Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

AND HIS SECRET SOCIETY. 163
many of these "particular histories," which, we observe, are
not necessarily to be original works, but " collections " or " contributions
to the equipment of philosophy." In other words,
they were to be the furniture and household stuff of the new
Solomon's House.
It will be profitable to spend a few minutes in noting with
Bacon some of the departments of knowledge which he found
to be either totally uncultivated, or so weakly handled as to be
unproductive. In so doing we must not overlook the fact that,
in every case where he notes such deficiencies, he makes, as he
says, some effort toward supplying them.
Unless we take some pains to follow Bacon's meaning and
line of argument, it is impossible to realize what is meant by
his statement that truth was barren of fruits fit for the use of
man. Modern teaching and traditions as to the marvellous
revival of learning in the time of Elizabeth have blinded us to
the fact that knowledge was at the very lowest ebb. The first
attempt made by William Grocyn, in the end of the fifteenth
century, to introduce the study of Greek into the
University of
Oxford, was regarded as an alarming innovation, and roused
strong opposition. His distinguished pupil John Colet, afterwards
Dean of St. Paul's, and founder of St. Paul's School, was
exposed to the persecution of the clergy through his promotion
of a spirit of inquiry and freedom of thought and speech.
read that in Paris, about the same time, 1 " The Juris Consult,
Conrad Heresbach, affirms that he heard a monk announce
from the pulpit, 'A new language, called Greek, has been found,
against which strict precautions are requisite, as it propagates
all kinds of heresie. A number of persons have already procured
a work in that tongue called the New Testament — a book
full of briars and vipers. As to Hebrew, all those who learn it
turn Jews at once.' "
These dense prejudices were about to be dissipated by the
creation, by Francis I., of the Royal College. Its professors
were to be nominated by the King, regardless of university
We
l Francis I. and His Times. C. Coignet. Translated by F. Twemlow Bentley.
London, 1888.