'd nature's adamantine gates,

execrable tyranny which Popery exercises over intellect and literature. The holy (!) umpires at the Council of Trent, confirmed the decree of the Council of Lateran, by which genius and learning, throughout all Christendom, are subjected to the castigation of these precious Saints; whose laudable object, forsooth, is, as a solemn decree of the Trentine Council teaches" to check and restrain petulant minds !”—(“ Ad coercenda petulantia ingenia.”). And in order to restrain this petulance, among the list of books prudently prohibited to all her faithful children—and to every Romish University in the world, are Bacon de Augmentis Scientiarum, Locke on the Human Understanding, Milton's Paradise Lost, and Cudworth's Intellectual System. The impartial Romanist, who has intrepidly ventured to dip into these immortal works, can best decide the justice of their condemnation, to the devouring flames of the Inquisition. As for the Popish ecclesiastics-with them is not left even a chance for forming their judgment; for, they dare not, except they incurred the imputation of perjury, read a single page of them for instruction. We will not at present enumerate the many hundreds of the most distinguished authors, who, are thus subjected either to Expurgation, or absolute Prohibition. The learned are well acquainted with the wretched calamities of Copernicus and Galileo,-the proscription of Descartes,-the solemn falsehood of Le Seur and Jacquier—the Jesuitical commentators on Newton's "Principia," who in their well-known declaration assert-" Newton assumes in his third book, the hypothesis of the earth's motion. The propositions of the author could not be explained except through the same hypothesis. We have, therefore, been forced to act a character not our own. But we declare our submission to the decrees of the Roman Pontiffs against the motion of the earth!!!" (Newtoni Principia, lib. iii.). [To be continued.]

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