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Partis Instaurationis secundæ delineatio et argu

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DESCRIPTIO GLOBI INTELLECTUALIS.

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Cap. I. Partitio universalis humanæ doctrinæ in historiam, poësin, philosophiam, secundum triplicem facultatem mentis; memoriam, phantasiam, rationem ; quodque eadem partitio competat etiam in theologicis Cap. II. Partitio historiæ in naturalem et civilem; ecclesiastica et literaria sub civili comprehensa. Partitio historiæ naturalis in historiam generationum, prætergenerationum, et artium, et triplici statu naturæ, liberæ videleet, aberrantis, et constrictæ

Cap. III. Partitio historiæ naturalis, ex usu et fne suo: quodque finis longe nobilissimus historiæ naturalis sit ministratio prima ad condendam philosophiam; et quod hujusmodi historia, quæ scilicet sit in ordine ad eum frem, desideretur Cap. IV. Incipit tractatus qualis esse debeat historia desiderata; nempe historia naturalis ad condendam philosophiam. Id ut clarius explicetur, primo subjungitur partitio historia generationum. Ejus constituuntur partes quinque. Prima, cœlestium. Secunda, meteororum. Tertia, terræ et maris. Quarta, collegiorum majorum, sive elementorum aut massarum. Quinta, collegiorum minorum sive specierum. Historia vero virtutum primarum rejicitur donec explicatio primæ illius partitionis generationum, prætergenerationum, et artium, sit absoluta Cap. V. Resumitur tractanda historia cœles; qualis et esse debeat in genere, et quod legitima hujusce historiæ ordinatio versetur in triplici genere præceptorum; videlicet, de fne, de materia, ac de modo conficiendæ hujusmodi historia

ter vero

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Cap. VI. Quod quæstiones philosophicæ circa celestia, etiam quæ præter opinionum sunt, et quodammodo duræ, recipi debeant : proponunquinque quæstiones circa systema psm; videlicet, an sit systema? et, si sit, quod sit centrum ejus? et qualis profunditas ? et qualis connexio? et qualis partium collo

catio

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Aphorismi et consilia de auxiliis mentis et accensione luminis naturalis

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8. Endymion, sive gratiosus 9. Soror gigantum, sive fama 10. Acteon et Pentheus, sive curiosus 11. Orpheus, sive philosophia 12. Cœlum, sive origines 13. Proteus, sive materia 14. Memnon, sive præmaturus 15. Tithonus, sive satias

16. Procus Junonis, sive dedecus 17. Cupido, sive atomus 18. Diomedes, sive zelus 19. Dædalus, sive mechanicus 20. Erichthonius, sive impostura 21. Deucalion, sive restitutio 22. Nemesis, sive vices rerum 23. Achelous, sive prælium 24. Dionysus, sive cupiditas 25. Atalanta, sive lucrum

26. Prometheus, sive status hominis

27. Icarus volans ; item Scylla et Charybdis,

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Imago civilis Julii Cæsaris
Imago civilis Augusti Cæsaris
In felicem memoriam Elizabethæ Angliæ regina 741
In Henricum Principem Walliæ Elogium

MEDITATIONES SACRE.

1. De operibus Dei et hominis

2. De miraculis Servatoris

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LETTERS.

LETTERS IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.

I.*

IT MAY PLEASE YOUR GOOD LORDSHIPS,

I AM sorry the joint masque from the four inns of court faileth; wherein I conceive there is no other ground of that event but impossibility. Nevertheless, because it falleth out that at this time Gray's Inn is well furnished of gallant young gentlemen, your lordship may be pleased to know that rather than this occasion shall pass without some demonstration of affection from the inns of court, there are a dozen gentlemen of Gray's Inn, that out of the honour which they bear to your lordship and my lord chamberlain, to whom at their last masque they were so much bounden, will be ready to furnish a masque; wishing it were in their power to perform it according to their mind. And so for the present I humbly take my leave, resting,

Your Lordship's very humble and much bounden,
FR. BACON.

