By the introduction of the inductive method in logic, Bacon overthrew the scholastic system and facilitated the study of modern science. It is true the inductive method was known before Bacon, but it had been in general neglected. The great philosophical works which accomplished this revolution were the "Advancement of Learning," and the "Novum Organum." The latter and others of his metaphysical works were written in Latin in order to reach a wider circle of readers! His "Essays" are the best known and most popular of his writings. The style is all his own; elaborate, sententious, often witty, often metaphorical, and possessing a degree of conciseness rarely found in the compositions of the Elizabethan age. Every sentence is pregnant with thought. He alone of the writers of his time strikes straight at the root of the matter. What peculiarly impresses one in his "Essays" is the undoubted truthfulness of the propositions advanced, and the manner in which he illuminates his thought by the form in which he casts it. The slight tinge of casuistry noticeable in his writings is in keeping with the times. The "Essays" were at first mere jottings down of desultory ideas, mere note-book memoranda. They were revised and expanded from time to time until they reached their present shape. THE MAN 1. Of what great English poet was Bacon a contemporary? 2. From what walk of life did Bacon come? What can you say of his preparation for literature? 3. What were his political connections? 4. How do Bacon's moral qualities compare with his intellectual ability? 5. As a judge, did Bacon have a high regard for justice and the 'judicial ermine'? 6. What popular saying aptly describes his character? STYLE AND WORKS 1. What services did Bacon render to the scientific world? 2. Was Bacon the first to make use of the inductive method in investigations? 3. Name his leading philosophical works. 4. Why are his philosophical works not accessible to the ordinary reader? 5. Which of his works are most read at the present day? 6. Does Bacon imitate any former authors or borrow from any former school of thought? 7. What are the distinguishing characteristics of Bacon's style? 8. Contrast his style with that of his contemporaries. 9. Why is it that the matters stated in the "Essays" strike you as being things which you have always known? 10. Knowing as we do in advance the truth of most of what he says, why do we derive such peculiar pleasure from reading his works? 11. What can you say as to the suggestiveness of his writings? 12. What trait, constantly appearing in his writings, is displeasing to the modern reader? 13. How can you account for the lack of system in the choice of subjects treated in the "Essays"? "THE PRAISE OF KNOWLEDGE" 1. Which are the greater and truer pleasures, those of the intellect or those of the affections?