Refer again to the Advancement of Learning (1605):
“Antonius Pius, who succeeded him, was a Prince excellently learned; and had the Patient and subtile witte of a Schoole man: insomuch as in common speech, (which leaves no vertue untaxed) hee was called Cymini Sector, a carver, or a divider of Comine seede, which is one of the least seedes: such a patience hee had and setled spirite, to enter into the least and most exact differences of causes; a fruit no doubt of the exceeding tranquillitie, and serenitie of his minde: which being no wayes charged or incombred, either with feares, remorses, or scruples, but having been noted for a man of the purest goodnesse without all fiction or affectation, that raigned or lived: made his minde continually present and entier: he likewise approached a degree neerer unto Christianitie, and became as Agrippa sayd unto S. Paule, Halfe a Christian; holding their Religion and Law in good opinion: and not only ceasing persecution, but giving way to the advancement of Christians.” (B. 1, p. 35).
“Compact, well-built, lucid,” “satisfying to the ear,” “not clumsy, sprawling sentences of half a page”—and yet here is nearly a page before Bacon completed his period, and what about unity of subject?
And again from the same work:
“In which kind I cannot but mencion Honoris causa your Maiesties exellent book touching the duty of a king: a woorke ritchlye compounded of Divinity Morality and Policy, with great aspersion of all other artes: & being in myne opinion one of the moste sound & healthful writings that I have read: not distempered in the heat of invention nor in the Couldnes of negligence: not sick of Dusinesse as those are who leese themselves in their order; nor of Convulsions as those which Crampe in matters impertinent; not savoring of perfumes & paintings as those doe who seek to please the Reader more than Nature beareth, and chiefelye wel disposed in the spirits thereof, beeing agreeable to truth, and apt for action: and farre remooved from that Natural infirmity, whereunto I noted those, that write in their own professions to be subject, which is, that they exalt it above measure.” (B. 1, 2d p. 69).
I quote again:
“This kinde of degenerate learning did chiefely raigne amongst the Schoole-men, who having sharpe and stronge wits, and aboundance of leasure, and smal varietie of reading; but their with being shut up in the Cels of a few Authors (chiefely Aristotle their Dictator) as their persons were shut up in the Cells of Monasteries and Colledges, and knowing little Historie, either of Nature or time, did out of no great quantitie of matter, and infinite agitation of wit, spin out unto us those laborious webbes of Learning which are extant in their Bookes,” (B. 1, 2d p. 18).
In eleven lines we are told that 'this kind of learning did reign among schoolmen who did spin out to us those webs of learning extant in their books.’
Many such examples could be quoted, but these will suffice to show that this critic has not read Bacon well even in modern editions, and not at all in the old English of the original editions. So slightly familiar is he with the great author, that he has failed to discriminate betwen the compact, forceful style of the Essays and Apothegms and the “clumsy, sprawling sentences,” of his scientific works—a variation in the manner of writing so marked that one might think these were not from the same pen.
Mr. Candler has kindly replied to the objection to the sentence, “Such things doth burn,” but I will add other instances: “Which Religion and the holy faith doth conduct men unto” (A. of L. B. 2, 4th p. 69); “which the example and countenance of twoo so learned Princes ... hath wrought” (A. of L. B. 1, p. 11); “like Ants which is a wise creature for itself” (B. 2, st p. 93).