of Ordnance hath been in China, above 2000. yeares. The Conditions of Weapons, & their Improvement are; First, The Fetching a farre off: For that outruns the Danger: As it is seene in Ordnance and Muskets. Secondly, the Strength of the Percussion; wherin likewise Ordnance doe exceed all Arietations, and ancient Inventions. The third is, the commodious use of them: As that they may serve in all Wethers; That the Carriage may be Light and Manageable; and the like.

For the Conduct of the Warre: At the first, Men rested extremely upon Number: They did put the Warres likewise upon Maine Force, and Valour; Pointing Dayes for Pitched Fields, and so trying it out, upon an even Match: And they were more ignorant in Ranging and Arraying their Battailes. After they grew to rest upon Number, rather Competent, then Vast: They grew to Advantages of Place, Cunning Diversions, and the like: And they grew more skilful in the Ordering of their Battailes.

In the Youth of a State, Armes doe flourish; In the Middle Age of a State, Learning; And then both of them together for a time: In the Declining Age of a State, Mechanicall Arts and Merchandize. Learning hath his Infancy, when it is but beginning, and almost Childish: Then his

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Youth, when it is Luxuriant and Juvenile: Then his Strength of yeares, when it is Solide and Reduced: And lastly, his old Age, when it waxeth Dry and Exhaust. But it is not good, to looke too long, upon these turning Wheeles of Vicissitude, lest we become Giddy. As for the Phi

lology of them, that is but a Circle of Tales, and therefore not fit for this Writing.

A FRAGMENT, OF AN ESSAY,

OF FAME.

THE Poets make Fame a Monster. They describe her, in Part, finely, and elegantly; and, in part, gravely, and sententiously. They say, look how many Feathers she hath, so many Eyes she hath underneath: So many Tongues; So many Voyces; She pricks up so many Ears.

This is a flourish: There follow excellent Parables; As that, she gathereth strength in going; That she goeth upon the ground, and yet hideth her head in the Clouds. That, in the day time, she sitteth in a Watch Tower, and flyeth, most, by night: That she mingleth Things done, with things not done: And that she is a Terrour to great Citties: But that, which passeth all the rest, is: They do recount, that the Earth,

Mother of the Gyants, that made War against Jupiter, and were by him destroyed, thereupon, in an anger, brought forth Fame: For certain it is, That Rebels, figured by the Gyants, and Seditious Fames, and Libels, are but Brothers, and Sisters; Masculine, and Feminine. But now, if a Man can tame this Monster, and bring her to feed at the hand, and govern her, and with her fly other ravening Fowle, and kill them, it is somewhat worth. But we are infected, with the

stile of the Poets. To speak now, in a sad, and serious manner: There is not, in all the Politiques, a Place, lesse handled, and more worthy to be handled, then this of Fame. We will, therefore, speak of these points. What are false Fames; And what are true Fames; And how they may be best discerned; How Fames, may be sown, and raised; How they may be spread, and multiplyed; And how they may be checked, and layed dead. And other Things, concerning the Nature of Fame. Fame, is of that force, as there is, scarcely, any great Action wherein, it hath not, a great part; Especially, in the War. Mucianus undid Vitellius by a Fame, that he scattered; That Vitellius had in purpose, to remove the Legions of Syria, into Germany; And the Legions of Germany, into Syria: whereupon the Legions of Syria were infinitely inflamed.

Julius Cæsar, took Pompey unprovided, and layed asleep his industry, and preparations, by a Fame that he cunningly gave out; How Casars own Souldiers loved him not; And being wearied with the Wars, and Laden with the spoyles of Gaul, would forsake him, as soon as he came into Italy. Livia, setled all things, for the Succession, of her Son Tiberius, by continuall giving out, that her husband Augustus, was upon Recovery, and amendment. And it is an usuall thing, with the Basshawes, to conceale the Death of the Great Turk from the Jannizaries, and men of War, to save the Sacking of Constantinople, and other Towns, as their Manner is. Themistocles, made Zerxes, king of Persia poast apace out of Græcia, by giving out, that the Gracians, had a purpose, to break his Bridge, of Ships, which he had made athwart Hellespont. There be a thousand such like Examples; And the more they are, the lesse they need to be repeated; Because a Man, meeteth with them, every where; Therefore, let all Wise Governers, have as great a watch, and care, over Fames, as they have, of the Actions, and Designes themselves.

The rest was not Finished.

The text of the present issue is that of the Third Edition of the 'Essays," the final authorised edition, published by Bacon in 1625. The over-elaborate punctuation, the capital letters, and the archaic spelling (except the old use of u, v, and i, j), have been retained.

A fragment of an Essay, of Fame," is from Dr. Rawley's Resuscitatio," 1657.