Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

162 FRANCIS BACON
or universal philosophy or religion, and with the peculiar wooden
scroll or frame-work which we interpret
as figuring " the universal
frame of the world.
Since then the end and scope of knowledge had heen so generally
mistaken that men were not even well-advised as to what
it was that they sought, hut wandered up and down in the way,
making no advance, but setting themselves at last " in the right
way to the wrong place," Bacon takes in hand the business of
demonstrating " what is the true end, scope, or office of knowledge,
and to make, as it were, a calendar or inventory of the
wealth, furniture, or means of man, according to his present
estate, as far as it is known. " By this means, he -adds, " I may,
at the best, give some awaking note, both of the wants in man's
present condition, and the nature of the supplies to be wished;
though, for mine own part, neither do I much build upon my
present anticipations, neither do I think ourselves yet learned or
wise enough to wish reasonably ; for, as it asks some knowledge
to demand a question not impertinent, so it asketh some sense
to make a wish not absurd."
Tlie Interpretation of Nature, from which these passages are
taken, includes only a fragment of the " inventory," which is to
be found in the form of a separate " catalogue " of one hundred
and thirty histories which are required for the equipment of
philosophy.
It is also in the Be Augmentis, which is in truth an
Exposition of the Deficiencies which Bacon noted in
every conceived
branch of science and literature, and of the practical
means which he proposed to adopt for the supply of these tremendous
gaps in the chain of universal knowledge.
The " Catalogue of Histories " was published at the end of the
Novum Organum in 1620, but it appears to have been written
much earlier; for a few lines at the end show that at the time
when he penned this list he was looking forward to the accomplishment
of all that is included in it. It seems improbable that
he would, so late in life, have published this catalogue, had it
been merely the airy fabric of a vision. On the other hand,
there