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HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE

and it has been said by some writers that he did not treatBacon with more respect than the rest. But it appearsfrom his correspondence with Mersenne (published in1642), that in several letters he distinctly refers to theworks of “ Verulam” with a respect which he yieldedto no other author, and in a way which shows that hehad both studied them and approved the method theydeliver. This sufficiently accounts for some remarkablecoincidences observed by Mr. D. Stewart in the writingsof Des Cartes with the ideas, and even the very words,of Bacon ; although he was led to assert that, if DesCartes ever read the works of Bacon , he has nowherealluded to them ; and in this opinion Professor Playfairalso coincides. Indeed, before this time, Bacon ’s writ-ings seem to have been well known on the Continent ,and justly esteemed. A letter is extant from him toBaranzon, who lectured on natural philosophy at Annecy ,in Savoy, in 1621 (and, it appears, had consulted himon the introduction of the inductive method), containinga very perspicuous summary of his views, and showingthe authority and influence his writings had obtainedat that period : his suggestions to Baranzon are almostidentical with some of those referred to by Des Cartes in the letters above mentioned.*

It must be confessed, however, that we find verylittle of the influence of Bacon ’s principles in the systemof Des Cartes , however he might own their generaltruth, and follow their guidance, when he did conde-scend to any experimental enquiry: this, as we haveseen, he only resorted to as a subordinate means of as-sisting his theories ; and it was very seldom that hethought it necessary to have recourse to it.

The preliminary positions on which his systemrested, led him extensively into mechanical speculations.He laid down as an original view the estimate of forcesby the momenta, which is no other than that beforeproposed by Galileo. He also introduced into the

See Rev. W. V. Harcourt’s Address, British Assoc. Reports, note, p. 24.