The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

TRANSLATION OF
THE ABECEDARIUM NATURAE,
BY ARCHBISHOP TENNISON.
PUBLISHED IN THE BACONIANA, 1679.
THE SAME IN ENGLISH BY THE PUBLISHER.
F-ragmelent or a Book written by the Lord Verzlarm, and entitled, The.lphabe! of Nature.
$MEING so many things are produced by the negatives subjoined to affirmatives, conduce much
earth and waters; so many things pass through to the information of the understanding: it is fit
the air, and are received by it; so many things that an inquisition be made concerning being, and
are changed and dissolved by fire; other inquisi- not being. That is the seventy-third in order,
tions would be less perspicuous, unless the nature and reckoned the fourfold Alpha.
of those masses which so often occur, were well Conditions of beings. The fourfold Alpha; or,
known and explained. To these we add inquisi- concerning being, and not being.
tions concerning celestial bodies, and meteors, Now, possible and impossible, are nothing else
seeing they are some of greater masses, and of but conditions potential to being, or not potential
the number of catholic bodies.* to being. Of this the seventy-fourth inquisition
consists, and is accounted the fourfold Beta.
Greater Masses. Conditions of beings. The fourfold Beta; or,
The sixty-seventh inquisition. The threefold concerning possible and impossible.
Tau, or concerning the earth. Also, much, little; rare, ordinary; are condiThe sixty-eighth inquisition. The threefold tions potential to being in quantity. Of them let
Upsilon, or concerning the water. the seventy-fifth inquisition consist, and be acThe sixty-ninth inquisition. The threefold counted the fourfold Gamma.
Phi, or concerning the air. Consditions of beings. The fourfold Gamma; or,
The seventieth inquisition. The threefold Chi, concerning much and little.
or concerning the fire. Durable and transitory, eternal and momentary,
The seventy-first inquisition. The threefold are potential to being in duration. Of these let
Psi, or concerning celestial bodies. the seventy-sixth inquisition consist, and be called
The seventy-second inquisition. The threefold the fourfold Delta.
Omega, or concerning meteors. Conditions of beings. The fourfold Delta; or,
concerning durable and transitory.
Conditions of Entities. Natural and monstrous, are potential to being,
There yet remain, as subjects of our inquiry, either by the course of nature, or by its deviations
in our alphabet, the conditions of beings, which from it. Of these let the seventy-seventh inquisiseem, as it were, transcendentals, and such as tion consist, which is accounted the fourfold
touch very little of the body of nature. Yet, by Epsilon.
that manner of inquisition which we use, they Conditions of beings. The fourfold Epsilon;
will considerably illustrate the other objects. or, concerning what is natural or monstrous.
First, therefore; seeing (as Democritus excel- Natural and artificial, are potential to being,
lently observed) the nature of things is in the either with or without the operation of man. Of
plenty of matter, and variety of individuals large, these let the seventy-eighth inquisition consist,
and (as he affirmeth) infinite; but in its coitions and be accounted the fourfold Zeta.
and species so finite, that it may seem narrow Conditions of beings. The fourfold Zeta; or,
and poor; seeing so few species are found, either of that which is natural and artificial.
in actual being or impossibility, that they scarce We have not subjoined examples in the explicamake up a muster of a thousand; and seeing tion of the order of this our alphabet: for the
inquisitions themselves contain the whole array
See the distribution, in I. 2, c. 3, de Augm. Scient. p. 134, of examples.
135, 136. Ed. Lugd. Bat. 1. 3, c. 4, p. 231. And c. 4. Globi
Intellect. p. 88, 89. It is by no means intended, that the titles, ac530