PROCEMIUM". "Preliminary comment FRANCIS OF VERULAM? REASONED THUS WITH HIMSELF, AND JODGED If-T0 BE FOR THE INTEREST OF THE PRESENT AND FUTURE (GENERATIONS THAT THEY SHOULD BE MADE ACQUAINTED wari itis THOUGHTS, Belag convinced that the human incest makes own difeulter, not using the true helps which are at tmans disposal soberly and Judlepusy, whence fallow Manifold ignorance of thing, and by reason of that i horance mischiefs innumerable, he thought all tral should be made, whether that commerce between the ind fn and theatre of tig, whch ore precious than anything on cart, ora lest than any tis IS sof the earth, might by any means be restored to Its perfect and original condition, orf tht snay not be, yet reduced” to better condition than that in which now is Now that the errors which have hitherto pre= ‘sited and which will prevall forever, should the tind be left to go ts own way), either by the natural force of the understanding or by help of the lds and instruments of Logie, one by one correct themssives, vasa thing not to be hoped for beessse the primary dations of things which the mind really and passively Iimbber stores up, and accumulates (and iti rom thers that al the ret flow) are las, confused, and overhasily abstracted from the fate, nor are the secondary and Subsequent nations lees arbitrary and inconstant hence X flows at the emi abi of human enon wih ‘we employ in the inquisition of nature, se badly put together and built up, and like some magnificent se: "Bacon was Baron of Verlan, “Thro the ot Bacon refers toh. Broweht back2 Sir Francis Bacon ture without any foundation. For while men ae occupied In'sdmniing nd applading the false powers of the mind, they past by and throw away those tre powers. which, IF be supplied with the proper aids and can islf be content to alt upon nature tntesd of vainly alectng {overrule her, sfe within reach There was but one ‘Sourae lef: therefore,-to ty the whole thing anew upon SSbetter plan, and t0 commence a total econstruction Of sciences, ats and all human knowledge, raised upon the proper foundations. And this, though inthe projet and undertaking it ay seem a thing infinite and beyond the powers of man, yet when it comes to be dealt with it'wll be found sound and sober, more so than what has bheon done hitherto. For of this there Is some issei* ete in wht pw dng ip the matter of cence there is only whirling round about, and perpetval a taton, endlog where te began. And although he wae wwellawre how solitary an enterprise is, and how hard thing to win faith and eredit for, nevertheless he was Tele not fo abandon ether i or hima nor to be ‘eterred from tying and entering upon that one pall ‘whichis alone open to the human mind. For better it Io at png of that wh may ad 1 ome thing. than to engage ins perpetval struggle and pursuit in courses which have no exit. And certainly the two says of contemplation are much lke those to ways of {ton so much celebrated, in this—that the one, arduoes {nd dificult in the beginning, leads out at last into the Open country, while the other, seeming at fst sight easy Shd'Hce fom obstruction, leads to pathlese and precip. ius places. saulofeger, tec he knew oat hw long it might be fore there things would occur to any one ele, jude especially from the that he has found no man hitherto sth has applied his mind to the like, he resolved to publish at once so muchas he has been able to complete. ‘The cause of which baste was aot ambition for hime but solide forthe work, that fn ese of his death there'might remain some outline and project of that which he had conceived, and some evidence likewise of ‘tte has aren produced some results The Great Instauration 3 is honest mind and inclination towards the benefit of the man’ ree, Certain the al ther Smbion ‘whatsoever seemed poor in his eyes compared with the Mork which he had in hand, seeing thatthe matter isu is either nothing, or thing o great that it may well be content witht own ment without seeking other ‘eeompenceEPISTLE DEDICATORY. es JAMES,’ BY THE GRACE OF GOD OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND KING, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, ETC Mot Grado on Mighty King ‘70 OUR Most cRACI Your Majesty may perhaps accuse me of larceny, hay {ng stolen from your affairs ro much time as was required for this work. 1 know aot what to say for mysell For htm hee canbe no renstaton uns te that what as been abstracted rom your business tay pethaps go to the memory of your name and the honour of your age; if these this are indeed worth anything. Cotaly they are quite new totally new in their very kind: and yet they are copied from a very ancient model, even the word itself and the nature of things and ofthe mind, ‘And to say truth, Lam wont for my own part to regard this work asa ehild of time rather than of wit the only wonder being that the fest notion ofthe thing. and such great suspicions concerning matters ong established, Should have come into any man's mind All the rest fellows readily enough. And no doubt there is something ‘of accident (as we eal if) and Tuck as well in what men think a5 in what they do or say. But for this aeident which T speak of, Tish that f there be any good in ‘what T have to fer, it may be arcribed to the infinite ome King of England, 1603-605 “A prod of fivorble crsunanees aber han f Bacon's in s6 Sir Francis Bacon merey and goodness of God, and tothe flieity of your Majesty's times, to which as Thave been an honest nd fectionate servant in my life, 30 after my death T may Yet perhaps, through the kindling of this new light in {the darkness of philosophy, be the means of making this ‘fe famous to posterity, and surely to the times of the wisest and most learned of Kings belongs of right the Tegeneration and restoration of the sciences, Lastly. 