beacon lights of history-iii-2-第50部分

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imparted　his　last　lessons；　and　expressed　his　last　wishes；　with　the

placidity　of　a　Christian　sage。　　Amid　tears　and　sobs　and　stifled

groans　he　discoursed　calmly　on　his　approaching　departure；　gave　his

affectionate　benedictions；　and　commended　them　and　his　cause　to

Christ；　lingering　longer　than　was　expected；　but　dying　in　the

highest　triumphs　of　Christian　faith；　May　27；　1564；　in　the；　arms　of

his　faithful　and　admiring　Beza；　as　the　rays　of　the　setting…sun

gilded　with　their　glory　his　humble　chamber　of　toil　and　spiritual

exaltation。



No　man　who　knows　anything　will　ever　sneer　at　Calvin。　　He　is　not　to

be　measured　by　common　standards。　　He　was　universally　regarded　as

the　greatest　light　of　the　theological　world。　　When　we　remember　his

transcendent　abilities；　his　matchless　labors；　his　unrivalled

influence；　his　unblemished　morality；　his　lofty　piety；　and　soaring

soul；　all　flippant　criticism　is　contemptible　and　mean。　　He　ranks

with　immortal　benefactors；　and　needs　least　of　all　any　apologies　for

his　defects。　　A　man　who　stamped　his　opinions　on　his　own　age　and

succeeding　ages　can　be　regarded　only　as　a　very　extraordinary

genius。　　A　frivolous　and　pleasure…seeking　generation　may　not　be

attracted　by　such　an　impersonation　of　cold　intellect；　and　may　rear

no　costly　monument　to　his　memory；　but　his　work　remains　as　the

leader　of　the　loftiest　class　of　Christian　enthusiasts　that　the

modern　world　has　known；　and　the　founder　of　a　theological　system

which　still　numbers；　in　spite　of　all　the　changes　of　human　thought；

some　of　the　greatest　thinkers　and　ablest　expounders　of　Christian

doctrine　in　both　Europe　and　America。　　To　have　been　the　spiritual

father　of　the　Puritans　for　three　hundred　years　is　itself　a　great

evidence　of　moral　and　intellectual　excellence；　and　will　link　his

name　with　some　of　the　greatest　movements　that　have　marked　our

modern　civilization。　　From　Plymouth　Rock　to　the　shores　of　the

Pacific　Ocean　we　still　see　the　traces　of　his　marvellous　genius；　and

his　still　more　wonderful　influence　on　the　minds　of　men　and　on　the

schools　of　Christian　theology；　so　that　he　will　ever　be　regarded　as

the　great　doctor　of　the　Protestant　Church。





AUTHORITIES。





Henry's　Life　of　Calvin；　translated　by　Stebbings；　Dyer's　Life　of

Calvin；　Beza's　Life　of　Calvin；　Drelincourt's　Defence　of　Calvin；

Bayle；　Maimbourg's　Histoire　du　Calvinisme；　Calvin's　Works；　Ruchat；

D'Aubigne's　History　of　the　Reformation；　Burnet's　Reformation；

Mosheim；　Biographie　Universelle；　article　on　Servetus；　Schlosser's

Leben　Bezas；　McCrie's　Life　of　Knox；　Original　Letters　（Parker

Society）。







FRANCIS　BACON。



A。　D。　1561…1626。



THE　NEW　PHILOSOPHY。





It　is　not　easy　to　present　the　life　and　labors　of





　　　　〃The　wisest；　brightest；　meanest　of　mankind。〃





So　Pope　sums　up　the　character　of　the　great　Lord　Bacon；　as　he　is

generally　but　improperly　called；　and　this　verdict；　in　the　main；　has

been　confirmed　by　Lords　Macaulay　and　Campbell；　who　seem　to　delight

in　keeping　him　in　that　niche　of　the　temple　of　fame　where　the　poet

has　placed　him；contemptible　as　a　man；　but　venerable　as　the

philosopher；　radiant　with　all　the　wisdom　of　his　age　and　of　all

preceding　ages；　the　miner　and　sapper　of　ancient　falsehoods；　the

pioneer　of　all　true　knowledge；　the　author　of　that　inductive　and

