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Upon the subject of this application Archbishop Tennison says in his Baconiana-" The doc"tor was willing to serve so excellent a person, and "so worthy a design; and, within a while, sent him "a specimen of a latine translation. But men, ge

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nerally, come short of themselves when they strive "to out-doe themselves. They put a force upon

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"the State of Learning (to my power) and not Glory; and because my purpose was rather to excite other mens wits than to magnifie "mine own; I was desirous to prevent the uncertainness of mine own life and times, by uttering rather seeds than plants: Nay and "further, (as the proverb is) by sowing with the basket, rather than "with the hand: Wherefore, since I have onely taken upon me to ring a bell, to call other wits together, (which is the meanest office) "it cannot but be consonant to my desire, to have that bell heard as "far as can be. And since they are but sparks which can work but upon matter prepared, I have the more reason to wish, that those sparks may fly abroad, that they may the better find and light upon those minds and spirits which are apt to be kindled. And "therefore the privateness of the language considered, wherein it is written, excluding so many readers; as on the other side, the obscurity of the argument in many parts of it, excludeth many others; "I must account it a second birth of that work, if it might be trans"lated into Latin, without manifest loss of the sense and matter. "For this purpose I could not represent to myself any man into "whose hands I do more earnestly desire that work should fall than yourself; for by that I have heard and read, I know no man, a greater master in commanding words to serve matter. Neverthe"less, I am not ignorant of the worth of your labours, whether "such as your place and profession imposeth, or such as your own "virtue may upon your voluntary election take in hand. But I can lay before you no other perswasions than either the work itself may affect you with; or the honour of his majesty, to whom it is dedicated, or your particular inclination to myself; who, as I never "took so much comfort in any labours of my own, so I shall never acknowledge myself more obliged in any thing to the labours of 66 another, than in that which shall assist it. Which your labour, "if I can by my place, profession, means, friends, travel, work, "deed, requite unto you, I shall esteem myself so streightly bound thereunto, as I shall be ever most ready both to take and seek oc"casion of thankfulness. So leaving it nevertheless, Salvá Amicitiâ, as reason is to your good liking. I remain.”

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"their natural genius, and, by straining of it, crack "and disable it. And so, it seems, it happened to "that worthy and elegant man. Upon this great "occasion, he would be over-accurate; and he sent "a specimen of such superfine latinity, that the Lord "Bacon did not encourage him to labour further in "that work, in the penning of which, he desired not so much neat and polite, as clear, masculine, and apt expression."

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On the 12th of October, 1620, in a letter to the king, presenting the Novum Organum to his majesty, Lord Bacon says, "I hear my former book "of the Advancement of Learning, is well tasted in "the universities here, and the English colleges "abroad and this is the same argument sunk deeper."

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An edition in 8vo. was published in 1629; and a third edition, corrected from the original edition of 1605, was published at Oxford in 1633. These are the only editions of the Advancement of Learning, which were published before the year 1636, a period of ten years after the death of Lord Bacon.

The present edition is corrected from the first edition of 1605, and with the hope of making it more acceptable to the public, an Analysis of the whole work with a table of contents is prefixed, and a copious index is annexed.

1. THE EXCELLENCE OF AND OF DISSEMINATING LEARNING. 7.

2. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR LEARNING, AND WHAT LEFT UNDONE.

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(I. OBJECTIONS

2. ADVANTAGE

1. Preliminary con

2. Division of lear

1. MAN AS AN INDIVIDUAL. 153. (1. The UN

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