Idiomas

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The New Atlantis – Bacon

wind came about, and settled in the west for many days,
so as we could make little or no way, and were sometimes inpurpose to turn back. But then again there
arose strong and great winds from the south, with a
point east; which carried us up, for all that we could
do, toward the north: by which time our victuals failedus,
though we had made good spare of them. So that finding ourselves, in the midst of the greatest wilderness of
waters in the world, without victual, we gave ourselves

THE NEW ATLANTISby

FRANCIS BACON.

for lost men, and prepared for death. Yet we did lift up
our hearts and voices to God above, who showeth His
wonders in the deep; beseeching Him of His mercy that
as in the beginning He discovered the face of the deep,
and brought forth dry land, so He would now discover
land to us, that we might not perish.
And it came to pass that the next day about evening
we sawwithin a kenning before us, toward the north,
as it were thick clouds, which did put us in some hope
of land, knowing how that part of the South Sea was
utterly unknown, and might have islands or continents
that hitherto were not come to light. Wherefore we bent

(Written in 1626.)

NEW ATLANTIS
WE

SAILED FROM

PERU, where we had continued by the

space of one whole year, for Chinaand Japan, by the
South Sea, taking with us victuals for twelve months;
and had good winds from the east, though soft and
weak, for five months’ space and more. But then the
3

The New Atlantis – Bacon

our course thither, where we saw the appearance of land,
all that night; and in the dawning of next day we might
plainly discern that it was a land flat to our sight, and
full ofboscage, which made it show the more dark. And
after an hour and a half’s sailing, we entered into a
good haven, being the port of a fair city. Not great,
indeed, but well built, and that gave a pleasant view
from the sea. And we thinking every minute long till
we were on land, came close to the shore and offered to
land. But straightway we saw divers of the people, with
batons in their hands,as it were forbidding us to land:
yet without any cries or fierceness, but only as warning
us off, by signs that they made. Whereupon being not a
little discomfited, we were advising with ourselves what
we should do. During which time there made forth to us
a small boat, with about eight persons in it, whereof
one of them had in his hand a tipstaff of a yellow cane,
tipped at both ends withblue, who made aboard our
ship, without any show of distrust at all. And when he
saw one of our number present himself somewhat afore
the rest, he drew forth a little scroll of parchment (some-

what yellower than our parchment, and shining like
the leaves of writing-tables, but otherwise soft and flexible), and delivered it to our foremost man. In which
scroll were written in ancient...