1 ve a request to make—a request no way unworthy of your Majesty, and which especially concerns the work In'hand, nately that you who resemble Solomon In 30 ‘many things~in the gravity of your judgments, in the peacefulness of your reign nthe largenes of your heart, In the noble variety of the books which you have com pposed—-would further follow his example in taking order for the collecting and perfecting of a Natural and Ex- perimental History. truc and severe" (anineumbered with Fiterature and book-learning) such as philosophy may be bull upon,—such, infact 28 shall ints proper place describe: that so at length, afer the lapse’ of s0 many tages, philosophy and the sciences may no longer float in ar, but reson the solid foundation of experience of every Kind, and the same well examined snd weighed Thave provided the machine, but the stuf must be gath ered from the facts of nature. May God Almighty Tong preserve your Majesty! vow Mi hound and dected ‘overt FRANCIS VERULAM, Chancellor ‘sr Ling eg Ge. “5 command tha tbe dove Senne THE GREAT INSTAURATION."2 PREFACE. That the state ofkaotcledge i not or ‘era earings ty a be oped forthe human understanding ently differen fram ‘2m hitherto Known, and other helps provided, ‘rder thatthe mind may exercise ver the hart Of things the authority which properly belongs fo 1k seems to me that men do not rightly understan either ther 'store® or tht Stength Bw once the gnc andundraethe ofr Hence alls, tees rm an extravagant extimate of the value of the, ats which they posses, hey sec no futher ot ee Fem too mean a estimate of their own powers they spend their strength In small matters and never put it ly to the tll in those which go tothe main These are 3 ‘he pillars of fate set in the path of knowledge. for imen have neither desire nor hope to encourage then to penetrate further: And since opinion of store is one ot the chiet causes of want, and satisfaction withthe Pisa dices neglect of provision forthe fete it comes a thing not aly useful, but absolutely neces sary that the excess of honour and admiration with which Gur existing stock of inventions fs regarded be in the ‘ety entrance and threshold of the works and that frankly Restoration ter decay: sting up oF founding ee 1 up oF Founding “These defects 2 the lint of human ofr. “Plenty8 Sir Francis Bacon tod without, dircumlocoton, dripped of, and men be duly warmed ot to exaggerate oF make too much of then For let's man look carefully into all that varety OF ok with which the ate and scenes abound be Willfind everywhere endless repetition ofthe same thing, Yarying in the method of treatment, but not new in sub. Src inomoc tht the wba ook, momerous Sppeais at fist view, proves on examination to be but Selig: And for its value and tity ft must be plainly owed that that wisdom which we have derived prin: {Spall from the Greeks is ut like the boyhood of know lf, and has the charactratie property of boys i can {RIE but i cannot generate, for it frital of contro Nersies but barren of works So that the sate of learning wittnow is eppesss to e represented to the life in the le fable of Soll, who had the ead an face of viezin, Sov her womb was hung round sith barking monsters. from which she could not be delivered. For In like man her the seiences to which we are accustomed have cer {ain genoral postions which are specious and tering Ba Boon they comet parla wih ae the parts of generation, when they should produce frtt hd works, then arise contentions and barking disps- {ations which are the end ofthe matter and all the issue they can yield. Observe ao, that if sciences ofthis kind Ind any life in therm, that could never have come to pass which has been the’ ase now for many ages—that they Sand almow at a sayy” without ecetving any augmen- {ations worthy of the human race, asm that any times not only what ova averted once fs asserted st but what was a question once is « question stil, and Instend of being resolved by dxcostion is only fixe and fed and al te tradition and succession of seo sill S'Suecession of masters and scholers, not of Sventors nd those who bring to further perfection the things invented. In the mechanical arts we do not find It 30 ihey.'on the contrary, as having fm then some breath lle are continually growing and becoming more per fect. As orginally invented they are commonly ride, Clumsy, and shapeless, afterwards they acquire ew pow "Stop The Great Instauration crs and more commodious arrangements and construc: tions nso far that men shall sooner leave the stody fand pursuit of them and turn to something ele, than they arrive at the ultimate perfection of which they are tapable.™ Philorophy and fhe intelectual seienees, on the contrary stand like states, worshipped and cele- bated but not moved or advanced. Nay they sometimes froursh most in the hands of the st euthor, and a terwards degenerate. For when men have once made over their facamentsto others keeping. and (ike those Senators whom they called Pda)" have agreed to sop: port some one person's opinion, from that time th Mrake no enlargement of the sciences themselves, but falto the servile offic of embellishing crtaln individual authors and increasing their retinue: And let ft not be Said thatthe sefences have been growing gradually they have at last reached ther full stature, snd so (heir course being completed) have setied inthe works of a few writers: and that there being now no room for the invention of better all that romaine i to embellish and tultvate those things which have been invented already Would t were sol Bit the truths that thi sppropriting® of the sctences hat its origin in nothing better than the confidence ofa few persons andthe sloth and indolence of the rest. For after the sciences had been in several parspertaoe cultivated and Rode get here as rgen up some man of bold disposition, and famous for methods and short ways which people like, who has in appearance reduced them to an awhile be has in fact only spoiled all thatthe others had done. And yet this i what posterity like, because Ht makes the work Short and easy, and saves further inguly. of which they are weary and impatient. And if any one take tis general fcqulescence and consent for an argument of weight. as being the judgment of Time, Tet me tell bin that the reasoning on which he relies is most fallacious and weak For. fest, we are far rom knowing all tht inthe matter “Bacon means that the mechanical ats ae contnaly progres sive they do ot qucly come toa specaus perfection ‘ition soars of tfeor rank Making over os specil cnet10. Sir Franc Bacon of sciences and art has i various ages and places beon Srought to light and published, much less, ll hat has bien by private persons secretly attempted and stirred 10 neither the births nor the misearagen of Time see tntered in our records, Nor, secondly, is the consent {elf and the time it has continued a consideration of imac worth For however varios ac the farms ofc alien there is but one form of polity in the setenees, End that always has been and always will be popular ‘Now the doctrines which find most favour with the pop- lace are those which are either contentious and por: tacos. oF specious and empty, such Ta), as ether fntangle" assent of Uekle le And therefore no doubt the presteat wits in each successive age have been forced ‘out of their own course, men of capacity and intellect ‘ove the vulgar having been ful for reputations sake, to bow to the judgment ofthe time and the multitude; and thus if any contemplations of a higher order took Hight anywhere, they were presently blown out by the winds of vulgar opinions. 