The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

356 NOVUM ORGANUM. B ox I.
ception of divinity and politics, where suffrages growth. It is well known that after the Christian
are allowed to decide. For nothing pleases the religion had been acknowledged and arrived at
multitude, unless it strike the imagination or bind maturity, by far the best wits were busied upon
down the understanding, as we have observed theology, where the highest iewards offered themabove, with the shackles of assistance was
Hence we may well transfer Phocion's remark abundantly supplied, and the study of which
from morals to the intellect: "1 That men should was the principal occupation of tile western
immediately examine what error or fault they European nations during the third epoch; the
have committed, when the multitude concurs with rather because literature flourished about the very
and applauds them." This, then, is one of the time when controversies concerning religion first
most unfavourable signs. All the signs, there- began to bud forth. 2. In the preceding ages,
fore, of the truth and soundness of the received during the second epoch; (that of the Romans,)
systems of philosophy and the sciences are un- philosophical meditation and labour was chiefly
propitious, whether taken from their origin, their occupied and wasted in moral philosophy, (the
fruits, their progress, the confessions of their theology of the heathens:) besides, the greatest
authors, or from unanimity. minds in these times applied themselves to civil
78. WVe now come to the causes of errors,* affairs, on account of the magnitude of the Roman
and of such perseverance in them for ages. These empire, which required the labour of many. 3.
are sufficiently numerous and powerful to remove The age during which natural philosophy apall wonder that what we now offer should have peared principally to flourish among the Greeks
so long been concealed from and have escaped was but a short period, since in the more ancient
the notice of mankind, and to render it more times the seven sages (with the exception of
worthy of astonishment, that it should even now Thales) applied themselves to moral philosophy
have entered any one's mind or become the sub- and politics, and at a later period after Socrates
ject of his thoughts; and that it should have done had brought down philosophy from heaven to
so, we consider rather the gift of fortune than of earth, moral philosophy became more prevalent,
any extraordinary talent, and as the offspring of and diverted men's attention from natural. Nay,
time rather than wit. But, in the first.place, the the very period during which physical inquiries
number of ages is reduced to very narrow limits flourished, was corrupted and rendered useless by
on a proper consideration of the matter. For, out contradictions and the ambition of new opinions.
of twenty-five centuries, with which the memory Since, therefore, during these three epochs, natural
and learning of man are conversant, scarcely six philosophy has been materially neglected or imcan be set apart and selected as fertile in science and peded, it is not at all surprising that men should
favourable in its progress. For there are deserts have made but little progress in it, seeing they
and wastes in times as in countries, and we can were attending to an entirely different matter.
only reckon up three revolutions and epochs of 80. Add to this that natural philosophy, espephilosophy. 1. The Greek. 2. The Roman. cially of late, has seldom gained exclusive pos3. OLr own, that is, the philosophy of the western session of an individual free from all other purnations of Europe: and scarcely two centuries suits, even amongst those who have applied themcan with justice be assigned to each. The inter- selves to it, unless there may be an example or
mediate ages of the world were unfortunate, both two of some monk studying in his cell, or some
in the quantity and richness of the sciences pro- nobleman in his villa. She has rather been made
duced. Nor need we mention the Arabs or the a passage and bridge to other pursuits.
scholastic philosophy which, in those ages, Thus has this great mother of the sciences been
ground down the sciences by their numerous degraded most unworthily to the situation of an
treatises more than they increased their weight. handmaid., and made to wait upon medicine or
The first cause, then, of such insignificant pro- mathematical operations, and to wash the immagress in the sciences is rightly referred to the ture minds of youth, and imbue them with a first
small proportion of time which has been favour- dye, that they may afterwards be more ready to
able thereto. receive and retain another. In the mean time let
79. A second cause offers itself, which is no one expect any great progress in the sciences,
certainly of the greatest importance; namely, (especially their operative part,) unless natural
that in those very ages in which men's wit, and philosophy be applied to particular sciences, and
literature flourished considerably, or even mode- particular sciences again referred back to natural
rately, but a small part of their industry was philosophy. For want of this, astronomy, optics,
bestowed on natural philosophy, the great mother music, many mechanical arts, medicine itself,
of the sciences. For every art and science torn and (what perhaps is more wonderful) moral and
from this root may, perhaps, be polished and put political philosophy, and the logical sciences have
into a serviceable shape, but can admit of little no depth, but only glide over the surface and variety of things; because these sciences, when
* See end of Axiom 61. This subject extends to Axiom 93. they have been once partitioned out and esta