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tions entered into by the Chapter of that Cathedral, Gwynn's idea of a British Temple of Fame may be completely realized.

But there is alfo wanting another monument to Lord Bacon--the history of his life and writings*; a work often mentioned by that great master of biography Dr. Johnson, as a work which he himfelf fhould like to undertake, and to which he wished to add a complete edition of Lord Bacon's English writings. Mr. Mallet has indeed written a life of this great man, but it is very scanty and imperfect, and fays very little either of the philofophy of Lord Bacon or of those that preceded him; on which account Bishop Warburton, in his ftrong manner, faid, "that he fuppofed if "Mr. Mallet were to write the life of the Duke "of Marlborough, he would never once mention "the military art."

Lord Bacon died at Lord Arundel's house at Highgate, in his way to Gorhambury, being feized with the ftroke of death as he was making fome philofophical experiments. He dictated the

*What a pity it is that no good memoir (fcarce in"deed any memoir at all) of this restorer of philofophy has "ever appeared! and how much is fuch a work to be defired by all true lovers of literature."-Dr. JORTIN.

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following letter to Lord Arundel three days be fore he died; and it must be perused with a melancholy pleasure, as the laft letter this great man ever dictated.

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ત MY VERY GOOD LORD,

"I was likely to have had the fortune of "Caius Plinius the elder, who loft his life by trying an experiment about the burning of the "mountain Vefuvius; for I was defirous to try c an experiment or two touching the conferva❝tion and enduration of bodies. As for the "experiment itself, it fucceeded extremely well; "but on the journey (between London and "Highgate) I was taken with fuch a fit of caft

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ing as I knew not whether it were the stone, or "fome furfeit, or cold, or indeed a touch of "them all three. But when I came to your "Lordship's houfe I was not able to go back, " and therefore was forced to take my lodging "here, where your housekeeper is very careful "and diligent about me; which I affure myself your Lordship will not only pardon towards "him, but think the better of him for it; for "indeed your Lordship's house was happie to

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me, and I kiffe your noble hands for the well

come which I am fure you give me to it. I "know how unfit it is for me to write to your "Lordship with any pen but my own, but in

❝ truth

truth my fingers are fo disjointed with this fit "of fickness that I cannot steadily hold my pen. "Your Lordship's to command,

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"ST. ALBAN'S."

Mr. Evelyn, in his Effay upon Phyfiognomy at the end of his Treatife upon Medals, says of Lord Bacon," he had a fpacious forehead, and "a piercing eye, always (as I have been told by one who knew him well) looking upward, as a foul in fublime contemplation, and as the perfon who, by ftanding up against dogma"tists, was to emancipate and set free the long "and miferably captivated philosophy, which "has ever fince made fuch conquefts in the ter"ritories of nature."

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Lord Bacon, in his " Effay upon Health and "Long Life," fays, that on fome Philofopher's being asked how he had arrived to the very advanced period of life at which he then was, replied, "Intus melle, extra oleo-By taking honey "within, and oil without

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* One of our Confuls in Egypt (a gentleman to whom this Country has the highcft obligations, for the very early information with which he supplied our Settlements in the East Indies with the information of the breaking out of the laft war with the French) imagines that oil applied externally to the human body, as in a fhirt dipped in that lubricating

fubftance,

Not long before Lord Bacon's death he was vifited by the Marquis d'Effiat, a Frenchman of rank and of learning. Lord Bacon was ill, and received him in his bed-chamber with the curtains drawn. The Marquis on entering the room paid to him this very elegant compliment: "Your Lordship refembles the Angels. We "have all heard of them; we are all defirous "to fee them; and we never have that fatif "faction."

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Dr. Tatham fays finely of Bacon:

"Ariftotle locked up the Temple of Know ledge, and threw away the key, which in the "abfurd and fuperftitious veneration of his authority was loft for ages. It was found at "laft by a native of our own country, whose name as a philofopher, and particularly as a lo

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gician*, does more honour to England than his "did to Stagyra; who threw open the prison " in which Science had been held captive, and 66 once more fet her free; and who with a bold "and virtuous facrilege tore the laurel from

fubftance, would prevent the infection of that horrible calamity the plague; and as he lives in a country very frequently vifited by that dreadful disorder, he has had but too frequent opportunities of making the experiment.

*Illud verò monendum, nos in hoc noftro Organo tractare Logicam, non Philofophiam.-Nov. Organ. Lib. ii. Aphorifm 52. "that

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"that dark and deified philofopher, which he "had fo long and fo injuriously worn." The Chart and Scale of Truth, Vol. I. page 353.

According to Mr. Aubrey, Cardinal Richelieu was a great admirer of Lord Bacon. Balzac fays of him refpecting his character of the Ancients,

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Croyons donc, pour l'amour du Chancelier Ba"con, que toutes les folies des anciens font fages, " & tous leurs fonges myfteres."

The following notices of this great man are copied from Mr. Aubrey's MSS. in the AfhmoJean Library at Oxford:

"Mr. Thomas Hobbes (Malmburienfis) was "beloved by Lord Bacon. He was wont to "have him walke with him in his delicate groves "when he did meditate; and when a notion "darted into his head, Mr. H. was presently to "write it down, and his Lordfhip was wont to

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fay, that he did it better than any one else "about him; for that many times when he read "their notes, he fcarce understood what they

writ, because they understood it not clearly "themselves. In fhort, all that were great and "good loved and honoured him. Sir Ed. Coke, "Lord Chief Juftice, always envied him, and "under

VOL. I.

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