World has known, who befides a quick and lively Apprebenfion, a ftrong and faithful Memory, was endued with a clear and folid Judgement, and an Elocution which was the Glory of his Times, and almoft inimitable: It would be a prefumption in me, fo far remov'd from his Abilitics to think my felf able to conceive a full Idea of his worth much more to exprefs it to the World. I might inftead thereof, after the manner of fome, rather weary than fatisfie the Reader, fhould I bring to his view, thofe many Eulogys which have been given his Lordship by Domeftick and Ioreign Writers, and which my felf have feen. But to what hath been already done of that nature, I hope no Person will be difpleafed to fee what follows, under the Pens of two Perfons, who remembred him living, and two others, I prefume, well acquainted with his Works.

There happened in my Time,faith the Learned Poet Ben. "Johnson,in his Difcoveries,one Noble Speaker, the Lord Ve"rulam, who was full of Gravity in his fpeaking. His Lan

το

guage, where he could pafs by a Jeft, was nobly cenfo"rious. No Man ever fpake more neatly, more preftly, more weightily, or fuffer'd lefs emptinefs, lefs idleness in "what he utter'd. No member of his Speech, but confifted of his own Graces. His Hearers could not cough or look "afide without lofs: He commanded where he spoke, and "had his Judges angry and pleafed at his Devotion. No Man "had their affections more in his Power; the fear of every "Man that heard him, was, left he fhould make an end. And afterwards, Lord Egerton the Chancellor, a great and grave Orator, &c. But his learned and able,tho' unfortunate Succeffor "the Lord Bacon, is he who hath filled up all Members,and "perform'd that in our Tongue, which may be compared CC or prefer'd, either to Infolent Greece, or Haughty Rome. "In fhort, within his view, and about his time, were all the "Wits born, that could Honour a Language, or could help Study. Now things daily fall; Wits grow downward, and Eloquence goes backward: So that he may be named, and "ftand as the Mark or anu of our Language.

"I have ever obferv'd it to have been the Office of a "wife Patriot, among the Greatest Affairs of State, to

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"take

X

Hor. de Art. Poet.

"take care of the Commonwealth of Learning. For Schools they are the Seminaries of State; and nothing is worthier "the Study of a Statesman, than that Part of the Republick, "which we call the Advancement of Letters. Witnefs the "Care of Julius Cæfar, who in the Heat of the Civil War, "writ his Books of Analogy, and Dedicated them to Tully. "This made the late Lord St. Alban Entitle his Work Novum Organum: Which though, by the most of Superficial Men, who cannot get beyond the Title of Nominals, it " is not penetrated, nor understood; it really openeth all "Defects of Learning whatfoever, and is a Book

Qui Longum noto Scriptori prorogat ævum.

"My conceit of his Perfon, was never increa"fed towards him, by his Place or Honours. But I have "and do reverence him for the Greatneß, that was onely proper to himself; in that he feem'd to me ever by his Works, one of the greatest Men, and moft worthy of admiration, "that had been in many Ages. In his adverfity I ever pray'd "that God would give him Strength,for Greatness he could not want. Neither could I condole in a word or fyllable "for him; as knowing no accident could do harm to Virtue, "but rather help to make it Manifeft.

After, Mr. Osborn, in the fecond Part of his Advice to his Son, hath recommended an Universal Infpection into the Sciences, as moft becoming a Gentleman, unfix'd in a fettled Calling. He goes on, "And my Memory neither doth, nor "I believe poffible, ever can direct me towards an Example more fplendid in this kind, than the Lord Bacon, Vicount "St. Albans. Who in all Companies did appear a good Proficient, if not a Mafter in thofe Arts entertain'd for the Subject of every ones Difcourfe. So as I dare maintain, without "the leaft affectation of Flattery or Hyperbole, that his moft "cafual Talk deferveth to be written, as I have been told his firft or fouleft Copies required no great labour to ren"der them competent for the niceft Judgements. A high Perfection, attainable onely by Ufe, and treating with every Man in his refpective Profeffion, and what he was

το

"moft

"moft vers'd in. So as I have heard him entertain a Country Lord in the proper Terms, relating to Hawks and Dogs; "and at another time out-cant a London-Chyrurgeon. Thus he "did not onely learn himself, but gratifie fuch as taught

"s him ; who looked upon their Callings as Honoured

through his notice. Nor did an eafie falling into Arguments (not unjustly taken for a Blemish in the moft) appear "less than an Ornament in him; the ears of the Hearers receiving more gratification than trouble; and fo no lefs forry, when he came to conclude, than difpleas'd with 66 any that did interrupt him. Now this general knowledge he "had in all things, Husbanded by his Wit, and Dignified "with fo Majeftical a carriage he was known to own, ftruck "fuch an awful Reverence in thofe he queftion'd, that they "durft not conceal the most intrinfick part of their Myfteries, "for fear of appearing ignorant or faucy. All which ren"dred him no lefs neceffary than admirable, at the CouncilTable; where in reference to Impofitions, Monopolies, &c. "the meaneft Manufactures were an ufual Argument. And as I have heard, did in this Baffle the Earl of Middlesex, "that was born and bred a Citizen, &c. yet without any great, if at all, interrupting his other Studies, as is not hard to be imagin'd of a quick Apprehenfion, in which he was Admirable.

