e seems to have known but little), he learned to despise the
current Aristotelian philosophy. It yielded no fruit, was serviceable only
for disputation, and the end it proposed to itself was a mistaken one.
Philosophy must be taught its true purpose, and for this purpose a new
method must be devised. With the [v.03 p.0136] first germs of this great
conception in his mind, Bacon left the university.

On the 27th of June 1576 he and his brother Anthony were entered _de
societate magistrorum_ at Gray's Inn, and a few months later he was sent
abroad with Sir Amyas Paulet, the English ambassador at Paris. The
disturbed state of government and society in France at that time afforded
him valuable political instruction. It was formerly supposed that certain
_Notes on the State of Christendom_, usually printed in his works, contain
the results of his observations, but Spedding has shown that there is no
reason for ascribing these _Notes_ to him, and that they may be attributed
with more probability to one of his brother Anthony's correspondents.

The sudden death of his father in February 1578/9 necessitated Bacon's
return to England, and exercised a very serious influence on his fortunes.
A considerable sum of money had been laid up by Sir Nicholas for the
purchase of an estate for his youngest son, the only one otherwise
unprovided for. Owing to his sudden death, this intention was not carried
out, and a fifth only of the money descended to Francis. This was one of
the gravest misfortunes of his life; he started with insufficient means,
acquired a habit of borrowing and was never afterwards out of debt. As it
had become necessary that he should adopt some profession, he selected that
of law, and took up his residence at Gray's Inn in 1579.

In the fragment _De Interpretation Naturae Prooemium_ (written probably
about 1603) Bacon analyses his own mental character and lays before us the
objects he had in view when he entered on public life. If his opening
sentence, "Ego cum me ad utilitates humanas natum existimarem" ("since I
thought myself born to be of advantage to mankind"), seems at first sight a
little arrogant, it must be remembered that it is the arrogance of
Aristotle's [Greek: megalopsuchos],[1] who thinks himself worthy of great
things, and is worthy. The ideal of production of good to the human race
through the discovery of truth, was combined in him with the practical
desire to be of service to his country. He purpo