II A LETTER OF CEREMONY TO QUEEN
ELIZABETH, UPON THE SENDING OF A
NEW-YEAR'S GIFT.†

which is, a mind in all humbleness to wait upon your commandments and business: wherein I would to God, that I were hooded, that I saw less; or that I could perform more: for now I am like a hawk, that bates, when I see occasion of service, but cannot fly, because I am tied to another's fist. But meanwhile, I continue my presumption of making to your Majesty my poor oblation of a garment; as unworthy the wearing, as his service that sends it, but the approach to your excellent person may give worth to both; which is all the happiness I aspire unto.

IV. TO THE QUEEN.Ş

IT MAY PLEASE YOUR SACRED MAJESTY,

I WOULD not fail to give your Majesty my most humble and due thanks, for your royal choice of such commissioners in the great star-chamber cause; being persons, besides their honour, of such science and integrity by whose report I doubt not but your Majesty will find that, which you have been heretofore informed, both by my lord keeper, and by some much meaner person, touching the nature of that IT MAY PLEASE YOUR SACRED MAJESTY, cause, to be true. This preparatory hearing doth ACCORDING to the ceremony of the time, I would already assail me, with new and enlarged offers of not forget, in all humbleness, to present your Ma- composition; which if I had borne a mind to have jesty with a small new-year's gift: nothing to my hearkened unto, this matter had been quenched long mind. And therefore to supply it, I cannot but ago, without any benefit to your Majesty. But your pray to God to give your Majesty his new-year's Majesty's benefit is to me in greater regard than gift; that is, a new year that shall be as no year to mine own particular: trusting to your Majesty's your body, and as a year with two harvests to your gracious disposition and royal word, that your Macoffers; and every other way prosperous and glad-jesty will include me in any extraordinary course of

some. And so I remain,

Your Majesty's loyal and obedient subject.

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VOL. II.

Harl. MSS. Vol. 7042. No. 2.
Rawley's Resuscitatio.

B

your sovereign pleasure, which your Majesty shall like to take in this cause. The other man, I spoke to your Majesty of, may, within these two terms, be. in the same straits, between your Majesty's justice and mercy, that this man now is, if your Majesty be so pleased. So most humbly craving pardon for my presuming to seek access for these few lines, I recommend your Majesty to the most precious custody and best preservation of the Divine Majesty.

Your Majesty's most humble, and entirely obedient servant and subject.

Rawley's Resuscitatio.
Ibid. Probably wrote 1600.

V. TO THE QUEEN.*

IT MAY PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENT MAJESTY, I PRESUME according to the ceremony and good manner of the time and my accustomed duty, in all numbleness, to present your Majesty with a simple gift; almost as far from answering my mind, as sorting with your greatness; and therewith wish, that we may continue to reckon on, and ever, your Majesty's happy years of reign and they that reckon upon any other hopes, I would they might reckon short and to their cost. And so craving pardon most humbly, I commend your Majesty to the preservation of the divine goodness.

:

VI. TO THE QUEEN.†

:

