p. 15, 1. 18.-Juv. Sat. X. 357. The true quotation is, Qui spatium vitæ extremum inter munera ponat Naturæ: It occurs again in a parallel passage in the " Adv. of Learning," And it seemeth to me, that most of the doctrines of the philosophers are more fearful and cautionary than the nature of things requireth. So have they increased the fear of death in offering to cure it. For when they would have a man's whole life to be but a discipline or preparation to die, they must needs make men think that it is a terrible enemy against whom there is no end of preparing. Better saith the poet, etc. ESSAY III. p. 21, 1. 10.—The reader will find accounts of the Morris Dance in Douce's "Illustrations of Shakespeare," p. 576, ed. 1839, and in Brand's "Popular Antiquities," I. 247, ed. Bohn. In "Plaine Percevall, the Peace-Maker of England" (p. 16 of the reprint), mention is made of a Stranger, which seeing a Quintessence (beside the foole and the Maid Marian) of all the picked yoouth, straind out of an whole Endship, footing the Morris about a May pole. And he, not hearing the crie of the hounds, for the barking of dogs, (that is to say) the minstrilsie for the fidling, the tune for the sound, nor the pipe for the noise of the tabor, bluntly demaunded, if they were not all beside them selves, that they so lipd and skipd whithout an occasion. p. 22, 1. 17. "Men ought to take heed of rending God's church by controversies." In his tract entitled "An Advertisement Touching the Controversies of the Church of England," Bacon observes of controversial writers upon subjects connected with the church: To search and rip up wounds with a laughing countenance, is a thing far from the devout reverence of a Christian. There is a curious coincidence of thought between Dryden and He makes his desperate passes with a smile. p. 24, 1. 9. "epicure." "Now applied," says Trench (Glossary), "only to those who devote themselves, yet with a certain elegance and refinement, to the pleasures of the table. We may trace two earlier stages in its meaning. By Lord Bacon and others, the followers of Epicurus, whom we should call Epicuræans, are often called 'Epicures,' after the name of the founder of their sect. From them it was transferred to all who were, like them, deniers of a divine providence; and this is the common use of it by our elder divines. But inasmuch as those who have persuaded themselves that there is nothing above them, will seek their good, since men must seek it somewhere, in the things beneath them, in sensual delights, the name has been transferred, by that true moral instinct which is continually at work in speech from the philosophical speculative atheist to the human swine, for whom the world is but a feeding-trough." So the Epicures say of the Stoics' felicity placed in virtue; that it is like the felicity of a player, who if he were left of his auditory and their applause, he would straight be out of heart and countenance; and therefore they call virtue bonum theatrale. -Colours of Good and Evil, III. p. 24, 1. 14. Isaiah, xiv. 14. Bacon quotes this passage again in the "Adv. of Learning," II. 22, § 17: Aspiring to be like God in power, the angels transgressed and fell; Ascendam, et ero similis Altissimo. p. 24, 1. 27. "Surely in councils," etc. Craik, in "The English of Shakespeare," p. 203, London ed. 1864, has the following note on the line in "Julius Cæsar," II. 4, How hard it is for women to keep counsel!: Counsel in this phrase is what has been imparted in consultation. In the phrases To take counsel and To hold counsel it means simply consultation. The two words Counsel and Council have in some of their applications got a little intermingled and confused, although the Latin Consilium and Concilium, from which they are severally derived, have no connection. A rather perplexing instance occurs in a passage towards the conclusion of Bacon's Third Essay, “Of Unity in Religion," which is commonly thus given in the modern editions: "Surely in counsels concerning religion, that counsel of the apostle would be prefixed — Ira hominis non implet justitiam Dei." But as published by Bacon himself, if we may trust Mr. Singer's late elegant reprint, p. 14, the words are, "in Councils concerning Religion, that Counsel of the Apostle-."1 What are we to say, however, to 1 In the copy of the Essays of the edition of 1625, p. 18, which belonged to one of the most accomplished of Shakesperian scholars, Edmond Malone, the reading is, "in Counsels, Concerning Religion, that Counsel of the Apostle." the Latin version executed under Bacon's own superintendence? — "Certe optandum esset, ut in omnibus circa Religionem consiliis, ante oculos hominum præfigeretur monitum illud Apostoli." I quote from the Elzevir edition of 1662, p. 20. Does this support Councils or Counsels concerning Religion? Other somewhat doubtful instances occur in the Twentieth Essay, "Of Counsel," and in the Twenty-ninth, "Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates." ESSAY V. p. 60, 1. 13.- Apollodorus, de Deor. Orig. II. c. 5. p. 60, 1. 15. Hercules sailed across the ocean in a cup that was given to him by the Sun, came to Caucasus, shot the eagle with his arrows, and set Prometheus free. - De Sap. Vet. XXVI. Works, VI. 746. Bacon gives the same interpretation to this fable at the end of the same chapter: The voyage of Hercules especially, sailing in a pitcher to set Prometheus free, seems to present an image of God the Word hastening in the frail vessel of the flesh to redeem the human race. But I purposely refrain myself from all licence of speculation in this kind, lest peradventure I bring strange fire to the altar of the Lord. Works, VI. 753. p. 60, 1. 