delightfulnes which the discovery of the secret operations and effects of nature worketh." He defends himself from the charge of selfish inactivity by saying he accepts occasional employment by the State, taking pains "in the increasing of her Majesties revenue by the care I have of her impost . . . travelling in such commissions as the Lord Deputy and Council oft-times direct unto me for the examining of sundrie causes. . . neither doth my endeavour in that behalf any way oppose itself to my desire of retiring from a painefull employment to a more quiet life, which now (I thank God) I enjoy."

His aim, he says, is "humane felicitie"; at which the Lord Primate intervenes with a warning that that "is without, not your reach only, but all mens, whiles they are here in this low and muddie world . . . man's felicity is placed only in heaven, where God of his mercie hath appointed it for him to be found, and not here on earth."

Bryskett admits this and excuses himself, alleging that he had used the general word instead of the particular, and his aim was by the "study of Morall Philosophie to compass, so farre forth as my endeavours could prevaile, that humane practicke felicitie which of all men in all ages hath bene so highly esteemed." He "durst not presume to the studie of Divinitie, which (I well understood) required a particular calling."

This is evidently the author's device for protecting himself in what follows from a charge of unorthodoxy.

Bacon was greatly addicted to taking medicine, and his writings show that he made a study of it. "The secret operations and effects of nature" is a typically Baconian phrase.

The writer continues that he earnestly desires the shortest way to compass the study of moral philosophy, and would think himself happy if he could find

any man whose knowledge and learning might help me to direct my study to that end; because I know right well how hard it is for a man by his owne labour to search out the ready way to understand those precepts, which have bin set downe in the learned writings of Philosophers that have treated of that matter,

especially in the Greeke and Latine tongues, in which it hath been substantially handled. For although I cannot truly pretend ignorance in Latine, in which the workes of Plato and Aristotle are to be read: yet I confesse that I do not find that facilitie in the conceiving of their writings as I could wish, or as the greedinesse of my desire to apprehend might overtake. For Plato hath couched his sense thereof so dispersedly in his dialogues, as I think he must be a man of great learning and exact judgement that shall picke them out, and sever them from the other parts of Philosophie, which he indeed most divinely discourseth upon. And Aristotle is not to me so cleare nor so easily understood without deepe study, as my meane capacitie would require; especially without the interpretation of some better scholer than myselfe. And herein do I greatly envie the happinesse of the Italians, who have in their mother-tongue late writers that have with a singular easie method taught all that which Plato or Aristotle have confusedly or obscurely left written. Of which, some I have begun to reade with no small delight, as Alexander Piccolomini, Gio. Baptista Giraldi, and Guazzo, all three having written upon the Ethick part of Morall Philosopie both exactly and perspicuously. And would to God that some of our countrimen1 would shew themselves so wel affected to the good of their countrie (whereof one principall and most important part consisteth in the instructing of men to vertue) as to set downe in English the precepts of those parts of Moral Philosophy, whereby our youth might without spending of so much time, as the learning of those other languages require, speedily enter into the right course of vertuous life. In the meane while I must

struggle with those bookes which I understand. . . .

It is quite clear, to my mind, from this remarkable passage, and from the general substance of the book, that the profession of inability is a pretence, made in order to sustain the character under which the author is writing. Only a man who had some acquaintance with the originals, and was of exceptional independence of mind, could have presumed to pass a judgment of this sort on writers of such authority as Plato and Aristotle. A similar confidence of judgment in dealing with the philosophic thought of antiquity is found throughout the book.

Many passages occur in Bacon's acknowledged works

1 Note again that the writer expresses himself as an Englishman.

in which this quarrel with the ancients, and especially with Aristotle, finds expression; but there is one passage in the Advancement of Learning which contains the same charge of obscurity and confusion as in the foregoing extract, and follows in other respects the lines of Bryskett's "Discourse." Bacon is dealing with the question of the "nature of good," and mentions the "infinite disputations which were touching the supreme degree thereof, which they term felicity, beatitude, or the highest good." These, he says, are "by the Christian faith discharged," and he proceeds:

Freed therefore and delivered from this doctrine of the philosophers heaven, whereby they feigned an higher elevation of man's nature than was . . we may with more sobriety and truth receive the rest of their inquiries and labours: wherein for the nature of good, positive or simple, they have set it down excellently, in describing the forms of virtue and duty, with their situations and postures, in distributing them into their kinds, parts, provinces, actions, and administrations, and the like; nay farther, they have commended them to man's nature and spirit with great quickness of argument and beauty of persuasions; yea, and fortified and entrenched them (as much as discourse can do) against corrupt and popular opinions. Again, for the degrees and comparative nature of good, they have also excellently handled it in their triplicity of good; in the comparisons between a contemplative and an active life; in the distinction between virtue with reluctation, and virtue secured; in their encounters between honesty and profit; in their balancing of virtue with virtue, and the like; so as this part deserveth to be reported for excellently laboured.

