Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

AND HIS SECRET SOCIETY. 171
Rosicrucian New Atlantis and the Natural History, which we
believe correspond with the Librum Natarce of the fraternity,
and the simple remedies and recipes which Bacon prescribes
and publishes stand as records of the elementary state of
knowledge in his time. Metaphysics lead to the consideration of
the doctrine of dreams— " a thing which has been laboriously
handled m&'full offollies. " It is connected with the " doctrine
of the sensible soul, which is a fit subject of inquiries, even as
regards its substance, but such inquiries appear to me
deficient." l
The knowledge of human nature, of men's wants, thoughts,
characters, is also entirely neglected yet. " The nature and state
of man is a subject which deserves to be emancipated and made
a knowledge of itself. " In the Sylva Sylvarum he devotes many
paragraphs to preparations for advancing this much-neglected
art, noting even the small gestures and tokens by which the
body of man reflects and betrays the mind. These notes
furnish a compendium of hints not only for the metaphysician,
but also for the artist, the orator, and the actor; there is hardly
one which is not sure to be used with effect in the Shakespeare
plays.
Let us sum up briefly the deficiencies in
knowledge which, so
far, we have learnt from Bacon to observe in the works of his
predecessors, but which were being rapidly supplied during his
life and in the succeeding generation:
Natural Science, 2 or Physics and Chemistry, with experiments
and demonstrations — deficient.
Natural History? excepting a few books of subtleties, varieties,
catalogues, etc. — deficient.
Horticulture and Husbandry, 4 '
totally or partially deficient.
Meteorology 5 in all its branches — deficient.
1 De Aug. iv. Spedding, iv. 372-379.
2 See Advancement of Learning and De Augmentis ; Nov. Organum ; Nfw
Atlantis;
Sylva Sylvarum.
3 Sylva Sylvarum; New Atlantis; Parasceve.
4 Sylva Sylvarum; Ess. Of Gardens; Plantations.
5 Nov. Org.; Hist, of Winds; Ebb and Flow of the Sea, etc.