按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
enmities and jealousies； toiling in Herculean tasks without
complaint； and waiting his time； always accessible； affable；
gentle； with no vulgar pride； if he aped vulgar ostentation； calm；
beneficent； studious； without envy or bitterness； interesting in
his home； courted as a friend； admired as a philosopher； generous
to the poor； kind to the servants who cheated him； with an
unsubdued love of Nature as well as of books； not negligent of
religious duties； a believer in God and immortality； and though
broken in spirit； like a bruised reed； yet soaring beyond all his
misfortunes to study the highest problems； and bequeathing his
knowledge for the benefit of future ages！ Can such a man be
stigmatized as 〃the meanest of mankind〃？ Is it candid and just for
a great historian to indorse such a verdict； to gloss over Bacon's
virtues； and make like an advocate at the bar； or an ancient
sophist； a special plea to magnify his defects； and stain his noble
name with an infamy as deep as would be inflicted upon an enemy of
the human race？ And all for what？just to make a rhetorical
point； and show the writer's brilliancy and genius in making a
telling contrast between the man and the philosopher。 A man who
habitually dwelt in the highest regions of thought during his whole
life； absorbed in lofty contemplations； all from love of truth
itself and to benefit the world； could not have had a mean or
sordid soul。 〃As a man thinketh； so is he。〃 We admit that he was
a man of the world； politic； self…seeking； extravagant； careless
about his debts and how he raised money to pay them； but we deny
that he was a bad judge on the whole； or was unpatriotic； or
immoral in his private life； or mean in his ordinary dealings； or
more cruel and harsh in his judicial transactions than most of the
public functionaries of his rough and venal age。 We admit it is
difficult to controvert the charges which Macaulay arrays against
him； for so accurate and painstaking an historian is not likely to
be wrong in his facts； but we believe that they are uncandidly
stated； and so ingeniously and sophistically put as to give on the
whole a wrong impression of the man；making him out worse than he
was； considering his age and circumstances。 Bacon's character；
like that of most great men； has two sides； and while we are
compelled painfully to admit that he had many faults； we shrink
from classing him among bad men； as is implied in Pope's
characterization of him as 〃the meanest of mankind。〃
We now take leave of the man； to consider his legacy to the world。
And here again we are compelled to take issue with Macaulay； not in
regard to the great fact that Bacon's inquiries tended to a new
revelation of Nature； and by means of the method called induction；
by which he sought to establish fixed principles of science that
could not be controverted； but in reference to the ends for which
he labored。 〃The aim of Bacon；〃 says Macaulay； 〃was utility；
fruit； the multiplication of human enjoyments； 。 。 。 the mitigation
of human sufferings； 。 。 。 the prolongation of life by new
inventions；〃dotare vitam humanum novis inventis et copiis； 〃the
conquest of Nature；〃dominion over the beasts of the field and the
fowls of the air； the application of science to the subjection of
the outward world； progress in useful arts；in those arts which
enable us to become strong； comfortable； and rich in houses； shops；
fabrics； tools； merchandise； new vegetables； fruits； and animals：
in short； a philosophy which will 〃not raise us above vulgar wants；
but will supply those wants。〃 〃And as an acre in Middlesex is
worth more than a principality in Utopia； so the smallest practical
good is better than any magnificent effort to realize an
impossibility；〃 and 〃hence the first shoemaker has rendered more
substantial service to mankind than all the sages of Greece。 All
they could do was to fill the world with long beards and long
words； whereas Bacon's philosophy has lengthened life； mitigated
pain； extinguished disease； built bridges； guided the thunderbolts；
lightened the night with the splendor of the day； accelerated
motion； annihilated distance； facilitated intercourse； enabled men
to descend to the depths of the earth； to traverse the land in cars
which whirl without horses； and the ocean in ships which sail
against the wind。〃 In other words； it was his aim to stimulate
mankind； not to seek unattainable truth； but useful truth； that is；
the science which produces railroads； canals； cultivated farms；
ships； rich returns for labor； silver and gold from the mines；all
that purchase the joys of material life and fit us for dominion
over the world in which we live。 Hence anything which will curtail
our sufferings and add to our pleasures or our powers； should be
sought as the highest good。 Geometry is desirable； not as a noble
intellectual exercise； but as a handmaid to natural philosophy。
Astronomy is not to assist the mind to lofty contemplation； but to
enable mariners to verify degrees of latitude and regulate clocks。
A college is not designed to train and discipline the mind； but to
utilize science； and become a school of technology。 Greek and
Latin exercises are comparatively worthless； and even mathematics；
unless they can be converted into practical use。 Philosophy； as
ordinarily understood；that is； metaphysics；is most idle of all；
since it does not pertain to mundane wants。 Hence the old Grecian
philosopher labored in vain； and still more profitless were the
disquisitions of the scholastics of the Middle Ages； since they
were chiefly used to prop up unintelligible creeds。 Theology is
not of much account； since it pertains to mysteries we cannot
solve。 It is not with heaven or hell； or abstract inquiries； or
divine certitudes； that we have to do； but the things of earth；
things that advance our material and outward condition。 To be rich
and comfortable is the end of life；not meditations on abstract
and eternal truth； such as elevate the soul or prepare it for a
future and endless life。 The certitudes of faith； of love； of
friendship； are of small value when compared with the blessings of
outward prosperity。 Utilitarianism is the true philosophy； for
this confines us to the world where we are born to labor； and
enables us to make acquisitions which promote our comfort and ease。
The chemist and the manufacturer are our greatest benefactors； for
they make for us oils and gases and paints；things we must have。
The philosophy of Bacon is an immense improvement on all previous
systems； since it heralds the jubilee of trades； the millennium of
merchants； the schools of thrift； the apostles of physical
progress； the pioneers of enterprise；the Franklins and
Stephensons and Tyndalls and Morses of our glorious era。 Its
watchword is progress。 All hail； then； to the electric telegraph
and telephones and Thames tunnels and Crystal Palaces and Niagara
bridges and railways over the Rocky Mountains！ The day of our
deliverance is come； the nations are saved； the Brunels and the
Fieldses are our victors and leaders！ Crown them with Olympic
leaves； as the heroes of our great games of life。 And thou； O
England！ exalted art thou among the nations；not for thy Oxfords
and Westminsters； not for thy divines and saints and martyrs and
poets； not for thy Hookers and Leightons and Cranmers and Miltons
and Burkes and Lockes； not for thy Reformation； not for thy
struggles for liberty；but for thy Manchesters and Birminghams；
thy Portsmouth shipyards； thy London docks； thy Liverpool
warehouses； thy mines of coal and iron； thy countless mechanisms by
which thou bringest the wealth of nations into thy banks； and art
enabled to buy the toil of foreigners and to raise thy standards on
the farthest battlements of India and China。 These conquests and
acquisitions are real； are practical； machinery over life； the
triumph of physical forces； dominion over waves and winds；these
are the great victories which consummate the happiness of man； and
these are they which flow from the philosophy which Bacon taught。
Now Macaulay does not directly say all these things； but these are
the spirit and gist of the interpretation which he puts upon
Bacon's writings。 The philosophy of Bacon leads directly to these
blessings； and these constitute its great peculiarity。 And it
cannot be denied that the new era which Bacon heralded was fruitful
in these very things；that his philosophy encouraged this new
development of material forces； but it may be questioned whether he
had not something else in view than mere utility and physical
progress； and whether his method could not equally be applied to
metaphysical subjects； whether it did not pertain to the whole
domain of truth； and take in the whole realm of human inquiry。 I
believe that Bacon was interested； not merely in the world of
matter； but in the world of mind； that he sought to establi