The Dominion. SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1914, AN INTERESTING COMMEMORATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2169, 6 June 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 1914, AN INTERESTING COMMEMORATION

Ts6 seveptb centenary d ,oj.e birth of BcXKit Baeo?*, wfej hss b&:n wM<s tfre fftj&ar of mpd.fere science, j : s iro $6 eefcJM-ij.ted o& iiexfc, Jiiiic W)» by 4 Gtimisae«iS:ra.tiog.sfe Qsfoyd Um\ffirsi% visa 4 stittee e| this great Franciscan will ha utyv-ciled *nd addfes-ses .givoa by distiegwishcd Sc!bo|ft.rs, _ 16 is ftlso proposed to isguq a petoorisl vciliimo <}f afldtci ' awifigf! for .the jiripttflg- cif ; BACtis's writings, C'flnnJietiioT.aitpps of "fchls: ehijtjficjfcer ar<3 u&JI worth, while freift jpatty poilits of view. For ong thing are impressive jfctnincEeFs pi the deb-it yUckika pregeat o*os to the ; past. The airwfeenth a&cT twenj4«ii!i J&ntairies afe'in senie respects ih'o j most wondei'fui i» :humpn bistery. Mid. tfeeir ftcliJ.e.vemeiits jaora so pe&i in stir eyes that- \?e -arcs JMrWc to u:th I (JBi:-fi.|tH!i&;fo the Imppifenc© .iflf tfip cqfttrifruii&tts ' whith gtfte* pefiods have wade to the- wcvld's U it is true tflMffc w© «e t;he .Jicjis o{ ail the jjges, ttioo th.e ass In wfejsh hve live 'Ought |p b.d afc ihe-anex ftf [ .civilisation, for pti)&*s. : bav.e l^bojirfed

arid m cnJQ? fclro fruits ef their wß*Jf. Bprn ia jn i&M, $6 year before Pagpa tJh'iri* ' tyas signed, R&SEit Bacon lived'to feeonp 646 of ■%, most rnen mi'pa day. Eβ? Iβ sij-fipescd tp tee beet) the iilventor of the dicing hail, ihq air pump, tfo telescopy ,i"n4 w .camera obsctfra, α-nd , the dxseaicry t>l 'subpowdis? is also att.ribitted to -6151, Bjtfc perhaps iiis prijjeijjiiL Gkim' |oI ctisMhotiact. lies ia his .Wo:.n;dsrfully [ "cleaf \uttfepstanding ffoi i nieata! methoii afoiid giv-o eert'afnty in feeierioe. fSis. (writes My. Wmi-. ntii) w«g a revojiitionary ehftDge o.f ; njonta) altitude only .be |i:pp*6,cia't■ecl altar a eoutse tj.f stttdy 6s. ;bhe writings of his day." fh.is isarjiesl Ftanciscan fria-f "told the world that the only fl>a:v to refleh brutli was to cfbsettfe and oxp&tit njsnti." His ppipiotis apd tnethodswere hi in advance of his iijne, aji-ct werfe itt marlißd cantrast to the preVftilinj spirit of. the inteikdlual w<wH t>l the thw_|?ent.h eeajtury, ms able t& a,iifcipipai ; 6 enc t of tike great prifteip-les pi toftderft acieiiMfie investigation, and is said to have* spent grcat sftms oft hfa rosc.aFtlie& It is ftofc suiiprjsiiig t%a% thj.s brilliatib Oxfejei scholaif shpuld. Jiftvc , ; liwaght- himself unfa , stigfiGkti as! one who mcrldtei *ifh tbft ayte, ■ fei? this is the price toftii pay lav. be- ■ ing boi'n 'out oi tj ; ue ti.txie-. Bwfc! tbajiks t:o the sympatliy and protce--lim pi Popb OtEstfeNT IV, he was eft-: nbied to lilaee liis Viini's oft reeorel hi J the boolis of which Oxford now in* toads It) i>u-blisli now apd eritieal editions. B.vpos h<j.d tlio grcM advaji-; tage of tlw friendship of Sokewl GcossfiitsTE, ChaMcllm , of Oslorrl, ] aad afterwafds Jfehop of .Lincoln. On one. occasion ho clf-elai'cd ttiat "biifc orse- «lo«e kftows tfe- sei.e.fti;6s, tl ; ro Bkliop of Muto-lij." At this timo tlJolJtct'rttureof'Oreeefl wn» being.■«•< opcecd to EtiiMeaa sebolsiSj ajid It.

