Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

176 FRANCIS BACON
nevertheless, " so full of many and great deficiencies," that he
says: " Even to mention them would take too much time. " He
would himself have undertaken the business in good earnest
if James had given him any encouragement. But in this, as in
many other things, he failed to rouse the dull King, whom he
vainly tried to make as wise as he thought himself. The fragment
of the " History of Great Britain " hints at Bacon's efforts
in this direction, and there are several large books which will
probably some day be acknowledged as part of the " collections"
made by Bacon, or under his direction, to this end. 1
For lives, he thinks it most strange that they have been so
neglected, and counts them among the deficients.
Narrations" and relations are also to be wished, since a good
would be as a nursery -ground,
collection of small particulars
raising seedlings to plant when time will serve a fair and stately
garden. 2
Other parts of learning, as appendices to history, as orations,
letters, brief speeches or sayings and letters, he considers an important
branch of history. " Letters are according to the variety
of occasions, advertisements, advices, directions, propositions,
petitions, commendatory, expostulatory, satisfactory, of compliment,
of pleasure, of discourse, and all other passages of action.
And such as are written from wise men are, of all the words of
man, in my judgment, the best, for they are more natural than
orations and public speeches, and more advised than conferences
or present speeches. So, again, letters of affairs, from such as
manage them or are privy to them, are, of all others, the best
instructions for history and, to a diligent
reader, the best histories
in themselves." 3
Bacon's own letters
his doctrine;
are, of themselves, a good illustration of
but there are other collections of letters, such as
Sir Tobie Matthew's correspondence, with names and dates can-
1 See "The Chronicles of the Kings of England from the Time of the Romans
Government to the Death of King James." By Sir Samuel Baker. On the frontispiece
of the third edition is a vignette of Verulam.
2 De Aug. ii. 7. See, also, "The Collection of the History of England."
Samuel Daniel, 3d edn. lC3ii.
3 Advt. ii. 1.