Francis Bacon Research Trust

The Great Instauration, Part II

The New Method

Engraved title-page to Francis Bacon’s Novum Organum, published in 1620, printed in London by ‘Bonhamum Nortonium’ (Bonham Norton) and ‘Joannem Billium’ (John Bill). The engraving was made by Simon Pass.

Since this was Bacon’s first announcement of the design of the Great Instauration, and he had not yet published the revised and enlarged Latin version of his Advancement of Learning (i.e. De Augmentis Scientiarum) that would form his example of the first part, the Novum Organum had prefixed to it a Proemium, a dedication to King James, a general preface and an account (Distributio Operis) of the parts of the Great Instauration—hence the design of the title-page.

The main features of the illustration consist of two free-standing columns on plinths representing the twin Pillars of Hercules, between which a ship can be seen sailing. A Latin motto is written beneath the ship, ‘Multi pertransibunt & augebitur scientia’, meaning ‘Many shall pass through and learning shall be increased’. This motto is based on Daniel 12 and is used by Gray’s Inn, Bacon’s home as a lawyer. The ship is surrounded by sea-creatures, and a further ship can be seen in the distance. The ship is used symbolically by Bacon as a representation of the Argo which carried the Argonauts in search of the golden fleece. The search for the golden fleece is an allegory from the classical myths describing the search for knowledge, true knowledge, which is illumination and which is the purpose of Bacon’s Great Instauration.

The twin Great Pillars, called in tradition various names such as the Pillars of Enoch, Pillars of Solomon, or Pillars of Hercules, constitute one of the major features in ancient temple design. Traditionally they stand at the entrance to the temple. To pass them means that one passes from one state of consciousness and behaviour into another, more advanced and better state. They represent the polarity of life, in all spheres, and thus have an abundance of meaning, with the right-hand pillar signifying the creative or initiating aspect of life and the left-hand pillar signifying the responsive and reflective aspect. At one level these are desire and thought respectively, and this was taken by the Ancients as a key to the harmony of the universe.

The Orphic scriptures, for instance, teach that love (Eros) is the great gravitating force which brought the universe into shape and gave birth to the starry spheres out of Chaos, but its opposite power is necessary to prevent everything unifying or marrying, and thus becoming one universal light, until the purpose of evolution is fulfilled. This purpose is to know God. In the classical temples, therefore, Venus was associated with the right-hand pillar and Mars with the left, representing desire and thought respectively, and their better activity, friendship and strife. Strife is not war in this sense, but a striving for the best, heroically or courageously. To strive together in friendship, like the Argonauts, to achieve the blessed goal of true knowledge, which is illumination, is the aim of mankind as taught by the sages. The myth of Venus and Mars making love and producing a child as a result, whose name is Harmony, allegorises this truth.

Bacon summarised this truth as ‘Strife and friendship are the spurs of motions and the keys of works’. He also used the symbolism of the twin pillars for Divinity and Philosophy—Divinity which is the Wisdom or Word of God (also known as Cupid, Eros or Christ) and Philosophy which is the loving of that Wisdom by the human intelligence, leading to the understanding of the Wisdom (which is Love). These two Bacon allegorised as the mistress (Divinity) and her handmaiden (Philosophy), the latter serving the former and the former illuminating the latter. This is a key to understanding Bacon’s own intentions and the purpose of the Great Instauration. The Great Pillars stand as signs of this.

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