80 that Time ts like a river ‘hich has brought down to us thingy light and puffed Up, while those which are weighty and solid have sunk Meets very author who hae usurped 2 ind of torship in the sciences and taken upon them to lay he lew with such confidence, yet when fom time to time they come to themselves agun, they fal to com: plants of the subtlety of nature, the hiding-places of ruth the obscurity of things, the entanglement of eases, the wealess of the human ind; wherein nevertheless they how thanacves never th more made scing that they will rather lay the blame upon the common Condition of men and nature than upon themselves. And then whatever any ar fal to atin, they ever bt down upon the authority of that art self as imposible ‘of attainment, and how can art be found guy when t Judge ints aa, seo 1s ut denier ee ‘empting ignorance from ignominy. Now for those things ‘which are delivered and received, this their condition barren of works, fll of question, In point of enlarge ‘cate snare *Wiling Inelne, happy ‘The Great Intouration x1 ‘ment slow and languid; carrying show of perfection in the whole, but in the parts ill Aled up. in selection popular, and unsatisfactory even to those who propound them: and therefore fenced round and set forth with sundry artfices. And if there be any who have deter: ‘mined to make tval for themselves, and put thelr own strength to the work of advancing the boundaries of the Sciences, yet have they not ventured to cat themselves completely lose from received opialons orto seek their Inowledge at the fountain. but they think they have done some great thing if they do but add and introduce Into the existing sum of science something oftheir own: prudently considering with themeclves that by making the addition they can assert their Uber, while they retain the credit of modesty by ascenting to the rest. But these medioerities and middle ways so much praised, in deferring to opinions and customs, turn to the great detriment of the sciences. For it i hardly possible at ‘once to admire an author and to go beyond him, know! trdge being as water, which will aot rise above the level from which it fll. Men of thie kind, therefore, amend some things, but advance litle; and improve the con- dition of knowledge, but do not extend its range. Some, Indeed, there have been who have gone more boldly to work, and taking i all for an open matter and giving ther genius full play, have made a pasage for themselves and their own opinions by pulling down and dernoishing former ones, and yet all thie stir has but litle advanced the matter, since their aim has heen not to extend phi- losophy and the arts in substance and value, but only to-change doctrines and transfer the kingdom of opinions to themselves; whereby litle has indeed been gained, for though the error be the opposite of the other, the causes of erring are the same in both, And if there have bbeen any who, not binding themselves either to other men’s opinions of to thei own, but loving liberty, have desired to engage others along with themselves in search, these, though honest In intention, have been weak in endeavour. For they have been content to follow The source12 Sir Francis Bacon buble reasons, and ae carried round in a whi] of Srguments nd in the promiscuous liberty of search have felaxed the severity of ingury. There is none who has ‘vel upon experience and the facts of mature as long Sis metestaye Some there are Indeed who have com titted themselves to the waves of experience, and almost Shred mechani yet These gan hve their ry txperimente pursued 4 kindof wandering inquiry. with fut any regular system of operations. And besides they fave mostly proposed to themselves certain petty task, {eking iH fora great matter to work out some single tiscovery.ea course of proceeding st once poor in sim Sd unaliflin design, Por no man can ahtiy and sce essflly investigate the nature of anything inthe thing tet let him vary his experiments at laboriously as he wil he never comes to a-restigplace, But stl! finds Something to seek beyond" And there fs another thing to'be remembered, namely, tht all industry in exper= menting has bean with proposing to self cota det inite works to be accomplished, and has pursued them ‘sith premature and unseasonable eagerness it has sought, Tay experiments of rut, not experiments of Light, tot htaing the divine procedore, which in ts rt day's Wtovk created light only and assigned to it one entire tly, on which day 1 produced no material work, but proceeded to that on the days folowing. As for those Mio have given the fist place to Logi, supposing that the surest helpr othe sciences were fo be found in that they have indeed most truly and excellently perceived thatthe human intellect Tf to ts own course isnot to bbe trusted but then the remedy s altogether too weak for the disease; nor ist without evl i uel. For the Logie which is received, though i be very properly ap: fled to civil business and to those ate which rest to lcourse and op not nearly rubile enough to deal with ‘nature snd in offering at" what Ht cannot “Only spparnty tre, only ely sPrattomes or dent ofthe pasta rts and sconces ‘nts sentence Bacon mean he the phenomena feature are Interconnected The Great Instauration 13 taster, has done more to establish and perpetuate error than to apen the way te truth. rm ‘Upon the whole therefore it sems tht men have not been happy hitherto either fa the trust which they have Placed in others or father own industry with regard to the sciences, especialy as neither the demonstation, "or the experiments at yet known are much to be telied pon. Nat the niverse to the eye of the human us derstanding is framed likes labyrath, presenting ast does on every side 30 many anbigulicn of ways sich feceifl resemblances of abjects and sens, natures 50 irregular in thelr lines, ad 0 knolted and entangle ‘And then the way is sil to be made by the uncertain light of the cmv, ometines shining out sometines clouded over. through the woods of experience and par, tiulas, while those who offer themselves for guides are (cs was sai) themselves aso puzzled, and inerese the umber of errors and wanderers In’ creumstances 50 Ail nether the natural force of mans Judgment nor even any accidental felicity olfers any chance of suc fess. No excellence of wit) no repetition of chance ec periments. can overcome such diealties a thes Our Steps must be guided by eue, and the whole way rom the very fst perception of the senses must be laid out ‘pon a sure plan. Not Yat T would be understood to mean that nothing whatever has been done In 29 many ges by so reat labours. We have: no reason to be ame ofthe discoveries which have