98 Bacon 



because their excursions into the limits of physical causes 

 hath bred a vastness and solitude in that track. For 

 otherwise, keeping their precincts and borders, men are 

 extremely deceived if they think there is an enmity or 

 repugnancy at all between them. For the cause rendered, 

 that the hairs about the eye-lids are for the safeguard of 

 the sight, doth not impugn the cause rendered, that pilosity 

 is incident to orifices of moisture ; muscosi fontes, 1 etc. 

 Nor the cause rendered, that the firmness of hides is for 

 the armour of the body against extremities of heat or cold, 

 doth not impugn the cause rendered, that contraction 

 of pores is incident to the outwardest parts, in regard of their 

 adjacence to foreign or unlike bodies : and so of the rest : both 

 causes being true and compatible, the one declaring an 

 intention, the other a consequence only. Neither doth this 

 call in question, or derogate from Divine Providence, but 

 highly confirm and exalt it. For as in civil actions he is the 

 greater and deeper politique, that can make other men the 

 instruments of his will and ends, and yet never acquaint 

 them with his purpose, so as they shall do it and yet not 

 know what they do, than he that impart eth his meaning to 

 those he employ eth; so is the wisdom of God more admir 

 able, when nature intendeth one thing, and Providence 

 draweth forth another, than if He communicated to particu 

 lar creatures and motions the characters and impressions 

 of His Providence. And thus much for metaphysique: 

 the latter part whereof I allow as extant, but with it con 

 fined to his proper place. 



Nevertheless there remaineth yet another part of Natural 

 Philosophy, which is commonly made a principal part and 

 holdeth rank with Physique special and Metaphysique, 

 which is Mathematique ; but I think it more agreeable to 

 the nature of things and to the light of order to place it as a 

 branch of Metaphysique : for the subject of it being quantity 

 (not quantity indefinite, which is but a relative, and belongeth 

 to philosophia prima, as hath been said, but quantity deter 

 mined or proportionable) it appeareth to be one of the essen 

 tial Forms of things ; as that that is causative in nature of 

 a number of effects ; insomuch as we see, in the schools both 

 of Democritus and of Pythagoras, 2 that the one did ascribe 



1 Virg. Eel. vii. 45. 



2 For these opinions of Democritus and the Pythagoreans, see 

 Aristot. De Anima, i, 2; Met. i. 4, 5. 



