which offered itself to his eyes, that he could go no further. He remained seven years at Sallanches, and amid the Alpine ridges became at once a painter and a geographer. His reputation was already extensive, when he returned to France at the breaking out of the Revolution, of which he was a zealous partisan, and he immediately enrolled himself in the army. He went through different grades, and received various appointments from Napoleon, whose notice he had attracted, and who employed him in several great geographical surveys. After the restoration of the Bourbons, Bacler was neglected, and driven partly by necessity to have recourse to his earlier studies, and not only painted, but employed himself with great success in the newly-invented art of lithography. His works of this kind, principally views of the scenery which had always exercised so much influence on his mind, were in great repute. He died at Sèvres (where he had resided since 1815) in 1824. (Biog. Univ. Suppl.)

BACMEISTER, a German family, which has produced many distinguished

men.

Bacmeister, Henry, son of the elder Lucas Bacmeister, afterwards mentioned, was born at Rostock, in 1584; took the degree of doctor of law at Tubingen, in 1615; was afterwards public advocate of the city of Lunenburg, and provost of the church of St. John in that city, and died 1629. He wrote Tables on the Institutiones Juris.

Bacmeister, Henry, the younger, born in 1618; studied at Cologne, Leyden, Utrecht, Oxford, Paris, Orleans, Saumur and Sora; and held honourable offices under the Swedes, in Germany. After resigning these, he employed himself in study; was afterwards bailiff of the duchy of Wurtemburg, in Neupyrg and Heidenheim; and after the death of his brother Lucas, secretary to the university of Tubingen, counsellor of the duchy of Wurtemburg; and in 1671, doctor of civil law. Besides his inaugural disputation, de Palmario Advocatorum, he left another, entitled Delibata Juris ex Libris 48, Digestorum, both of which are given in Lauterbach's Disputationes Juridicæ, vol. i.

Bacmeister, Johannes, doctor and professor of medicine at Rostock, where he was born in 1563; wrote an oration, De Honoribus et Gradibus Academicis, and several medical disputations, and died in

1631.

Bacmeister, Johannes, the son of a clergyman of Travemund, Sebastian Bacmeister, afterwards mentioned, born in 1680, studied medicine at Leipsic; was professor of medicine at Tubingen in 1710; and in 1719, counsellor and pri vate physician to the court of Baden Durlach. He published the Acta Philippica, and undertook the editing of Lucas Bacmeister's Commentary on the Prophets; and his father Sebastian's Continuatio Annalium Herulorum et Vandalorum Nicolai Mariscalci; as well as some other works.

Bacmeister, Lucas, a Lutheran divine, born at Luneburg in 1530; studied at Wittenburg, and was appointed in 1552, by Christian III. of Denmark, tutor to the royal princes. After filling this office three years, he returned again to Wittenburg, where he took the degree of master of arts in 1558. In the following year he was called to Coldinburg, in Jutland, as chaplain to the widowed queen, Dorothea of Denmark, an appointment which he held three years; after which he was called to the pastorship of the church of St. Mary, and the protes sorship of theology in the university of Rostock. In 1564, he took the degree of doctor of theology; and in 1580, went on a clerical visitation to the churches of Austria. He died in 1608. His works are-Formæ Precationum piarum; de Modo Concionandi; Explicatio Historiæ Passionis, Mortis, et Resurrectionis Christi; Explicatio Septem Psalmorum Poenitentialium; Explanatio Threnorum Jeremiæ; Explicatio Typorum Veteris Testamenti; Answer to three Questions on the Civil Authority; and several disputations, orations, programs, epistles, and funeral sermons. He published also a revised Church Constitution; and left behind him in MS. Commentarii in Prophetas præter Danielem Prælectiones in Epistolas Petri, Jacobi, Judæ, Paulinasque ad Romanos, Timotheum, Titum, Philemonem et Hebræos; Homiliæ in Genesin, Exodum, Psalmos et Esaiam; Consilia Theologica; Historia Ecclesiæ et Ministerii ecclesiastici Rostochiensis.

omnes;