and faithful devotion unto your service, and your honourable correspondence unto me and my poor estate can breed in a man, do I commend myself unto your lordship. I wax now somewhat ancient: one and thirty years is a great deal of sand in the hour-glass. My health, I thank God, I find confirmed; and I do not fear that action shall impair it; because I account my ordinary course of study and meditation to be more painful than most parts of action are. I ever bare a mind, in some middle place that I could discharge, to serve her Majesty; not as a man born under Sol, that loveth honour; nor under Jupiter, that loveth business, for the contemplative planet carrieth me away wholly but as a man born under an excellent sovereign, that deserveth the dedication of all men's abilities. Besides I do not find in myself so much self-love, but that the greater part of my thoughts are to deserve well, if I were able, of my friends, and namely of your lordship; who being the atlas of this commonIT MAY PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENT MAJESTY, wealth, the honour of my house, and the second I MOST humbly entreat your Majesty, not to im- founder of my poor estate, I am tied by all duties, pute my absence to any weakness of mind or un- both of a good patriot, and of an unworthy kinsman, worthiness. But, I assure your Majesty, I do find and of an obliged servant, to employ whatsoever I envy beating so strongly upon me, standing as I do, am to do you service. Again, the meanness of my if this be to stand, as it were not strength of mind, estate doth somewhat move me: for though I cannot but stupidity, if I should not decline the occasions; accuse myself, that I am either prodigal or slothful, except I could do your Majesty more service than yet my health is not to spend, nor my course to get. I can any ways discern that I am able to do. My Lastly, I confess that I have as vast contemplative course towards your Majesty, God is my witness, ends, as I have moderate civil ends: for I have hath been pure and unleavened; and never poor taken all knowledge to be my province; and if I gentleman, as I am persuaded, had a deeper and could purge it of two sorts of rovers, whereof the truer desire and care of your glory, your safety, one with frivolous disputations, confutations, and your repose of mind, your service: wherein, if I verbosities; the other with blind experiments and have exceeded my outward vocation, I most humbly auricular traditions and impostures, hath committed crave your Majesty's pardon for my presumption. so many spoils; I hope I should bring in indusOn the other side, if I have come short of my inward trious observations, grounded conclusions, and provocation, I most humbly crave God's pardon for fitable inventions and discoveries; the best state of quenching the Spirit. But in this mind I find such that province. This, whether it be curiosity, or solitude, and want of comfort, which I judge to be, vain-glory, or nature, or if one take it favourably, because I take duty too exactly, and not according philanthropia, is so fixed in my mind, as it cannot to the dregs of this age, wherein the old anthem be removed. And I do easily see that place of any might never be more truly sung, "Totus mundus in reasonable countenance doth bring commandment maligno positus est." My life hath been threatened, of more wits than of a man's own; which is the and my name libelled, which I count an honour. thing I greatly affect. And for your lordship, perBut these are the practices of those whose despairs haps you shall not find more strength and less enare dangerous, but yet not so dangerous as their counter in any other. And if your lordship shall hopes; or else the devices of some, that would put find now or at any time, that I do seek or affect any out all your Majesty's lights, and fall on reckoning place, whereunto any that is nearer unto your lordhow many years you have reigned; which I beseech ship shall be concurrent, say then that I am a most our blessed Saviour may be doubled, and that I may dishonest man. And if your lordship will not carry never live to see any eclipse of your glory, inter- me on, I will not do as Anaxagoras did, who reduced ruption of safety, or indisposition of your person, himself with contemplation unto voluntary poverty which I commend to the Divine Majesty, who keep but this I will do, I will sell the inheritance that 1 you and fortify you. have, and purchase some lease of quick revenue, o some office of gain, that shall be executed by deputy and so give over all care of service, and become some sorry book-maker, or a true pioneer in that mine of truth, which, he said, lay so deep. This which I have wri: unto your lordship, is rathe thoughts than words, being set down without all art disguising, or reservation: wherein I have done honour both to your lordship's wisdom, in judging that that will be best believed of your lordship which

This seems to refer to the earl of Essex, 1600.

VII. TO MY LORD TREASURER BURGHLEY.

1591.

MY LORD,
WITH as much confidence as mine own honest
Rawley's Resuscitatio.
+ Ibid.
Ibid.

is truest; and to your lordship's good nature in retaining nothing from you. And even so, I wish your lordship all happiness, and to myself means and occasion to be added to my faithful desire to do you service.

From my lodging at Gray's Inn.

