beacon lights of history-iii-2-第65章

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the　King　of　Egypt；　and　Jacob　robbing　his　brother　of　his　birthright；

and　David　murdering　his　bravest　soldier　to　screen　himself　from

adultery；　and　Solomon　selling　himself　to　false　idols　to　please　the

wicked　women　who　ensnared　him；　and　Peter　denying　his　Master；　and

Marcus　Aurelius　persecuting　the　Christians；　and　Constantine　putting

to　death　his　own　son；　and　Theodosius　slaughtering　the　citizens　of

Thessalonica；　and　Isabella　establishing　the　Inquisition；　and　Sir

Mathew　Hale　burning　witches；　and　Cromwell　stealing　a　sceptre；　and

Calvin　murdering　Servetus；　and　Queen　Elizabeth　lying　and　cheating

and　swearing　in　the　midst　of　her　patriotic　labors　for　her　country

and　civilization。　　Even　the　sun　passes　through　eclipses。　　Have　the

spots　upon　the　career　of　Bacon　hidden　the　brightness　of　his　general

beneficence？　　Is　he　the　meanest　of　men　because　he　had　great　faults？

When　we　speak　of　mean　men；　it　is　those　whose　general　character　is

contemptible。



Now；　see　Bacon　pursuing　his　honorable　career　amid　rebuffs　and

enmities　and　jealousies；　toiling　in　Herculean　tasks　without

complaint；　and　waiting　his　time；　always　accessible；　affable；

gentle；　with　no　vulgar　pride；　if　he　aped　vulgar　ostentation；　calm；

beneficent；　studious；　without　envy　or　bitterness；　interesting　in

his　home；　courted　as　a　friend；　admired　as　a　philosopher；　generous

to　the　poor；　kind　to　the　servants　who　cheated　him；　with　an

unsubdued　love　of　Nature　as　well　as　of　books；　not　negligent　of

religious　duties；　a　believer　in　God　and　immortality；　and　though

broken　in　spirit；　like　a　bruised　reed；　yet　soaring　beyond　all　his

misfortunes　to　study　the　highest　problems；　and　bequeathing　his

knowledge　for　the　benefit　of　future　ages！　　Can　such　a　man　be

stigmatized　as　〃the　meanest　of　mankind〃？　　Is　it　candid　and　just　for

a　great　historian　to　indorse　such　a　verdict；　to　gloss　over　Bacon's

virtues；　and　make　like　an　advocate　at　the　bar；　or　an　ancient

sophist；　a　special　plea　to　magnify　his　defects；　and　stain　his　noble

name　with　an　infamy　as　deep　as　would　be　inflicted　upon　an　enemy　of

the　human　race？　　And　all　for　what？just　to　make　a　rhetorical

point；　and　show　the　writer's　brilliancy　and　genius　in　making　a

telling　contrast　between　the　man　and　the　philosopher。　　A　man　who

habitually　dwelt　in　the　highest　regions　of　thought　during　his　whole

life；　absorbed　in　lofty　contemplations；　all　from　love　of　truth

itself　and　to　benefit　the　world；　could　not　have　had　a　mean　or

sordid　soul。　　〃As　a　man　thinketh；　so　is　he。〃　　We　admit　that　he　was

a　man　of　the　world；　politic；　self…seeking；　extravagant；　careless

about　his　debts　and　how　he　raised　money　to　pay　them；　but　we　deny

that　he　was　a　bad　judge　on　the　whole；　or　was　unpatriotic；　or

immoral　in　his　private　life；　or　mean　in　his　ordinary　dealings；　or

more　cruel　and　harsh　in　his　judicial　transactions　than　most　of　the

public　functionaries　of　his　rough　and　venal　age。　　We　admit　it　is

difficult　to　controvert　the　charges　which　Macaulay　arrays　against

him；　for　so　accurate　and　painstaking　an　historian　is　not　likely　to

be　wrong　in　his　facts；　but　we　believe　that　they　are　uncandidly

stated；　and　so　ingeniously　and　sophistically　put　as　to　give　on　the

whole　a　wrong　impression　of　the　man；making　him　out　worse　than　he

was；　considering　his　age　and　circumstances。　　Bacon's　character；

like　that　of　most　great　men；　has　two　sides；　and　while　we　are

compelled　painfully　to　admit　that　he　had　many　faults；　we　shrink

from　classing　him　among　bad　men；　as　is　implied　in　Pope's

characterization　of　him　as　〃the　meanest　of　mankind。〃





We　now　take　leave　of　the　man；　to　consider　his　legacy　to　the　world。

And　here　again　we　are　compelled　to　take　issue　with　Macaulay；　not　in

regard　to　the　great　fact　that　Bacon's　inquiries　tended　to　a　new

revelation　of　Nature；　and　by　means　of　the　method　called　induction；

by　which　he　sought　to　establish　fixed　principles　of　science　that

could　not　be　controverted；　but　in　reference　to　the　ends　for　which

