The New Atlantis

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Bacon, Francis

"The New Atlantis"

We procure means of seeing objects afar off, as in the heaven and remote places; and represent things near as afar off, and things afar off as near; making feigned distances. We have also helps for the sight far above spectacles and glasses in use; we have also glasses and means to see small and minute bodies, perfectly and distinctly; as the shapes and colors of small flies and worms, grains, and flaws in gems which cannot otherwise be seen, observations in urine and blood not otherwise to be seen. We make artificial rainbows, halos, and circles about light. We represent also all manner of reflections, refractions, and multiplications of visual beams of objects.

? ? ? ? "We have also precious stones, of all kinds, many of them of great beauty and to you unknown, crystals likewise, and glasses of divers kind; and among them some of metals vitrificated, and other materials, besides those of which you make glass. Also a number of fossils and imperfect minerals, which you have not. Likewise loadstones of prodigious virtue, and other rare stones, both natural and artificial.

? ? ? ? "We have also sound-houses, where we practise and demonstrate all sounds and their generation. We have harmony which you have not, of quarter-sounds and lesser slides of sounds.

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England (1 of 12) William the Conqueror (page 70) Adrift on an Ice-Pan (page 23) Sonnets, and Sonnets on English Dramatic Poets (1590-1650) Taken from The Collected Poetical Works of Algernon Charles Swinburne, Vol V. (page 39)

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Bacon, Francis

"The New Atlantis"