and common Notions; and offer the Understanding quite plain and fmooth, to receive Particulars anew and, therefore, that Knowledge we have, is nothing more than an undigested Heap, and Collection, of much Faith and Accident, mix'd with abundance of childish Notions, imbibed in our Youth

7. Whence, if any one of riper Years, found in his Senfes, and of a Wrong Ideas to clear, unbiaffed Mind, were to apply himself afresh to Experience and be dijcharged. Particulars; better Things might be expected from him. And in this refpect, we promife our felves the Fate of Alexander the Great. But let us not presently be accus'd of Vanity, before the End of the Story be heard; which regards the laying afide of all Vanity.

Words:

66

Alexander.

8. For fchines, fpeaking of Alexander and his Exploits, has thefe The Author Surely we lead no mortal Life; but are born to this compared to "End alone, that Pofterity fhould relate ftrange Things of us." As if he efteem'd the Atchievements of Alexander miraculous. But Livy coming, long afterwards, to confider, and look better into the Thing, faid of it, that "Alexander did no more than dare to defpife Vanities." And fuch a Judgment we expect Pofterity will pass upon us; viz. that we have done no great Matter; but only esteem'd thofe as little Things, which were accounted great ones. In the mean time, there is no Hope, as we before obferved, but in the Regeneration of the Sciences; or the raifing and building them up anew, in a certain Order, from Experience: which no one, perhaps, has hitherto attempted or thought of '.

APHORISM XCVIII.

Experience.

9. And for the Foundations of Experience; which is the next Thing we A juft Founda muft proceed to; they either have not hitherto been laid, or very weakly. tion not hiNor has a Collection of Materials, competent either in Number, Kind, or therto laid for Certainty, for informing the Understanding, or any way fufficient, and worthy of the End propofed, been hitherto made: but, on the contrary, learned Men, after an easy, indolent manner, have received certain Rumours of Experience, and the popular Reports and Tales thereof, both for building and ftrengthening their Philofophy; and given them the Weight of ftrong Teftimonials: which is juft as if a Kingdom fhould govern itself, not according to the Advices and Intelligences of its Ambaffadors, and trufty Officers in foreign Courts; but by the idle Rumours, and common Towntalk of its People. For as to Matter of Experience, there is nothing hitherto well difcovered, verified, adjusted, weighed, or measured, in Natural History: but whatever is undefin'd and vague in Observation,

See above, Aph. 19, 27, 28, 29.

1 Let Antiquity be farther fearched upon this Head; as alfo the Chinese Hiftory, and the Hiftories of other ancient Nations confulted; to fee if nothing of this kind was ever proposed before. What the Author means, will fully appear hereafter, under Sect. VII. but more particularly in the Second Part of this Work. See alfo above, Aph. 21.

VOL. II.

Eee

muft

A want of in

riments.

muft needs be. fallacious and deceitful in the Information. And if this fhall feem furprizing, or the Complaint appear unjuft, to any one; whilst fo great a Philofopher as Ariftotle, affifted with the Purfe of fo great a Prince as Alexander, has compiled fuch an exact History of Animals; and whilft fome others, with greater Diligence, tho' with lefs Bustle, have contributed many Things thereto; and whilft others, again, have wrote copious Hiftories, and Accounts of Plants, Metals, and Foffils; he does not feem fufficiently to understand our Meaning. A Natural History, compiled for its own fake, is one thing; and a Natural History, collected for informing the Understanding, in order to the building up of Natural Philofophy, is another. And these two Hiftories, as they differ in other refpects; so principally in this, that the former contains various Defcriptions of natural Bodies, but not Experiments of mechanic Arts. For as, in civil Life, the Temper of a Man, and the fecret Difpofitions of his Mind and Affections, are better underitood, when he is ruffled, than otherwife; fo the Secrets of Nature are better got out by the Torturing of Arts, than when fuffer'd to take their own courfe. And, therefore, we may then have good Hopes of Natural Philofophy, when Natural Hiftory, which is the Bafis thereof, fhall be better fupplied; and not before m

APHORISM XCIX.