he　labored。　　〃The　aim　of　Bacon；〃　says　Macaulay；　〃was　utility；

fruit；　the　multiplication　of　human　enjoyments；　。　。　。　the　mitigation

of　human　sufferings；　。　。　。　the　prolongation　of　life　by　new

inventions；〃dotare　vitam　humanum　novis　inventis　et　copiis；　〃the

conquest　of　Nature；〃dominion　over　the　beasts　of　the　field　and　the

fowls　of　the　air；　the　application　of　science　to　the　subjection　of

the　outward　world；　progress　in　useful　arts；in　those　arts　which

enable　us　to　become　strong；　comfortable；　and　rich　in　houses；　shops；

fabrics；　tools；　merchandise；　new　vegetables；　fruits；　and　animals：

in　short；　a　philosophy　which　will　〃not　raise　us　above　vulgar　wants；

but　will　supply　those　wants。〃　　〃And　as　an　acre　in　Middlesex　is

worth　more　than　a　principality　in　Utopia；　so　the　smallest　practical

good　is　better　than　any　magnificent　effort　to　realize　an

impossibility；〃　and　〃hence　the　first　shoemaker　has　rendered　more

substantial　service　to　mankind　than　all　the　sages　of　Greece。　　All

they　could　do　was　to　fill　the　world　with　long　beards　and　long

words；　whereas　Bacon's　philosophy　has　lengthened　life；　mitigated

pain；　extinguished　disease；　built　bridges；　guided　the　thunderbolts；

lightened　the　night　with　the　splendor　of　the　day；　accelerated

motion；　annihilated　distance；　facilitated　intercourse；　enabled　men

to　descend　to　the　depths　of　the　earth；　to　traverse　the　land　in　cars

which　whirl　without　horses；　and　the　ocean　in　ships　which　sail

against　the　wind。〃　　In　other　words；　it　was　his　aim　to　stimulate

mankind；　not　to　seek　unattainable　truth；　but　useful　truth；　that　is；

the　science　which　produces　railroads；　canals；　cultivated　farms；

ships；　rich　returns　for　labor；　silver　and　gold　from　the　mines；all

that　purchase　the　joys　of　material　life　and　fit　us　for　dominion

over　the　world　in　which　we　live。　　Hence　anything　which　will　curtail

our　sufferings　and　add　to　our　pleasures　or　our　powers；　should　be

sought　as　the　highest　good。　　Geometry　is　desirable；　not　as　a　noble

intellectual　exercise；　but　as　a　handmaid　to　natural　philosophy。

Astronomy　is　not　to　assist　the　mind　to　lofty　contemplation；　but　to

enable　mariners　to　verify　degrees　of　latitude　and　regulate　clocks。

A　college　is　not　designed　to　train　and　discipline　the　mind；　but　to

utilize　science；　and　become　a　school　of　technology。　　Greek　and

Latin　exercises　are　comparatively　worthless；　and　even　mathematics；

unless　they　can　be　converted　into　practical　use。　　Philosophy；　as

ordinarily　understood；that　is；　metaphysics；is　most　idle　of　all；

since　it　does　not　pertain　to　mundane　wants。　　Hence　the　old　Grecian

philosopher　labored　in　vain；　and　still　more　profitless　were　the

disquisitions　of　the　scholastics　of　the　Middle　Ages；　since　they

were　chiefly　used　to　prop　up　unintelligible　creeds。　　Theology　is

not　of　much　account；　since　it　pertains　to　mysteries　we　cannot

solve。　　It　is　not　with　heaven　or　hell；　or　abstract　inquiries；　or

divine　certitudes；　that　we　have　to　do；　but　the　things　of　earth；

things　that　advance　our　material　and　outward　condition。　　To　be　rich

and　comfortable　is　the　end　of　life；not　meditations　on　abstract

and　eternal　truth；　such　as　elevate　the　soul　or　prepare　it　for　a

future　and　endless　life。　　The　certitudes　of　faith；　of　love；　of

friendship；　are　of　small　value　when　compared　with　the　blessings　of

outward　prosperity。　　Utilitarianism　is　the　true　philosophy；　for

this　confines　us　to　the　world　where　we　are　born　to　labor；　and

enables　us　to　make　acquisitions　which　promote　our　comfort　and　ease。

The　chemist　and　the　manufacturer　are　our　greatest　benefactors；　for

they　make　for　us　oils　and　gases　and　paints；things　we　must　have。

The　philosophy　of　Bacon　is　an　immense　improvement　on　all　previous

systems；　since　it　heralds　the　jubilee　of　trades；　the　millennium　of

merchants；　the　schools　of　thrift；　the　apostles　of　physical

progress；　the　pioneers　of　enterprise；the　Franklins　and

Stephensons　and　Tyndalls　and　Morses　of　our　glorious　era。　　Its

watchword　is　progress。　　All　hail；　then；　to　the　electric　telegraph

and　telephones　and　Thames　tunnels　and　Crystal　Palaces　and　Niagara

brid