been made. and zo doubt the ancients proved themselves in everthing that turns on wit and abstract mediation, wonderful mex But asin former ages when men sled only by obser vation of the stars they could indeed coast along the Shores of the oid continent or eross-a few small and inediterranean* seas; but before the occan could be tex frsed and the new world discovered. the use of the Itariner’s needle, as 8 more fathial and certain gulde, tad tebe found out ike manner the discoveries which have been hitherto made in the ars and sconces are sich as might be made by pratie, meditation, obser ‘Accidental yoo se “inl14. Sir Francie Bacon ‘ation, argumentation —for they lay near to the senses tnd immediately benoath common notions; but before wwe can reach the remoter and more hidden parts of atures itis necessary that « more perfect nto and ap Dication of the bumen mind and intellect be introduced or my ova part ut least, In obedience to the ever: Insing love of truth, Ihave committed myself to the tcertalaties and difculties and voids ofthe ways ind relying on the divine asstance have upheld my mind oth against the shocks and embattled ranks of opinion, fd apsinst my own private and inward hestations and Scruples, and against the fogs and clouds of nature, and the phantoms fitting about on every side, i the hope if poviding st lst forthe present and future generations fruldance ore faithfal and secure. Wherelt it {a {hale any progress, the way has been opened to me by other means than the true and lepitimate humiliation ofthe human spirit. For all those who before me ha Sppled themselves to the invention of arts have but cast Banc or to upon facts and examples and experience, in ssightway proceeded. a if invention were nothing ‘nore than an exercise of thought, to invoke thelr own [pins to give them oracles 1, onthe contrary, velling rely and constantly among the facts of matare, with Uiaw ty intellect from them o further than tay sullce {o le the Images and rays of natural objects meet in 8 point, as they dein the sense of vision whence follows That the strength and excellencyof the wit has but litle todo inthe matter. And the sume huralty which Fuse In inventing | employ likewise in teaching. Fort do not Endeavour either by triumphs of conftation, oF plead Ings of antiquity, or asumption of suthorty, or even by the veil of ebscty, to inves these inventions af mine {ith any majesty, which might easly be done by” one tho sought to ive lustre torhs own name rather than Tight to other men's minds. {have not sought (sa) nor Ao'T seek either to force of enonare men’s Judgments, bat I"iead. them to. things themselves and. the oncordances of things, that they may see for them selves wat they have, what they can dispute, what they Agrement, harmonies, connections The Great Instauration 15 can add and contribute to the common stock. And for ryvet, fin anything | have been ether too credulous fr too litle awake and attentive, oF fT have fallen off iy the way and lef the inquiry incomplete, nevertheest To presen those things naked and open that my errors can be marked and set ssde before the mass of know de be further Infected by them, and ft wil be easy Slee for others to continue and earry on my labours And by'these means Tsuppose that I have established for fever a true and lawful marcage between the empirical land the rational faculty, the unkind and iltstarred Sorce and separtion af which has thrown ito consi {ithe altar of the human fay, Wherefore, seeing that these things do aot depend pon myself a the outact of the work I-mort humbly tnd fervently pray to God the Father, God the Son, an Goa the Holy" Chom, that remembering the sorrows of ‘mankind and the pilgrimage ofthis our hfe wherein we sear out days few and evi, they wil ouehsafethrovgh fy hao now the an fy with new mercies ‘Th ikewiseT hambly pray that things human may not interfere with things divine and that from the opening tthe ways af sense andthe increase of natoral ght there may arise tn our minds no incredulity or darkness with vogard to the divine mysteries, but rather that the Understanding being thereby puried and purged of fan ‘es and vanity and yet not the Tes subject and entirely Sieve tothe divine oracles, may give to faith that which is ft’ Lastly that knowledge being now di ‘charged of that venom which the serpent infused into \tvand which males the mind of'man to swell we may ‘ot be wise above measure and sabriety, but ealvate teat in chat ‘And now having said. my prayers 1 tuen to men; to whom Phave certain salutary admonitions to olfer and Certain fur requests to make: My st admonition which sa omy prayer that men confine the ose within The limite of duty ta respect of things divine: for the fens i like the sun, which reveals the face of earth, ‘but seals and shuts up the face of heaven, My nex, that 6 The renewed vestation of empirical evidence16. Sir Francis Bacon in ying from this evil they fall not ato the opposite fervor, which they will surely do Mf they think that the Inquisition of nature is in any part Interdicted or for- bidden, For it was not that pure and uneorrupted natural Knowledge whereby Adam gave names to the creatures daccording to their propriety" swhich gave occasion to the fall was the ambitious and proud desire of moral Knowledge to judge of good and_evil, to the end that rman may revolt from God and give laws to himself, which tras the form and manner of the temptation. Whereas Of the sciences which regard nature, the divine philosopher” declares that "its the glory of God to Conceal thing. but it ie the plory of the King to find Sthing out" Even as though the divine nature took pleasure in the innocent and kindly sport of children playing at hide and seck, and vouchsafed of his Kindness Eid godess to adit the human spirit for his playfellow ft that game, Lastly, T would address one general ad ‘honition to all, that they consider what are the true {nds of knowledge, and that they seck it not either for pleasure ofthe mind, or for contention, or for superiority {o others, or for proft, or lame, or power. or any of these inferior things, but forthe benefit and use of life; land that they perfect and govern it in. charity. For it was from last of power that the angel fel, from lust of Knowledge that man fll, but of charity there can be n0 fncess, neither did angel oF man ever come in danger by it “The requests I have to make are these. Of myself I say nothing, but in bebalf of the business which ts in fnand T entreat men to believe that iis not an opinion tobe held, but awork to be done; and to be well assured that Sy labotrng tay the Funds, ot of ny Sect or doctrine, But of human utility and power. Next, Task them to deal