The two fucceeding Characters, I am to mention, were defcribed upon the fame occafion. The One by the prefent Bifhop of Rochester, in his Excellent Hiftory of the Royal Society at London, Inftituted for the promoting of Natural and Experimental Knowledge, upon the Plan and Rules laid down by my Lord Bacon. The other in a Poem of the Admirable Mr. Cowley's to the faid Society, whereof I have onely transcribed the Fifth Stanza; tho' there is much more faid by way of Encomium on this Lord.

-"The third fort of New Philofophers, have been those who "have not onely difagreed from the Ancients, but have alfo

propos'd to themselves the right courfe of flow and fure Experimenting; and have profecuted it as far as the fhort"nefs of their own Lives, or the Multiplicity of their Affairs, or the narrowness of their Fortunes, have given

66

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them

"them leave. Such as thefe we are to expect to be but few. "For they must deveft themselves of many vain Concepti

cc

ons, and overcome a thousand falfe Images, which lie like "Monsters in their way, before they can get as far as this. "And of thefe I fhall onely mention one Great Man, who "had the true Imagination of the whole extent of this Enterprize, as it is now fet on foot, and that is the Lord Bacon: In whofe Books there are every where fcatter'd, the beft Arguments that can be produc'd for the Defence of Experimental Philofophy; and the beft directions that are "needful to promote it. All which he has already adorn'd "with fo much art, that if my Defires could have prevail"ed with fome excellent Friends of mine, who engaged

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me to this Work, there fhould have been no other Pre"face to the Hiftory of the Royal Society, but fome of his "Writings. But,methinks, in this one Man, I do at once find enough occafion,to admire the strength of Humane Wit, "and to bewail the weakness of a mortal condition. For,is it not wonderful, that he, who had run through all the Degrees of that Profeffion, which ufually takes up Mens whole time; who had Studied and Practifed, and Governed the "Common Law: Who had always lived in the Crowd, and "born the greateft Burden of Civil Bufinefs; fhould yet find leisure enough for these retired Studies, to excell all those Men who feparate themselves for this very purpose ? "He was a Man of strong, clear, and Powerful Imaginati"ons: His Genius was fearching, and inimitable: And of "this I need give no other Proof than his Style it felf; which as for the most part, it defcribes Mens Minds, as Pictures "do their Bodies; fo it did His, above all Men living. The CC Course of it vigorous and Majeftical: The Wit bold and fa"miliar: The Comparisons fetch'd out of the way, and yet "the most eafie: In all expreffing a Soul equally skill'd' in Men and Nature.

Το

To the ROYAL SOCIETY.

STANZA V.

From these, and all long Errors of the Way,
In which our wandring Predeceffors went,
And like th' old Hebrews, many years did ftray
In Defarts but of fmall extent,
BACON, like Mofes, led us forth at last,
The Barren Wilderness he paft,
Did on the very Border stand
Of the bleft promis'd Land,

And from the Mountains Top of his exalted Wit,
Saw it himself, and fhew'd us it.

But Life did never to one Man allow.
Time to Discover Worlds, and Conquer too;
Nor can fo fhort a Line fufficient be,
To fathom the vaft Depths of Nature's Sea.
The Work he did, we ought t' admire,
And were unjuft, if we fhould more require
From his few years, divided 'twixt th' excess
Of Low Affliction, and High Happineß:

For who on Things remote can fix his Sight,
That's always in a Triumph, or a Fight? Clay,

I have now made fo full a Point, and I believe fo well Entertain'd the Reader with thefe Relations of others, that I cannot easily prevail with my felf to continue my own.But confidering what hath been faid of this Noble Lord in the middle and latter part of his Life, may raife in fome a Defire to look a little into the Former, I fhall rather act a prepofterous Part, than refufe to gratifie fo reafonable an Inclination.

He was Born upon the 22d of January, in the year 1561, at York-Houfe near the Strand, then the Refidence of his Father, Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal; whom the Renown'd Chief Juftice Popham affirm'd to have

been