A CHARACTER OF THE Lord B A C 0 N, Given by Dr. SPRAT, late Bishop of Rochefter, in his Hiftory of the Royal Society, Part 1. Sect. 16. Pag. 35, 36. HE Third fort of New "Philofophers have "been thofe, who have "not only difagreed "from the Ancients, "but have also propos'd to themselves "the right Courfe of flow and fure "Experimenting: And have profecuted "it as far as the Shortnefs of their own "Lives, or the Multiplicity of their "other Affairs, or the Narrownefs of "their Fortunes, have given them "Leave. Such as thefe, we are to expect "but few: For they must divest them"felves of many vain Conceptions, and "overcome a thousand false Images, "which lie like Monsters in their way, "before they can get as far as this. And " of these I fhall only mention one Great "Man, who had the true Imagination of "the whole Extent of this Enterprize, 2 as it is now fet on foot; and that is, "the Lord Bacon. In whofe Books "there are, every where scattered, the " beft Arguments that can be produced for the Defence of Experimental Phi lofophy; and the best Directions that are needful to promote it. All which he has already adorn'd with fo much "Art, that if my Defires could have "prevail'd with fome excellent Friends "of mine, who engag'd me to this "Work, there should have been no o"ther Preface to the Hiftory of the Royali "Society, but fome of his Writings. "But, methinks, in this one Man I do d "at once find enough Occafion to ad"mire the Strength of Human Wit, andw "to bewail the Weakness of a Mortal "Condition, For, is it not Wonderful "That He, who had run through all the "Degrees of that Profeffion, which ufu "ally takes up Mens whole Time; who di "had Studied, and Practifed, and Goal "verned the Common Law: Who had "always liv'd in the Crowd, and born 2 "the greatest Burden of Civil Business of "fhould "fhould yet find Leifure enough for thefe retir'd Studies, to excel all thofe "Men, who separate themfelves for this very Purpose? He was a Man of ftrong, "clear, and powerful Imaginations: His Genius was fearching, and inimitable: "And of this I need give no other Proof, "than his Style it felf; which as, for the "moft part, it defcribes Men's Minds, as "well as Pictures do their Bodies: So it "did His, above all Men living. The Course of it. Vigorous, and Maje"ftical: The Wit bold and familiar: "The Comparisons fetch'd out of the "way, and yet the most eafie: In all, ex"preffing a Soul equally skill'd in Men, "and Nature. All this, and much more, is true of him: But yet his Philofophi cal Works do fhew, that a fingle and bufy Hand can never grafp all this whole Defign, of which we treat. His Rules were admirable: Yet his Hiftory not fo faithful as might have been wish'd in many Places: He feems rather to take all that comes, than to choose; and to heap, rather than to regifter. But hope this Accufation of mine can be no great Injury to his Memory; feeing, at the fame time that I fay he had not the Strength of a thoufand Men, I do alfo allow him to have had as much as Twenty. THE |