francis bacon the wisdom of the ancients

The things to be seen and observed are, the courts of princes, especially when they give audience to ambassadors the courts of justice, while they sit and hear causes and so of consistories ecclesiastic the churches and monasteries, with the monuments which are therein extant the walls and fortifications of cities and towns.Īnd so the havens and harbors, antiquities and ruins, libraries, colleges, disputations, and lectures, where any are shipping and navies houses and gardens of state and pleasure, near great cities armories, arsenals, magazines, exchanges, burses, warehouses, exercises of horsemanship, fencing, training of soldiers, and the like comedies, such whereunto the better sort of persons do resort treasuries of jewels and robes cabinets and rarities and, to conclude, whatsoever is memorable in the places where they go, after all which the tutors or servants ought to make diligent inquiry.Īs for triumphs, masks, feasts, weddings, funerals, capital executions, and such shows, men need not to be put in mind of them yet they are not to be neglected. Let diaries, therefore, be brought in use. It is a strange thing that, in sea voyages, where there is nothing to be seen but sky and sea, men should make diaries but in overland travel, wherein so much is to be observed, for the most part they omit it as if the chance were fitter to be registered than observation. Young men travel under some tutor or grave servant, I allow well, so that he be such a one that hath the language, and hath been in the country before whereby he may be able to tell them what things are worthy to be seen in the country where they go, what acquaintances they are to seek, what exercises or discipline the place yieldeth for else young men shall go hooded, and look abroad little. He that travelleth into a country before he hath some entrance into the language, goeth to school, and not to travel. Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education in the elder, a part of the experience.

Statue of Francis Bacon in the Library of Congress, Washington DCīelow is Bacon’s essay on travel, published in his book called the Wisdom of the Ancients (1609). His works are credited with developing the scientific method and remained influential through the scientific revolution. He argued science could be achieved by the use of a skeptical and methodical approach whereby scientists aim to avoid misleading themselves. Therefore, let me first introduce you to Francis Bacon, also, the father of empiricism.įrancis Bacon was an English philosopher and statesman. Some of you may be familiar with Francis Bacon, while others may not have heard of this name before.

Francis bacon the wisdom of the ancients