It may be objected, that, in fpeaking of poetic compofition, we have dwelt fo long, and almost so exclufively on the drama. It would indeed have been far more pleasant to range at large through the whole flowery fields of the mufes, where we could have gathered much that is sweet, and much that is falutary. But we must not indulge in excurfions which are merely pleasurable. We have on all occafions made it a point not to recommend books because they are pleasant, or even good, but because they are appropriate. And as it is notorious that gorgeous Tragedy With fceptred Pall comes fweeping by, that the prefers the fplendid fcenes of royal courts to the retired walks of private life; that she delights to exemplify virtue, to defignate vice, or dignify calamity, by chufing he perfonages among Kings and Princes, we therefore thought it might not be altogether unufeful, in touching on this topic, topic, to distinguish between fuch authors. as are fafe, and fuch as are dangerous; by mentioning thofe of the one clafs with deferved commendation, and by generally paffing over the names of the others in filence. CHAP. CHAP. XXXI. Books of Inftruction, &c. Lord Bacon, &c. IN In the "prophet of unborn science,” who brought into use a logic almost entirely new, and who rejected the study of words for that of things, the royal pupil may fee the way, rarely ufed before his time, of arguing by induction; a logic grounded upon obfervation, fact, and experiment. To estimate the true value of Lord Bacon, we fhould recollect what was the state of learning when he appeared; we fhould remember with what a mighty hand he overthrew the defpotifm of that abfurd fystem which had kept true knowledge` in fhackles, arrefted the progrefs of found philofophy, and blighted the growth of the human intellect. His firft aim was to clear the ground, by rooting out the preconceived errors, and obftinate obftinate prejudices, which long prefcrip. tion had established; and then to substitute what was useful, in place of that idle and fruitless speculation which had fo long pre vailed. He was almoft the first rational investigator of the laws of nature, who made genuine truth and found knowledge, and not a barren curiofity and an unprofitable ingenuity, the object of his pursuit. His inftances are all faid to be collected with as much judgment, as they are recorded with fimplicity. He teaches the important art of viewing a queftion on all fides, and of eliciting truth from the refult; and he always makes reafoning and experiment go hand in hand, mutually illuftrating each other. One principal ufe of being fomewhat acquainted with this great author is, to learn that admirable method and order which he uniformly obferves. So excellent is the difpofition he makes, that the reader is not loft, even in that mighty mass of matter in which he arranges the arts of history, hiftory, poetry, and philofophy, under their three great correfponding faculties, of memory, imagination, and understanding. This perfpicuous clearness of diftribution; this breaking up his fubject into parts, without lofing fight of that whole to which each portion preferves its exact fubordination, enables the reader to follow him, with out perplexity, in the wide ftretch and compass of his intellectual researches. With the fame admirable method he has alfo made a diftribution of the feveral branches of history. He feparates it into three divifions,-chronicles or annals, lives, and relations; affigning, in his luminous way, to each its refpective properties. Lives of individuals, he is of opinion, exhibit more faithful and lively narratives of things; and he pronounces them capable of being more fafely and advantageously transferred into example, than general hiftory. He affigns also a great degree of usefulness to special relations of actions, fuch as Catiline's confpiracy, and the expedition VOL. II. |