BACON, BOGER ( c.1214-94 ) . An English monk and philosopher. Ile was descended from a respectable family, and born at lIchester, in Somersetshire, about 1214. Through the force of his intellect lie raised himself far above his age, made remarkable discoveries in several branches of science, and contributed much to extend the then scanty knowledge of nature. The facts of his life, in the main, must be gath ered from tradition and from references in va rious works. Ile studied at Oxford and then at Paris, where Ile received the degree of doctor of theology; and soon after his return to Eng land, he entered the Order of the Franciscans and settled at Oxford. Ile carried on active studies and experimental researches, this latter work being done mainly in alchemy and optics. He was so far advanced in his discoveries as not only to arouse the jealousy of his associates and to create doubts as to his orthodoxy, but also to occasion his being accused of dealing in the black art of magic. In 1257. when 13ona irentura was General of the Franciscan Order, Bacon was removed from Oxford, and for ten years confined at Paris without writing mate rials, books, or instruments. Among those who had heard of Bacon was Guy de Foulques, the Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina, at that time (1264) Papal legate in England, and later Pope Clement IV. He desired to see Bacon's writings, but the interdiction of the Franciscans prevented a com pliance with his wish. On his accession to the Papacy as Clement 1V., Bacon wrote to him, expressing his readiness to furnish him with whatever he desired, and Clement in reply repeated his request to see Bacon's works, despite the Franciscan prohibition. Bacon accordingly prepared his Opus Majus (edited by Jebb, 1733), which he sent to the Pope, it is said, by his favorite pupil. John of London, and in which he represented the necessity of a reformation in the sciences through different methods of studying the languages and of nature.
The Opus Majus was an encyclopaedia of all science, embracing grammar and logic, mathe matics, physics, experimental research, and mural philosophy, many of these branches being discussed at length in other works. How Clement received these books is not known, as they could only have reached him about the time he was seized with his last illness. For
ten years after Clement's death, Bacon was free from open persecution at least. But in 1278, the General of the Franciscan Order, Jerome of Aseoli (later Pope Nicholas Ill.), declared him self against Bacon, forbade the reading of his books, and issued an order for his imprison ment, which was sanctioned by the Pope. This new imprisonment lasted ten years, and at its conclusion Bacon returned to Oxford. He wrote a Compendium Studii Theologicc (1292), and shortly after died—probably in 1294.
Bacon, although an extraordinary genius, could not rid himself of all the beliefs and errors of his times. Ile believed in the 'philoso pher's stone' and in astrology. Many inventions have been credited to him, but some of them were doubtless derived from the study of Ara bian scientists. There are in his writings new and ingenious views on optics; e.g. on refrac tion, on the apparent magnitude of objects, on the great increase in the size of the sun and moon in the horizon. On other subjects, how ever, he fell into the greatest errors. He made several chemical discoveries, which were wonder ful for that time. He knew, for instance, that with sulphur, saltpetre, and charcoal, we may produce a substance that would imitate light ning, and cause explosions,—in other words, gun powder,—but its previous use by the Arabs has since been shown. Mathematics, applied to ob servation, he considered to be the only means of arriving at a knowledge of nature. He studied several languages, and wrote Latin with great elegance and clearness. Deserving of honorable mention are his discoveries of the errors that prevailed in the calendar. He prepared a recti fied calendar (1263), of which a copy is pre served in the library of University College, Ox ford. On account of his extensive knowledge, he received the name of 'Doctor Admirabilis.' Six of his works were printed between 1435 and 16 t4, and in 1733 S. Jebb edited the Opus .Majus. Professor Brewer edited the Opus Tertium, Opus ll inns, and Compendium Philosophic', published at London in 1859, under the title of Opera Imedita. Consult: Charles, Bacon, sa Me, se-9 ourrages, srs doctrines (Paris, 1361) ; and the German works of Siebert (Marburg, 1361) and Held (Jena, 1331).