The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

BOOK II. NOVUM ORGANUM. 371
Besides this, if the benefit of any particular 130. But it is time for us to lay down the art
invention has had such an effect as to induce men of interpreting nature; to which we attribute no
to consider him greater than a man, who has thus absolute necessity (as if nothing could be done
obliged the whole race; how much more exalted without it) nor perfection, although we think that
will that discovery be, which leads to the easy our precepts are most useful and correct. For we
discovery of every thing else! Yet, (to speak the are of opinion, that if men had at their command
truth,) inthe same manner as we are very thankful a proper history of nature and experience, and
for light which enables us to enter on our way, to would apply themselves steadily to it, and could
practise arts, to read, to distinguish each other, bind themselves to two things; 1. To lay aside
and yet sight is more excellent and beautiful than received opinions and notions; 2. To restrain themthe various uses of light; so is the contemplation selves, till the proper season, from generalization,
of things as they are, free from superstition or they might, by the proper and genuine exertion
imposture, error or confusion, much more diogni- of their minds, fall into our way of interpretation
fi.e( in itself than all the advantage to be derived without the aid of any art. For interpretation is
from discoveries. the true and natural act of the mind, when all obLastly, let none be alarmed at the objection of stacles are removed: certainly, however, every
the arts and sciences becoming depraved to ma- thing will be more ready and better fixed by our
levolent or luxurious purposes and the like, for the precepts.
same can be said of every worldly good; talent, Yet do we not affirm that no addition can be
courage, strength, beauty, riches, light itself, and made to them; on the contrary, considering the
the rest. Only let mankind regain their rights mind in its connexion with things, and not merely
over nature, assigned to them by the gift of God, relatively to its own powers, we ought to be perand obtain that power, whose exercise will be suaded that the art of invention can be made to
governed by right reason and true religion. grow with the inventions themselves.
THE SECOND BOOK OF
A P E 0 R I S M S,
ON THE
INTERPRETATION OF NATURE, OR THE REIGN OF MAN.
1. To generate and superinduce a new nature, tions of the vulgar. It is rightly laid down, that
or new natures, upon a given body, is the labour " ctrue knowledge is that which is deduced from
and aim of human power: whilst to discover the causes." The division of four causes, also, is
orm or true difference of a given nature, or the not amiss: matter, form, the efficient, and end, or
nature* to which such nature is owing, or source final cause.* Of these, however, the latter is so
from whence it emanates, (for these terms ap- far from being beneficial, that it even corrupts the
proach nearest to an explanation of our meaning,) sciences, except in the intercourse of man with
is the labour and discovery of human knowledge. man. The discovery of form is considered despeAnd, subordinate to these primary labours, are rate. As for the efficient cause, and matter, (,ctwo others of a secondary nature and inferior cording to the present system of inquiry and the
stamp. Under the first must be ranked the received opinions concerning them, by which
transformation of concrete bodies from one to they are placed remote from, and without any
another, which is possible within certain limits; latent process towards form,) they are but desulunder the second, the discovery, in every species tory and superficial, and of scarcely any avail to
of generation and motion, of the latent and unin- real and active knowledge. Nor are we unmindterrupted process, from the manifest efficient and ful of our having pointed out and corrected above
manifest subject-matter up to the given form: and the error of the human mind, in assigning the
a like discovery of the latent conformation of first qualities of essence to forms.t For, although
bodies which are at rest, instead of being in nothing exists in nature except individual bodies,
motion. * These divisions are from Aristotle's Metaphysics, where
2. The unhappy state of man's actual know- they are termed, 1, vXq a ro V7oeKixcov. 2, ro7 ri7 - Ct'Oi
3, arerv d a1pxs?rST K osvzecwg. 4, ir o- 4EK —K-i 7O ySOors
ledge is manifested even by the common asser- -+ See Aphorism 51, and 2d paragraph of Aphorism;5, ilt
* TO Jb sy etvat, or n ow'vaca of Aristotle. See lib. 3. Metap. the first book.