PREFACE TO THE HISTORIA VENTORUM. BY ROBERT LESLIE ELLIS. THE Historia Ventorum was published in 1622 in a volume entitled "Historia Naturalis et Experimentalis ad condendam Philosophiam; sive Phænomena Universi." This volume was dedicated to Prince Charles, and contains beside the Historia Ventorum the titles of five similar histories, one or more of which Bacon proposed to publish month by month; namely, the Historia Densi et Rari; Gravis et Levis; Sympathia et Antipathia Rerum; Sulphuris, Mercurii, et Salis; et Vitæ et Mortis. Under the title of each, except the last, is placed an aditus or preface-that of the Historia Vita et Mortis is omitted because, as we are told at the end of the volume1, the history itself with its preface was shortly, "jam proxime," to be published. It did not however appear until 1623. The Historia Ventorum is thus the first published part of the Historia Naturalis, which was to be the third division of the Instauratio. It begins with a list of topics, or subjects to be inquired into. Of these thirty-three are enumerated, and some "Aditus ad hanc historiam invenitur in historia ipsa, jam proxime sequente." But this comes from Dr. Rawley's reprint, published along with the Opera Moralia et Civilia in 1638, from which Mr. Montagu's copy is taken; and "jam proxime sequente merely means "which is the next piece in this volume." The original edition, published by Bacon himself in 8vo in 1622, has the aditus to the Historia Vitæ et Mortis as well as the rest. The Historia Ventorum appears to have been published about the beginning of November, 1622; the Historia Vita et Mortis about the end of the following January See Chamberlain's letter to Sir D. Carleton, 11. Feb. 1622-3 (Court and Times of James I. vol. ii. p. 362), and compare Bacon's letter to Buckingham, 24th (mis. printed 4th in the common editions) of November, 1622.-J. S. |