valerius terminus-第9部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！




The　writing　in　the　original　is　on　the　outside　of　the　last　leaf；　which
is　in　fact　the　cover。　　The　front　cover；　if　there　ever　was　one；　is
lost。　　The　ink　with　which　the　line　containing　the　symbols　is　written
corresponds　with　that　in　the　body　of　the　manuscript；　and　the　line
itself　is　placed　symmetrically　in　the　middle　of　the　page；　near　the
top。　　The　two　lower　lines　are　apparently　by　another　hand；　probably　of
later　date；　certainly　in　ink　of　a　different　colour；　and　paler。　　The
word　〃Philosophy〃　is　in　Bacon's　own　hand；　written　lightly　in　the
upper　corner　at　the　left；　and　is　no　doubt　merely　a　docket　inserted
afterwards　when　he　was　sorting　his　papers。　　What　connexion　there　was
between　the　note　and　the　manuscript　it　is　impossible　to　say。　　But　it
is　evidently　a　careful　memorandum　of　something；　set　down　by　somebody
when　the　manuscript　was　at　hand；　and　so　many　of　the　characters
resemble　those　adopted　to　represent　the　planets　and　the　signs　of　the
zodiac；　that　one　is　led　to　suspect　in　it　a　note　of　the　positions　of
the　heavenly　bodies　at　the　time　of　some　remarkable　accident；perhaps
the　plague；　of　which　30；578　persons　died　in　London；　during　the　year
ending　22nd　December；　1603。　The　period　of　the　commencement；　the
duration；　or　the　cessation　of　such　an　epidemic　might　naturally　be　so
noted。

Now　three　of　the　characters　clearly　represent　respectively　Mercury；
Aquarius；　and　Sagittarius。　　The　sign　for　Jupiter；　as　we　find　it　in
old　books；　is　so　like　a　4；　that　the　first　figure　of　45　may　very　well
have　been　meant　for　it。　　The　monogram　at　the　beginning　of　the　line
bears　a　near　resemblance　to　the　sign　of　Capricorn　in　its　most
characteristic　feature。　　And　the　mark　over　the　sign　of　Aquarius
appears　to　be　an　abbreviation　of　that　which　usually　represents　the
Sun。　　（The　blot　between　1603　and　B　is　nothing；　being　only　meant　to
represent　a　figure　6　blotted　out　with　the　finger　before　the　ink　was
dry。）　Suspecting　therefore　that　the　writing　contained　a　note　of　the
positions　of　Mercury　and　Jupiter　in　the　year　1603；　I　sent　a　copy　to　a
scientific　friend　and　asked　him　if　from　such　data　he　could　determine
the　month　indicated。　　He　found　upon　a　rough　calculation　（taking
account　of　mean　motions　only）　that　Jupiter　did　enter　the　sign　of
Sagittarius　about　the　10th　of　August；　1603；　and　continued　there　for
about　a　twelvemonth；　that　the　Sun　entered　Aquarius　about　the　12th　or
13th　of　January；　1603…4；　and　that　Mercury　was　about　the　16th　or　17th
of　the　same　month　in　the　26th　or　27th　degree　of　Capricorn：
coincidences　which　would　have　been　almost　conclusive　as　to　the　date
indicated；　if　Capricorn　had　only　stood　where　Aquarius　does；　and　vice
versa。　　But　their　position　as　they　actually　stood　in　the　manuscript
is　a　formidable；　if　not　fatal；　objection　to　the　interpretation。

According　to　another　opinion　with　which　I　have　been　favoured；　the
first　monogram　is　a　NOTA　BENE；　the　next　group　may　mean　DIES　MERCURII
（Wednesday）　26TH　JANUARY；　1603；　and　the　rest　refers　to　something　not
connected　with　astronomy。　　But　to　this　also　there　is　a　serious
objection。　　The　26th　of　January；　1603…4；　was　a　Friday；　and　it　seems
to　me　very　improbable　that　any　Englishman　would　have　described　the
preceding　January　as　belonging　to　the　year　1603。　Bacon　himself
invariably　dated　according　to　the　civil　year；　and　the　occasional　use
of　the　historical　year　in　loose　memoranda　would　have　involved　all　his
dates　in　confusion。　　I　should　think　it　more　probable　that　the　writer
（who　may　have　been　copying　a　kind　of　notation　with　which　he　was　not
familiar）　miscopied　the　sign　of　Venus　into　that　of　Mercury；　in　which
case　it　would　mean　Friday；　26th　January；　1603…4。　But　even　then　the
explanation　would　he　unsatisfactory；　as　leaving　so　much　unexplained。
Those　however　who　are　familiar　with　old　manuscripts　relating　to　such
subjects　may　probably　be　able　to　interpret　the　whole。





End