THE TWO BOOKS OF FRANCIS LORD VERULAM. OF THE PROFICIENCE AND ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING, DIVINE AND HUMAN. TO THE KING. MUNDUS LONDON WILLIAM PICKERING. M.DCCC.XXV. 1626 PREFACE FRANCIS Bacon, the youngestuch of Sir Nicholas Bacon, counsellor to Queen Elizabeth, and lord keeper of the great seal, and of Anne, the learned daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, tutor to King Edward the Sixth, was born at York House in the Strand, on the 22nd day of January, 1560. “ Whilst he was commorant in the univerity,” says his faithful secretary*, “ about sixteen years of age, (as his lordship hath been pleased to impart “ unto myself,) he first fell into the dislike of the “philosophy of Aristotle, not for the worthlesnesse " of the authour, to whom he would ever ascribe “ all high attributes, but for the unfruitfulnesse of “ the way; being a philosophy, as his lordship used “to say, onely strong for disputations and con“ tentions, but barren of the production of works “ for the benefit of the life of Man.” Such were his sentiments when a youth at Cambridge. “ As the time of sowing the seed may be known, but “ the time of coming up and disclosing is casual or according to the season,” so the time of declaring these opinions was subjected to much uncertainty. In the year 1592, he says, in a letter to his relation, Lord Treasurer Burleigh-“ I confess, that I have as * Dr. Rawley, Life of Bacon. a 428745 |