quere possint, et quibus ea perficere et colere curæ erit. Itaque ad illa ipsa tendere, atque fontes rerum et utilitatum aperire, et viarum indicia undique conquirere (invocata Numinis ope), nunquam dum in vivis erimus desistemus. Iidem nos, de eo quod ad omnes pertinere et in commune prodesse possit soliciti, dum ad majora contendimus, minora non aspernamur (cum illa remota, hæc parata esse soleant), nec potiora (ut arbitramur) afferentes, idcirco veteribus ac receptis, quominus illa apud plurimos valeant, intercedimus; quinetiam ea ipsa et aucta et emendata et in honore esse cupimus. Neque enim homines aut omnes aut omnino aut statim a receptis et creditis abducere conamur. Sed quemadmodum sagitta aut missile fertur certe in processu, sed tamen interim conversiones suas perpetuo expedit, progrediendo et nihilominus rotando; ita et nos, dum ad ulteriora rapimur, in receptis et cognitis volvimur et circumferimur. Quamobrem nos quoque rationis ipsius communis et demonstrationum vulgarium (abdicato licet imperio earum) honesta opera utimur; atque ea quæ nobis secundum eas inventa et judicata sunt, quæque plurimum et veritatis et utilitatis habere possunt, pari cum cæteris jure proponemus. Sed tamen neque per hoc iis quæ de rationis nativæ et demonstrationum veterum incompetentia dicta sunt derogatum quidquam intelligimus. Quin hæc potius adjunximus ad tempus, et in gratiam eorum qui justa excusatione aut virium aut occupationum retardati contemplationes suas intra veteres scientiarum plagas et provincias, aut saltem earum confinia contermina, sistere volent. Eadem iis qui veram naturæ interpretationem secundum indicia nostra accedent, eamque molientur, loco diverticulorum aut tabernaculorum in via præbitorum ad solatium et levamentum esse queant; atque interim humanas fortunas aliqua ex parte juvare, et mentes cogitationibus quæ paulo arctiorem cognationem habeant cum natura perfundere. Id vero ex facultate aliqua nostra, aut ejus fiducia, minime ominamur. Verum nobis dubium non est, si quis mediocris licet ingenii, sed tamen animi maturus, idola mentis suæ deponere atque inquisitionem de integro sibi decernere atque inter vera historiæ naturalis atque ejus calculos attente et diligenter et libere versari velit et possit; quin ille ipse, quisquis sit, longe altius in naturam penetraturus sit ex sese, et propriis et genuinis mentis viribus, denique ex meris Anticipationibus suis, quam per omnigenam authorum lectionem, aut meditationem abstractam infinitam, aut disputationes assiduas et repetitas; etsi machinas non admoverit, nec interpretandi formam secutus fuerit. Quare et simile quippiam nobis usu venire posse non diffidimus; præsertim cum accedat interpretandi experimentum et exercitatio, quam ipsum habitum mentis corrigere et mutare probabile est. Neque tamen hæc in eam partem accipi volumus, ac si fidem quam antiquorum placitis denegavimus nostris adhiberi postulemus. Quin contra testamur et profitemur, nos ipsos. istis quæ jam proponemus, qualiacunque ea sint, teneri minime velle, ut omnia Philosophiæ nostræ Secundæ et Inductivæ tamquam integra serventur. Cogitata autem ipsa spargere, non methodo revincire, visum est. Hæc enim forma pubescentibus tamquam a stirpe de integro scientiis debetur; atque ejus est, qui non artem constituere ex connexis, sed inquisitionem liberam instituere in singulis, in præsentia tantum velit. PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS. PART II. WORKS ON SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH THE INSTAURATIO MAGNA, BUT NOT MEANT TO BE INCLUDED IN IT; ARRANGED ACCORDING TO THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY WERE WRITTEN. Ista enim nos tanquam in limine Historia Naturalis stantes prospicimus, quæ quanto magis quis se immerserit in Historiam Naturalem tanto fortasse probabit magis. Attamen testamur iterum nos hic teneri nolle. In his enim, ut in aliis, certi viæ nostræ sumus, certi sedis nostræ non sumus. - Thema Cali, 1612. PREFACE. ALL the works except one which belong to this part, and several of the most interesting among those which follow in the next, were published by Isaac Gruter in 1653; and since in explaining the arrangement which I have adopted I shall often have to refer to the volume in which they first apppeared, it will be well to give a particular account of it at once. Bacon, in his last will, after bequeathing his collection of speeches and letters to Bishop Williams and Sir Humphrey May, as being privy councillors,-commended the rest of his papers to the care of Sir John Constable and Mr. Bosvile. "Also I desire my executors, especially my brother Constable, and also Mr. Bosvile, presently after my decease, to take into their hands all my papers whatsoever, which are either in cabinets, boxes, or presses, and them to seal up till they may at their leisure peruse them." What care, or whether any, was presently taken of these papers, I cannot learn. But it is probable that for fourteen months after Bacon's death, they remained locked up; - for so long it was before any one had authority to act; the executors named in the will refusing or delaying to assume their office, and letters of administration being granted on the 13th of July, |