The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

lBolr II. NOVUM ORGANUM. 423
respond in their conformation; others, on the since these latter are more apparent, they may
contrary, correspond in the former and differ in throw great light, when well observed and dilithe latter. Thus the chymists have well observed, gently examined, upon those which are more
that in their trial of first principles, sulphur and latent.
mercury, as it were, pervade the universe; their The more eternal harmony and aversion, or
reasoning about salt, however, is absurd, and friendship and enmity, (for superstition and folly
merely introduced to comprise earthy, dry, fixed have rendered the terms of sympathy and antibodies. In the other two, indeed, one of the pathy almost disgusting,) have been either falsely
most universal species of natural harmony mani- assigned, or mixed with fable, or most rarely
fests itself. Thus there is a correspondence be- discovered fiom neglect. For if one were to
tween sulphur, oil, greasy exhalations, flame, allege that there is an enmity between the vine
and, perhaps, the substance of the stars. On the and the cabbage, because they will not come up
other hand, there is a like correspondence between well when sown together, there is a sufficient
mercury, water, aqueous vapour, air, and, per- reason for it in the succulent and absorbent nature
haps, pure intersidereal ether. Yet do these two of each plant, so that the one defrauds the other.
quaternions, or great natural tribes (each within Again, if one were to say that there is a harmony
its own limits) differ immensely in quantity and and friendship between the corn and the corndensity of substance, whilst they generally agree flower, or the wild poppy, because the latter
in conformation, as is manifest in many instances. seldom grow anywhere but in cultivated soils,
On the other hand, the metals agree in such he ought rather to say there is an enmity between
quantity and density, (especially when compared them, for the poppy and the corn-flower are prowith vegetables, &c.,) but differ in many respects duced and created by those juices which the corn
in conformation. Animals and vegetables, in has left and rejected, so that the sowing of the
like manner, vary in their almost infinite modes corn prepares the ground for their production.
of conformation, but range within very limited And there are a vast number of similar false asdegrees of quantity and density of substance. sertions. As for fables, they must be totally exThe next most general correspondence is that terminated. There remains then but a scanty
between individual bodies and those which sup- supply of such species of harmony as has borne
ply them by way of menstruum or support. In- the test of experiment, such as that between the
quiry, therefore, must be made as to the climate, magnet and iron, gold and quicksilver, and the
soil, and depth at which each metal is generated, like. In chymical experiments on metals, howand the same of gems, whether produced in ever, there are some others worthy of notice, but
rocks or mines; also as to the soil in which par- the greatest abundance (where the whole ore so
ticular trees, shrubs, and herbs mostly grow and, few in numbers) is discovered in certain medias it were, delight; and as to the best species of cines, which, from their occult and specific qualimanure, whether dung, chalk, sea-sand, or ashes, ties, (as they are termed,) affect particular limbs,
&c., and their different propriety and advantage humours, diseases, or constitutions. Nor should
according to the variety of soils. So also the we omit the harmony between the motion and
grafting and setting of trees and plants (as re- phenomena of the moon, and their effects on
gards the readiness of grafting one particular lower bodies, which may be brought together by
species on another) depends very much upon an accurate and honest selection from the experiharmony, and it would be amusing to try an ex- ments of agriculture, navigation, and medicine,
periment I have lately heard of, in grafting forest or of other sciences. By as much as these general
trees, (garden trees alone having hitherto been instances, however, of more latent harmony are
adopted,) by which means the leaves and fruit rare, with so much the more diligence are they to
are enlarged, and the trees produce more shade. be inquired after, through tradition and faithful
The specific food of animals again should be and honest reports, but without rashness and creobserved, as well as that which cannot be used. dulity, with an anxious and, as it were, hesitating
Thus the carnivorous cannot be fed on herbs, for degree of reliance. There remains one species
which reason the order of Feuilletans, the experi- of harmony which, though simple in its mode of
ment having been made, has nearly vanished; action, is yet most valuable in its use, and must
human nature being incapable of supporting their by no means be omitted, but rather diligently inregimen, although the human will has more power vestigated. It is the ready or difficult coition or
over the bodily frame than that of other animals. union of bodies in composition or simple juxta
The different kinds of putrefaction from which position. For some bodies readily and willingly
animals are generated should be noted. mix and are incorporated, others tardily and perThe harmony of principal bodies with those versely; thus powders mix best with water, chaht
subordinate to them (such indeed may be deemed and ashes with oils, and the like. Nor are these
those we have alluded to above) are sufficiently instances of readiness and aversion to mixture to
manifest, to which may be added those that exist be alone collected, but others also of the collocabetween different bodies and their objects, and, tion, distribution, and digestion of the parts when