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mundiedamus: sed potius benigne faveat, ut apocalypsim, ac veram visionem vestigiorum et sigillorum Creatoris supercreaturas, scribamus. "Itaque tu, Pater, qui lucem visibilem primitias creaturæ dedisti, et lucem intellectualem ad fastigium operum tuorum in faciem hominis inspirasti; opus hoc, quod a tua bonitate profectum, tuam gloriam repetit, tuere et rege. Tu, postquam conversus es ad spectandum opera, quæ fecerunt manus tuæ, vidisti quod omnia essent bona valde; et requievisti. At homo, conversus ad opera, quæ fecerunt manus suæ, vidit quod omnia essent vanitas et vexatio spiritus; nec ullo modo requievit. Quare si in operibus tuis sudabimus, facies nos visionis tuæ et sabbati tui participes. Supplices petimus, ut hæc mens nobis constet: utque novis eleemosynis per manus nostras et aliorum, quibus eandem mentem largieris, familiam humanam dotatam velis. (t)

(t) May thou, therefore, O Father, who gavest the light of vision as the first fruits of the creation, and hast inspired the countenance of man with the light of the understanding as the completion of thy works, guard and direct this work, which proceeding from thy bounty, seeks in return thy glory. When thou turnedst to look upon the works of thy hands, thou sawest that all were very good and didst rest. But man, when he turned towards the works of his hands, saw that they were all vanity and vexation of spirit and had no rest. Wherefore if we labour in thy works thou wilt make us partakers of that which thou beholdest and of thy sabbath. We humbly pray that our present disposition may continue firm, and that thou mayest be willing to endow thy family of mankind, with new gifts through our hands, and the hands of those to whom thou wilt accord the same disposition.

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The Treatise "De Augmentis Scientiarum," abounds with religious sentiments, and contains two tracts, one upon natural, (t) the other upon inspired divinity," the sabbath and port of all mens' labours."(u) In the Novum Organum, under the head of Instances of Divorce,(x) there is the following observation : Atque in radiis opticis, et sonis, et calore, et aliis nonnullis operantibus ad distans, probabile est media corpora disponi et alterari: eò magis, quòd requiratur medium qualificatum ad deferendam operationem talem. At magnetica illa siue Coitiua virtus admittit media tanquam adiaphora, nec impeditur virtus in omnigeno medio. Quod si nil rei habeat virtus illa aut actio cum corpore medio, sequitur quod sit virtus aut actio naturalis ad tempus nonnullum, et in loco nonnullo, subsistens sine corpore : cum neque subsistat in corporibus terminantibus, nec in mediis. Quare actio magnetica poterit esse instantia diuortii circa naturam corpoream, et actionem naturalem. Cui hoc adjici potest tanquam corollarium aut lucrum non prætermittendum: viz. quòd etiam secundùm sensum philosophanti sumi possit probatio, quòd sint entia et substantiæ separatæ et incorporeæ. Si enim virtus et actio naturalis, emanans á corpore, subsistere possit aliquo tempore,

(t) Book 3, c. 2, of the Treatise De Augmentis, and in the Advancement of Learning, see Vol. II. of this work, page 128.

(u) Book ix. 6, of the Treatise De Augmentis, and Vol. II. page 299, of this work.

(x) Instance, 37.

et aliquo loco, omninò sine corpore; propè est ut possit etiam emanare in origine suâ à substantiâ incorporeâ. Videtur enim non minus requiri natura corporea ad actionem naturalem sustentandam et deuehendam, quam ad excitandam aut generandam," (w)

Such are specimens of Lord Bacon's religious sentiments, which may be found in different parts of his works; but they are not confined to his intended publications. In a letter to Mr. Mathew,

(w) of the conclusion of this passage I subjoin two translations, the one by Dr. Shaw, the other by my excellent friend, to whom am indebted for the translation of the Novum Organum.

SHAW'S TRANSLATION.

To this may be added, by way of corollary, the following considerable discovery, viz. that by philosophizing, even according to sense, a proof may be had of the existence of separated and incorporeal beings and substances; for if natural virtues and actions flowing from a body may subsist without a body for some time in space or place, it is possible that such virtues or actions may proceed originally from an incorporeal substance: for a corporeal nature seems no less required to support and convey, than to excite and generate a natural action.

NEW TRANSLATION.

senses.

To which we may add as a corollary and an advantage not to be neglected, that it may be taken as a proof of essence and substance being separate and incorporeal, even by those who philosophize according to the For if natural power and action emanating from a body can exist at any time and place entirely without any body, it is nearly a proof that it can also emanate originally from an incorporeal substance. For a corporeal nature appears to be no less necessary for supporting and conveying than for exciting or generating natural ac

tion.

imprisoned for religion, he says, "I pray God, that understandeth us all better than we understand one another, contain you, even as I hope he will, at the least, within the bounds of loyalty to his majesty, and natural piety towards your country. And I intreat you much, sometimes to meditate upon the extreme effects of superstition in this last powder treason; fit to be tabled and pictured in the chambers of meditation, as another hell above the ground: and well justifying the censure of the heathen, that superstition is far worse than atheism; by how much it is less evil to have no opinion of God at all, than such as is impious towards his divine majesty and goodness. Good Mr. Matthew, receive yourself back from these courses of perdition, Willing to have written a great deal more, I continue," etc. In the decline of his life, in his letter (s) to the Bishop of Winchester, he says, "Amongst consolations, it is not the least to represent to a man's self like examples of calamity in others. For examples give a quicker impression than argu

(s) This letter was published in Letters and Remains by Stephens, 1734, with the following note: "The following letter to the most learned Dr. Andrews, bishop of Winchester, was written by my lord St. Alban, in the year 1622, and in the nature of a dedication, prefixed before his dialogue, touching a Holy War; which was not printed, at least correctly, till seven years after, by the care of Dr. Rawley. But because it has been found amongst his lordship's letters and other books, separated from that treatise, and chiefly, because it gives some account of his writings, and behaviour after his retirement, I thought it ery proper to insert it in this place.”—See page 112 of this volume.

ments; and besides, they certify us, that which the Scripture also tendereth for satisfaction; "that no new thing is happened unto us." "In this kind of consolation I have not been wanting to myself, though as a Christian, I have tasted, through God's great goodness, of higher remedies;" and his last will thus begins: First, I bequeath my soul and body into the hands of God by the blessed oblation of my Saviour; the one at the time of my dissolution, the other at the time of my resurrection. For my burial, I desire it may be in St. Michael's church, near St. Alban's: there was my mother buried, and it is the parish church of my mansion-house of Gorhambury, and it is the only Christian church within the walls of Old Verulam."

PRAYERS. (a)

Of the prayers contained in this volume, the first (u), entitled, "A Prayer, or Psalm, made by the

(a) In Sloane's MSS. 23, there is a MS. prayer.

(u) Although the first part of the Resuscitatio was published by Dr. Rawley, and the second part (which contains this prayer) was published in his name, and during his life, it contains matter of which Lord Bacon was not the author. Archbishop Tenison, in his Baconiana, p. 59, speaking of the apopthegms, says, "Besides, his Lordship hath received much injury by late editions, of which some have much enlarged, but not at all enriched the collection, stuffing it with tales and sayings, too infacetious for a ploughman's chimney-corner." And, in a note he adds, " Even by that added (but not by Dr. Rawley) to the Resuscitatio, Ed. III." I mention this fact, not as intending to infer that this prayer was not "made by Lord Bacon," but that the evidence may be duly weighed. B. M.

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