22. "Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament," etc. This passage, which was added in the edition of 1625, has been cited by Lord Macaulay as evidence that Bacon's fancy had not decayed in his later years, but had even become "richer and softer."-Works, VI. 242, ed. Trevelyan, 1866. "Lord Bacon," says a charming writer of the present day, "considered that invention in young men is livelier than in old, and that imaginations stream into their minds more divinely. He has not defined the boundary of youth. His own thirty-sixth year had come when he committed to the press those golden meditations which he called 'Essays.' But it is noticeable that his style opened into richer bloom with every added summer of thought. Later editions contain passages of beauty not found in the earlier; and his Advancement of Learning,' published when he was forty-four, beams with the warmest lights of fancy."-WILMOT. Pleasures, etc., of Literature. "One of the most remarkable circumstances in the history of Bacon's mind is the order in which its powers expanded themselves. With him the fruit came first and remained till the last; the blossoms did not appear till late. In general, the development of the fancy is to the development of the judgment what the growth of a girl is to the growth of a boy. The fancy attains at an earlier period to the perfection of its beauty, its power, and its fruitfulness; and, as it is first to ripen, it is also first to fade. It has generally lost something of its bloom and freshness before the sterner faculties have reached maturity; and is commonly withered and barren while those faculties still retain all their energy. It rarely happens that the fancy and the judgment grow together. It happens still more rarely that the judgment grows faster than the fancy. This seems, however, to have been the case with Bacon. His boyhood and youth appear to have been singularly sedate. His gigantic scheme of philosophical reform is said by some writers to have been planned before he was fifteen, and was undoubtedly planned while he was still young. He observed as vigilantly, meditated as deeply, and judged as temperately when he gave his first work to the world as at the close of his long career. But in eloquence, in sweetness and variety of expression, and in richness of illustration, his later writings are far superior to those of his youth."-LORD MACAULAY. Works, VI. 240, ed. Tre velyan. p. 61, 1. 10. "Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed." In Webster's "The White Devil" is this elegant passage:: Perfumes, the more they are chaf'd, the more they render Their pleasing scents; and so affliction Expresseth virtue fully, whether true Or else adulterate. And in "The Duchess of Malfi," III. 5:. Man, like to cassia, is prov'd best, being bruis'd. Compare "Apophthegms," 253: Mr. Bettenham said; That virtuous men were like some herbs and spices, that give not their sweet smell, till they be broken and crushed. Bacon gives a curious explanation of this in his "Natural His Most odours smell best broken or crushed, as hath been said: but flowers pressed or beaten do leese the freshness and sweetness of their odour. The cause is, for that when they are crushed, the grosser and more earthy spirit cometh out with the finer. and troubleth it; whereas in stronger odours there are no such degrees of the issue of the smell.-Works, II. 471. ESSAY VI. p. 71, 1. 5.—Tac. Ann. V. 1. Compare "Adv. of Learning,” II. 23, § 31: So tedious, casual, and unfortunate are these deep dissimulations; whereof it seemeth Tacitus made this judgment, that they were a cunning of an inferior form in regard of true policy; attributing the one to Augustus, the other to Tiberius, where speaking of Livia he saith, Et cum artibus mariti simulatione filii bene composita; for surely the continual habit of dissimulation is but a weak and sluggish cunning, and not greatly politic. This passage appears to be the germ of the Essay. p. 72, 1. 28.- Compare "Adv. of Learning," II. 23, § 12: We will begin therefore, with this precept, according to the ancient opinion, that the sinews of wisdom are slowness of belief and distrust; that more trust be given to countenances and deeds than to words; and in words rather to sudden passages and surprised words, than to set and purposed words. Neither let that be feared which is said, Fronti nulla fides: which is meant of a general outward behaviour, and not of the private and subtile motions and labours of the countenance and gesture; which as Q. Cicero elegantly saith, is Animi janua, the gate of the mind. None more close than Tiberius, and yet Tacitus saith of Gallus, Etenim vultu offensionem conjectav erat. p. 73, l. 19. "The advantages of simulation," etc. The original, and the ed. of 1639 read, "The great advantages of simulation,” etc. p. 73, 1. 28. Compare "Adv. of Learning," II. 23, § 14: And experience sheweth, there are few men so true to themselves and so settled, but that, sometimes upon heat, sometimes upon bravery, sometimes upon kindness, sometimes upon trouble of mind and weakness, they open themselves; specially if they be put to it with a counter-dissimulation, according to the proverb of Spain, Di mentira, y sacaras verdad, Tell a lie and find a truth. |