NOTES TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING.
held t. >od, receives a deeper impression tln-ieof, than if the ti-mie ihinjr far more often failed and full out otherwise : which is the root, as il were, of all superstition and vain rreilulity." Bacon, in his experiments respecting antipathy in his Sylva Sylvarum, speaking of "the supposed sympathies between person* at distant plar.es," says, "it is true that they may hold in these things which is the general root of superstition, namely that men observe when tilings hit, and not when they miss : and commit to memory the one, and forget and puss ever the other." NOTE R. Referring to page 150 "The spirit of man presupposes and feigns a greater equal ity and uniformity in nature than in truth there is. Hence that fiction of the mathematicians, that in the heavenly bodies all is moved by perfect circles, rejecting spiral lines. Bo it conies to pass that whereas there are many things in nature, as it were, moiiodica and full of imparity: yet the conceits of men still feign and frame unto themselves rela tives; parallels, and conjugates: for upon this ground the element of fire and its orb is brought in to keep square with the other three, earth, water, air. The chymists have set out a fanatical squadron of words, feigning by a most vain conceit in these their four elements, (heaven, air, water, earth,) there are to be found to every one parallel and uni form species. "As the northern part of the earth wag supposed to be a hemisphere, the southern part was assumed to be of the same form. "Bacon says, In the structure of the universe the motion of living creatures is generally performed by quadruple limits or flexures : as the fins of fish ; the feet of quadrupeds ; and UIP feet and wings of fowl. To which Aristotle adds, the four wreaths of serpents." "That produce increases in an arithmetic and population in a geometric ratio, is a position which seems to partake of the love of uniformity." See Novuin Organum, aph. 45. NOTE S. Referring to page 150. Bacon s doctrine of idols of the understanding is more fully explained in the beginning of the Novuin Organum, where these idols or tendencies of the mind to be warped from the truth are investigated and deprecated. He then explains, that if these idols once take root in the mind, truth will hardly find entrance, or if it do, that it will be choked and destroyed, and he warns us that "Idols are to be solemnly and forever renounced, that the understanding may be thereby purged and cleansed; for the kingdom of man, which is founded in the sciences, can scarce be entered otherwise than the kingdom of God, that is, in the condition of little children." And in his introduction to the just method of compiling history, he says; "If we have any humility towards the Creator; if we have any reverence and esteem of his works; if we have any charity towards men, or any desire of reliev ing their miseries and necessities; if we have any love for natural truths ; any aversion to darkness ; and any desire of purifying the u nderstanding ; mankind are to be most affection ately intreated, and beseeched to lay aside, at least for a while, their feposterous, fantastic and hypothetical philosophies, which have led experience captive, and childishly triumphed over the works of God ; and now at length condescend, with dne submission and veneration, to approach and peruse the volume of the Creation; dwell some time upon it; and, bringing to the work a mind well purged of opinions, idols, and false notions, converse familiarly therein. This volume is the language which has gone out to all the ends of the earth, unaffected by the confusion of Babel; this is the lan guage that men should thoroughly learn, and not disdain to have its alphabet perpetually in their hands: and in the inter pretation of this language they should spare no pains; but strenuously proceed, persevere, and dwell upon it to the last." Bacon having explained the general nature of idols, and demonstrated the importance of destroying them, divides them into four sorts : but they seem to be reducible to two, which may be thus exhibited.
General. { J" * [^ J^
2. Particular. | ^ Of the den. Of the theatre. Speaking of idols of the tribe, he gayg, There are cer tain predispositions which beset the mind of man ; certain idols which are constantly operating upon the mind and g it from the truth; the mind of man, drawn over and clouded with the sable pavilion of the body, is so far from being like a smooth, equal, and clear glasg, which might gincerely take and reflect the beams of things according to their true incidence, that it is rather like an enchanted glass, full of superstitions and impostures." Having explained the nature of gome of the "idols of the tribe," he explains the "idols of the den," or those prejudices which result from the false appearances imposed by every man s own peculiar nature and custom. " We every one of us have our particular den or cavern which refracts and cor rupts the light of nature, either because every man has his respective temper, education, acquaintance, course of reading and authorities, or from the difference of impressions, as they happen in a mind prejudiced or prepossessed, or in one that is calm and equal. The faculties of some men are con fined to poetry: of some to mathematics: of some to morals: of some to metaphysics. The schoolmaster, the lawyer, the physician, have their several and peculiar ways of observing nature." NOTE T. Referring to page 150. The prejudices from words are what Bacon calls, "idols of the market," which are fully explained in the Novum Orga num, where there is an expansion of the following doctrine. "There are also idols that have their rise, as it were, from compact, and the association of mankind ; which, on account of the commerce and dealings that men have with one another, we call idols of the market. For men associate by discourse, but words are imposed according to the capacity of the vulgar; whence a false and improper imposition of words strangely possesses the understanding. Nor do the definitions and explanations wherewith men of learning in some cases defend and vindicate themselves, any way repair the injury; for words absolutely force the understanding, put all things in confusion, and lead men away to idle controver sies and subtleties without number." This important subject is investigated in the Novum Orga num, where the different defects of words are explained. NOTE U. Referring to page 150. This important subject of memory is investigated in the Novum Organum, under the head of "Constituent Instances," and may be thus exhibited. r. When the mind 1 The state of the [ ia froo mind of the-{ patient. I. The art of mak ing strong im pressions. H.Theartofr, calli "g a ven Imprw . By the conduct. oftheagent. free. ! mind is agitated. . Variety of im pression. . Slowness of im pression. . Order. . Places for artifi cial memory. I 3. Technical me
- niory.
. Reducing intellectual to sensiole [ things. That impressions are strongly made when the mind is free and disentraged, may appear from the permanent impression* made in early life, which often remain in old age, when all J intermediate impressions are forgotten. J That impressions may be strongly made when the mind is in
- fluenced by passion, may be illustrate,! by the following anec
dote, from the Life of Benvenuto Cellini, who says, "My
- father happened to be in a little room, in which they had
been washing, and where there was a good fire of oak burr ing, with a fiddle in his hand he sang and played near the fire ; the weather being exceeding cold, he looked at Ibis time 1 into the flamei and saw a little animal resembling a lizard,
