PREFACE. 11 



luermore, that being well disposed to what shall advantage 

 themselves, and putting off factions and prejudices, they take 

 common counsel with us, to the end that being by these our 

 aids and appliances freed and defended from wanderings and 

 impediments, they may lend their hands also to the labors 

 which remain to be performed : And yet, further, that they 

 be of good hope ; neither feign and imagine to themselves 

 this our Reform as something of infinite dimension and be- 

 yond the grasp of mortal man, when, in truth, it is, of infinite 

 error, the end and true limit ; and is by no means unmindful 

 of the condition of mortality and humanity, not confiding 

 that such a thing can be carried to its perfect close in the 

 space of one single day, but assigning it as a task to a suc- 

 cession of generations.' BACON LSTSTAUKATIO MAGNA, Prcef. 

 ad fin. 



" ' If there be any man who has it at heart, not merely to 

 take his stand on what has already been discovered, but to 

 profit by that, and to go on to something beyond ; not to. 

 conquer an adversary by disputing, but to conquer nature 

 by working; not to opine probably and prettily, but to 

 know certainly and demonstrably ; let such, as being true 

 sons of nature (if they will consent to do so), join themselves 

 to us ; so that, leaving the porch of nature which endless 

 multitudes have so long trod, we may at last open a way to 

 the inner courts. And that we may mark the two ways, 

 that old one, and our new one, by familiar names, we have 

 been wont to call the one the Anticipation of the Jfind, the 

 other, the Interpretation of Naturt? LSTST. MAG. Pnef. ad 

 Part. ii. 



