beacon lights of history-iii-2-第68章

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profound　dissertation　on　the　excellence　of　learning；　its　great

divisions　treating　of　history；　poetry；　and　philosophy；of

metaphysical　as　well　as　physical　philosophy；　of　the　province　of

understanding；　the　memory；　the　will；　the　reason；　and　the

imagination；　and　of　man　in　society；of　government；　of　universal

justice；　of　the　fountains　of　law；　of　revealed　religion。



And　if　we　turn　from　the　new　method　by　which　he　would　advance　all

knowledge；　and　on　which　his　fame　as　a　philosopher　chiefly　rests；

that　method　which　has　led　to　discoveries　that　even　Bacon　never

dreamed　of；　not　thinking　of　the　fruit　he　was　to　bestow；　but　only

the　way　to　secure　it；even　as　a　great　inventor　thinks　more　of　his

invention　than　of　the　money　he　himself　may　reap　from　it；　as　a　work

of　creation　to　benefit　the　world　rather　than　his　own　family；　and　in

the　work　of　which　his　mind　revels　in　a　sort　of　intoxicated　delight；

like　a　true　poet　when　he　constructs　his　lines；　or　a　great　artist

when　he　paints　his　picture；a　pure　subjective　joy；　not　an

anticipated　gain；if　we　turn　from　this　〃method〃　to　most　of　his

other　writings；　what　do　we　find？　　Simply　the　lucubrations　of　a　man

of　letters；　the　moral　wisdom　of　the　moralist；　the　historian；　the

biographer；　the　essayist。　　In　these　writings　we　discover　no　more

worldliness　than　in　Macaulay　when　he　wrote　his　〃Milton；〃　or　Carlyle

when　he　penned　his　〃Burns；〃even　less；　for　Bacon　did　not　write　to

gain　a　living；　but　to　please　himself　and　give　vent　to　his　burning

thoughts。　　In　these　he　had　no　worldly　aim　to　reach；　except　perhaps

an　imperishable　fame。　　He　wrote　as　Michael　Angelo　sculptured　his

Moses；　and　he　wrote　not　merely　amid　the　cares　and　duties　of　a　great

public　office；　with　other　labors　which　might　be　called　Herculean；

but　even　amid　pains　of　disease　and　the　infirmities　of　age；when

rest；　to　most　people；　is　the　greatest　boon　and　solace　of　their

lives。



Take　his　Essays；these　are　among　his　best…known　works；so

brilliant　and　forcible；　suggestive　and　rich；　that　even　Archbishop

Whately's　commentaries　upon　them　are　scarcely　an　addition。　　Surely

these　are　not　on　material　subjects；　and　indicate　anything　but　a

worldly　or　sordid　nature。　　In　these　famous　Essays；　so　luminous　with

the　gems　of　genius；　we　read　not　such　worldly…wise　exhortations　as

Lord　Chesterfield　impressed　upon　his　son；　not　the　gossiping

frivolities　of　Horace　Walpole；　not　the　cynical　wit　of　Montaigne；

but　those　great　certitudes　which　console　in　affliction；　which

kindle　hope；　which　inspire　lofty　resolutions；anchors　of　the　soul；

pillars　of　faith；　sources　of　immeasurable　joy；　the　glorious　ideals

of　true　objects　of　desire；　the　eternal　unities　of　truth　and　love

and　beauty；　all　of　which　reveal　the　varied　experiences　of　life　and

the　riches　of　deeply…pondered　meditation　on　God　and　Christianity；

as　well　as　knowledge　of　the　world　and　the　desirableness　of　its

valued　gifts。　　How　beautiful　are　his　thoughts　on　death；　on

adversity；　on　glory；　on　anger；　on　friendship；　on　fame；　on　ambition；

on　envy；　on　riches；　on　youth　and　old　age；　and　divers　other　subjects

of　moral　import；　which　show　the　elevation　of　his　soul；　and　the

subjective　as　well　as　the　objective　turn　of　his　mind；　not　dwelling

on　what　he　should　eat　and　what　he　should　drink　and　wherewithal　he

should　be　clothed；　but　on　the　truths　which　appeal　to　our　higher

nature；　and　which　raise　the　thoughts　of　men　from　earth　to　heaven；

or　at　least　to　the　realms　of　intellectual　life　and　joy。



And　then；　it　is　necessary　that　we　should　take　in　view　other　labors

which　dignified　Bacon's　retirement；　as　well　as　those　which　marked

his　more　active　career　as　a　lawyer　and　statesman；his　histories

and　biographies；　as　well　as　learned　treatises　to　improve　the　laws

of　England；　his　political　discourses；　his　judicial　charges；　his

theological　tracts；　his　speeches　and　letters　and　prayers；　all　of

which　had　relation　to　benefit　others　rather　than　himself。　　Who　has

ever　done　more　to　instruct　the　world；to　enable　men　to　rise　not　in