fsiely by their own interests, and laying aside all emulations” and prejudices in favor of this or that opinion, to Join in consultation forthe com- “Ambitious fares or power ‘The Great Instauration 17 ‘mon good: and being, now freed and guarded by the Secures and helps vehich Loffer from the errors and impediments of the way. to come forward shemlver tnd take part in that which remaine to be done. Move tver, to be of good hope, nor to imagine that tht In- Stauton of mine ts thing infinte and beyond the power of man, when itis infact the true end and ter Inination of infinite eror, and seeing also that it fs by no means forgetful of the conditions of morality and Humanity (for it doesnot syppose thatthe work ean be altogether completed within one generation, but pre ‘ies fore being taken up by anther, and fall hat Ieseehs for the seences not arrogantly inthe ite cells ft human wit but with reverence m the preter word But te the empty things that ae vast things sold are ‘most contracted aad lie in ile room.” And now I have nly one favour more to ask (lee tjutice tome may Perhaps impor the busines self)that sen wil con. Sider wel how fr. upon that which T must needs assert {iT am to be content with mys), they are etd to judge and decide upon these doctrines of mine; tn srnuch at al that premature huinan reasoning which Sateiptes ingulry, atl is abstracted from fhe facts Fahy Sid‘sooner than fe Bt le By me elected (ofr a the Inquisition of nature is concerned), a thing uncertain Confused, and ill built yp. and 1 cannot be larly asked tale bth acon oe tcbunal whichis sl on Theta of the Isturation is possibleThe Plan of the Work. ‘The Work Is In Six Parts.— 2. The Dicsions of the Scenes, 3. The New Organon’; or Directions concerning the In- terpretation of Nature 1 The Flame of the Chr o a Nutwal and x ‘perimental History forthe foundation os 4 The Ladder of the elect 5. The Forerunner; ot Antcipations of the New Philos. 6. TaN Philosophy or Active Since The Arguments ofthe several Par It being part of my design to set everything forth, as far as may be, plainly and perspicuously (for nakedsest of the mind i sll ab nakedness of the body once sae, the companton of fanocence and simplicity), let me frst ‘explain the order and plan of the work. T distubute i {nto six parts. ‘The first part exhibits a summary or general de- scription of the knowledge which the human race at present possesses. For I thought it good to make some pause upon that which is received: thet thereby the old tay elmore eal made perect and the new more ‘easily approached. And T hold the improvement of that Which we have to be as much an object as the acquisition ‘of more. Besides which it will make me the better li toned to; for “He that is ignorant (says the proverb) “Aslnarnet ah or knoe she toa ie cof Anat logic teaies “"Part one i ehewhere declared to be wanting although “come count fof the dvisons ofthe seences| wil be ound inthe fed Book of the Profcience and Advancement of Lesraag else 3. »20. Sir France Bacon receives not the words of knowledge, unless thou fst {cit him that which in is own heart" We wil there fore make a coating vovage along the shores ofthe ats tnd slences received aot without importing Into ther sine stl thingy the Way in laying out the divisions ofthe sciences however, take (ate Sceount not only things already invented and Keown, but ikewiso things omitted which ought to be there For there are foun nth iota en he lerretal globe waste regions ar well cultivated ones Ian wonder heeoe f Va stim led 0 depart Hom the ordinary divisions. For im adding to the foul you meversrly alter the pats and sections, and the received divisions of the sconces ae fitted ony 62 the received sui of them as it stands now ‘with regaed to thore things whieh T shall mark as omitted Tintend not merely to Set down a simple tle bra concise argument of that which i wented. For as shen ac have occasion to seport anything as deficient, the nature of which ie at all sure, 20 that men may hot perhaps easly understand what Imean or whet the Mtork which Ihave in my head, {shal always (provided Ibe a matter of any worth) take care to subjnn either diroctions for the execution of such work, or ele «pore tion ofthe work self exocuted by myself a4 sample tfthe whole thos ving sosistance in every case elther ‘by counrel For it were for the sake of aon ony and other men's interests wore {ot Concerned in iy T'would not have any twan think thav‘in such cases merely some light and vague notion fas crosel my mind and that the things which I desire fd ofl a are no beter than srshes, when they’ are inact things which men ay ceralaly command if they wilh and of which I have formed in my own mind a clear ot dead conception For ae propor merely To'survey these regons in my sind, lke an Sugur taking Suspices, but to enter them Uke 4 genera who means {0 take posession So. much for the fist part of the work Having thus coasted past the ancient arts, the next polat {to cup the intellect for passing beyond. To the se: The Great Instouration 28 better and more perfect use of human reason tn the SARA en erama aah Stahl BSS Se eats Stace cee hiarnaetinaett of logic though the difference between it and the oF opinlrts tepastat ode for the understanding, as mine does, and this one verte ue ica a, ‘elves, not of probable reasons, but of designations and er eS et ie a onfusedly, and letting nature sp out of te hand: For though no one ean doubt that things which agree in ten put spool he an Orgs bt st ‘a summary digested into aphorisms”; ibid. enn SAINT Ei NA i land res “TThe scheme of deductive logic composed of « major premise (cree otal ate earl ne mie ‘Sorceress nee eh : Benoa an ee rons22 Sir Francis Bacon . nition of mathematical certainty), yet it leaves an open ing for deception; which fs thi. The syllogism consists affpropostions; propositions of words, and words are the tolent and algn of notions Now Ifthe very notions of the mind (which areas the soul of words and the basis of the whole structure) be improperly and_overhastily abstracted from facts, vague, not sufficiently definite, faulty in short in maay ways, the whole edifice tumbles. I'therefore reject the syllogism; and that not only as regards principles (for to principles the logiclans them selves do not apply i) but also as regards middle prop Csitions:* which, though obtainable. no. doubt by the follogiam, ae. when +0 obtained. barren of works, re- mote from practice, and altogether navalable for the hctive department of the setences. though therefore eave to the syllogism and these famous and boasted modes of demonstration their jurisdiction over popular Ans and such as are matter of opiaion (in which de Partment