Notwithstanding if before they had come to the popular and received notions of virtue and vice, pleasure and pain, and the rest, they had stayed a little longer upon the inquiry concerning the roots of good and evil, and the strings of those roots, they had given, in my opinion, a great light to that which followed; and specially if they had consulted with nature, they had made their doctrines less prolix and more profound: which being by them in part omitted and in part handled with much confusion, we will endeavour to resume and open in a more clear manner.

There follows the passage about Spenser and the Faerie Queene, to which I have alluded above :

Yet is there a gentleman in this company, whom I have had

often a purpose to intreate, that as his leisure might serue him, he would vouchsafe to spend some time with me to instruct me in some hard points which I cannot of myselfe understand; knowing him to be not onely perfect in the Greek tongue, but also very well read in Philosophie, both morall and naturall. Neuertheless such is my bashfulnes, as I neuer yet durst open my mouth to disclose this my desire unto him, though I have not wanted some hartning thereunto from himselfe. For of his loue and kindnes to me, he encouraged me long sithens to follow the reading of the Greeke tongue, and offered me his helpe to make me vnderstand it. But now that so good an oportunitie is offered vnto me, to satisfie in some sort my desire; I thinke I should commit a great fault, not to myselfe alone, but to all this company, if I should not enter my request thus farre, as to moue him to spend this time which we have now destined to familiar discourse and conuersation, in declaring unto us the great benefits which men obtaine by the knowledge of Morall Philosophie, and in making us to know what the same is, what be the parts thereof, whereby vertues are to be distinguished from vices; and finally that he will be pleased to run ouer in such order as he shall thinke good, such and so many principles and rules thereof, as shall serue not only for my better instruction, but also for the contentment and satisfaction of you al. For I nothing doubt, but that euery one of you will be glad to heare so profitable a discourse, and thinke the time very wel spent wherin so excellent a knowledge shal be reuealed unto you, from which euery one may be assured to gather some fruit as wel as myselfe. Therefore (said I) turning myselfe to M. Spenser, It is you sir, to whom it pertaineth to shew yourselfe courteous now unto us all, and to make vs all beholding unto you for the pleasure and profit which we shall gather from your speeches, if you shall vouchsafe to open unto vs the goodly cabinet, in which this excellent treasure of vertues lieth locked up from the vulgar sort. And thereof in the behalfe of all as for myselfe, I do most earnestly intreate you not to say vs nay. Vnto which wordes of mine euery man applauding most with like words of request, and the rest with gesture and countenances expressing as much, M. Spenser answered in this maner. Though it may seeme hard for me, to refuse the request made by you all, whom, euery one alone, I should for many respects be willing to gratifie; yet as the case standeth, I doubt not but with the consent of the most part of you, I shall be excused at this time of this taske which would be laid vpon me. For sure I am, that it is not vnknowne unto you, that I haue alreedy vndertaken a work tending to the same effect, which is in heroical verse, vnder the title of a Faerie Queene, to represent all

the moral vertues, assigning to euery vertue a Knight to be the patron and defender of the same, in whose actions and feates of arms and chiualry the operations of that vertue, whereof he is the protector, are to be expressed, and the vices and unruly appetites that oppose themselues against the same, to be beaten down and ouercome. Which work, as I haue already well entred into, if God shall please to spare me life that I may finish it according to my mind, your wish (M. Bryskett) will be in some sort accomplished, though perhaps not so effectually as you could desire. And the same may very well serue for my excuse, if at this time I craue to be forborne in this your request, since any discourse, that I might make thus on the sudden in such a subject would be but simple, and little to your satisfactions. For it would require good aduisement and premeditation for any man to vndertake the declaration of these points that you have proposed, containing in effect the Ethicke part of Morall Philosophie. Whereof since I haue taken in hand to discourse at large in my poeme before spoken, I hope the expectation of that work may serue to free me at this time from speaking in that matter, notwithstanding your motion and all your intreaties. But I will tell you how I thinke by himselfe he may very well excuse my speech, and yet satisfie all you in this matter. I haue seene (as he knoweth) a translation made by himselfe out of the Italian tongue of a dialogue comprehending all the Ethick part of Moral Philosophy, written by one of those three he formerly mentioned, and that is by Giraldi, vnder the title of a dialogue of ciuil life. If it please him to bring us forth that translation to be here read among vs, or otherwise to deliuer to us, as his memory may serue him, the contents of the same; he shal (I warrant you) satisfie you all at the ful, and himselfe wil haue no cause but to thinke the time well spent in reuiewing his labors, especially in the company of so many his friends, who may thereby reape much profit, and the translation happily fare the better by some mending it may receiue in the perusing, as all writings else may do by the often examination of the same. Neither let it trouble him that I so turne ouer to him againe the taske he wold haue put me to; for it falleth out fit for him to verifie the principall of all this Apologie, euen now made for himselfe ; because thereby it will appeare that he hath not withdrawne himselfe from seruice of the State, to liue idle or wholly priuate to himselfe, but hath spent some time in doing that which may greatly benefit others, and hath serued not a little to the bettering of his owne mind, and increasing of his knowledge, though he for modesty pretend much ignorance, and pleade want in wealth, much like some rich beggars, who either of custom, or