Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/398

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270 NEW ATLANTIS. ing his aid and blessing for the illumination of our labours ; and the turning of them into good and holy uses. " Lastly, we have circuits or visits of divers principal cities of the kingdom; where as it cometh to pass, we do publish new profitable in ventions as we think good. And we do also de clare natural divinations of diseases, plagues, swarms of hurtful creatures, scarcity, tempests, earthquakes, great inundations, comets, tempera ture of the year, and divers other things ; and we give counsel thereupon what the people shall do for the prevention and remedy of them." And when he had said this he stood up ; and I, as I had been taught, kneeled down; and he laid his right hand upon my head, and said ; " God Miss thee, my son, and God bless this relation which I have made. I give thee leave to publish it for the good of other nations ; for we here are in God s bosom a land unknown." And so he left me ; having assigned a value of about two thou sand ducats, for a bounty to me and my fellows. For they give great largesses where they come upon all occasions. [THE REST WAS NOT PERFECTED.] NOTE. Referring to page 255 There have been various editions of the New Atlantic In 1631, it was translated into French, of which there is a copy in the British Museum; where there is also the New Atlantis continued A. D. 1660, by R. H. Esq. wherein is set forth a platform of monarchical government : and also in French, A. D. 1702, avec des reflexions sur I instilution et lea occupations des academies, &c. par M. R.