T leave all as ft i). yet in dealing with the ature of things T use induction throughout, sad that fn the minor propositions as well asthe major. For con. ‘der induction to be thet form of demonstration which upholds the sense, end closes with nature, and comes Xo the very brink of operation, if it does ot actualy deal seth Hence it follows that the order of demonstration ix ewise teverted. For hitherto the proceeding has been to fy at once from the sense" and particulars up to the ‘ost general propositions, ascertain fixed pole for the Argument to furn upon, and from these to derive the rest by middle terms. «short way, no doubt, but pre- {ipttate: and one srhich will never ead to nature, though Io a ty and edly yo dept. Now my an is to proceed regularly and gradually from one ax Tom to another so thatthe most general are not reached “Propositions bout the mile term of slog. Inasylogs, ‘hema trem dinappeas fom the conaison ‘Promies. Bacon means bere thi be wil sply inductive re sang the proposing of aor ad minor premises, “Bampral evidence ‘The Great Instauration 33 Lill the last: but then when you do come to them you Find them to be not empty notions but well defined, and such as nature would really recognise as her fist Principles, and such'as he atthe heat and marrow of Bina But the greatest change Introduce i inthe form itself of induction and the judgment made thereby. For the Induction of which the logciane speak, which proceeds br simple cptmeratio, ta pucrle thing, concludes st azar, is always liable to be upset by 4 contradictory Instance; takes ito account only what known and or diary, and leads to no rest ‘Now what the sclences stand in need of is form of induction which shall snalyse experience and take It to Ploces, and by a due process of exclusion and rejection {ead to an inevitable conchision. And if tal ordinary mode of judgment practised by the logiians was so lc Boru, and ound? eer fr uch ea wt how such more labour must we be prepared to bestow upon this other which is extracted mof merely out of the depths of tho mind, but out of the very bowels of nature, [Nor is this all For Vaso sink the foundation of the sciences deeper and firmer and begin the inguiry nearer the source than men have done heretoore, submitting to examination those things which the common loge takes on trust For Birt the logician boreow the prn= Siples ofeach scence from the science tell. secondly, they holdin reverence the fist notions ofthe mind. and lanly, they receive as conclusive the immediate nfo tations of the sense, when well dsposed. Now upon the frst point, Thal that true logle ought to enter the Several provinces of science armed sith a higher su. thority than belongs to the principles of those sciences themielves, and ought to all thore putative principles to account ntl they are fully established, ‘ren with regard to the fest nations of the intellect, there is not One of the impressions taken by the inlet when lt to go is own way, but T hold ft Yor suspected, and no ‘Way established ti thas submitted to's sew til and t fresh judgment has been thereupon pronounced. And last, the information of the sense tcl Ts and ex amine in many ways, For certain it i tht the senses24. Sir Francis Bacon deceive bt then atthe same time they supply the means St elscovering their own error, ony the eroms ae here, the means of discovery are to seek “The sense fall tn two ways. Sometimes it gives no {oformation, sometimes it gives false information. For fist thee ae very many things which escape the sone, oven when best disposed and) no way obstructed, by eason either ofthe subtlety’ of the whole body, or the ‘Minatener of the parts, or distance of place, or slowness Sr lg meifness of motion, or familar ofthe object. Sr other causes. And spain when the sense does spre inend «thing ts apprebension ir not much to be relied "For the testimony and information of the sense His teference always to rnan, not 10 the univers, and itis reat error taser thatthe sense fs the measine of things. "To meet these difficulties, I have sought on all ides ailgetiy nd atl pov hap for the sese— Substitutes to supply Hs flares, tectieations to correct ies an te edna to accompa toch by instruments as by experiments. For the subllety “experiments ifr greater tan that ofthe sense tse ven when assisted by exquisite lnstraments; such ex: criments Imean, a re sliflly and artificaly devised Terie express purpose of determining the point in ques- tion. "Ta the immediate and proper perception of the Sense therefore donot give much weight, bt I contrive that the office” of the sense shall be-oniy to jude of {he experiment, and tht the experiment self shal judge tf the thing” And thos [conceive that perform the Sie of tro priest ofthe sense (rom which all knowk- ‘le in gature-nust be sought, valess men meas to Ke fad) anda not unckfl interpreter of ts orale. and that while others only poofest to uphold and culate the sense, I do so in fat: Such then are the provisions nae for nding the genuine light of nstore and hin ding aod bringing it to bear. And they would be sut- felon of themscies, the human intellect were even, fd ikea fur sheet of paper with no writing oni. Bat Snce the minds of mon ar strangely ponested and beset, Fonction ‘The Great Instauration 23 sal em yar eh ee remedy for this also. " ‘epake ey caer ert them truly, but in forming its notions mixes up its wn sleight tekst Seeteietmantarscn arnt an ature, dposton Sie tons oft “nelain aesateed ‘hrouphout hs writing So Anderson, The Phiphy of Pane [icon p. ape. Fo the “selon ofthe Poe see Fin i pl of cB hcg ie ation of The Manne Bah of Tone, Thoughts and Conlon, ‘The Refetaton of Phones26) Sir Francis Bacon the strewing and decoration of the bridal chamber of the Mind and the Universe, the Divine Goodness as sisting: out of which marrage let us hope (and be this the prayer of the bridal song) there may spring helps tarman, and a line and race of inventions that may in tome degree subdue and overcome the necessities and ‘miseries of humanity. Ths i the second part ofthe work. But I design not only to indicate and mark out the ways, but also to enter them. And therefore the third part of the work embraces the Phenomena ofthe Uni ‘Verse; tat isto sty, experience of every Kind, and such {natural history as'may serve fora foundation to build Philosophy upon. For 4 good method of demonstration br form of interpreting nature may Keep the mind from fing astray or stumbling, but it bot any excellence ‘Sf method that can supply it with the material of know tye. Those however bo aspire nt to guess and dvi, fat to: discover and know: who propose not to devise inte and fabulous worlds oftheir own, but fo examine