Bacmeister, Lucas, a son of the former, born at Rostock in 1570; at first applied himself, at his father's desire, to the study of the law; but on the death of his elder brother, devoted himself to theology. After studying at Strasburg and Wittenburg, as also at various other universities in Germany and the Netherlands, he was appointed professor of

theology in 1600; and in 1612, superintendent of the district of Güstrau. He died in 1638, leaving behind him Oratio de Jubilæo; Disputationes contra Decreta Consilii Tridentini; Tractatum de Lege; Fasciculum Quæstionum Theologicarum; Disputationes de SS. Trinitate, de Vocatione Ministrorum Ecclesiæ; and in German, the Great Mystery of Righteousness made known of Christ becoming Man; Examination of the Question, whether a Reformation be needful in the Lutheran Church; Confession of the Calvinist Teachers, that men may be saved in the Lutheran Church; Introduction how to read with profit John Ruelius's Sermon of Thursday, on the Holy Supper; Two Sermons on the Lutheran Reformation; and other works.

Bacmeister, Lucas, a son of the last mentioned, was professor of theology at Rostock, where he died in 1679, in his seventy-fourth year. He left behind him, Oratio de Attenta Scripturæ Sacræ Lectione; Analysis et Catena Catechismi Minoris Lutheri.

Bacmeister, Matthæus, son of the elder Lucas Bacmeister, born at Rostock in 1580; studied medicine; and after returning from a tour in Germany, visited Copenhagen; and acquired so highly the favour of the chancellor Friesen, that he took him with him on his journey to England. On his return, he pursued his studies at Leyden; and afterwards at Leipsic, Jena, Frankfort, and Greiffswald; after which he returned to Rostock, and there took the degrees of master and doctor in 1606. He afterwards practised at Kiel and Rostock; and received in 1621 the office of courtphysician at Luneburg. He died in 1626. He wrote-Medicina Practica Generalis, in Twenty-eight Disputations, as well as several disputations on other subjects; Tractatus de Peste; Consilium contra Pestem (in German); edited Fr. Joelis Opera Medica Posthuma, with Annotations; and left behind him Consilia Medica in MS.

Bacmeister, Sebastian, born at Otterndorf, where his father, Lucas Bacmeister, was preacher, in 1646; studied at Rostock and Wittenberg; was preacher at Travemund in 1676, and died in 1704. He wrote Septuplex Corona Senectutis; and left behind him in MS. Academiæ Rostochiensis Historiam ab ipsis Incunabulis ad Annum 1700 deductam; Mareschalci Thurii Annales Herulorum ac Vandalorum cum Continuatione et Ta

bulis genealogicis ad hodiernum Ducem Mecklenburgensem deductas.

BACMEISTER, (Hartmann Louis Christian,) was born in Russia, in 1736. He pursued his studies in the universities of Germany, and had for a long time the direction of the German college, at St. Petersburg, and many other institutions. He wrote-1. An Abridgement of the Geography of the Russian Empire. 2. A Collection of Authentic Pieces, relating to the History of Peter the Great. 3. A Russian Bibliotheca, in 11 volumes. The latter is a compilation very useful to those who wish for an account of Russian literature, and the state of that country. He died in 1806. (Biog. Univ.)

BACON, (Roger,) an English monk, of the order of the Franciscans, born near Ilchester, in Somersetshire, in the year 1214. He commenced his studies at an early age, in the university of Oxford; but, according to the custom of those times, subsequently went to complete them in the university of Paris, then in such high repute as to attract students from all parts of Europe. Here it was that he laid the foundation of his reputation, and, according to Saverien, formed his wellknown friendship with the distinguished Robert Grosteste, afterwards bishop of Lincoln, his great friend and patron. Having taken the degree of doctor of law, he returned to England in 1240, and, according to some, took the habit of the Franciscan order; although others assert that he became a monk before he left France. He now pursued his investigations in almost every department of science; and with the assistance of various liberal patrons, whose favour his high reputation had secured, he is said to have expended large sums in collecting books, and procuring and constructing apparatus, which he had devised for the prosecution of experimental inquiries. Dr. Hutton informs us, "from some scarce books," that he expended, in the course of twenty years, no less than 20007.

an amazing sum in those days, and which, it seems, was generously furnished to him by some of the heads of the university, to enable him the better to pursue his noble researches." His new and extraordinary discoveries, however, were made in an age far too strongly fettered by authorial opinions, to remain long undisturbed. In an age like that in which he lived, there were few capable of profiting by his instructions; but those were not wanting who were able to appreciate their value, but, for the most

