BACON, Roger, a Franciscan friar of amazing genius and learning, was born near Ilchester in Somersetshire, in the year 1214. He began his studies at Oxford; but in what school or college is uncertain. Thence he removed to the university of Paris, which, in those times, was esteemed the centre of literature. Here, we are told, he made so rapid a progress in the sciences, that he was esteemed the glory of that university, and was much cared for by several of his countrymen, particularly by Robert Grosstethead, afterwards
bishop of Lincoln, his singular friend and patron.
About the year 1240, he returned to Oxford; and assuming the Franciscan habit, prosecuted his favourite study of experimental philosophy with unremitting ardour and assiduity. In this pursuit, in experiments, instruments, and in scarce books, he tells us, he spent, in the space of 20 years, no less than 2000; which, it seems, was given him by some of the heads of the university, to enable him to prosecute his noble inquiries. But such extraordinary talents, and astonishing progress in sciences, which, in that ignorant age, were totally unknown to the rest of mankind, whilst they raised the admiration of the more intelligent few, could not fail to excite the envy and malice of his illiterate fraternity; who found no difficulty of possessing the vulgar with the notion of Bacon's dealing with the devil. Under this pretence, he was restrained from reading lectures; his writings were confined to his convent; and finally, in 1278, he himself was imprisoned in his cell. At this time he was 64 years of age. Nevertheless, being permitted the use of his books, he went on in the rational pursuit of knowledge, corrected his former labours, and wrote several curious pieces. When he had been 10 years in confinement, Jerome de Ascoli being elected pope, Bacon solicited his holiness to be released; in which, it seems, he did not immediately succeed. However, towards the latter end of that pope's reign, he obtained his liberty, and spent the remainder of his life in the college of his order, where he died in the year 1294, in the 80th year of his age, and was buried in the Franciscan church. Such are the few particulars which the most diligent researches have been able to discover concerning this very great man; who, like a single bright star in a dark hemisphere, shone forth the glory of his country, and the pride of human nature. His works are, 1. Epistola fratris Rogeri Baconis de secretis operibus artis et nature, et de nullitate magie. Paris, 1542, 4to. Basil, 1593, 8vo. 2. Opus majus. Lond. 1733, fol. published by Dr. Jebb. 3. Thesaurus chemicus, Franci. 1623, 1620. This was probably the editor's title; but it contains several of our author's treatises on this subject. These printed works of Bacon contain a considerable number of essays, which, in the catalogue of his writings by Bale, Pits, &c. have been considered as distinct books; but there remain in different libraries several manuscripts not yet published. By an attentive perusal of his works, the reader will be astonished to find, that this great luminary of the 13th. century was a great linguist and a skilful grammarian, that he was well versed in the theory and practice of perspective; that he understood the use of convex and concave glasses, and the art of making them: that the camera obscura, burning-glasses, and the power of the telescope were known to him; that he was well versed in geography and astronomy; that he knew the great error in the calendar, assigned the cause, and proposed the remedy; that he understood chronology well; that he was an adept in chemistry, and was really the inventor of gun-powder; that he possessed great knowledge in the medical art; that he was an able mathematician, logician, metaphysician, and theologist.