[Footnote 2: The foundation named after him had for its object to promote by means of lectures the investigation of nature on the basis of atomism, and, at the same time, to free it from the reproach of leading to atheism and to show its harmony with natural religion. Samuel Clarke's work on _The Being and Attributes of God_, 1705, originated in lectures delivered on this foundation.] [Footnote 3: Eucken, _Geschichte der philosophischen Terminologie_, pp. 94, 196.] %8. Philosophy in England to the Middle of the Seventeenth Century.% %(a) Bacon's Predecessors.%--The darkness which lay over the beginnings of modern English philosophy has been but incompletely dispelled by the meritorious work of Ch. de Rémusat _(Histoire de la Philosophie en Angleterre depuis Bacon jusqu'a Locke_, 2 vols., 1878). The most recent investigations of J. Freudenthal _(Beiträge zur Geschichte der Englischen Philosophie_, in the _Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie_, vols. iv. and v., 1891) have brought assistance in a way deserving of thanks, since they lift at important points the veil which concealed Bacon's relations to his predecessors and contemporaries, by describing the scientific tendencies and achievements of Digby and Temple. The following may be taken from his results. Everard Digby (died 1592; chief work, _Theoria Analytica,_ 1579), instructor in logic in Cambridge from 1573, who was strongly influenced by Reuchlin and who favored an Aristotelian-Alexandrian-Cabalistic eclecticism, was the first to disseminate Neoplatonic ideas in England; and, in spite of the lack of originality in his systematic presentation of theoretical philosophy, aroused the study of this branch in England into new life. His opponent, Sir William Temple [1] (1553-1626), by his defense and exposition of the doctrine of Ramus (introduced into Great Britain by George Buchanan and his pupil, Andrew Melville), made Cambridge the chief center of Ramism. He was the first who openly opposed Aristotle. [Footnote 1: Temple was secretary to Philip Sidney, William Davison, and the Earl of Essex, and, from 1619, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. His maiden work, _De Unica P. Rami Methodo_, which he published under the pseudonym, Mildapettus 1580, was aimed at Digby's _De Duplici Methodo_. His chief work, _P. Rami Dialectics Libri Dua Scholiis, Illustrati_, appeared in 1584.] Bacon was undoubtedly acquainted with both these writers and took ideas from both. Digby represented the scholastic tendency, which Bacon vehemently opposed, yet without being able completely to break away from it. Temple was one of those who supplied him with weapons for this conflict. Finally, it must be mentioned that many of the English scientists of the time, especially William Gilbert (1540-1603; _De Magnete_, 1600), physician to Queen Elizabeth, used induction in their work before Bacon advanced his theory of method.