Truth-Time

Woodblock illustration on title-page of Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis, published together with and as an appendix to Sylva Sylvarum, 1st edition 1626 and 2nd edition 1627, printed in London by J. Haviland for W. Lee.

The picture depicts Time, in the form of Saturn (Cronos) or Pan, drawing forth Truth, in the form of a naked woman, from a cave. Time holds a scythe in his right hand, whilst he grasps Truth’s left wrist with his left hand. At his feet, and standing upright between them, is an hour-glass. The Latin motto in the circular border reads ‘Tempore Patet Occulta Veritas’, translated as ‘Time brings forth Hidden Truth’.

Not only is this a true axiom concerning life itself, in which the divine wisdom has been concealed in matter and waits for us to gradually discover and bring it forth from its hiding place, but also is a statement concerning the Baconian method for training us in the art of discovering truth. Bacon considered that the best method would be one that imitates the divine method—one that Solomon (in Proverbs) refers to as a game of hide-and-seek.

Another name for Time, besides Saturn, Cronos and Pan, is Janus. As Bacon pointed out, Janus is associated with the Imagination, as also with Brahma, the Poet-Creator. In symbolism their three visible faces look to the left, right and forward, signifying looking to the past, present and future (or to sense, reason and action), whilst their hidden face looks to the hidden source.

Bacon teaches that Poetry is directly associated with Imagination, as its highest art. The Elizabethan poet, Sir Philip Sydney, wrote that a poet is a 'maker', or creater, and that the divine Poet is God as the Creator (Maker) of all things. This was likewise Bacon's point of view, and moreover he pointed out that since, according to holy writ, man was made in God's image, therefore the real purpose of man must be to imitate God. He set out to try to do just that, helped by a natural gift, propensity, genius and desire for such things.

As part of the game of hide-and-seek, the 18th century Shakespeare Memorials in Westminster Abbey and Wilton House depict the link between Janus, Shakespeare and Bacon, and Bacon's great gift to humanity.

The significance of these Memorials, together with Bacon's poetic game of hide-and-seek, are described in the book, The Shakespeare Enigma. The book is by Peter Dawkins and available from the FBRT online bookshop. (See Publications.)

FBRT Friends receive regular essays and discussion papers on these and other subjects.