The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

340 THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE WORK.
but reduce the matter to this, that they should idnd a race of such discoveries as will in some
decide on the experiment, and the experiment on measure overcome his wants and necessities.the subject of it. Wherefore, we consider that lnd this is the secondpart of the woirk.
we have shown ourselves most observant priests It is our intention not only to open and prepare
of the senses, (by which all that exists in nature the way, but also to enter upon it. The third
must be investigated if we would be rational,) part, therefore, of our work embraces the phenoand not unskilful interpreters of their oracles: for Imena of the universe; that is to say, experience
others seem to observe and worship them in word of every kind, and such a natural history as can
alone, but we in deed. These then are the means form the foundation of an edifice of philosophy.
which we prepare for kindling and transmitting For there is no method of demonstration, or form
the light of nature: which would of themselves of interpreting nature, so excellent as to be able
be sufficient, if the human understanding were. to afford and supply matter for knowledge, as well
plain and like a smoothed surface. But since the as to defend and support the mind against error
minds of men are so, wonderfully prepossessed, and failure. But those who resolve not to conthat a clear and polished surface for receiving the jecture and divine, but to discover and know, not
true rays of things is wholly wanting, necessity to invent buffooneries and fables about worlds,
urges us to seek a remedy for this also. but to inspect, and, as it were, dissect the nature
T'he images or idols by which the mind is pre- of this real world, must derive all from things
occupied are either adventitious or innate. The themselves. Nor can any substitution or comadventitious have crept into the minds of men pensation of wit, meditation, or argument, (were
either from the dogmas and sects of philosophers, the whole wit of all combined in one,) supply the
or the perv-rted rules of demonstration. But the place of this labour, investigation, and personal
innate are inherent to the very nature of the un- examination of the world; our method then must
derstanding, which appears to be much more necessarily be pursued, or the whole forever abanprone to error than the senses. For however men doned. But men have so conducted themselves
may be satisfied with themselves, and rush into a hitherto, that it is little to be wondered at if nature
blind admiration and almost adoration of the hu- do not disclose herself to them.
m an mind, one thing is most certain, namely, that For in the first place the defective and fallacious
as an uneven mirror changes the rays proceeding evidence of our senses, a system of observation
from objects according to its own figure and posi- slothful and unsteady, as though acting from
tion, so the mind when affected by things through chance, a tradition vain and depending on comthe senses does not act in the most trustworthy mon report, a course of practice intent upon effects,
manner, but inserts and mixes her own nature and servile, blind, dull, vague, and abrupt expe-:nto that of things, whilst clearing and recollect- riments, and lastly our careless and meagre natural
ing her notions. history, have collected together, for the use of the
The first two species of idols are with difficulty understanding, the most defective materials as
eradicated, the latter can never be so. We can regards philosophy and the sciences.
only point them out, and note and demonstrate In the next place, a preposterous refinement,
that insidious faculty of the mind, lest new shoots and, as it were, ventilation of argument, is atof error should happen to spring up, from the de- tempted as a late remedy for a matter become
struction of the old, on account of the mind's clearly desperate, and neither makes any improvedefective structure; and we should then find our- mnent., nor removes errors. There remains no
selves only exchanging instead of extinguishing hope therefore of greater advancement and proerrors; whilst it ought on the other hand to be gress, unless by some restoration of the sciences.
eternally resolved and settled, that the understand- But this must commence entirely with natural
ing cannot decide otherwise than by induction history. For it is useless to clean the mirror if it
and by a legitimate form of it. Wherefore the have no images to reflect, and it is manifest that
doctrine of the purifying of the understanding, so we must prepare proper matter for the understandas to fit it for the reception of truth, consists of ing as well as steady support. But our history,
three reprehensions; the reprehension of the like our logic, differs in many respects, from the
schemes of philosophy, the reprehension of me- received, in its end or office, in its very matter
thods of demonstration, and the reprehension of and compilation, in its nicety, in its selection, and
natural human reason. But when these have in its arrangements relatively to what follows.
been gone through, and it has at last been clearly For, in the first place, we begin with that speseen, what results are to be expected from the cies of natural history which is not so much calnature of things and the nature of the mind, we culated to amuse by the variety of its objects, or
consider that we shall have prepared and adorned to offer immediate r'esults by its experiments, as
a nuptial couch for the mind and the universe; to. throw a light upon the discovery of causes, and
the divine goodness being our bridemaid. But to present, as it were, its bosom as the first nurse
let the prayer of our epithalamium be this; that of philosophy. For, although we regard princi.
from this union may spring assistance to man, pally effects and the active division of the sciences