INTERPRETATION OF NATURE.
if they be well weighed, induce this persuasion, suppli. ,! for !mm:m life liy tlie m. .-hanical aru ; that nothing arduous or powerful in nature is to tin y ah apt rather to admire the provisions of roan, be expected from art, and the hand of man. I than to apprehend his want ; not considering that Hence that opinion, that " the heat of the sun or the origin. il f.li-ervatinns <f man ;in<l |n r.iti im Star, and the heat of a fire differ in kind;" and that other, that " composition is the work of man, hut mixture is the work of nature alone," and the like; which, if they be carefully examined, all tend to an envious circumscription of human power, and a voluntary and artificial despair, which rejects not only the auguries of hope, but the chances of experiment, and cuts away all the incitements and nerves of industry ; while they are solicitous, only, that their art be thought per fect, and labour for a most worthless vainglory ; namely, to have it believed that all is impossible that is not already found. But the alchymist, to relieve his art, throws the blame on his own errors, accusing himself, either of not fully under standing the terms of the art and its authors, which makes him attend to the whispers of tradi tion and oral evidence; or else of failing in the true proportions, and scruples, and moments of practice; which makes him renew infinitely his trials, under what he supposes more favourable prospects. And, meantime, when, in the mazy labyrinth of experiment, he lights upon- certain inventions, either new in appearance or of some utility, he feeds his rnind with such foretastes, and displays and magnifies them above their value, and sup plies the rest in hopes. The magician, when he finds something, as he conceives, above nature effected, and is convinced that a breach is once made in nature, gives his imagination wings, and scarcely allows that the matter admits of ^grrees of greater or less ; wherefore, he assures himself of arriving at the highest power; not seeing that they are but subjects of a certain and almost definite kind, wherein magic and super stition, in all ages and countries, have had power and played. The mechanical person, if he chances to add a higher finish or more elegant ornament to previous inventions, or to compound, and bring of nature, which are, as it were, the breath and life of all that variety, are not many nor deeply fetched ; and that the rest belongs to man s pa tience, and the subtile and ruled motion of his hand or instruments ; and that in this the shop is very like the library, which exhibits such a va riety of books, in which, if one carefully examine, he will find nothing but infinite iterations of the same thing, varied in the form and mode of treat ment, but preoccupied in invention. So he saw plainly, that opinion of abundance was one of the causes of want; and that both works and doctrines appear many, but are, when examined, few. He thought also that those doctrines which we have, are presented with a kind of ambition and pretension, and come before us dressed up and in form, as if each art were in every branch perfect and finished. For it is reduced into such methods and divisions, as seem to embrace and include all treatises that can possibly bear on that subject. And however weakly the parts are filled, and destitute of any living seeds of things: yet they carry the show and reason of a total ; and it is brought to this, that a few writings of some re ceived authors, yet not the best chosen, go for the very art in its perfection. Whereas the earliest searches for truth in better faith, and with more fortunate event, used to throw into aphorisms or sentences short, scattered, and unconfined by me thod, the knowledge which it was their object to gather from the consideration of things, and to store up for use ; which, as they showed simple representations of things discovered, and evident spaces and vacancies for things not discovered, were less fallacious ; and invited men s talents and thoughts alike to criticism and invention. But now sciences are exhibited in such forms, as to claim belief, not solicit judgment, and check with a sullen authority the generous springings of in- together into one, separate observations; or to | vention : so that every succession and devolution couple things more commodiously and naturally | of philosophy bears the character of master and with their use; or to produce the work in greater [ disciple, not of inventor and continuer; whence or less mass and volume than has usually been I it necessarily follows that sciences continue in the case; ranks himself at length among invent- j their own steps, and never stir from their ground, ors. So he saw well, that men came to sneer at ] This has been done for many ages, so that what the invention of new things and arts as a vain | is positive is fixed, and that which is question is attempt, and not to be relied on; or to believe kept question, and remains wholly in the sam that important inventions are indeed extant, but ! state. And, therefore, he saw plainly, that co- confined among a few, in the strictest silence and lumns against proceeding further are firmly and. mystery ; or else that they descend to account as it were, fatally pitched ; and that it is no mar- those little industries and additions, inventions, vel, that that is not obtained, fur which men feel All which turns to the averting of men s minds neither hope nor desire. from just and constant labour, and from the work- He thought also, that what is said of men ing of inventions, noble and worthy of the human despondency or self-conceit, as tar M race< most of the pursuers of science, is too deeply He thought also, when men did set before them- fetched, for far the greater part is otherwise occu- uelves the variety and exquisite perfection of works pied. They seek knowledge either for delight
