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

tern ot MIND, and the Queen was in
the haht OF styling him hes young Lord X eeper.
aPrecooiey u pot usually Indicative Of permanent
greatness. The youth of great men usually is
only nAssed BY q common good intellect and
BY .tudisas habits, and q najority of youthful
prodigies turn oatvery common men, Bat the
precocslg OF Bacon did not prompt that indo.
ience ogScursory habits that slaeys, end in me,
diocritys HIS bioenphersdwsil y op bis early
habits OF systematic obssryation. and reflection,
and give some renarkable instances of his orig.
insi ooservations upon branches of natprsl phi.
losophy. In tresting ofthe imagination in after
life, hecites occurrences noted nhis twelfth wear.
TO shpv the power of the imsgina,ion or will of
one person over that of another. He then saw
the giimmerings of what is now confoundinp
the wise and leading captive the credulous.
AT the age of thirteen, Bacon was sent
to Cambridge, and placed at Trinity under the
celebrated DIR. Whitgift, afterwards Archbishop
Of Canterbury. Mr.. Montagu speaks of this
precePtor as distinguished through life,
not only for his great Pisty,- bus for his great
learning and unwearied exertions 10 promote
the public good" Macaulay calls him e a
narrowminded, mean, and tyrannical priest,
who gained power by servility.p He thinks
he might have been endurable at this time, as
I" he was in the chrysalis state-putting off the
worm, and putting on the dragon A "a kind
Of intermediate grub, between sycophant and
: oppressor." / shall not attempt to decide be-.
tween the two authorities, but that We may
properly appreciate them, we should recollect
that Mr.. Montagu shows great reverence for
everything favorably associated with Bacon.
and Mr.. Ascaulsy never manifssts undue rever.
ence towards any Of the fathers Of the Anglican
Church. bet Macaulays view of Wright be
but approximately true, may not the fact that
the three most impressible years of his life were
passed under the influence of such preceptor,
account for some of the defects of Bacon's
character? eE4l y "a. ...sfa8 - T
He left Cambridge, satisfied that the con.
sentative character of the Universities rendered
them obstacles, instead of aids, to the advance
ment of learning. This has been the complaint
of earnest and original thinkers of all days, and
it would be well for the patrons of our own
most popular schools to inquire whether the
following description applies only to the insti,
tutions Of Bscon's day "Iu the Universities"
says the organon, /" all things are formed oppo.
site to the advancement of the sciences; for
the readings and exercises are here so man.
aged that it cannot easily come into any one's
mind to think of things out of the common
road; or if, here and there, one should venture
to use liberty Of judging, he can only impose
the task upon himself, without obtaining as
. distance from his fellows and if he could dis.
pense with this, he will still find his industry
and resolution great hindrance to his for.
tune. For the studies of men at such places
are confined and pinned down to the Wi.
tings of certain authors, from which, if any
8 man happens to differ, he is presently repre-.
hended as disturber and innova.or."
Bacon is said to have planned the Novum
Organum, published over forty years later,
while at ,-.e University. But whether so or
not, he then clearly saw the grand defects in
the old method of investigation that mankind
would continue to grope in ignorance 80 long
as the learned were merely students of words,
30 long as they regarded the philosophy OF
Aristotle as the ultimstum of human reason.
At the age of sixteen, he was sent to Paris
under the care of the English Ambassador
He remained on the Continent, spending part
of his time in travelling, and all in studying,
till his fathers death, four years later. Sir
Nicholas died poor, and at twenty his son was
left destitute. At this age, his genius was SC
far beyond, as to be unappreciated by those
around him, But, unfortunately, his habits
had been formed at Courts, and all his expect
atoms of success in life were based upon Cour,
favor. To him, there seemed ne essity fol-
pursuing his subsequent career, and Bacon the
philosopher became courtier. Hence Royal
favor and large income became essential
and, as we shall see, the philosopher, ordinarily
great and good, BECAME Justly chargeable with
sycophancy, to which the world adds ing rati
tude and corruption His faults were the
faults of his position and, when we condemn
BacoE, we condemn him because his family,
his education, his association, and ambition
yea, almost his necessities-led him to assume
that position. 1t was necessarily degrading
one yet, men high in the worlds esteem have
taken it, and how few have resisted its tempta.
tons. A Daniel may for time reside at
court; yet, courtiers are not Daniels.
Republicans seem hardly able to appreciate
the position thus assumed. We fancy that it is
only seen near thrones, that its necessary grow.
cling sycophancy is stranger to Republics.
Yet, we can form tolerably correct idea Of a
courtier, and especially of the Tudors, from a
very familiar character. The courtier and the
demagogue, in occupying the extremes of polit.
ical society, may seem to be extreme in char.
scter. But political society is q circle, and ex
tremes meet. Aristotle justly classes them to.
gether. Who ever knew demagogue dare to
utter, and labor to establish, an unwelcome
truth To hesitate between a personal obliga
ton and popularity? To refuse perq uisite, be.
cause unjust or Of corruptiug tendency? To be
manly and plain-spoken, when thrift would fol
low fawning3 The .demagogue is but the cour
tier of the people, the courtier but the dem.
agoguge of the throne. They alike draw their
life-blood from the source of power, and alike
gain power to leech by Aattery and fawning.
With one, the legal fiction that the King can
do no wrong" is assumed as sentiment; and
the gospel of the other is the blasphsmous die
tum, "The Peoples voice is God'sl" Has
gigantic wrong become the darling policy
Of throne or people, in what relation to
that wrong stands the courtier or the dema.
gogue7 Do they honestly expose its charac-
ter, labor to change that policy, or refuse to be.