"It may truly be affirmed to the honour of these times, and in a
virtuous emulation with antiquity, that this great building of the
world had never through-lights made in it till the age of us and our
fathers. For although they [the ancients] had knowledge of the
antipodes ... yet that mought be by demonstration, and not in fact;
and if by travel, it requireth the voyage but of half the earth. But
to circle the earth, as the heavenly bodies do, was not done nor
enterprised till these later times: and therefore these times may
justly bear in their word ... plus ultra in precedence of the
ancient non ultra. ... And this proficience in navigation and
discoveries may plant also an expectation of the further proficience
and augmentation of all sciences, because it may seem that they are
ordained by God to be coevals, that is, to meet in one age. For so
the prophet Daniel, speaking of the latter times foretelleth,
Plurimi pertransibunt, et multiplex erit scientia: as if the
openness and through-passage of the world and the increase of
knowledge were appointed to be in the same ages; as we see it is
already performed in great part: the learning of these later times
not much giving place to the former two periods or returns of
learning, the one of the Grecians, the other of the Romans."
[Footnote: Advancement of Learning, ii. 13, 14.]

In all this we have a definite recognition of the fact that
knowledge progresses. Bacon did not come into close quarters with
the history of civilisation, but he has thrown out some observations
which amount to a rough synthesis. [Footnote: Advancement, ii. 1, 6;
Nov. Org. i. 78, 79, 85.] Like Bodin, he divided, history into three
periods--(1) the antiquities of the world; (2) the middle part of
time which comprised two sections, the Greek and the Roman; (3)