AssuredlyifthetreewhichSocratesplantedandPlatowateredistobejudgedofbyitsflowersandleaves，itisthenoblestoftrees。ButifwetakethehomelytestofBacon，ifwejudgeofthetreebyitsfruits，ouropinionofitmayperhapsbelessfavourable。Whenwesumupalltheusefultruthswhichweowetothatphilosophy，towhatdotheyamount？Wefind，indeed，abundantproofsthatsomeofthosewhocultivateditweremenofthefirstorderofintellect。Wefindamongtheirwritingsincomparablespecimensbothofdialecticalandrhetoricalart。Wehavenodoubtthattheancientcontroversieswereofuse，insofarastheyservedtoexercisethefacultiesofthedisputants;
forthereisnocontroversysoidlethatitmaynotbeofuseinthisway。But，whenwelookforsomethingmore，forsomethingwhichaddstothecomfortsoralleviatesthecalamitiesofthehumanrace，weareforcedtoownourselvesdisappointed。WeareforcedtosaywithBaconthatthiscelebratedphilosophyendedinnothingbutdisputation，thatitwasneitheravineyardnoranolive—ground，butanintricatewoodofbriarsandthistles，fromwhichthosewholostthemselvesinitbroughtbackmanyscratchesandnofood。[NovumOrganum，Lib。i。Aph。73。]
Wereadilyacknowledgethatsomeoftheteachersofthisunfruitfulwisdomwereamongthegreatestmenthattheworldhaseverseen。IfweadmitthejusticeofBacon’scensure，weadmititwithregret，similartothatwhichDantefeltwhenhelearnedthefateofthoseillustriousheathenswhoweredoomedtothefirstcircleofHell:
\"Granduolmipresealcuorquandolo’ntesi，PerocchegentedimoltovaloreConobbiche’nquellimboeransospesi。\"
Butintruththeveryadmirationwhichwefeelfortheeminentphilosophersofantiquityforcesustoadopttheopinionthattheirpowersweresystematicallymisdirected。Forhowelsecoulditbethatsuchpowersshouldeffectsolittleformankind？A