The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

172 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. BooK I.
matter, a great part not only untried; but noto- comes shortest, and time addeth and perfecteth:
riously untrue, tothe great derogation of the credit hut in sciences the first author goeth farthest,
of natural philosophy with the grave and sober and time leaseth and corrupteth. So, we see,
kinds of wits: wherein the wisdom and integrity artillery, sailing, printing, and the like, were
of Aristotle is worthy to be observed: that, having grossly managed at the first, and by time accomminonmade so diligent and exquisite a history of living dated and refined: but contrariwise, the philosocreatures, hath mingled it sparingly with any vain phies and sciences of Aristotle, Plato, D)emocritus,
or feigned matter; and yet, on the other side, hath Hippocrates, Euclides, Archimedes, (cfmost vigour
cast all prodigious narrations, which he thought at the first, and by time degenerate and emrbased;
worthy the recording, into one book; excellently whereof the reason is no other, bhit thaet in the
discerning that matter of manifest truth, (such, former many wits and industries have contributed
whereupon observation and rule were to be built,) in one; and in the latter many wits and industriets
was not to be mingled or weakened with matter of have been spent about the wit of some one, whloni
doubtful credit; and yet again, that rarities and many times they have rather deprlaved tholn illusre)orts that seem incredible are not to be sup- trated. For as water will net ascened higher than
pressed or denied to the memory of men. the level of the first spring-head from whence it
"And as for the facility of credit which is yield- descendeth, so knowledge derived from Aristot!e,
ed to arts and opinions, it is likewise of two kinds; and exempted fronm liberty of examination, will
either when too muck belief is attributed to the not rise again higher than the knowledge of Arisarts themselves, or to certain authors in any art. totle. And therefore, although the positicn be
The sciences themselves, which have had better ogood, " Oportet discentem credere," yet it nmust
intelligence and confederacy with the imagination be coupled with this, ", Oportet edccturnr judiof man than with his reason, are three in number; care;" for disciples do owe unto their L;asters
astrology, natural magic, and alchymy; of which only a temporary belief, and a suspension of their
sciences, nevertheless, the ends or pretences are own judgment until they be fully instructed, and
noble. For astrology pretendeth to discover that notan absolute resignation, or perpetual cal)tivity:
correspondence or concatenation, which is be- and therefore, to conclude this point, T will say
tween the superior globe and the inferior: natural no more, but so let great authors have their due,
magic pretendeth to call and reduce natural phi- as time, which is the author of authors, be not
losophy from variety of speculations to the mag- deprived of his due, which is, further and further
nitude of works: and alchymy pretendeth to make to discover truth.
separation of all the unlike parts of bodies, which Thus have I gone over these three diseases of
in mixtures of nature are incorporate. But the learning; besides the which, there are some other
derivations and prosecutions to these ends, both rather peccant humours than formed diseases;
in the theories and in the practices, are full of which nevertheless are not so secret and intrinsic,
error and vanity; which the great professors but that they fall under a popular observation and
themselves have sought to veil over and conceal traducement, and are therefore not to be passed
by enigmatical writings, and refering themselves over.
to auricular traditions and such other devices, to The first of these is the extreme affecting of
save the credit of impostures; and yet surely to two extremities; the one antiquity, the other
alchymy this right is due, that it may be compared novelty: wherein it seemeth the children of time
to the husbandman whereof AEsop makes the do take after the nature and malice of the father.
fable; that, when he died, told his sons, that he For as he devoureth his children, so one of them
had left unto them gold buried under ground in seeketh to devour and suppress the other; while
his vineyard; and they digged over all the ground, antiquity envieth there should be new additions,
and gold they found none; but by reason of their and novelty cannot be content to add, but it must
stirring and digging the mould about the roots of deface: surely, the advice of the prophet is the
their vines, they had a great vintage the year fol- true direction in this matter, 6" State super vias
lowing; so assuredly the search and stir to make antiquas, et videte qumenam sit via recta et bona,
gold hath brought to light a great number of good et ambulate in ea." Antiquity deserveth that
and fruitful inventions and experiments, as well reverence, that men should make a stand therefor the disclosing of nature, as for the use of man's upon, and discover what is the best way; but
life. when the discovery is well taken, then to make
And as for the over much credit that hath been progression. And to speak truly, 1" Antiquitas
given unto authors in sciences, in making them saeculi juventus mundi." These times are the
dictators, that their words should stand, and not ancient times, when the world is ancient, and
consuls, to give advice; the damage is infinite not those which we account ancient 6" ordine rethat sciences have received thereby, as the princi- trogrado," by a computation backwards from ourpal cause that hath kept them low, at a stay, with- selves.
out growth or advancement. For hence it hath Another error, induced by the former, is a discome, tiat in arts mechanical the first deviser trust that any thing should be now to be founi