The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-01

TO BE CON2UINUED. TN
For the National Era
LORD BACON AND THE OLD METHOD
I.
1t is now more than twenty years since Mr..
Montagu published his elaborate biography of
Bacon, and An edition of his works. In his
preface, he thus describes the original impulse
to bis undertaking:
About thirty years ago, read in the will
of Lord Bacon For my burial, desire it
may be in St. Micbael's Church, ST. Adams !;
there was my mother buried, and it is the
parish church of my mansion. house of Cor.
hamburg, and it is the only Christian church
within the walls of Old Verulam. For my
name and memory, leave it to mems char
liable speeches, to foreign nations, and the
{ next ages This passage, not to be seer
till be was at rest from his labors, impressed
me with feeling of his consciousness of i'll.
usage, and conviction that time would ar
rive when justice would be done to his mem.
ory."
Thus impressed, he commenced his labor
labor " only during hours which could be
rescued from arduous professional duties {"
yet, after the period of a generation, he gave
to the world the great work before us.
epeak of the work of Mr.. Montagu, not
only because it furnishes the best insight into
the life and labors of Sir Frarcis, but because
it is almost the only biography, and the only
edition of his works within reach of most Amer.
lean readers. My object is not 30 much to vim
dictate the name of Bacon from the in part nm.
deserved obloquy so generally hesped upon it,
as by calling attention to his life, and the
idols " he overthrow, to induce study of his
works. For many years, they have been within
reach of every American reader yet how few,
even of intelligent thinkers, know anything of
them. Our habit of association so connects
the labors and general life, that pleasure OF
disgust in the latter greatly modi6es our inter.
est in the former. hence ask attention to
few incidents in the life of Bacon, and, if any
reader shall so far lock through the cloud upon
his memory, and become so interested in the
great apostle of human knowledge, Is 70 seek the
original fountain, the writer will be more than
satisfied.
Yet by no means feel Indifferent to the es.
innate which is put upon the character of the
man himself The "next ages" to which
Bacon looked have not yet arrived, and the
" charitable speeches which he invoked are
bat family heard.
Men have not time to analyze character. In
stead of closely studying the man amid the cir.
cumstances surrounding him, we seize some
attractive Review, and judge from the " sum.
ming up +" of favorite essay list. 1t may be
presumptuous to differ from the almost unani.
nous verdict of the public, especially as rem.
dered upon the closing and brilliant argument
of Macaulay, and sustained by that of the ap.
parently fair, the really attractive, yet the more
uncharitable, Lord Campbell. Yet Macaulay
is but an advocate, and, though he always daz-
zles, be may not always enlighten. The prince
OF essayists, he yet sees everything through
the medium of his own political school, and
that neither conservative nor philosophical; and
while he says many, we would fain believe
most, things well, he often misapprehends
things beyond, not his knowledge, but his ap-
probation. Bacon belonged not to that school
which wins the sympathy of Macaulay, neither
did he possess those chivalric traits of charac-
ter which would captivate his imagination. /
feel too much indebted to the author of the
LIVES of the Chancelors," to ordinarily ques-
ton his conclusions; yet his view of Bacon but
| shows how much easier it is for great man to
sail with the winds of common opinions u
than to encounter them.
Francis Bacon was born in London, in Janu.
airy, 1860. His father, Sir Nicholas Bacon,
was Lord Keeper to Queen Elizabeth, and
among the ablest of her advisers. Had not his
name been eclipsed by that of bis son, we
should doubtless have heard more of him. He
belonged to that band of practical administra.
tors to whose counsel the Queen owed much Of
the reputation of her brilliant reign.
The mother of Francis was Anne, daughter
of the learned Sir Anthony Cooke, tutor to Ed.
ward the Sixth. Whether Sir Anthony, as is
reported, was believer in certain doctrines
now called new, concerning the relative claims
of the sexes, is perhaps uncertain; but We at
least know, that if he did not believe in their
natural equality, he did not therefore deprive
the, weaker of those opportunities which 60
much the more it would need. His daughters
were thoroughly instructed in all that was
taught the King, and excelled him in their &C.
quirements. The mother of Bacon is said to
have been able to correspond freely in Greek
and Latin, and published several translations
from the Italian. I take it for granted that
Lady Bacon was not only wise and learned, but
that she understood her duties to her family.
Charles the Second had not vet reigned. Such
being the mother, need we wonder at The sona
That mothers have much to do in giving char.
acter to their children, is very trits truism !;
but that they have almost all to do with it
that wise man seldom, if ever, is born Of q sim
pie woman-is equally true. The remaining
daughters of Sir Anthony were distinguished
for their requirements, and, as scheuine danes
would say, made splendid matches, one of hem
/ marrying Cecil, the other Lord Burleieh, the
head of Elizabeth's Cabinet.
: The indications Of Bacon's genius were