canjfl like tie ittvojatior) «f a new world. Gbosseteste was deeply Interested in. the #my leapningj and he invited Greeks to eome to England in ortlpp fe give instruction tG-'lriglish rtnttonte. But tjjp iwoto CcKervntive winds of the time wow alanßod at the new Idea? which were getting abfoajl, mi aftc.i- tho death of Cipipsj, fy, Ba.cQ3f got into serious trouble. Jte&g kbfed vpm as a sort of Bia.gieran, he lost the favour el those in. ttuthonly over Irim, ani} his wofk was ititertupted by a terntof impris9niiiff!3.t. Ijo.«evei\ fee lived to pe'an cl.d Man., aih! "tfe-e mpsi; iwporiaet ph.eiwßicnoa of Jsid Middle Ages," ag JlujmeLm' called him., w.as ahle to do soffift nto?ft soieatiij.c work feqfere lie diei

. Jf.a.n,y people $ecni to regajc«l the Middle. Ages as a period of almost Wiferoljcn inteUootual aftd tokil : gfodiß.. But this is quite a ijiistalcc The.thii ! teett-th centaify, for inst#ftce. was i.n reapeets a woiidorfTil artc! has rifl tcAsoxt to fear 001*1jjarkoa even with the Fictoriijrj cfQ. {. & tmlury .that can da-iw such te'w" firing iftteilcfits as Boseii B.a^ok s 5 Tbi&as Aij'ei.&is, Pir.N'g Sconts, Ral"- ■ hcm LijtiE, ftftd WiiiiAM OwH*Ji ! BW.si ahvays ■oecupiy , an jiupnftot plafc in the history of _ iiinaan ) ttiQUgfit, It was .also grojlt hi ?cu]|f" : tui'e ajid arebitecfcitre, as is shown . by Salisbury Oat]io4ral and the f(ijn<M.s Bamijeif.s swijjjtures. From the 13'niisA point .of vfsw it has spe- ; qial intptesi' a-S -t]je age wkidi jiueed atafesmen l|k.o Ejuwjuj I, Grosspieste., and S.imos be BloNjifoiin, and -w* fcte sigtwng of M.agri)t Obartjij aod tho emljing "imcthef at tho Jl<?4el Farijaaaoiai/ This is 4 record for any liuttctfed yaa-rs, ■an.d ii is well tlial we Bli.ouid be re■uiitvdecl from time to time tjiafc wjiafr Iwe call rjjpdetji d:.viii?:atj : on is abt quits-*U Oitr own worit, Jjui that it has been built tt.jwi fouhdiiUo.ns Iftid by people who have .geuc iKjfwo «s. Qii-r g,6n.D.j:a4ion has eertciitiijf dsrie tnS-??elB in the way <kf scicttfeific discovery aftd njpeJiafi.i.cal JjiJt ihesß' achjeveß]sat3 wal.d not ha ; ve been possible if naen likft BpGe.r B.aoos, Cbp'teßj-'ious, iIEWEft, »tid &ijwT.<MT had not prepaifed the wn,tt ■lor them. It is alwost i;m{>.oxsii*l& for our Rrege.ni-jia-y to feaV iso tli?. dfi'ljt wfeh ■maflkind owe& to the unknown diifcoverm of arlifejat and %;, wheel,' «tJj4 to tfho 'Ijrst conceived tie idea *>f, writing a.iid .eouniing. jaeh rf ; fces.o aehfcvefliefits was s-ft sp.o.elj+maljjiig «Vonrfc in huiaajj hjstoy and Ille ttreift-' ; tjetli ceiitu*)' can eiftim no 'in tho bonptjSr of gjitiiig tlioiri to tiifi : worM, i. reinjiricler of theso facts , sho.nl4 -iajacß iis jliy.wil.% and gra#-' ;tiide. It is ftpißf. thai v/q shoiild no* fargiet ottr beHefactQ??s ol bygftnti: .gencrAfciofis, and fe* <?i theift' ,n:r«! . jnpi'i of feaijjg held in ,ev.e : f- , lastjßp tfeiiieibbranco thah Sasos, wfco.se , life and work -are to! bo fi9rh.fti.s]ja&r?i|G.d: rjesjb freel at Oic-! %fd tJnfve-Riity. ■ . '"