Advancement of Learning 71 



tite of curious and vain wits, as the manner of Mirabilaries l 

 is to do ; but for two reasons, both of great weight ; the one 

 to correct the partiality of axioms and opinions, which are 

 commonly framed only upon common and familiar ex 

 amples; the other because from the wonders of nature is the 

 nearest intelligence and passage towards the wonders of art : 

 for it is no more but by following, and as it were hounding 

 nature in her wanderings, to be able to lead her afterwards 

 to the same place again. Neither am I of opinion, in this 

 history of marvels, that superstitious narrations of sorceries, 

 witchcrafts, dreams, divinations, and the like, where there 

 is an assurance and clear evidence of the fact, be altogether 

 excluded. For it is not yet known in what cases and 

 how far effects attributed to superstition do participate of 

 natural causes : and therefore howsoever the practice of such 

 things is to be condemned, yet from the speculation and 

 consideration of them light may be taken, not only for the 

 discerning of the offences, but for the further disclosing of 

 nature. Neither ought a man to make scruple of entering 

 into these things for inquisition of truth, as your majesty 

 hath showed in your own example ; who with the two clear 

 eyes of religion and natural philosophy have looked deeply 

 and wisely into these shadows, and yet proved yourself to 

 be of the nature of the sun, which passeth through pollutions 

 and itself remains as pure as before. 2 But this I hold fit, 

 that these narrations, which have mixture with supersti 

 tion, be sorted by themselves, and not be mingled with the 

 narrations which are merely and sincerely natural. But as 

 for the narrations touching the prodigies and miracles of 

 religions, they are either not true, or not natural; and there 

 fore impertinent for the story of nature. 



For history of nature wrought or mechanical, I find some 

 collections made of agriculture, and likewise of manual arts; 

 but commonly with a rejection of experiments familiar 

 and vulgar. For it is esteemed a kind of dishonour unto 

 learning to descend to inquiry or meditation upon matters 

 mechanical, except they be such as may be thought secrets, 



1 Mirabilaries. In De Augm. Sc. ii., he calls them &quot; Mirabilarii 

 et prodigiastri.&quot; 



2 Cf. Nov. Org. i. 120. This thought is to be met with in Chaucer, 

 Persone s Tale : &quot; Certes, Holy Writ may not be defouled, no more 

 than the sonne that shineth on the myxene.&quot; 