10. Again; in the very Stock of mechanical Experiments, there is a forming Expe- great Want of fuch as principally conduce to the Information of the Undeftanding. For the Mechanic, being no way concerned about the Discovery of Truth, applies his Mind, and stretches out his Hand, to nothing more than is fubfervient to his Work: but we may then rationally expect to fee the Sciences farther advanced, when numerous Experiments fhall be received, and adopted into Natural History, which of themselves are useless; and tend only to the Discovery of Caufes and Axioms: Thefe being what we call Experiments of Light, to diftinguifh them from Expements of Profit. And they have this wonderful Property, that they never deceive or fruftrate the Expectation: for being ufed, not in order to effect any Work; but for difclofing of natural Čaufes, in certain Particulars; let them fall which way they will, they equally anfwer the Intention, and folve the Question".

A better Order in Experimenting.

APHORISM C.

11. And not only a larger Stock of Experiments is to be fought, and procured, of a different Kind from what has hitherto appeared; but also a quite different Method, Order, and Procedure, is to be introduced,

m See Vol. III. p. 8—16.

See the Sylva Sylvarum, paffim..

for

for continuing and advancing Experience itfelf: for vague Experience, that pursues nothing but itfelf, is, as was before observed, a mere groping about in the dark; and rather amazes Mankind, than informs them. But when Experience fhall be conducted by certain Laws, orderly and confequentially, we may have better Hopes of the Sciences P.

APHORISM CI.

12. And when a proper Quantity of fuitable Materials, for fuch a natural Inventions to and experimental Philofophy, as is required for the Work of the Under- be wrote down. ftanding, or the Bufinefs of Philofophy, fhall be provided, and got ready; yet the Underftanding is no way qualified to act upon thefe Materials fpontaneously, and by Memory; no more than a Man fhould expect to make the Calculations for an Almanack, by the bare Strength of his Memory. Yet Contemplation has hitherto been more employ'd in Invention than Writing: nor is Experience yet made learned. But no Invention fhould be allow'd, or trufted, except in Writing. And when this comes into use, fo that Experience may be made a Matter of Learning and Science, we may then have better Hopes'.

APHORISM CII.

13. Again; the Number, or, as it were, the Army of Particulars, Hiftorical being fo large, fcatter'd, and confufed, as to diftract and confound the Materials to Mind; little Good can be expected from the Skirmishes and Sallies of be tabled. the Understanding; unless it be fitted, and brought close to them, by means of proper, well-difpofed, and actuating Tables of Invention, containing fuch Things as belong to the Subject of every Enquiry: and unless the Mind be applied to receive the prepared and digefted Affiftance they afford.

APHORISM CIII.

14. And even when a Stock of Particulars is exactly and orderly Axioms to be placed before us; we must not immediately pafs on to the Enquiry, formed from and Discovery, of new Particulars, or Works: at leaft, if this be Experiments.

See above, Aph. 82.

P See Vol. I. p. 119-125. and hereafter in the Second Part, paffim.

9 See Sect. XII. of Learned Experience, in the de Augment. Scientiar.

The Caution here laid down is extremely neceffary: for the natural Powers of the Mind are fo infirm, and weak, as by no means to be trutted, in the Bufinefs of Invention, Obfervation, or Experiment. We fee it is common for Men, after fome Time, to forget their own Obfervations and Experiments. Nor is the Memory fufficiently ready and apt to prefent Things as they may be wanted; nor the Judgment always clear, ftrong, and in right Order. So that even natural Things, whilft they dwell only in the Memory, or Imagination, feem little better than Phantoms; and require to be diftinctly wrote down, for the Service of Philofophy. See hereafter, Part II. paffim.

See hereafter, Part II. Sect. I. See also, Vol. III. p. 320—340.
Eee 2

done,

Axioms to be formed in a

new manner.

done, we must not dwell upon it. We deny not, that, after all the Experiments of every Art fhall be collected, digefted, and brought to the Knowledge and Judgment of a fingle Perfon; many new Difcoveries may be made, for the Ufe and Advantage of Life, thro' the Tranflation of the Experiments of one Art into another; by means of what we call Learned Experience: yet lefs Hope is to be conceived hereof; and a much greater of a new Light of Axioms, drawn regularly, and in a certain manner, from thofe Particulars; fo that fuch Axioms may again point out, and lead to new Particulars. For the Way lies not thro' a Plain; but thro' Mountains and Valleys: firft afcending to Axioms, and then defcending to Works ".

APHORISM CIV.

