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BACON 377 BACON" These essays abound in evidences of his study of "the architecture of fortune," a philosophy of success. The essays of the third edition, written after his fall, are more philosophical and contain his ripest wisdom. The shrewdness, the concrete dealing with human nature, the concise and aphoristic style, the concentrated wisdom of one of the keenest observers, have combined to make these fifty-eight essays one of the great achievements of English literature. Bacon's rise to power was very slow. Essex had been long interested in him, but was unable to get his protege any high position. As a member of the coun- sel for the Queen he was a participant in the trial of Essex in 1601, a fact for which he has been much criticized. In 1605 his "Advancement of Learning" ap- peared. In this he carried out in detail some of the youthful ambitions expressed in his letter to Burghley and anticipated most of the philosophy afterward de- veloped in many writings. The book is a survey of learning in his time, filled with acute criticisms of the university course, estimating the accomplishment in all fields of learning, pointing out what needed to be done and the method to be used, and treating the philosophy of suc- cess as well as traditional matters. It shows great learning, tremendous vital- ity, and contains many ideas on the method of research and the function of the college course that are of value to- day. His praise of learning, found in many passages, is eloquent, marked by lofty imagination and by the passion of a lover. His object was not merely to reach the attention of professional stu- dents, but to touch the imagination of men of all sorts and conditions, so that they might look upon research as one of the loftiest of human interests. Not until his forty-sixth year did for- tune smile on him. In 1607 he became Solicitor-General. Ten years later he was Lord Keeper; in 1618 Lord Chancel- lor; in 1621 Viscount St. Albans. He worked with enormous energy. His worldly success and the tremendous of- ficial burdens that accompanied it did not put an end to his activities in behalf of learning. In 1620 his "Novum Or- ganum," or new method, appeared, hav- ing been prepared for by numerous writ- ings carried on through busy years. His desire was to lead men to use an induc- X tive method in research. He pointed out the way through which modern science has won its triumphs. At the very pinnacle of his fame, he became the victim of the rising moral sense of the time and of the popular dislike of the corruption of the court. He was accused of accepting bribes, was tried and convicted, and Parliament im- posed on him a sentence of imprison- ment, a fine of £40,000, and expulsion from all public office. There is no evi- dence that his judgments had been in- fluenced by the gifts that were a conven- tion of the time. He recogrnized the jus- tice of his sentence, but maintained that he had been uncorrupted. He was fond of extravagance and display, and these qualities together with his long study of the art of rising seem to have blunted his moral sense. They also inspired envy, and it should be added that the increasing unpopularity of the King and of his favorite, Buckingham, hastened the crisis. After his fall, Bacon turned once more to his studies. His "History of Henry VII." (1622) was a pioneer in modern philosophical history. Several scientific works were completed; he revised and expanded his "Essays"; and carried on a series of scientific researches. He died April 9, 1626. The enigma of his char- acter; the tragedy of his fall, almost in a day, from the highest worldly fame to disgrace; the enormous energy of his mind and will; his mastery of English prose; the immense stimulus he gave to learning, and is still capable of giving — • all these indicate the extraordinary achievement of one of the greatest men of a great period in human history. BACON, JOSEPHINE DODGE DAS- KAM, American authoress, born in Stam- ford, Conn., Feb. 17, 1876. She graduated from Smith College in 1898 at the head of her class. She has been a prolific writer of books and magazine articles, and is especially happy in her studies of juvenile and adolescent types. BACON, LEONABD, an American clergyman, born in Detroit, Mich., Feb. 19, 1802; educated at Yale and Andover. In 1825 he became pastor of the First Congregational Church in New Haven. He was Professor of Didactic Theology in Yale (1866-1871). He was an active opponent of slavery. In 1847 he joined with Drs. Storrs and Thompson to found the New York "Independent." He pub- lished "Views and Reviews" (1840); "Slavery Discussed in Occasional Es- says" (1846), and "Genesis of the New England Churches." He died in New Haven, Conn., Dec. 24, 1881. BACON, ROBERT, an American financier and public official, born in Bos- ton in 1860. He graduated from Harvard University in 1880 and entered the bank- ing house of Lee, Higginson & Co. in Boston in 1881. In 1894 he became a member of the firm of J. P. Morgan & Co., New York, remaining until 1903.