sight, in figures, magnitudes, motions, colours: all demonstrations of shadows.'//We find also divers means, yet unknown to you, of producing of light originally from divers bodies. We procure means of seeing objects afar off; as in the heaven and remote places; and represent things near as afar off, and things afar off as near; making feigned distances. We have also helps for the sight, far above spectacles and glasses in use." We have also glasses and means to see small and minute bodies perfectly and distinctly; as the shapes and colours of small flies and worms, grains and flaws in gems, which cannot otherwise be seen; observations in urine and blood, not otherwise to be seen.5 make artificial rain-bows, halos, and circles about light." We represent also all manner of reflexions, refractions, and multiplications of visual beams of objects.

We

"We have also precious stones of all kinds, many of them of great beauty, and to you unknown; crystals likewise; and glasses of divers kinds; and amongst them some of metals vitrificated, and other materials besides those of which you make glass. Also a num

1 umbrarum et imaginum in aëre volitantium.

2 qua bisoculis vestris et speculis, usu longe præstant.

8 artificia.

4 It has been proposed to facilitate the examination of diabetic urine by an apparatus in which the amount of sugar present in it is to be measured by its effect on the plane of polarisation of polarised light transmitted through it. R. L. E.

5 Nothing that has been accomplished with the microscope would have interested Bacon more than the discoveries of Schleiden and Schwann, because nothing has brought us so near the latens processus by which the tissues of organic life are formed. It is remarkable that when Schleiden had as he conceived destroyed the analogy between the developments of vegetable and animal life, by showing that all vegetable tissues are developed by cells, Schwann should have re-established it more clearly than before by showing that this is true of all animal tissues also. - R. L. E. 6 halones, circulos, vibrationes et trepidationes luminis.

ber of fossils, and imperfect minerals, which you have not. Likewise loadstones of prodigious virtue; and other rare stones, both natural and artificial.

"We have also sound-houses, where we practise and demonstrate all sounds, and their generation. We have harmonies which you have not, of quarter-sounds, and lesser slides of sounds.1 Divers instruments of music likewise to you unknown, some sweeter than any you have; together with bells and rings that are dainty and sweet. We represent small sounds as great and deep; likewise great sounds extenuate and sharp; we make divers tremblings and warblings of sounds, which in their original are entire. We represent and imitate all articulate sounds and letters, and the voices and notes of beasts and birds. We have certain helps which set to the ear do further the hearing greatly. We have also divers strange and artificial echos, reflecting the voice many times, and as it were tossing it: and some that give back the voice louder than it came; some shriller, and some deeper; yea, some rendering the voice differing in the letters or articulate sound from that they receive. We have also means to convey sounds in trunks and pipes, in strange lines and distances.2

"We have also perfume-houses; wherewith we join also practices of taste. We multiply smells, which may seem strange. We imitate smells, making all

smells to breathe out of other mixtures than those that give them.3 We make divers imitations of taste

1 miscentes non tantum Beta illud acutum et molle, ut vos, sed quadrantes Bonorum; et sonos tremulos aliquos dulcissimos.

2 [ad magnam distantiam, et in lineis tortuosis.] This is now done very effectively by means of gutta percha tubing.-R. L. E.

8 This power of imitating smells is one of the recent achievements of

likewise, so that they will deceive any man's taste. And in this house we contain also a confiture-house; where we make all sweet-meats, dry and moist,1 and divers pleasant wines, milks, broths, and sallets, in far greater variety than you have.

"We have also engine-houses, where are prepared engines and instruments for all sorts of motions. There we imitate and practise to make swifter motions than any you have, either out of your muskets or any engine that you have; and to make them and multiply them more easily, and with small force,2 by wheels and other means: and to make them stronger, and more violent than yours are; exceeding your greatest cannons and basilisks. We represent also ordnance and instruments of war, and engines of all kinds and likewise new mixtures and compositions of gun-powder, wildfires burning in water, and unquenchable. Also fire-works of all variety both for pleasure and use. We imitate also flights of birds; we have some degrees of flying in the air; we have ships and boats for going under water, and brooking

chemistry. From fusil oil, a product of the distillation of spirits from potatoes, itself exceedingly offensive, may be got oil of apples, oil of pears, oil of grapes, and oil of cognac. The oil of pine-apples and that of bitter almonds enable confectioners to imitate perfectly the scent and flavour of pine-apples and bitter almonds respectively, and both, like the perfumes already mentioned, are got from very offensive substances. — R. L. E.

1 The translation adds imò et condimus ea cum rebus aliis dulcibus, gratissimis, præter saccharum et mel.

2 motus reddere faciliores et intentiores, eos multiplicando per rotas et alics modos.

3 gradus quosdam habemus et commoditates vecturæ per aërem instar animalium alatorum.

4 A boat for going under water was one of Drebbel's inventions exhibited in 1620. Bacon in the De Augmentis refers to another namely,

We

of seas; also swimming-girdles and supporters. have divers curious clocks, and other like motions of return, and some perpetual motions. We imitate also motions of living creatures, by images of men, beasts, birds, fishes, and serpents. We have also a great number of other various 2 motions, strange for equality, fineness, and subtilty.

"We have also a mathematical house, where are represented all instruments, as well of geometry as astronomy, exquisitely made.

"We have also houses of deceits of the senses; where we represent all manner of feats of juggling, false apparitions, impostures, and illusions; and their fallacies. And surely you will easily believe that we that have so many things truly natural which induce admiration, could in a world of particulars deceive the senses, if we would disguise those things and labour to make them seem more miraculous. But we do hate all impostures and lies: insomuch as we have severely forbidden it to all our fellows, under pain of ignominy and fines, that they do not shew any natural work or thing, adorned or swelling; but only pure as it is, and without all affectation of strangeness.

"These are (my son) the riches of Salomon's House..

"For the several employments and offices of our fellows; we have twelve that sail into foreign countries, under the names of other nations, (for our own we conceal;) who bring us the books, and abstracts,

1 et alios motus aëris et aquarum, in orbem et per vices revertentes.

2 The word "various," which seems to be redundant, is omitted in the "translation.

8 artificioso apparatu ementitum.

and patterns of experiments of all other parts. These we call Merchants of Light.

"We have three that collect the experiments which are in all books. These we call Depredators.

"We have three that collect the experiments of all mechanical arts; and also of liberal sciences; and also of practices which are not brought into arts. These we call Mystery-men.2

"We have three that try new experiments, such as themselves think good. These we call Pioners or Miners.

"We have three that draw the experiments of the former four into titles and tables, to give the better light for the drawing of observations and axioms out of them. These we call Compilers.3

4

"We have three that bend themselves, looking into the experiments of their fellows, and cast about how to draw out of them things of use and practice for man's life, and knowledge as well for works as for plain demonstration of causes, means of natural divinations, and the easy and clear discovery of the virtues and parts of bodies. These we call Dowry-men or Benefactors.6

"Then after divers meetings and consults of our

1 qui libros, et materias et exemplaria experimentorum ad nos perferunt. 2 In the translation they are called Venatores, hunters; a name, however, which does not seem to distinguish their peculiar office so accurately as "mystery-men," that is, men whose business was to inquire after mysteries, i. e. crafts.

8 These represent the formation of the tables comparentiæ, absentiæ in proximo, and graduum. See Novum Organum, ii. § 11—13. — R. L. E. For "compilers," the translation has divisores, distributors. inserviant scientiis, non solùm quoad opera, sed, &c. guce sint in corporibus singulis partes latentes, quæ virtutes.

4 necnon que

5

6 These represent the Vindemiatio prima. See Nov. Org. ii. § 20.R. L. E.