experimental　philosophy　on　which　is　based　the　glory　of　our　age。

Macaulay　especially；　in　that　long　and　brilliant　article　which

appeared　in　the　〃Edinburgh　Review〃　in　1837；　has　represented　him　as

a　remarkably　worldly　man；　cold；　calculating；　selfish　a　sycophant

and　a　flatterer；　bent　on　self…exaltation；　greedy；　careless；　false；

climbing　to　power　by　base　subserviency；　betraying　friends　and

courting　enemies；　with　no　animosities　he　does　not　suppress　from

policy；　and　with　no　affections　which　he　openly　manifests　when　it

does　not　suit　his　interests：　so　that　we　read　with　shame　of　his

extraordinary　shamelessness；　from　the　time　he　first　felt　the

cravings　of　a　vulgar　ambition　to　the　consummation　of　a　disgraceful

crime；　from　the　base　desertion　of　his　greatest　benefactor　to　the

public　selling　of　justice　as　Lord　High　Chancellor　of　the　realm；

resorting　to　all　the　arts　of　a　courtier　to　win　the　favor　of　his

sovereign　and　of　his　minions　and　favorites；　reckless　as　to　honest

debts；　torturing　on　the　rack　an　honest　parson　for　a　sermon　he　never

preached；　and；　when　obliged　to　confess　his　corruption；　meanly

supplicating　mercy　from　the　nation　he　had　outraged；　and　favors　from

the　monarch　whose　cause　he　had　betrayed。　　The　defects　and

delinquencies　of　this　great　man　are　bluntly　and　harshly　put　by

Macaulay；　without　any　attempt　to　soften　or　palliate　them：　as　if　he

would　consign　his　name　and　memory　not　〃to　men's　charitable

speeches；　to　foreign　nations；　and　to　the　next　ages；〃　but　to　an

infamy　as　lasting　and　deep　as　that　of　Scroggs　and　of　Jeffreys；　or

any　of　those　hideous　tyrants　and　monsters　that　disgraced　the　reigns

of　the　Stuart　kings。



And　yet　while　the　man　is　made　to　appear　in　such　hideous　colors；　his

philosophy　is　exalted　to　the　highest　pinnacle　of　praise；　as　the

greatest　boon　which　any　philosopher　ever　rendered　to　the　world；　and

the　chief　cause　of　all　subsequent　progress　in　scientific　discovery。

And　thus　in　brilliant　rhetoric　we　have　a　painting　of　a　man　whose

life　was　in　striking　contrast　with　his　teachings；a　Judas

Iscariot；　uttering　divine　philosophy；　a　Seneca；　accumulating

millions　as　the　tool　of　Nero；　a　fallen　angel；　pointing　with　rapture

to　the　realms　of　eternal　light。　　We　have　the　most　startling

contradiction　in　all　history；glory　in　debasement；　and　debasement

in　glory；　the　most　selfish　and　worldly　man　in　England；　the　〃meanest

of　mankind；〃　conferring　on　the　race　one　of　the　greatest　blessings

it　ever　received；not　accidentally；　not　in　repentance　and　shame；

but　in　exalted　and　persistent　labors；　amid　public　cares　and


physical　infirmities；　from　youth　to　advanced　old　age；　living　in　the

highest　regions　of　thought；　studious　and　patient　all　his　days；　even

when　neglected　and　unrewarded　for　the　transcendent　services　he

rendered；　not　as　a　philosopher　merely；　but　as　a　man　of　affairs　and

as　a　responsible　officer　of　the　Crown。　　Has　there　ever　been；　before

or　since；　such　an　anomaly　in　human　history；so　infamous　in　action；

so　glorious　in　thought；　such　a　contradiction　between　life　and

teachings；so　that　many　are　found　to　utter　indignant　protests

against　such　a　representation　of　humanity；　justly　feeling　that　such

a　portrait；　however　much　it　may　be　admired　for　its　brilliant

colors；　and　however　difficult　to　be　proved　false；　is　nevertheless

