Francis Bacon and his secret society - Grand Lodge of Colorado

348 FEANCIS BACON
Like almost all of Bacon's chosen or adopted symbols, the
vine, as the emblem of truth, is very ancient. Indian mythology
represents Osiris (the Grecian Bacchus) as a wonderful conqueror
who travelled over the face of the whole earth, winning
territories wherever he came, yet to the advantage of those
whom he subdued. Here is Bacon's figure of " taking all knowledge
to be his province," for the benefit of humanity.
Osiris is said to be the son of Rhea (the Holy Spirit), and his
chief attendants were Pan, Nature ; a dog, Experience ; Maro, a
great planter of the vine (of knowledge); and Triptolemus, much
skilled in husbandry. He is described with the Nine Muses and
the Sciences in his train. It is needless to follow the mythical
Osiris into his various connections with Apollo, music, songs,
danciug, and with the arts of speech and healing. All these
spring from truth, nature, and cultivation of the mind and soul—
(husbandry); and that the vine was from the earliest times the
symbol of truth, is certain from many passages of the Holy
Scripture, where Jesus Christ even speaks of himself under this
figure. " I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he purgethit,
that it may bring forth more fruit. " l
The poet philosopher has collected his clusters, and it remains
to express them, and to store up the precious juice so that in
due season it may be poured into other men's vessels.
In the Promushe condenses into two words an adage of Erasmus,
" Vasis — Fons. " 2 The man who can originate nothing,
but who draws all from others is the vase ; the source whence
he draws is the fountain. Bacon adopts this notion, and expands
it in all directions, humbly appropriating to himself the
functions of the cistern, bucket, vase, pot, or pitcher. " I am,
as I formerly said, but a bucket and cistern to that fountain,
and so he wrote in a Latin letter to Trinity College, Cambridge
:
1 John, xv. 1. And see Ezekiel, xvii. 5-10. Psl. lxxx. 14, 15. Canticles, i.
16; vi. 11; vii. 12; viii. 11-12. Jer. ii. 21. Rev. xiv. 18. Matt. xx. 1-7, etc.
zPivmas, 698, from Eras: Adagia, 292.