But the direct interrogation of nature was already recognised both in practice and in theory in the sixteenth century.

What Bacon did was to insist upon the principle more strongly and explicitly, and to formulate it more precisely.

He clarified and explained the progressive ideas which inspired the scientific thought of the last period of the European Renaissance, from which he cannot, I think, be dissociated.
But in clearing up and defining these progressive ideas, he made a contribution to the development of human thought which had far-reaching importance and has a special significance for our present subject.

In the hopes of a steady increase of knowledge, based on the application of new methods, he had been anticipated by Roger Bacon, and further back by Seneca.

But with Francis Bacon this idea of the augmentation of knowledge has an entirely new value.