G G

part, having good reason to dread the influence of such principles, took measures to impede their progress, and to suppress their promulgation. A pretext was supplied in the allegation that Bacon's pursuits were allied to magic, though he had actually written a work expressly against that art; and he was, accordingly, restrained from reading lectures to the young students in the university, and at length closely confined, and almost starved -the monks being afraid lest his writings should extend beyond the limits of his convent. He avowed the most enlightened views, in recommending the cultivation of natural science, with the express object of leading men to more just conceptions of the true foundations of moral knowledge; and this drew down upon him the whole weight of ecclesiastical vengeance. His reputation, however, continued to increase throughout Europe, and the blow was averted for a time during the liberal administration of pope Clement IV., who not only secured Bacon from molestation, but encouraged him to draw up a collection of his principal works, which Bacon did, under the title of Opus Majus, and which was published by Dr. Jebb in 1733. On the accession of Nicholas III., the general of the Franciscans not only prohibited the reading of his works, but sentenced Bacon, then in his sixty-fourth year, to imprisonment; and to prevent appeal, obtained from Nicholas a confirmation of his sentence in the first instance. On the accession of Nicholas IV., he attempted to conciliate that prince in his favour, by addressing to him a treatise On the Means of avoiding the Infirmities of Old Age; but no effect was produced by this step; and it was not till the close of this pontificate, that, through the interposition of some powerful friends, he obtained a release. Up to his death, which happened in his convent at Oxford, in the year 1292, he continued his literary labours.

Bacon was styled by some of his contemporaries, "the wonderful doctor;" and he doubtless was the most extraordinary genius of that age. Anticipating the mode of investigation perfected by his great namesake, he declared that experimental science alone can ascertain the effects to be performed by the powers of nature or by human art. That science alone, he says, in his tract De Nullitate Magia, enables us to investigate the practices of magic, not with the intent of confirming them, but that they may be avoided by the philosopher. Thus deter

mined to consider the properties of material substances as matters of fact, and not of belief, he easily ascertained that many of the opinions of former writers were false, and he furnishes instances in support of his general position. In all branches of the mathematics he was well versed, and there is scarcely any part of them on which he has not written, with a solidity and clearness which have been deservedly admired by the greatest masters in that science. In astronomy, especially, he has left indications of attainment far superior to those of his contemporaries, and pointed out the necessity for a further reformation of the calendar beyond the Julian correction; the same as that which has been since applied. In practical mechanics and in chemistry, we have on record many of his actual inventions, and still more unfinished projects and speculations, many of which have been since realized. He is said to have invented the air-pump, the camera-obscura, the diving bell, and gunpowder! His discovery of optical lenses has been established beyond a doubt. Dr. Smith, indeed, in his Treatise on Optics, has endeavoured to prove that his conclusions on the theory of these instruments were purely theoretical, and that Bacon had never made any actual experiments on the subject. This has been controverted by Mr. Molyneux, who contends that Bacon was not only acquainted with the properties of lenses theoretically, but that he also applied them practically. We may mention, however, that some passages in Bacon's writings, which were pointed out by Digges, as early as the year 1591, and which were interpreted by him and others as referring to the principle of the telescope, seem to have been completely misunderstood, and to contain in reality nothing of the kind. Among other things attributed to him is that of the introduction of the Arabic numerals into England; but this has been completely disproved. (Halliwell's Rara Mathematica, p. 114, &c.) His works, published and in MS., are very numerous. Bale mentions more than eighty works attributed to him; and Dr. Jebb, in the preface to his edition of the Opus Majus, has collected the titles of a much greater number, under the distinct heads of grammar, mathematics, physics, optics, geography, astronomy, chronology, che mistry, magic, medicine, logic, metaphysics, ethics, theology, philology, and miscellany. His Opus Majus was pub

