Bacon, Roger
Bacon, Roger (c.1214–92). Philosopher. A Franciscan friar, much of Bacon's life is obscure, but he was born in Somerset and probably studied at Oxford before teaching in Paris. From c.1250–7 he was again in Oxford but his Franciscan superiors returned him to Paris, where he was under a cloud and in confinement. In 1265 Pope Clement IV asked him to prepare a treatise on the knowledge of the day. This high patronage did not last, for Clement died in 1268, and Bacon was soon in trouble again. His Opus majus, dating from the 1260s, attacked authority and sophistry and has been hailed as a foundation work in modern science. Bacon laid stress on useful knowledge, on ascertaining facts, and on the need for experimentation. He proved that air is necessary for combustion, and his prophecies included flight and submarine travel. His work in alchemy gained him a popular reputation as a magician, exploited by Robert Greene in Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (c.1590). This showed Bacon at Brasenose College making a brazen head which would prophesy, ‘read a lecture in philosophy’, and build a brazen wall to keep England safe.
J. A. Cannon
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