!

our shipping, for number, strength, mariners, pilots, and all things that appertain to navigation, is as great as ever: and therefore why we should sit at home, I shall now give you an account by itself: and it will draw nearer to give you satisfaction to your principal question.

man;

"There reigned in this island, about nineteen hundred years ago, a King, whose memory of all others we most adore; not superstitiously, but as a divine instrument, though a mortal his name was Solamona: and we esteem him as the lawgiver of our nation. This king had a large heart, inscrutable for good; and was wholly bent to make his kingdom and people happy. He therefore, taking into consideration how sufficient and substantive this land was to maintain itself without any aid at all of the foreigner; being five thousand six hundred miles in circuit, and of rare fertility of soil in the greatest part thereof; and finding also the shipping of this country might be plentifully set on work, both by fishing and by transportations from port to port, and likewise by sailing unto some small islands that are not far from us, and are under the crown and laws of this state; and recalling into his memory the happy and flourishing estate wherein this land then was, so as it might be a thousand ways altered to the worse, but scarce any one way to the better; thought nothing wanted to his noble. and heroical intentions, but only (as far as human foresight might reach) to give perpetuity to that which was in his time so happily established. Therefore amongst his other fundamental laws of this kingdom, he did ordain the interdicts and prohibitions which we have touching entrance of strangers; which at that time (though it was after the calamity of America) was frequent; doubting novelties, and commixture of manners. It is true, the like law against the admission of strangers without licence is an ancient law in the kingdom of China, and yet continued in use. But there it is a poor thing; and hath made them a curious, ignorant, fearful, foolish nation. But our lawgiver made his law of another temper. For first, he hath preserved all points of humanity, in taking order and making provision for the relief of strangers distressed; whereof you have tasted." At which speech (as reason was) we all rose up, and bowed ourselves. He went on. "That king also, still desiring to join humanity and policy together; and thinking it against humanity to detain strangers here against their wills,

and against policy that they should return and discover their
knowledge of this estate, he took this course: he did ordain
that of the strangers that should be permitted to land, as many
(at all times) might depart as would; but as many as would
stay should have very good conditions and means to live from
the state.
Wherein he saw so far, that now in so many ages
since the prohibition, we have memory not of one ship that
ever returned; and but of thirteen persons only, at several
times, that chose to return in our bottoms. What those few
that returned may have reported abroad I know not. But you
must think, whatsoever they have said could be taken where
they came but for a dream. Now for our travelling from
hence into parts abroad, our Lawgiver thought fit altogether to
restrain it. So is it not in China. For the Chineses sail where
they will or can; which sheweth that their law of keeping out
strangers is a law of pusillanimity and fear. But this restraint
of ours hath one only exception, which is admirable ; preserving
the good which cometh by communicating with strangers, and
avoiding the hurt; and I will now open it to you.] And here
I shall seem a little to digress, but you will by and by find it
pertinent. Ye shall understand (my dear friends) that amongst
the excellent acts of that king, one above all hath the pre-
eminence. It was the erection and institution of an Order or
Society which we call Salomon's House; the noblest foundation
(as we think) that ever was upon the earth; and the lanthorn
of this kingdom. It is dedicated to the study of the Works
and Creatures of God. Some think it beareth the founder's
name a little corrupted, as if it should be Solamona's House.
But the records write it as it is spoken. So as I take it to be
denominate of the King of the Hebrews, which is famous with
you, and no stranger to us. For we have some parts of his
works which with you are lost; namely, that Natural History
which he wrote, of all plants, from the cedar of Libanus to
the moss that groweth out of the wall, and of all things that
have life and motion. This maketh me think that our king,
finding himself to symbolize in many things with that king of
the Hebrews (which lived many years before him), honoured
him with the title of this foundation.1 And I am the rather

Bacon in speaking of this king who symbolizes with Solomon seems to allude to James I. — R. L. E. [If the New Atlantis had been written in the earlier part of James's reign, Bacon might have been suspected perhaps of some such allusion. VOL. III.

L

He

induced to be of this opinion, for that I find in ancient records this Order or Society is sometimes called Salomon's House, and sometimes the College of the Six Days Works; whereby I am satisfied that our excellent king had learned from the Hebrews that God had created the world and all that therein is within six days; and therefore he instituting that House for the finding out of the true nature of all things', (whereby God might have the more glory in the workmanship of them, and men the more fruit in the use of them,) did give it also that second name. But now to come to our present purpose. When the king had forbidden to all his people navigation into any part that was not under his crown, he made nevertheless this ordinance; That every twelve years there should be set forth out of this kingdom two ships, appointed to several voyages; That in either of these ships there should be a mission of three of the Fellows or Brethren of Salomon's House; whose errand was only to give us knowledge of the affairs and state of those countries to which they were designed, and especially of the sciences, arts, manufactures, and inventions of all the world; and withal to bring unto us books, instruments, and patterns in every kind; That the ships, after they had landed the brethren, should return; and that the brethren should stay abroad till the new mission. These ships are not otherwise fraught, than with store of victuals, and good quantity of treasure to remain with the brethren, for the buying of such things and rewarding of such persons as they should think fit. Now for me to tell you how the vulgar sort of mariners are contained from being discovered at land; and how they that must be put on shore for any time, colour themselves under the names of other nations; and to what places these voyages have been designed; and what places of rendez-vous are appointed for the new missions; and the like circumstances of the practique; I may not do it: neither is it much to your desire. But thus you see we maintain a trade, not for gold, silver, or jewels; nor for silks; nor for spices; nor any other

