English, it is always to the latter. In Shakespeare's day, the other reference was the more common; that, namely, to what was included.

Our Wine is here mingled with Water and with Myrrh, there it is meer and unmixed.-J. TAYLOR. The Holy Communicant, ch. I. § 2, p. 27, ed. Pickering.

Some of the modern editors of the Essays (among them Whately) from ignorance of the old meaning of "merely," have obscured the passage above quoted by changing "and destroy," which is the reading of the edition of 1625, p. 330, into "but destroy; others leave out the "not" before merely; either change being subversive of the meaning of the passage, and inconsistent with the context. The reading of the edition of 1625 is confirmed by the Latin translation done under Bacon's own superintendence: Illæ populum penitus non absorbent aut destruant. The meaning, as the train of the reasoning clearly requires, is that "conflagrations and great droughts, do not" altogether "dispeople and destroy." So in the Third Essay, "Of Unity in Religion," (ante, p. 22,) when the author wrote that extremes would be avoided "if the points fundamental and of substance in religion were truly discerned and distinguished from points not merely of faith, but of opinion, order, or good intention," the meaning is, from points not altogether of faith, not, were distinguished not only from points of faith, as a modern reader would be apt to understand it. CRAIK. English of Shakespeare, p. 87 et seq. ed. London, 1864.

p. 569, 1. 25. "reduced." That which is "reduced" now is brought back to narrower limits, or lower terms, or more subject conditions, than those under which it subsisted before. But nothing of this lies of necessity in the word, nor yet in the earlier uses of it. According to these, that was "reduced" which was brought back to its former estate, an estate that might be, and in the following examples is, an ampler, larger, or more prosperous one than that which it superseded. TRENCH. Glossary. Thus in the "History of King Henry VII.," Works, VI. 63:

There remained only Brittaine to be reunited, and so the monarchy of France to be reduced to the ancient terms and bounds.

And in Holland's "Livy," p. 1211, ed. 1600,

In the first place ordained it was, that the Macedonians and Illyrians remain free and enjoy their liberties, that all nations of the earth might see, that the drift of the Roman armies and forces was not to bring free states into servitude, but contrariwise to reduce those that were in bondage to liberty

p. 569, 1. 20. Comp. " Adv. of Learning," II. 10, § 11:

For as it hath been well observed, that the arts which flourish in times while virtue is in growth, are military; and while virtue is in state, are liberal; and while virtue is in declination, are voluptuary; so I doubt that this age of the world is somewhat upon the descent of the wheel.

INDEX TO ANNOTATIONS.

Advocates, temptations of, 554.

Age, old, Aristotle's description of, 425; and youth, mental qualities
of, 429.

Althorp, Lord, anecdote of, 529.

Ambition, true end of, 108; not essentially evil, 386.

Anger, different modes of appeasing, 562; distinguished from hatred,
561.

Ants, mistake concerning, 240.

Approbation, love of, 532; distinct from love of admiration, 533.
Aristotle, 53, 55, 99, 242, 287, 347, 395, 406, 425, 561.

Associations, definite object in, 294, 402, 515.

Atheism, causes of, 163; credulity of, 157; of Pagan nations, 159.

Bacon, moral character of, 408.

Bending the wand, 394.

Benevolence, example of our Lord the rule for, 130; ill-directed, evils
of, 128; nature of, mistaken, 130.

Birth, noble, aphorism of Warburton respecting, 136; how estimated,
137.

Booker-his vocabulary of obsolete words in our Authorized Ver-
sion recommended, iii.

Books for children, 33, 119, 498; some, to be tasted, 509.

Bow, a backed, 271.

Brute-life, Turkish regard for, 131.

Cabinet-council, presidency of, 217.

Caution, defect of, in the cunning, 236.

Cavillers, difficulty of dealing with, xx., 461.

Celerity in decision and execution, importance of, illustrated, 219, 222,

256, 269, 272.

Celibacy of clergy, 87, 120.

Censure, equivalent to praise, 534.

Ceremonies, necessity of, 521; religious, multiplication of, 185.

Character, similarity of, in men of opposite parties, 517.

Children, books for, 33, 119, 498; employment of, as almoners, 400;
gratuitous disappointment of, 66; learning by rote, 489; choice
of a profession for, 82; precocious, 430.

Cingalese farmer, anecdote of, 496.

Clouds, fable of the, 121.