VIII. TO THE LORD TREASURER
BURGHLEY.*

MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD,

Your lordship's comfortable relation of her Majesty's gracious opinion and meaning towards me, though at that time your leisure gave me not leave to show how I was affected therewith; yet upon every representation thereof it entereth and striketh more deeply into me, as both my nature and duty presseth me to return some speech of thankfulness. It must be an exceeding comfort and encouragement to me, setting forth and putting myself in way towards her Majesty's service, to encounter with an example so private and domestical, of her Majesty's gracious goodness and benignity; being made good and verified in my father, so far forth, as it extendeth to his posterity: accepting them as commended by his service, during the non-age, as I may term it, of their own deserts. I, for my part, am very well content, that I take least part, either of his abilities of mind, or of his worldly advancement; both which he held and received, the one of the gift of God immediately, the other of her Majesty's gift : : yet in the loyal and earnest affection which he bare to her Majesty's service, I trust my portion shall not be with the least; nor in proportion with the youngest birth. For methinks his precedent should be a silent charge, upon his blessing, unto us all, in our degrees, to follow him afar off, and to dedicate unto her Majesty's service both the use and spending of our lives. True it is, that I must needs acknowledge myself prepared and furnished thereunto with nothing but with a multitude of lacks and imperfections; but calling to mind how diversly, and in what particular providence God hath declared himself to tender the state of her Majesty's affairs, I conceive and gather hope, that those whom he hath in a manner pressed for her Majesty's service, by working and imprinting in them a single and zealous mind to bestow their duties therein; he will see them accordingly appointed of sufficiency convenient for the rank and standing where they shall be employed: so as, under this her Majesty's blessing, I trust to receive a larger allowance of God's graces. And as I may hope for this, so I can assure and promise for my endeavour, that it shall not be in fault; but what diligence can entitle me unto, that I doubt not to recover. And now seeing it hath pleased her Majesty to take knowledge of this my mind, and to vouchsafe to appropriate me unto her service, preventing any desert of mine with her princely liberality; first, I humbly do beseech your lordship, to present to her Majesty my more Rawley's Resuscitatio.

than humble thanks for the same: and withal,
having regard to my own unworthiness to receive
such favour, and to the small possibility in me to
satisfy and answer what her Majesty conceiveth, I
am moved to become a most humble suitor to her
Majesty, that this benefit also may be affixed unto
the other; which is, that if there appear in me no
such towardness of service, as it may be her Majesty
doth benignly value and assess me at, by reason of
my sundry wants, and the disadvantage of my nature,
being unapt to lay forth the simple store of those
inferior gifts which God hath allotted unto me,
most to view; yet that it would please her excellent
Majesty, not to account my thankfulness the less,
for that my disability is great to show it; but to
sustain me in her Majesty's gracious opinion, where-
upon I only rest, and not upon any expectation of
desert to proceed from myself towards the content-
ment thereof. But if it shall please God to send
forth an occasion whereby my faithful affection may
be tried, I trust it shall save me labour for ever
making more protestation of it hereafter. In the
mean time, howsoever it be not made known to her
Majesty, yet God knoweth it through the daily so-
licitations wherewith I address myself unto him, in
unfeigned prayer, for the multiplying of her Ma-
jesty's prosperities. To your lordship also, whose
recommendation, I know right well, hath been ma-
terial to advance her Majesty's good opinion of me,
I can be but a bounden servant.
So much may I
safely promise, and purpose to be, seeing public and
private bonds vary not, but that my service to her
Majesty and your lordship draw in a line. I wish
therefore to show it with as good proof, as I can say
it in good faith, &c.

Your lordship's, &c.

IX. TO THE LORD TREASURER BURGHLEY.+
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GOOD LORDSHIP,

I AM to give you humble thanks for your favourable opinion, which, by Mr. Secretary's report I find you conceive of me, for the obtaining of a good place, which some of my honourable friends have wished unto me nec opinanti. I will use no reason to persuade your lordship's mediation, but this, that your lordship, and my other friends, shall in this beg my life of the queen; for I see well the bar will be my bier, as I must and will use it, rather than my poor estate or reputation shall decay. But I stand indifferent whether God call me, or her Majesty. Had I that in possession, which by your lordship's only means, against the greatest opposition, her Majesty granted me, I would never trouble her Majesty, but serve her still voluntarily without pay. Neither do I, in this, more than obey my friends' conceits, as one that would not be wholly wanting to myself, Your lordship's good opinion doth somewhat confirm me, as that I take comfort in above all others; assuring your lordship, that I never thought so well of myself for any one thing, Rawley's Resuscitatio.

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