The New Atlantis

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The New Atlantis – Bacon

THE NEW ATLANTIS
by

FRANCIS BACON.
(Written in 1626.)

wind came about, and settled in the west for many days, so aswe could make little or no way, and were sometimes in purpose 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, withoutvictual, we gave ourselves 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 3

NEW ATLANTIS
WE
SAILED FROM

PERU, where we had continued by the

space of one whole year, for China and 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

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 of boscage, 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 withoutany 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 with blue, who made aboard our ship, without any show ofdistrust at all. And when he saw one of our number present himself somewhat afore the rest, he drew forth a little scroll of parchment (some4

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 Hebrew, and in ancient Greek, and in good Latin of the...