The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

OF THE
PRINCIPLES AND ORIGINS OF NATURE,
ACCORDING TO THE FABLES OF CUPID AND HEAVEN:
OR, THE
PHILOSOPHY OF PARMENIDES, TELESIUS, AND PARTICULARLY OF DEMOCRITUS,
AS EXHIBITED IN THE FABLE CONCERNING CUPID.
THE fables of the ancients repecting Cupid or certain light of the Divine Word has shone
Love, cannot be made to agree in one and the upon men. That chaos therefore which was
same person. They indeed profess to speak of coeval with Cupid, signified the confused and
two Cupids of two different periods, the one the disordered mass or collection of matter. But
most ancient of the gods, the other of a much matter itself, with its power and nature, in a
later era. At present we will treat of the ancient word, the elements of things were shadowed out
Cupid. They relate that this Cupid was the in Cupid himself. He is introduced without a
most ancient of the gods, and therefore of all parent, that is, without a cause: for cause is, as
things, excepting chaos, which is said to have it were, the parent of effect; and in tropical disbeen coeval with him. This Cupid had no pa- course nothing is therefore more usual than for
rent, but being united to heaven, was the father the parent to stand for cause, and the offspring
of the gods and of all things. Some indeed for effect. But there cannot be in nature (for we
would derive him from an egg over which Night always except God) any cause of the first matbrooded. Different atttributes are ascribed to ter, and of its proper influence and action, for
him, so that he is represented as a boy blind, there is nothing prior in time to the first matter.
naked, winged, and armed with darts. His Therefore there is no efficient nor any thing more
chief and especial influence is over the uniting known to nature; there is therefore neither genus
of bodies. To him were given the keys of the nor form. Wherefore whatever primitive matter
earth, the sea, and the sky. Another and younger is, together with its influence and action, it is sui
Cupid is also celebrated in fable, the son of Ve- generis, and admits of no definition drawn from
nus. To him are ascribed the attributes of the perception, and is to be taken just as it is found,
ancient Cupid, besides many peculiar to himself. and not to be judged of from any preconceived
This fable, with the sequel respecting heaven, idea. For the mode of it, if it is given to us to
seems to embrace in a concise parable the doc- know it, cannot be judged of by means of its
trine of the elements of things and of the origin cause, seeing that it is, next to God, the cause of
of the world, and to agree with that of Demo- causes, itself without a cause. For there is a
critus, except that it appears somewhat closer, certain real limit of causes in nature, and it
more reasonable, and clearer. For the observa- would argue levity and inexperience in a philosotions of that confessedly acute and accurate pher to require or imagine a cause for the last
philosopher nevertheless were of a too diffusive and positive power and law of nature, as much
nature, and did not seem to keep their proper as it would not to demand a cause in those that
limit, and to confine and support themselves suffi- are subordinate.
ciently. And indeed these dogmas, which lie On this account the ancients have fabled Cupid
veiled in the parable, although better regulated, to be without a parent, that is, without a cause.
are yet of such a nature as to appear to have come And they did so not without design. Nay, perfrom the mind left to itself, and not uniformly haps there is not any thing more important; for
and gradually assisted by experience; for this nothing has more corrupted philosophy than the
seems to have been the common fault of antiqui- seeking after the parents of Cupid; I mean, that
ty. But it must first be remarked, that the opi- philosophers have not received and embraced the
nions brought forward in this part of my treatise elements of things as they are found in nature, as
were the conclusions and productions of unassist- a certain fixed and positive doctrine, and as it
ed reason, and rested on perception alone, the were by an experimental trust in them; but have
failing and imperfect oracles of which are de- rather deduced them from the laws of words, and
servedly rejected, now that the higher and more from dialectics and slight mathematical conclu435