Francis Bacon (1561—1626 ),a representative of the Renaissance in England, is a well-known philosopher, scientist and essayist. He
(1) the foundation for modern science with his insistence on scientific way of thinking and fresh observation
(2) authority as a basis for obtaining knowledge. His Essays is the first example of that genre in English literature,
(3) has been recognized
(4) an important landmark in the development of English prose.
(5) the younger son of Elizabeth’s first Lord Keeper, Bacon had a fortunate heritage and background. At twelve he was sent to Cambridge University
(6) he studied for two years. Next year he,
(7) to the English ambassador to France, went to France where he busied himself
(8) the practical studies of diplomacy. In 1584, he entered the House of Commons and gradually
(9) his reputation. At the height of his career,
(10) King James, he became Lord Keeper and then Lord Chancellor of England. But later he was
(11) of taking bribes in office. He admitted
(12) presents but defended the justice of his act.
(13) a token(标志) imprisonment, Bacon retired in disgrace to his estate of Gornhambry
(14) the last five years of his life. In the early spring of 1626 he died of a cold caught while he
(15) an experiment in a snowstorm, to see
(16) snow might be used as a new preservative instead of salt in preserving meat.
Generally speaking, Bacon’s works
(17) two fields, the philosophical and the literary. His chief contribution to ph
ilosophy
(18) his revolution of materialism in philosophy and science in England, Marx praised, he is “ the real father of
(19) materialism and experimental sciences as of modern times in general”. The most important works in this field include the Advancement of Learning. Bacon’s literary power and success find
(20) chiefly in his Essays