and vicissitudes; for certain it is, that ordnance was known in the city of the Oxydraces, in India, and was that which the Macedonians called thunder and lightning, and magic; and it is well known that the use of ordnance hath been in China above two thousand years.

It is an interesting inquiry, What kinds of warlike weapons were in use in and about the time of Bacon? Before the commencement of the civil wars, the citizens of London were carefully trained in the use of the pike and musket. The trainings, at first once a year, afterwards four times a year, were originally very irksome to weary artizans and thrifty shopkeepers, as, independently of the weight of the back and breast-plate, scull-cap, sword, musket, and bandoliers, with which they were obliged to repair to the muster, the military discipline was of such a complex character, that it both imposed much labor and consumed a great deal of time. The ponderous matchlock, or carbine, of those days, had to be put through a long succession of maneuvres, before it could be loaded, primed, and discharged. As for the pike it was a stout, heavy weapon of pliant ash, about sixteen feet long, and dexterity in the use of it could be acquired only by frequent practice. The Puritans at first regarded these warlike musters in the Artillery Gardens with abhorrence, as an absolute mingling with the profane; but when they were taught from the pulpits that their projected reformation could be accomplished only by carnal weapons, they crowded to the exercise with alacrity. In the meantime the proud Cavaliers, who were still blind to the political signs of the times, laughed scornfully at these new displays of cockney chivalry, and were wont to declare that it took a Puritan two years to learn how to discharge a musket without winking. But the laugh was turned against themselves after the civil wars commenced, when the pikes and guns of the civic militia scattered the fiery cavalry of Prince Rupert, and bore down all before them. When these Puritans were converted into actual soldiers they "marched to the field in high-crowned hats, collared bands, great loose coats, long tucks under them, and calves' leather boots. They used to sing a psalm, fall on, and beat all opposition." It is worthy of remark, too, that the long active service and military renown

[30] The conditions of weapons, and their improvements, are, first, the fetching afar off; for that outruns the danger, as it is seen in ordnance and muskets: secondly, the strength of the percussion; wherein likewise ordnance do exceed all arietations, and ancient inventions: the third is, the commodious use of them; as that they may serve in all weathers, that the carriage may be light and manageable, and the like.

[31] For the conduct of the war: at the first, men

of these campaigners gave them no disrelish, after the war had ended, for their former peaceful and humble occupations. On the contrary, the soldier resumed his mechanical implements, and the officer returned to his shop or warehouse; while the Cavaliers still went about with belts and swords, swearing, swaggering, and breaking into houses and stealing whatever they could find.-Craik's Hist. Eng., Vol. III, p. 627. Ordnance: Synonyme? [Tormenta ænea.] [Operationes magicas.]

[30.] Conditions: Synonyme ?

Magic:

Fetching striking.

Arietations: applications of the "aries" or battering ram, a weapon used by the ancients for beating down the walls of cities or fortresses. It consisted of a long and heavy beam of wood, armed with iron in the form of a ram's head at one end, and impelled against the wall by a large force of men supporting it in their arms, or when supported by a rope or cable at or near the middle of the beam.

The Macedonians: under the leadership of Alexander the Great. In the storming of this obscure city he came very near losing his life, which had been rashly exposed, by the wound of a barbed arrow which punctured his body through his coat of mail. See a thrilling account of the transaction in Rollin's History, Vol. V, pp. 166-7.

Commodious: Synonyme?

[31.] Rested: Synonyme?

phrase.

Pointing appointing.

They did put, &c.: Para

"To celebrate the solemn bridall cheere

"Twixt Peleus and dame Thetis pointed there."-Spenser.

rested extremely upon number; they did put the wars likewise upon main force and valour, pointing days for pitched fields, and so trying it out upon an even match; and they were more ignorant in ranging and arraying their battles. After they grew to rest upon [32] number rather competent than vast; they grew to advantages of place, cunning diversions, and the like; and they grew more skillful in the ordering of their battles.

In the youth of a state, arms do flourish; in [33] the middle age of a state, learning; and then both of them together for a time; in the declining age of a state, mechanical arts and merchandise. Learn- [34]

Even match: [Aequo Marte.]

