The New Atlantis of Francis Bacon

for the benefit of the human body, his doctrine for the benefit of the human soul. The body of man stands in need of nourishment, of defence from outward accidents, of medicine. He gathered the multitude of fishes into the net, whereby to supply men with more plentiful food. He turned water into the worthier nourishment of wine, to glad man’s heart. He caused the fig-tree, because it failed of its appointed office (that of yielding food for men), to wither away. He multiplied the scanty store of loaves and fishes that the host of people might be fed. He rebuked the winds because they threatened danger to them that were within the ship. He restored motion to the lame, light to the blind, speech to the dumb, health to the sick, cleanness to the lepers, sound mind to them that were possessed with devils, life to the dead. There was no miracle of judgment, but all of mercy, and all upon the human body.’ Bacon here sketches a programme of the needs of humanity, and shows how the divine compassion dealt with them. But he has no thought of asking for a return of the age of miracles. The miracles of Jesus are for him models of compassion and taken in no other sense. Science must now take the place of miracle. It was to the bringing into existence of a new kind of science capable of carrying out the work of charity that he sought the co-operation of his countrymen in ‘The Great Instauration’. In the Preface we read:

‘I would address one general admonition to all, that they consider what are the true ends of knowledge, and that they seek it neither for pleasure of the mind, nor for contention, nor for superiority over others, nor for profit, nor fame, nor power, nor for any of these inferior things; but for the benefit and use of life; and that they perfect and govern it in charity. For it was from lust of power that the angels fell, from lust of knowledge that men fell; but of charity there can be no excess, neither did angel or man ever come in danger by it.

‘Of myself I wish to say nothing. But in respect of the business which is in hand I entreat men to believe that it is not an opinion to be held, but A WORK TO BE DONE; and to be well assured that I am labouring to lay the foundation, not of any school of thought, but of human utility and power. I ask them, then, to deal fairly by their own interests; to lay

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