The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

BTOK II. ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 197
nugatory and void; because of the received and by that course of invention which hath been used;
inveterate opinion, that the inquisition of man is in regard that men, which is the root of all error,
not competent to find out essential forms or true have made too untimely a departure and too redifferences: of which opinion we will take this mote a recess from particulars.
hold, that the invention of forms is of all other But the use of this part of metaphysic, which
parts of knowledge the worthiest to be sought, if I report as deficient, is of the rest the most excelit be possible to be found. As for the possibility, lent in two respects: the one, because it is the
they are ill discoverers that think there is no land, duty and virtue of all knowledge to abridge the
when they can see nothing but sea. But it is infinity of individual experience, as much as the
manifest that Plato, in his opinion of ideas, as conception of truth will permit, and to remedy the
one that had a wit of elevation situate as upon a complaint of "vita brevis, ars longa;" which is
cliff, did descry, "That forms were the true ob- performed by uniting the notions and conceptions
ject of knowledge;" but lost the real fruit of his of sciences: for knowledges are as pyramid's;,'
opinion, by considering of forms as absolutely whereof history is the basis. (S&6'6f"MNtiral
abstracted from matter, and not confined and de- Philosophy, the basis is natural history; the stage
termined by matter; and so turning his opinion next the basis is physic; the stage next the verupon theology, wherewith all his natural philo- tical point is metaphysic. As for the vertical
sophy is infected. But if any man shall keep a point, "1 Opus quod operatur Deus a principio uscontinual watchful and severe eye upon action, que ad finem," the summary law of nature, we
operation, and the use of knowledge, he may ad- know not whether man's inquiry can attain unto
vise and take notice what are the forms, the dis- it. But these three be the true stages of knowclosures whereof are fruitful and important to the ledge, and are to them that are depraved no better
state of man. For as to the-forms of substances, than the giants' hills:
man only except, of whom it is said,, Formavit
hominem de limo terrae, et spiravit in faciem ejus Ter sunt conati imponere Pelio Ossam
Scilicet, atque Osse frondosum involvere Olympum."
spiraculum vitae," and not as of all other creatures, "Producant aquae, producat terra;"' the But to those which refer all things to the glory
forms of substances, I say, as they are now by of God, they are as the three acclamations,
compounding and transplanting multiplied, are so c Sancte, sancte, sancte;" holy in the description
perplexed, as they are not to be inquired; no more or dilatation of his works; holy in the connexion
than it were either possible or to purpose to seek or concatenation of them;' and holy in the union
in gross the forms of those sounds which make of them in a perpetual and uniform law. And
wvords, which by composition and transposition therefore the speculation was excellent in Parof letters are infinite. But, on the other side, to menides and Plato, although but a speculation in
rnquire the tonm o' those sounds or voices which them, that all things by scale did ascend to unity..nake simple letters, is easily comprehensible; So then always that knowledge is worthiest,
and being knowvn, induceth and manifesteth the which is charged with least multiplicity; which:orms of all'ords, which consist and are com- appeareth to be metaphysic; as that which con-?ounded of them. In the same manner, to in- sidereth the simple forms or differences of things,
quire the form of a iion, of an oak, of gold; nay, which are few in number, and the degrees and coof water, of air, is a vain pursuit: but to inquire ordinations whereof make all this variety.'he forms of sense, of voluntary motion, of vege- The second respect, which valueth and comtation, of colours, of gravity and levity, of den- mendeth this part of metaphysic, is, that it doth
sity, of tenuity, of heat, of cold, and all other enfranchise the power of man unto the greatest
natures and qualities, which, like an alphabet, are liberty and possibility of works and effects. For
not many, and of which the essences, upheld by physic carrieth man in narrow and restrained
matter, of all creatures do consist; to inquire, ways, subject to many accidents of impediments,
i say, the true forms of these, is that part of me- imitating the ordinary flexuous courses of nature;
taphysic which we now define of. Not but that but "clatne undique sunt sapientibus vise:" to saphysic doth make inquiry, and take consideration pience, which was anciently defined to be " rerum
of the same natures: but howl Only as to the divinarum et humanarum scientia," there is ever
material and efficient causes of them, and not as choice of means: for physical causes give light
to the forms. For example; if the cause of to new invention "in simili materia." But whowhiteness in snow or froth be inquired, and it be soever knoweth any form, knoweth the utmost
rendered thus, that the subtile intermixture of air possibility of superinducing that nature upon any
and water is the cause, it is well rendered; but variety of matter; and so is less restrained in
nevertheless, is this the form of whiteness l No; operation, either to the basis of the matter, or the
but it is the efficient, which is ever but ",vehicu- condition of the efficient: which kind of know
lum formte." This part of metaphysic I do not ledge Solomon likewise, though in a more divine
find laboured and performed; whereat I marvel sort, elegantly describeth: "Non arctabuntu:
ilot: because I hold it not possible to be invented gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum."
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