Battles: forces. 'What may the king's whole battle reach unto?'-Shak. [Denique in acie instruenda et ordinanda peritiores fere erant.]

[32.] After: Afterwards. Grew to rest, &c.: Paraphrase the rest of the sentence. The Latin avoids the inelegant repetition found in this sentence:-'Postea numerum præoptabant commodum potius, quam vastum; locorum opportunitates, diversionum artificia, et similia captabant; postremo, in acie ipsa instruenda peritiores evadebant.'

[34.] Reduced: Synonyme?

"The wealth

Exhaust: exhausted.

Of the Canaries was exhaust, the health

Of his good Majesty to celebrate "-Habington.

Juvenile in the sense of suited to youth-corresponding to it in sprightliness and energy. Its strength of years: Better to have said, 'its manly age;' then the correspondence would have been maintained with the other expressions used to denote the successive periods of life. The Latin maintains it: Succedit atis virilis.' The philology of them: i. e. as it would seem, of vicissitudes. 'Quatenus vero ad philologiam, quæ in hoc argumento ut plurimum versatur.'

Philology derived from two Greek words, signifying love of speech or language. It has been used by different authors in a great variety of significations. Johnson defines it ‘literary

ing hath its infancy, when it is but beginning, and almost childish; then its youth, when it is luxuriant and juvenile; then its strength of years, when it is solid and reduced; and, lastly, its old age, when it waxeth dry and exhaust; but it is not good to look too long upon these turning wheels of vicissitude, lest we become giddy; as for the philology of them, that is but a circle of tales, and therefore not fit for this writing.

criticism, grammatical learning.' It embraces Etymology, or the origin and combination of words; Syntax, or the construction of sentences; Criticism, or an examination of the uses of words, and of the merits or demerits of style and diction; Interpretation of authors; Historical development of a particular language; Comparison of different languages, and a philosophical consideration of them for the light they throw upon the nature and faculties of the human mind, the progress of knowledge, and the relation of different races and nations to each other. The word has sometimes been used as including rhetoric, history, poetry and antiquities. In some such vague sense as the latter, Bacon seems to use it in this passage; particularly in the sense of history.

Circle

series.

This writing: Supply the ellipsis.

1. Write an Analysis of the Essay.

2. Point out the antiquated words or phrases.

3. Make a new division into Paragraphs.

4. Give Dr. Wardlaw's interpretation of the sentiment: 'There is no new

thing under the sun.'

5. Repeat Bacon's eulogium on King James.

6. Describe the river of Lethe; and repeat Mliton's lines.

7. The fable concerning Phaeton?

8. In Bacon's time, what was denoted by 'West Indies?'

9. The accounts given of Atlantis?

10. Who was Sabinian? What was Plato's 'Great Year?'

11. Who are the Arminians? The Arians?

12. Give an account of Gallo-Græcia.

13. Bacon's view of astrology? What is meant by Arietations? 14. Anecdote of Alexander? Philology: definitions of it?

ESSAY XXVII.

SIMULATION, AND DISSIMULATION.

DISSIMULATION is but a faint kind of policy, [1] or wisdom; for it asketh a strong wit and a strong heart to know when to tell truth, and to do it: therefore it is the weaker sort of politicians that are the greatest dissemblers.

Tacitus saith, "Livia sorted well with the arts [2] of her husband, and dissimulation of her son; attributing arts or policy to Augustus, and dissimulation to Tiberius:" and again, when Mucianus encourageth Vespasian to take arms against Vitellius, he saith, "We rise not against the piercing judgment of Augustus nor the extreme caution or closeness of Tiberius." These properties of arts or policy, and dissimulation or closeness, are indeed habits and faculties several, and to be distinguished; for if a man have that penetration of judgment as he can discern what things are to be laid open, and what to be secreted, and what to be showed at half lights, and to whom and when (which indeed are arts of state, and arts of life, as Tacitus well calleth them), to him a habit of dissimulation is a hindrance and a poorness. But if a man cannot attain to that [3] judgment, then it is left to him generally to be close, and a dissembler; for where a man cannot choose or vary in particulars, there it is good to take the safest and wariest way in general, like the going softly by one that cannot well see. Certainly the ablest men [4] that ever were, have had all an openness and frankness of dealing, and a name of certainty and veracity; but