an　insult　to　the　human　understanding？　　The　heart　of　the　world　will

not　accept　the　strange　and　singular　belief　that　so　bad　a　man　could

confer　so　great　a　boon；　especially　when　he　seemed　bent　on　bestowing

it　during　his　whole　life；　amid　the　most　harassing　duties。　　If　it

accepts　the　boon；　it　will　strive　to　do　justice　to　the　benefactor；

as　he　himself　appealed　to　future　ages；　and　if　it　cannot　deny　the

charges　which　have　been　arrayed　against　him；especially　if　it

cannot　exculpate　him；it　will　soar　beyond　technical　proofs　to　take

into　consideration　the　circumstances　of　the　times；　the　temptations

of　a　corrupt　age；　and　the　splendid　traits　which　can　with　equal

authority　be　adduced　to　set　off　against　the　mistakes　and　faults

which　proceeded　from　inadvertence　and　weakness　rather　than　a

debased　moral　sense；even　as　the　defects　and　weaknesses　of　Cicero

are　lost　sight　of　in　the　acknowledged　virtues　of　his　ordinary　life；

and　the　honest　and　noble　services　he　rendered　to　his　country　and

mankind。





Bacon　was　a　favored　man；　he　belonged　to　the　upper　ranks　of　society。

His　father；　Sir　Nicholas　Bacon；　was　a　great　lawyer；　and　reached　the

highest　dignities；　being　Lord　Keeper　of　the　Great　Seal。　　His

mother's　sister　was　the　wife　of　William　Cecil；　the　great　Lord

Burleigh；　the　most　able　and　influential　of　Queen　Elizabeth's

ministers。　　Francis　Bacon　was　the　youngest　son　of　the　Lord　Keeper；

and　was　born　in　London；　Jan。　22；　1561。　　He　had　a　sickly　and　feeble

constitution；　but　intellectually　was　a　youthful　prodigy；　and　at

nine　years　of　age；　by　his　gravity　and　knowledge；　attracted　the

admiring　attention　of　the　Queen；　who　called　him　her　young　Lord

Keeper。　　At　the　age　of　ten　we　find　him　stealing　away　from　his

companions　to　discover　the　cause　of　a　singular　echo　in　the　brick

conduit　near　his　father's　house　in　the　Strand。　　At　twelve　he

entered　the　University　of　Cambridge；　at　fifteen　he　quitted　it；

already　disgusted　with　its　pedantries　and　sophistries；　at　sixteen

he　rebelled　against　the　authority　of　Aristotle；　and　took　up　his

residence　at　Gray's　Inn；　the　same　year；　1576；　he　was　sent　to　Paris

in　the　suite　of　Sir　Amias　Paulet；　ambassador　to　the　court　of

France；　and　delighted　the　salons　of　the　capital　by　his　wit　and

profound　inquiries；　at　nineteen　he　returned　to　England；　having　won

golden　opinions　from　the　doctors　of　the　French　Sanhedrim；　who　saw

in　him　a　second　Daniel；　and　in　1582　he　was　admitted　as　a　barrister

of　Gray's　Inn；　and　the　following　year　composed　an　essay　on　the

Instauration　of　Philosophy。　　Thus；　at　an　age　when　young　men　now

leave　the　university；　he　had　attacked　the　existing　systems　of

science　and　philosophy；　proudly　taking　in　all　science　and　knowledge

for　his　realm。



About　this　time　his　father　died；　without　leaving　him；　a　younger

son；　a　competence。　　Nor　would　his　great　relatives　give　him　an

office　or　sinecure　by　which　he　might　be　supported　while　he　sought

truth；　and　he　was　forced　to　plod　at　the　law；　which　he　never　liked；

resisting　the　blandishments　and　follies　by　which　he　was　surrounded；

and　at　intervals；　when　other　young　men　of　his　age　and　rank　were

seeking　pleasure；　he　was　studying　Nature；　science；　history；

philosophy；　poetry；everything；　even　the　whole　domain　of　truth；

and　with　such　success　that　his　varied　attainments　were　rather　a

hindrance　to　an　appreciation　of　his　merits　as　a　lawyer　and　his

preferment　in