Thisisnolongerthecase。Allpoliticalandreligiouscontroversyisnowconductedinthemodernlanguages。Theancienttonguesareusedonlyincommentsontheancientwriters。ThegreatproductionsofAthenianandRomangeniusareindeedstillwhattheywere。Butthoughtheirpositivevalueisunchanged，theirrelativevalue，whencomparedwiththewholemassofmentalwealthpossessedbymankind，hasbeenconstantlyfalling。Theyweretheintellectualallofourancestors。Theyarebutapartofourtreasures。OverwhattragedycouldLadyJaneGreyhavewept，overwhatcomedycouldshehavesmiled，iftheancientdramatistshadnotbeeninherlibrary？AmodernreadercanmakeshiftwithoutOedipusandMedea，whilehepossessesOthelloandHamlet。IfheknowsnothingofPyrgopolynicesandThraso，heisfamiliarwithBobadil，andBessus，andPistol，andParolles。IfhecannotenjoythedeliciousironyofPlato，hemayfindsomecompensationinthatofPascal。IfheisshutoutfromNephelococcygia，hemaytakerefugeinLilliput。Weareguilty，wehope，ofnoirreverencetowardsthosegreatnationstowhichthehumanraceowesart，science，taste，civilandintellectualfreedom，whenwesay，thatthestockbequeathedbythemtoushasbeensocarefullyimprovedthattheaccumulatedinterestnowexceedstheprincipal。WebelievethatthebookswhichhavebeenwritteninthelanguagesofwesternEurope，duringthelasttwohundredandfiftyyears，——translationsfromtheancientlanguagesofcourseincluded，——areofgreatervaluethanallthebookswhichatthebeginningofthatperiodwereextantintheworld。
WiththemodernlanguagesofEuropeEnglishwomenareatleastaswellacquaintedasEnglishmen。When，therefore，wecomparetheacquirementsofLadyJaneGrey。withthoseofanaccomplishedyoungwomanofourowntime，wehavenohesitationinawardingthesuperioritytothelatter。Wehopethatourreaderswillpardonupthisdigression。Itislong;butitcanhardlybecalledunseasonable，ifittendstoconvincethemthattheyaremistakeninthinkingthatthegreat—great—grandmothersoftheirgreat—great—grandmothersweresuperiorwomentotheirsistersandtheirwives。
FrancisBacon，theyoungestsonofSirNicholas，wasbornatYorkHouse，hisfather’sresidenceintheStrand，onthetwenty—secondofJanuary1561。ThehealthofFranciswasverydelicate;andtothiscircumstancemaybepartlyattributedthatgravityofcarriage，andthatloveofsedentarypursuitswhichdistinguishedhimfromotherboys。EverybodyknowshowmuchsobrietyofdeportmentandhisprematurereadinessofwitamusedtheQueen，andhowsheusedtocallhimheryoungLordKeeper。Wearetoldthat，whilestillamerechild，hestoleawayfromhisplayfellowstoavaultinSt。James’sFields，forthepurposeofinvestigatingthecauseofasingularechowhichhehadobservedthere。Itiscertainthat，atonlytwelve，hebusiedhimselfwithveryingeniousspeculationsontheartoflegerdemain;asubjectwhich，asProfessorDugaldStewarthasmostjustlyobserved，meritsmuchmoreattentionfromphilosophersthanithaseverreceived。Thesearetrifles。ButtheeminencewhichBaconafterwardsattainedmakestheminteresting。
InthethirteenthyearofhisagehewasenteredatTrinityCollege，Cambridge。ThatcelebratedschooloflearningenjoyedthepeculiarfavouroftheLordTreasurerandtheLordKeeper，andacknowledgedtheadvantageswhichitderivedfromtheirpatronageinapublicletterwhichbearsdatejustamonthaftertheadmissionofFrancisBacon。ThemasterwasWhitgift，afterwardsArchbishopofCanterbury，anarrowminded，mean，andtyrannicalpriest，whogainedpowerbyservilityandadulation，andemployeditinpersecutingboththosewhoagreedwithCalvinaboutchurch—government，andthosewhodifferedfromCalvintouchingthedoctrineofReprobation。Hewasnowinachrysalisstate，puttingofftheworm，andputtingonthedragon—fly，akindofintermediategrubbetweensycophantandoppressor。HewasindemnifyinghimselfforthecourtwhichhefounditexpedienttopaytotheMinistersbyexercisingmuchpettytyrannywithinhisowncollege。Itwouldbeunjust，however，todenyhimthepraiseofhavingrenderedaboutthistimeoneimportantservicetoletters。HestoodupmanfullyagainstthosewhowishedtomakeTrinityCollegeamereappendagetoWestminsterschool;andbythisact，theonlygoodact，asfarasweremember，ofhislongpubliclife，hesavedthenoblestplaceofeducationinEnglandfromthedegradingfateofKing’sCollegeandNewCollege。
IthasoftenbeensaidthatBacon，whilestillatcollege，plannedthatgreatintellectualrevolutionwithwhichhisnameisinseparablyconnected。Theevidenceonthissubject，however，ishardlysufficienttoprovewhatisinitselfsoimprobableasthatanydefiniteschemeofthatkindshouldhavebeensoearlyformed，evenbysopowerfulandactiveamind。Butitiscertainthat，afteraresidenceofthreeyearsatCambridge，Bacondeparted，carryingwithhimaprofoundcontemptforthecourseofstudypursuedthere，afixedconvictionthatthesystemofacademiceducationinEnglandwasradicallyvicious，ajustscornforthetriflesonwhichthefollowersofAristotlehadwastedtheirpowers，andnogreatreverenceforAristotlehimself。