nd dissect the nature ofthis very world itself, must £0 to facts themselves for everything. Nor can the place of the labor and serch and worldwide perambulation be Supplied by any genius or meditation or argumentation; Zornot fal men's wits could meetin one. Ths therefore wwe must have, or the business must be for ever aban- Aoned. But up to this day such has been the condition of men in this matter, that ts no wonder if nate will hot give herself into their hands. "For fist, the information of the sense itself, sometimes fahing sometimes false, observation; careless, regular, and led by chance; tradition, vain and fed on rumour. racic, lish ont upon ie wok, experiment blind pid, vague, and prematurely broken of lastly natural Fistory trivial and_poors~all these have conteibuted to Supply the understanding with very bad materials for Plilosophy and the sciences, "Although incomplete, the third parts the mast Eiled out. See Anderson. The Pilowphy of Francs Bacon p. 34-30, 40 “initton The Great Instauration 27 ‘Then an attempt is made to mend the matter by a preposterous subtlety and winnowing of argument. Bt {his comes too late, the case being already past remedy nd it fr from seting the business right or sifting sway the errors. The only hope therfore of any greater ‘reas or progresses reconstruction of the sence (Of this weconstrction the foundation must be fd n natural history, and that of new Kind and gathered on {yew principle: For itis in vain that you polish the toiror If thee are no Images tobe reflected and It te necessary thatthe intellect should be supplied with ft matter to work upon, a with sofevard to guide ite ‘working. But my history differs fom that in nse (as my ioe des) n'many things~in end and office, in mass and composition, in subtlety in slection aso and setting forth witha view tothe operations which ee to fallow or frst, the object of the natural history: which I propose is not s0 much delight with variety of matter fr to help with present se of experiments, a t0 ve Heh wo dhe dictvry of eons and soppy & sling Dhlosophy wih ts fest food For though it he tre that Fam pial a port of works a the atv de partment of the sconces, yet T walt for harvest-ine, nd do not attempt to mow the moss” or to reap the freon corn. For {well know that axioms once righty Aiscovered will carry whole troop of works slong with them. and produce them, not ere and there one, but incluaters And that unscasonable and puerie hurry to snatch by way of earnest atthe fst works which come cuithin reach, utterly condemn and reject, as a0, Ala Tante's pple that hinders the race. Such then i the ‘office of Dis natural history of mine ‘New, with reqard to the mast and composition oft {inst tobe story at ny of saree ad a large (when she is Tet fo her own course and docs her ‘work her oa way) such as that ofthe heavenly odkes, Coton gras “Greek mythology, Hippomenes won the suf Atlanta's hind by defeating ber tn footees, At the advice of Apri, Hip Pomener sowed Aarts by roping the tre apples of he He28 Sir Francis Bacon meteors, earth and sea, minerals, plants, animals much more of nature under constraint and vexed, that Isto say, when by art and the hand of man she Is forced fout of her natural state, and squeezed and moulded ‘Therefore I set down at length all experiments of the mechanical at, of the operative part ofthe liberal arts, fof the many eralts whieh have not yet grown into arts properly 30 caled, so far as Thave been able to examine them and as they conduce to the end in view. Nay (to say the plan truth) I do in faet (low and vulgar as men ‘may think it) count more upon this part both for helps tnd safeguards than upon the other; seeing that the n ture of things betrays itself more readily under the vex tions of art than in its natural freedom, Nor do T confine the history to Bodies; but I have thought ft my duty besides to make a separate history of such Virtues as may be considered cardinal in nature T mean those original passions" or desires" of matter ‘which constitute the primary elements of nature, such 4s Dense and Rare, Hot and Cold, Sold end Fluld, Heavy 4nd Light, and several others." TThen again, to speak of subtlety: I seck out and get togethers kind of experiments much subtler and simpler than those which occur aceidentally.”” For I drag into light many things which no one who was not proceeding by a regular and certain way to the discovery of causes ‘would have thought of inqulring after, being indeed 1a themselves of no great use; which shows that they were not sought for on their own account; but having just the fame relation to things and works which the letters of the alphabet have to speech and words—sshich, though in themselves useless, are the elements of which all di. course Is made up. Further, in the selection of the relations and experi ments I conceive I have been & more cautious purveyor Quai, expecially quaitos that are beneficial othe human bea “The way a thing may be aected by an external agency Tewdowtie ‘See Anderson, The Filosophy of France Bacon. wp. 34-38 Casually ‘The Great Instauration 29 than those who have hitherto dealt with natural history For I edinit nothing but on the faith of eyes, or at least of careful and severe examination, so that nothing Is ‘exuggerated for wonder's sake, but what I state is sound land without misture of fables or vanity. All received or current falsehoods also (which by strange negligence have been allowed for many ages to prevail and become es tablished) 1 proseribe and brand by name, thst the sc fences may be no more troubled with them, For it hae ‘been well observed that the fables and superstitions and follies which nurses instil into children da serious inary to their minds; and the same consideration makes me anxious, having the management of the childhood as it ‘were of philosophy in its course of natura history, not to Tet it accustom itself in the beginning to any vanity Moreover, whenever I come to a new experiment of say subtlety (hough it be in my own opinion certain and approved), Tnevertheless subjoin a clear account ofthe manner in which T made it: that men knowing exactly how each point was made out, may see whether there bbe any error connected with li, und may arouse them- selves to devise proofs more trustworthy and exquisite, if such can be found, and finaly, 1 iaterpose everywhere tdmonitions and seruples and cautions, with a religious fare to eject, repress, and as it were exorcise every kind OF phantasm. Lastly, Knowing how much the sight of man's mind is distracted by experience and history, and how hard i Isat the frst especially for minds either tender or preoe- eupied) to become familiar with nature, L not unre {quently