The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

OF THE INTERPRETATION OF NATURE. 91
appoint you to such a relative, as is in the same sions: the first sort, I call idols of the nation or
kind, and not in a diverse. For in the direction, tribe; the second, idols of the palace; the third,
to produce brightness by smoothness, although idols of the cave; and the fourth, idols of the
properly it win no degree, and will never teach theatre, &c.
you any new particulars before unknown, yet
by way of suggestion, or bringing to mind, it may Herefolloweth an abridgement of divers chapters of
draw your consideration to some particulars known the first book of the INTERPRETATION OF NATURE.
but not remembered; as you shall sooner remember some practical means of making smoothness, CHAPTER XII.
than if you had fixed your consideration only
THAT in deciding and determining of the truth
upon brightness; but if the direction had been tof knowledge, men have put themselves upon
make brightness, by making reflection, as tlhus, trals not competent. That antiquity and authormake it such as you may see your face in it; this ity commo n and confessed notions, the natural
is merely secondary, and helpeth neither by way, the
of informing, nor by way of suggesting. So if and yielding consent of the mind, the harmony and
of inomngon. So coherence of a knowledge in itself, the establishin the inquiry of whiteness you were directed to.oherence
make such a colour as should be seen furthest in ing of principles with the touch and reduction of
other propositions unto them, inductions without
a dark light; here you are advanced nothing at instances contradictory and the report of the
all. For these kinds of natures are but proprieties, senses, are none of them absolute and infallible
effects, circumstances, concurrences, or what else evidence of truth; and bring no security sufficient
you shall like tc call them, and not radical and for effects and operations. That the discovery of
formative natures towards the nature supposed. new works or active directions not known before,
The second caution is, that the nature inquired be is the only trial to be accepted of; and yet not
collected by division before composition, or to that neither, in case where one particular giveth
speak more properly, by composition subaltern,
speak more properly, by composition subaltern, light to another; but where particulars induce
before you ascend to composition absolute, &c. an axiom or observation, which axiom found
out discovereth and designeth new particulars.
Of the internal andprofound errors and superstitions That the nature of this trial is not only upon the
in the nature of the mind, and of the four sorts of point, whether the knowledge be profitable or no,
idols or fictions which offer themselves to the un- but even upon the points whether the knowledge
derstanding in the inquisition of knowledge. be true or no. Not because you may always conBeing the XVIth chapter, and this a small frag- eclude, that the axiom which discovereth new inment thereof, being a preface to the inward stances is true; but contrariwise you may safely
elenches of the mind. conclude, that if it discover not any new instance,
THE opinion of Epicurus, that the gods were it is in vain and untrue. That by new instances
of human shape, was rather justly derided than are not always to be understood new recipes, but
seriously confuted by the other sects, demanding new assignations; and of the diversity between
whether every kind of sensible creature did not these two. That the subtilty of words, arguthink their own figure fairest, as the horse, the ments, notions, yea of the senses themselves, is
bull, and the like, which found no beauty but in but rude and gross in comparison of the subtilty
their own forms, as in appetite of lust appeared. of things. And of the slothful and flattering
And the heresy of the Anthropomorphites was opinions of those which pretend to honour the
ever censured for a gross conceit, bred in the ob- mind of man in withdrawing and abstracting it
ever censured for a grossconceitbrefrom particulars; and of the inducements and moscure cells of solitary monks that never looked from particulars; and of the nducements and moabroad. Again,thefablesowellknownof Quis tives whereupon such opinions have been cona.Again, the fable so well knownof" Quis ceived and received.
pinxit leonem," doth set forth well,-that there is
an error of pride and partiality, as well as of CHAPTER XIII
custom and familiarity. The reflection also from
glasses so usually resembled to the imagery of OF the error in propounding chiefly the search
the mind, every man knoweth to receive error and of causes and productions of things concrete, which
variety both in colour, magnitude, and shape, are infinite and transitory; and not of abstract
according to the quality of the glass. But yet no natures, which are few and permanent. That
use hath been -made of these and many the like these natures are as the alphabet or simple letters,
observations to move men to search out, and upon whereof the variety of things consisteth; or as
search to give true cautions of the native and inhe- the colours mingled in the painter's shell, whererent errors in the mind of man, which have colour- with he is able to make infinite variety of faces or
ed and corrupted all his notions and impressions. shapes. An enumeration of them according to
I do find therefore in this enchanted glass four popularnote. That, atthe first, one would conceive
idols, or false appearances of several and distinct that in the schools by natural philosophy were
sorts, every sort comprehending many subdivi- meant the knowledge of the efficients of things