Salomon's House

Salomon's House (or Solomon's House) is a fictional institution in Sir Francis Bacon's utopian work New Atlantis, published in English in 1627, the year after Bacon's death. In this work, he portrayed a vision of the future of human discovery and knowledge. The plan and organization of his ideal college envisioned the modern research university in both applied and pure science.

Bacon has one character describe the founding of Salomon's House by King Solamona:

"Ye shall understand (my dear friends) that amongst the excellent acts of that king, one above all hath the pre-eminence. It was the erection and institution of an Order or Society, which we call Salomon's House; the noblest foundation (as we think) that ever was upon the earth; and the lanthorn of this kingdom. It is dedicated to the study of the works and creatures of God. Some think it beareth the founder's name a little corrupted, as if it should be Solamona's House. But the records write it as it is spoken. So as I take it to be denominate of the king of the Hebrews, which is famous with you, and no stranger to us.

According to the "Note on the Texts" in the revised critical edition,^[1] the original 1627 edition published by Bacon's literary executor William Rawley has "King Solamona" and "Salomon's House", while the 1658 and 1670 editions (long after Bacon's death) have "King Salomona" and "Solomon's House."

The idea inspired followers like Samuel Hartlib and Robert Boyle and led to the Royal Society of 1660.

References

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Salomon's House

• Project Gutenberg e-text of Francis Bacon's book The New Atlantis.
• Royal Society