subjoin observations of my own, being as the first offers, inclinations, and as it were glances of Bistory towards philosophy, both by way of an assurance to snen that they wil not be kept for ever tossing on the waves of experience, and also that when the time comes for the intellect to begin its work, it may find everything the more ready. By such a natural history then as Ihave described, [conceive that a safe and convenient sp- proach may be made to nature, and matter supplied of ‘good quality and well prepared for the understanding {to work upon.430. Sir Francis Bacon ‘And now that we have surounded the intellect with fathfal helps and guards, and_got together with most crefulseloction a Fegular army of divine works, It may Seem that we have no more to do but 10 proceed to Philosophy eel And yet in a matter 30 dificult and outa there are stl some things which it seems no- cessry to premise" partly for convenience of exp ‘ation, party for present use, Cf the the ai oft Forth examples of tay sd savention according to my method, exhibited by Shicpation in some particular subjects, choosing such Subjects av are at once the most noble in themacives non thore under Inguty. and most ciferent one from nother, tht there may be an example in every kind T'Go net speak of thote examples which are jomned to the several precepts and res by way’ of ilstration (Cor Utthere I Have given plenty in the second part ofthe Srork), but I mean actual types snd models by which The entire proces ofthe mind and the whole fabric and trdor of dvention fom the bepining tothe end Certain subject, and thore various and remarkable, should fevset a it were before the eyes For I remember that inthe mathematics iv easy to follow the demonstration then you have a machine beside you, whereas without ally To camps of ths Lind. —Belag in fat nothing part deta tnd at large,-the fourth part of the work ts devoted. ‘The fifth partis for temporary use only, pending the completion of the rest; like interest payable from time to tine until the principal be forthcoming. For To not ‘make so blindly forthe end of my journey. as to neglect Snything useful that may tra up by the way. And there- fore 1 include in this fifth part such things as T have nyself discovered, proved, or added,—not however ac- ‘cording to the true riles and methods of interpretation, bat by the ordinary use of the understanding in inquiring ‘Tost forth beforehand "com corplted only very sl Sgment ofthe forth par. "atom completed nly avery smal ramen ofthe ith part The Great Instauration 34 and discovering. For besides that I hope my speculations ‘nay In virtue of my continual conversancy with nature Inve’ value beyond the pretensions of ty wit, they wil serve ta the meanting for wayside tans which the mind may rest and refresh fuel one Journey to Imore certain conclusions: Nevertheless T wish It to be Understood in the meantime that they are conclusions by'which {as no being discovered and proved by the true form af interpretation) do not at all mean to bind myself Nor need anyone be alarmed at such suspension Stjudgment in one who maintains not simply that noth ing ean be known, bat only that nothing an be known except ina certain courae and way, and yet establishes Drovisionally certain degrees of ssurance, for yse and {elcf util the mind shall rive a a know edge of causes In which t can ort For even those schools of philosophy which etd the absolute impossibly of knowing a0 thing were ter os hic nk oper hem to pronounce, But then they did not provide helps for the seme and understanding, as Ihave donc, but snphy took away all their athorty- whichis quite a diferent thingalmost the reverse ‘The sixth part™ of my work (to which the rest is sub- servient and ministrant)™ discloses and sete forth that philosophy which by the legitimate, chaste, and severe fours of guy which Ihave expianed ahd provided is at length developed and established. The completion however of this lat part sa thing both above my strength and beyond my hopes. I have made a beginning of the work-a beginning aI hope, not unimportant-the for. tune of the human race will give the tesue;—euch an issue, it may be, as in the present condition of things and men’s minds cannot easily be conceived or imagined. For the matter in hand ts ao mere felicity of specu: lation, but the real business and Fortunes of the human rice, and all power of operation. For nan is but the “Ax formally nti pat of the plan, the ssh pat does not sitio Bacon's witing Sepp ale abe “Happy exresion32 Sir Prancis Bacon servant and interpreter of nature: what he does and what ine knows is only what he has observed of nature's order in factor in thought, beyond this he koows nothing and fan do athing. For the ehain of causes cannot by any force’ be! loosed ‘broken, nor’ can nature ‘he commanded except by being obeyed. And 30 those twin shea, human Kyowledge and human Power, do realy tect in one, and ft from ignorance of causes that Operation fais "and all depends on keeping the eye steadily xed upon the facts of nature and s0 receving thetr images simply fs they are. For God forbid that we should give ovt a ‘ream of our own imagination fora pattern ofthe world father may he graciously grant to us to, write an {pocayre ope ion athe oops fhe Crestor “Therelore do thou, O Father, who gavest the visible light as the first fruits of creation, and didst breathe Into the face of man the intellectual ight as the crown and consummation thereof, guard and protect this work, which coming from thy goodness returneth to thy gory ‘Thon shen thou turnedst to look upon the works which thy hands had made, saves that all was very good, and {idst rest from thy labours. But man, when he turned to look upon the work which his hands hed. made, sae that all was vanity and veration of spst, and could find no rest therein. Wherefore if we labour In thy works ‘eth the sweat of our brows thon wit make us partakers ‘of thy vision and thy sabbath, Humbly we pray that this tind may be steadfast in us, and that through these ou fhands and the hands of others to whom thou shalt give the same spin, thou wil vouchsafe to endow the human Family with new mercies. “the Latin is incr, which shuld be translated “conquered “Prophetic revelation The FIRST PART OF THE INSTAURATION, Which comprises the DIVISIONS OF THE SCIENCES, Is WANTING. But some account of them will be found in the ‘Second Book of the ‘Proflctence and Advancement of Learning, ‘Divine nd Human.” Next comes The SECOND PART OF THE INSTAURATION, WHICH EXHIBITS THE ART ITSELF OF INTERPRETING NATURE, AND OF THE TRUER EXERCISE OF THE INTELLECT. Not however nthe form ofa regular Treatise, bat only & Semmary digested into Aphoriss