FRANCIS BACON 17 



valuable in its use, and must by no means be omitted, but rather 

 diligently investigated. It is the ready or difficult coition or union 

 of bodies in composition, or simple juxtaposition. For some bodies 

 readily and willingly mix, and are incorporated, others tardily and 

 perversely ; thus powders mix best with water, chalk, and ashes with 

 oils, and the like. Nor are these instances of readiness and aversion 

 to mixture to be alone collected, but others, also, of the collocation, 

 distribution, and digestion of the parts when mingled, and the pre- 

 dominance after the mixture is complete. 



VII. Lastly, there remains the seventh, and last of the seven, modes 

 of action ; namely that by the alternation and interchange of the other 

 six; but of this, it will not be the right time to offer any examples, 

 until some deeper investigation shall have taken place of each of the 

 others. The series, or chain of this alternation, in its mode of 

 application to separate effects, is no less powerful in its operation, 

 than difficult to be traced. But men are possessed with the most ex- 

 treme impatience, both of such inquiries, and their practical appHcation, 

 although it be the clue of the labyrinth in all greater works. 



But it must be noted, that in this our organ, we treat of logic, and 

 not of philosophy. Seeing, however, that our logic instructs and in- 

 forms the understanding, in order that it may not, with the small 

 hooks, as it were, of the mind, catch at, and grasp mere abstractions, 

 but rather actually penetrate nature, and discover the properties 

 and effects of bodies, and the determinate laws of their substance 

 (so that this science of ours springs from the nature of things, as 

 well as from that of the mind) ; it is not to be wondered at, 

 if it have been continually interspersed and illustrated with natural 

 observations and experiments, as instances of our method. The 

 prerogative instances are, as appears from what has preceded, twenty- 

 seven in number, and are termed: solitary instances, migrating in- 

 stances, conspicuous instances, clandestine instances, constitutive, 

 instances, similar instances, singular instances, deviating instances, 

 bordering instances, instances of power, accompanying and hostile 

 instances, subjunctive instances, instances of alliance, instances of 

 the cross, instances of divorce, instances of the gate, citing instances, 

 instances of the road, supplementary instances, lancing instances, 

 instances of the rod, instances of the course, doses of nature, wrest- 