lished by Dr. Jebb, at London, in 1733, and republished at Venice, in 1750. MSS. of all or parts of it are in Gale's collection at Cambridge, in which library is also a transcript of the celebrated Dublin MS. of Bacon's works, under the press mark, O. xv. 13. In the same collection with the Opus Majus, Bacon included his Opus Minus and his Opus Tertium, neither of which have been printed, although full of the most curious and interesting matter, and easily accessible in MS. in the Cottonian library. His treatise De Mirabile Potestate Artis et Naturæ, was printed, for the first time, at Paris, in 1542, and contains, inter alia, the earliest notice of paddle-wheels to boats, such as are now employed for our steamers. Besides these, we have his Perspectiva, 4to, Francof. 1614; The saurus Chemicus, 8vo, Francfort, 1620; On the Infirmities of Old Age, 8vo, London, 1683; Tractatus brevis et utilis ad declarandum quædam obscure Dicta in libro Secreta Secretorum Aristotelis, MS. Gale, O. i. 12; Radix Mundi, MS. Digb. 133; Tractatus de Intellectu et Intelligibili, MS. Digb. 55; Summa Philosophiæ, MS. Digb. 67; Communia Naturalia, MS. Digb. 70; Fabrica Speculi Ustorii, MS. Ďigb. 71; De Inventione Cogitationis, MS. Digb. 72; De Trigonometria, MS. Digb. 76; Breviarium de Dono Dei, MS. Digb. 119; Quæstiones et Commentaria in Libros Aristotelis de Anima, MS. Digb. 150; De Sermone Rei admirabilis, MS. Digb. 183; De Motu, MS. Digb. 190; Grammatica Græca, MS. Fr. Douai. In the Digby collection is also a very curious treatise on geometry by Bacon, which is intended for publication by the Historical Society of Science, under the editorial care of professor Davies. To attempt, however, even a bare enumeration of the titles of manuscripts attributed to Roger Bacon would occupy more space than is compatible with the nature of this work; and we content ourselves, therefore, with having pointed out the most important ones. We may add, however, that Sir Thomas Phillipps possesses a fine manuscript of Bacon's chemical treatises, written in the early part of the fourteenth century, and which may possibly be the same which formerly belonged to Dr. Askew, and is described in the sale catalogue of his library, (8vo, London, 1785, No. 464.)

As frequent allusions are made to Friar Bacon's brazen head, it will not be irrelevant to give an abridged version of the

legend from a rare tract, entitled, The famous Historie of Friar Bacon, 4to. Lond. 1652. Friar Bacon, it is pretended, discovered, "after great study," that if he could succeed in making a head of brass which should speak, and hear it when it spoke, he might be able to surround all England with a wall of brass. By the assistance of Friar Bungey, and a devil likewise called into the consultation, he accomplished his object, but with this drawback-the head when finished was warranted to speak in the course of one month; but it was quite uncertain when ; and if they heard it not before it had done speaking, all their labour would be lost. After watching for three weeks, fatigue got the mastery over them, and Bacon set his man Miles to watch, with strict injunctions to awake them, if the head should speak. The fellow heard the head at the end of one half-hour say, "Time is;" at the end of another, "Time was;" and at the end of another halfhour, "Time's past;" when down it fell with a tremendous crash, the blockhead of a servant thinking that his master would be angry, if he disturbed him for such trifles! We cannot conclude better than in the words of the excellent Robert Recorde," And hereof came it that fryer Bakon was accompted so greate a negromancier, whiche never used that arte (by any conjecture that I can fynde) but was in geometrie and othir mathematicall sciences so experte, that he coulde doe by them suche thynges as were wonderful in the sight of most people." (Pathway to Knowledge, 4to, Lond. 1551.)

In

BACON, (Robert,) born about 1198, has been supposed by some, though on slight grounds, to have been the elder brother of Roger Bacon. He studied first at Oxford, and from thence went to Paris. After his return, he settled at Oxford, and read divinity lectures there. 1233, he preached a sermon before Henry III., in which he told that king plainly the mischiefs that arose from his reposing too great confidence in Peter de Rupibus, bishop of Winchester, and other foreigners, and obtained by his patriotic courage great reputation. He read, in conjunction with Fishakel, lectures in St. Edward's schools, and was very assiduous in preaching. In 1240, Bacon, though old, entered into the order of friars preachers, of which order also was his friend Fishakel. He wrote many theological works in high esteem at the time. He died in 1248. (Tanner, Bibl. Pegge's Life of Grosseteste.)