W

15. But the Understanding muft not be allowed to leap, or fly from Particulars, to remote, or the moft general kind, of Axioms, at once; (fuch as are called the Principles of Arts and Things ";) and fo prove, and draw out, middle Axioms, according to the established Truth of the former; as has hitherto been done by a natural Sally of the Understanding which is naturally inclined this Way; and has been long trained and accustomed to it, by the Ufe of thofe Demonftrations, which proceed upon Syllogism *. But we may conceive good Hopes of the Sciences, when, by continued Steps, like real Stairs, uninterrupted or broken, Men fhall afcend from Particulars to leffer Axioms; and fo on to middle ones; from thefe again to higher; and laftly, to the moft general of all. For the lowest Axioms differ not much from bare Experience; and the highest, and most general ones, as they are now efteem'd, prove only notional, theoretical, and of no Solidity; whilft the middle Axioms, are the real, the folid, and animated Kind, wherein the Affairs and Fortunes of Men are placed and above thefe, come fuch as are truly the moft

1 See Vol. I. p. 119.

"This will be more fully explained in the Second Part. See alfo Vol. III. p. 316. The Author intended to treat of the afcending and defcending Scale of Axioms, as a Part of the prefent Work; but it was never published. And as this Method has not, that we know of, been hitherto tried, it affords an Argument of Hope, that Philosophy and the Sciences may be improved by its means.

W

Suppofe the Fiction of the Four Peripatetic Elements, which have been made the Basis of Natural Philofophy; the Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury of the Chemifts; the Fuga Vacui, &c. * See above, Aph. 13, 14, 19, 20, 25,

c.

This was the Defign of the Scala Intellectûs: and how the Thing was propofed to be effected, may be feen by Examples in the Author's History of Life and Death, Winds, &c. See Vol. III. p. 8-16.

Such as in Chemistry, that animal Subftances yield no fixed Salt, by Calcination; in Music, that Concords intermixed with Difcords, make Harmony, &c.

a Such as in Optics, that the Angle of Incidence is equal to the Angle of Reflexion, in all: Sorts of Surfaces; in Phyfics, Sir Ifaac Newton's three Laws of Motion, &c.

moft general; yet not metaphyfical; but juftly limited by these intermediate ones b.

16. And, therefore, the Understanding does not want Sail, fo much The Underas Ballaft; to keep it from skipping and bounding: but as this is hi-anding to be kept steady. therto a Defideratum; when it fhall be fupplied, we may have better Hopes of the Sciences.

APHORISM CV.

17. Again; a different Form of Induction, from what has hitherto been A new Form of used, must be invented, for the raising of Axioms and that not only for Induction. the discovering and proving of Principles, as they are call'd; but likewife for afcertaining the leffer, middle, and, in fhort, all kinds of Axioms. For that Induction which proceeds by fimple Enumeration, is a childish Thing; concludes with Uncertainty; ftands expofed to Danger from contradictory Inftances; and generally pronounces upon fcanty Data; and fuch only as are ready at hand: but the Induction useful in the Discovery and Demonstration of Arts and Sciences, ought to fift Nature, by proper RejeEtions and Exclufions; and then conclude upon Affirmatives, after the due Number of Negatives are thrown out: a Thing never yet done, nor attempted; unless by Plato, who made fome little Ufe of this Form of Induction, in the fifting of Definitions and Ideas . But for the just and regular forming of this Induction, or Demonftration, numerous Particulars are required, which have been hitherto thought of by no Mortal; fo that greater Pains must be bestowed upon it, than has been bestowed upon Syllogifms. And the Affiftance of this Induction must be used, not only for the difcovering of Axioms; but alfo for the defining of Notions. And in this Bufinefs of Induction is lodged the greateft Hope of improving the Sciences.

APHORISM CVI.

18. But in forming thefe Axioms by this Induction, it must be well The Caution examin'd and try'd, whether the Axiom intended be only adapted, and required in made according to the measure of thofe Particulars from which it is ex

forming Axioms by its tracted; Means.

The highest Sort may be called Axioms of Axioms; and were intended to make the fixth and laft Part of the Inftauration: but it fhould feem that Philofophy in the general, or the Author's Method in particular, has not been fo far profecuted as to afford them. For Approximations fee the imperfect Canons, or Axioms, at the Clofe of the History of Winds, Life and Death, &c. See alfo below, Aph. 105, 106.

See above, Aph. 13, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, &c.

See above, Aph. 71. This Bufinefs of Induction is farther explained in another Place, thus. Such a Form of Induction may be introduced, as to draw fome General Conclufion from certain Particulars; fo as at the fame Time to demonftrate, that no contradictory Inftances can be found: for otherwife we might eafily pronounce upon too few Particulars; and thefe alfo of the obvious kind.

See above, Apb. 19. See alfo Part II. Sect. I. paim.