and a messenger came and called him forth from us. So this was all that passed in that conference.

The next day the same governor came again to us immediately after dinner, and excused himself, saying, "That the day before he was called from us somewhat abruptly, but now he would make us amends, and spend some time with us, if we held his company and conference agreeable." We answered, "That we held it so agreeable and pleasing to us, as we forgot both dangers past and fears to come for the time we heard him speak, and that we thought an hour spent with him was worth years of our former life. He bowed himself a little to us, and after we were set again he said, Well, the questions are on your part." One of our number said, after a little pause,

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"There was

a matter we were no less desirous to know than fearful to ask, lest we might presume too far; but encouraged by his rare humanity towards us, that we could scarce think ourselves strangers, being his vowed and professed servants, we would take the hardiness to propound it; humbly beseeching him, if he thought it not fit to be answered, that he

his lordship here relates, of which, as the reader will have observed, there is not a trace in the Utopia. Bacon's imagination was rich and fertile, as is proved by the abundance of his metaphors, and the strange walks into which he often conducts his speculations; but the artful ordering, the proportioning gracefully, and the apt and natural uniting of the several parts of a work of fiction, entered not into his conception of authorship. His philosophy had grazed his mind bare, and left his rhetoric to wander about lank and woe-be-gone.

would pardon it, though he rejected it." We said, "We well observed those his words which he formerly spake, that this happy island where we now stood was known to few, and yet knew most of the nations of the world; which we found to be true, considering they had the languages of Europe, and knew much of our state and business; and yet we in Europe, notwithstanding all the remote discoveries and navigations of this last age, never heard any the least inkling or glimpse of this island. This we found wonderful strange, for that all nations have interknowledge one of another, either by voyage into foreign parts, or by strangers that come to them; and though the traveller into a foreign country doth commonly know more by the eye than he that stayeth at home can by relation of the traveller, yet both ways suffice to make a mutual knowledge in some degree on both parts. But for this island, we never heard tell of any ship of theirs that had been seen to arrive upon any shore of Europe, no nor of either the East or West Indies, nor yet of any ship of any other part of the world that had made return from them. And yet the marvel rested not in this, for the situation of it, as his lordship said, in the secret conclave of such a vast sea, might cause it: but then, that they should have knowledge of the languages, books, affairs of those that lie such a distance from them, it was a thing we could not tell what to make of; for that it seemed to us a condition and property of divine powers and beings, to be hidden and unseen to others, and yet to have others open and

as in a light to them." At this speech the governor gave a gracious smile, and said, "That we did well to ask pardon for this question we now asked, for that it imported as if we thought this land a land of magicians, that sent forth spirits of the air into all parts to bring them news and intelligence of other countries." It was answered by us all in all possible humbleness, but yet with a countenance taking knowledge that we knew that he spake it but merrily, "That we were apt enough to think there was somewhat supernatural in this island, but yet rather as angelical than magical. But to let his lordship know truly what it was that made us tender and doubtful to ask this question, it was not any such conceit, but because we remembered he had given a touch in his former speech, that this land had laws of secrecy touching strangers." To this he said, "You remember it right and therefore in that I shall say to you, I must reserve some particulars, which it is not lawful for me to reveal; but there will be enough left to give you satisfaction.

:

"You shall understand, that which perhaps you will scarce think credible, that about three thousand years ago, or somewhat more, the navigation of the world, especially for remote voyages, was greater than at this day 13 Do not think with your

13 It is of course necessary to understand the Atlantic oracle cum grano; though certainly the expeditions of Hanno, of Pharaoh Necho, of Nearchus, and others, (rather less indeed than three thousand years ago,) might give some colour to his ideas. His lordship had probably formed juster notions of the

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selves that I know not how much it is increased with you within these threescore years; I know it well: and yet I say, greater then than now. Whether it was that the example of the ark that saved the remnant of men from the universal deluge, gave men confidence to adventure upon the waters, or what it was, but such is the truth. The Phoenicians, and especially the Tyrians, had great fleets: so had the Carthaginians their colony, which is yet further west. Toward the east the shipping of Egypt and of Palestina was likewise great; China also, and the great Atlantis, that you call America, which have now but junks and canoes, abounded then in tall ships. This island, as appeareth by faithful registers of those times, had then fifteen hundred strong ships of great content. Of all this there is with you sparing memory or none, but we have large knowledge thereof.

"At that time this land was known and frequented by the ships and vessels of all the nations before named, and, as it cometh to pass, they had many times men of other countries that were no sailors that came with them, as Persians, Chal

fleets and navigations of the Tyrians, Carthaginians, and other commercial nations of antiquity, than we of the present age entertain. Men were in his time less removed from the condition, in naval affairs, of those industrious and enterprising people, and consequently less disdainful of their arts. From the deck of a hundred-and-twenty gun ship, we are apt to look down with scorn on the war-galleys and smaller merchant ships of the old world-forgetting sometimes, perhaps, that they have built ships larger than any ever used in modern times.

deans, Arabians; so as almost all nations of might and fame resorted hither, of whom we have some stirps and little tribes with us at this day. And for our own ships, they went sundry voyages, as well to your straits, which you call the Pillars of Hercules, as to other parts in the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas; as to Pegu, which is the same with Cambalu, and Quinsay upon the Oriential seas, as far as to the borders of East Tartary.

"At the same time, and an age after or more, the inhabitants of the great Atlantis did flourish. For though the narration and description which is made by a great man 14 with you, of the descendants of Neptune planted there, and of the magnificent temple, palace, city, and hill, and the manifold streams of goodly navigable rivers which (as so many chains) environed the same site and temple, and the several degrees of ascent whereby 'men did climb up to the same, as if it had been a

14 Plato, in whose Critias all these marvellous descriptions may be seen. It sometimes seems to me not a little extraordinary that persons roaming through literature in search of pleasure, should so seldom enter upon the domains of this Archimago, where so many magical sights and shows abound. Spenser is not more fanciful, Shakspeare not more imaginative, Milton not more sublime. Our ancestors differed from us on this point. The traces of Plato are everywhere visible upon their thoughts, whether they philosophize, or launch forth into the wilds of fiction. There was a statue of Eros in the groves of the Academy, and he appears to have waved his wings, and shed his "purple light" over the language of Plato, and this may possibly constitute the spell which he casts on all who attain to know him. He can be an object of indifference only to strangers.