might have hoped to encourage James to justify the parallel by going and doing likewise. But since James had now reigned above 20 years without doing or attempting to do anything for the furtherance of Natural Philosophy; without showing any interest in it or any taste or capacity for it; I cannot understand what the allusion can be or where the resemblance. Nor does it seem necessary to suppose anything of the kind in order to explain why a model-king for wisdom and knowledge should be likened to Solomon.-J. S.]

1 ad inquisitionem et inventionem naturæ veræ et interioris rerum omnium.

commodity of matter; but only for God's first creature, which was Light:[to have light (I say) of the growth of all parts of And when he had said this, he was silent; and so

the world."

were we all. For indeed we were all astonished to hear so strange things so probably told. And he, perceiving that we were willing to say somewhat but had it not ready, in great courtesy took us off, and descended to ask us questions of our Voyage and fortunes; and in the end concluded, that we might do well to think with ourselves what time of stay we would demand of the state; and bade us not to scant ourselves; for he would procure such time as we desired. Whereupon we all rose up, and presented ourselves to kiss the skirt of his tippet; but he would not suffer us; and so took his leave. But when it came once amongst our people that the state used to offer conditions to strangers that would stay, we had work enough to get any of our men to look to our ship, and to keep them from going presently to the governor to crave conditions. But with much ado we refrained them, till we might agree what course to take.

We took ourselves now for free men, seeing there was no danger of our utter perdition; and lived most joyfully, going abroad and seeing what was to be seen in the city and places adjacent within our tedder; and obtaining acquaintance with many of the city, not of the meanest quality; at whose hands we found such humanity, and such a freedom and desire to take strangers as it were into their bosom, as was enough to make us forget all that was dear to us in our own countries: and continually we met with many things right worthy of observation and relation; as indeed, if there be a mirror in the world worthy to hold men's eyes, it is that country. One day there were two of our company bidden to a Feast of the Family, as they call it. A most natural, pious, and reverend custom it is, shewing that nation to be compounded of all goodness. This is the manner of it. It is granted to any man that shall live to see thirty persons descended of his body alive together, and all above three years old, to make this feast; which is done at the cost of the state. The Father of the Family, whom they call the Tirsan, two days before the feast, taketh to him three. of such friends as he liketh to choose; and is assisted also by

1i. e., in whatever parts of the world it is to be found. Luce, inquam, in quacunque tandem terræ regione prorumpente et germinante.

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the governor of the city or place where the feast is celebrated; and all the persons of the family, of both sexes, are summoned to attend him. These two days the Tirsan sitteth in consultation concerning the good estate of the family. There, if there be any discord or suits between any of the family, they are compounded and appeased. There, if any of the family be distressed or decayed, order is taken for their relief and competent means to live. There, if any be subject to vice, or take ill courses, they are reproved and censured. So likewise direction is given touching marriages, and the courses of life which any of them should take, with divers other the like orders and advices. The governor assisteth, to the end to put in execution by his public authority the decrees and orders of the Tirsan, if they should be disobeyed; though that seldom needeth ; Csuch reverence and obedience they give to the order of nature. The Tirsan doth also then ever choose one man from amongst his sons, to live in house with him: who is called ever after the Son of the Vine. The reason will hereafter appear. On the feast-day, the Father or Tirsan cometh forth after divine service into a large room where the feast is celebrated; which room hath an half-pace at the upper end. Against the wall, in the middle of the half-pace, is a chair placed for him, with a table and carpet before it. Over the chair is a state 2, made round or oval, and it is of ivy; an ivy somewhat whiter than ours, like the leaf of a silver asp, but more shining; for it is green all winter. And the state is curiously wrought with silver and silk of divers colours, broiding or binding in the ivy; and is ever of the work of some of the daughters of the family; and veiled over at the top with a fine net of silk and silver. But the substance of it is true ivy; whereof, after it is taken down, the friends of the family are desirous to have some leaf or sprig to keep. The Tirsan cometh forth with all his generation or lineage3, the males before him, and the females following him; and if there be a mother from whose body the whole lineage is descended, there is a traverse placed in a loft above on the right

1

1 Half-pace or dais, the part raised by a low step above the rest of the floor.

R. L. E.

2 i. e. a canopy, conopeum.

The e

3 linage in the original; which seems to be the proper form of the word. may have been introduced originally as a direction for the lengthening of the first syllable; and then the resemblance of the word to such words as lineal may have suggested the modern pronunciation.