fortune　merely；　but　in　virtue　and　patriotism；　in　those　things　which

are　of　themselves　the　only　reward？　　We　should　consider　these

labors；　as　well　as　the　new　method　he　taught　to　arrive　at　knowledge；

in　our　estimate　of　the　sage　as　well　as　of　the　man。　　He　was　a　moral

philosopher；　like　Socrates。　　He　even　soared　into　the　realm　of

supposititious　truth；　like　Plato。　　He　observed　Nature；　like

Aristotle。　　He　took　away　the　syllogism　from　Thomas　Aquinas；not　to

throw　contempt　on　metaphysical　inquiry　or　dialectical　reasoning；

but　to　arrive　by　a　better　method　at　the　knowledge　of　first

principles；　which　once　established；　he　allowed　deductions　to　be

drawn　from　them；　leading　to　other　truths　as　certainly　as　induction

itself。　　Yea；　he　was　also　a　Moses　on　the　mount　of　Pisgah；　from

which　with　prophetic　eye　he　could　survey　the　promised　land　of

indefinite　wealth　and　boundless　material　prosperity；　which　he　was

not　permitted　to　enter；　but　which　he　had　bequeathed　to

civilization。　　This　may　have　been　his　greatest　gift　in　the　view　of

scientific　men；this　inductive　process　of　reasoning；　by　which

great　discoveries　have　been　made　after　he　was　dead。　　But　this　was

not　his　only　legacy；　for　other　things　which　he　taught　were　as

valuable；　not　merely　in　his　sight；　but　to　the　eye　of　enlightened

reason。　　There　are　other　truths　besides　those　of　physical　science；

there　is　greatness　in　deduction　as　well　as　in　induction。　　Geometry

whose　successive　and　progressive　revelations　are　so　inspiring；　and

which　have　come　down　to　us　from　a　remote　antiquity；　which　are　even

now　taught　in　our　modern　schools　as　Euclid　demonstrated　them；　since

they　cannot　be　improvedis　a　purely　deductive　science。　　The

scholastic　philosophy；　even　if　it　was　barren　and　unfruitful　in

leading　to　new　truths；　yet　confirmed　what　was　valuable　in　the　old

systems；　and　by　the　severity　of　its　logic　and　its　dialectical

subtleties　trained　the　European　mind　for　the　reception　of　the

message　of　Luther　and　Bacon；　and　this　was　based　on　deductions；

never　wrong　unless　the　premises　are　unsound。　　Theology　is　deductive

reasoning　from　truths　assumed　to　be　fundamental；　and　is　inductive

only　so　far　as　it　collates　Scripture　declarations；　and　interprets

their　meaning　by　the　aid　which　learning　brings。　　Is　not　this

science　worthy　of　some　regard？　　Will　it　not　live　when　all　the

speculations　of　evolutionists　are　forgotten；　and　occupy　the

thoughts　of　the　greatest　and　profoundest　minds　so　long　as　anything

shall　be　studied；　so　long　as　the　Bible　shall　be　the　guide　of　life？

Is　it　not　by　deduction　that　we　ascend　from　Nature　herself　to　the

God　of　Nature？　　What　is　more　certain　than　deduction　when　the

principles　from　which　it　reasons　are　indisputably　established？



Is　induction；　great　as　it　is；　especially　in　the　explorations　of

Nature　and　science；　always　certain？　　Are　not　most　of　the　sciences

which　are　based　upon　it　progressive？　　Have　we　yet　learned　the

ultimate　principles　of　political　economy；　or　of　geology；　or　of

government；　or　even　of　art？　　The　theory　of　induction；　though

supposed　by　Dr。　Whewell　to　lead　to　certain　results；　is　regarded　by

Professor　Jevons　as　leading　to　results　only　〃almost　certain。〃　　〃All

inductive　inference　is　merely　probable；〃　says　the　present　professor

of　logic；　Thomas　Fowler；　in　the　University　of　Oxford。



And　although　it　is　supposed　that　the　inductive　method　of　Bacon　has

led　to　the　noblest　discoveries　of　modern　times；　is　this　strictly

true？　　Galileo　made　his　discoveries　in　the　heavens　before　Bacon

died。　　Physical　improvements　must　need　follow　such　inventions　as

gunpowder　and　the　mariners'　compass；　and　printing　and　the　pictures

of　Italy；　and　the　discovery　of　mines　and　the　revived　arts　of　the

Romans　and　Greeks；　and　the　glorious　emancipation　which　the

Reformation　produced。　　Why　should　not　the　modern　races　follow　in

the　track　of　Carthage　and　Alexandria　and　Rome；　with　the　progress　of

wealth；　and　carry　out　inventions　as　those　cities　did；　and　all　other

civilized　peoples　since　Babel　towered　above　the　pl