NOVUM ORGANUM 33 



yields easily in every direction; that which is easily divided 

 and dispersed; tliat which is easily united and collected; 

 that which easily flows and is put in motion; that which 

 easily adheres to, and wets another body; that which is 

 easily reduced to a liquid state though previously solid. 

 When, therefore, you come to predicate or impose this 

 name, in one sense flame is moist, in another air is not 

 moist, in another fine powder is moist, in another glass is 

 moist; so that it is quite clear that this notion is hastily ab 

 stracted from water only, and common ordinary liquors, 

 without any due verification of it. 



There are, however, different degrees of distortion and 

 mistake in words. One of the least faulty classes is that of 

 the names of substances, particularly of the less abstract and 

 more defined species (those then of chalk and mud are good, 

 of earth bad) ; words signifying actions are* more faulty, as 

 to generate, to corrupt, to change ; but the most faulty are 

 those denoting qualities (except the immediate objects of 

 sense), aahg?,vy, light, rare, dense. Yet in all of these 

 there must be some notions a little better than others, in 

 proportion as a greater or less number of things come be 

 fore the senses. 



LXI. The idols of the theatre are not innate, nor do 

 they introduce, themselves secretly into the understanding, 

 but they are manifestly instilled and cherished by the fic 

 tions of theories and depraved rules of demonstration. To 

 attempt, however, or undertake their confutation would not 

 be consistent with our declarations. For since we neither 

 agree in our principles nor our demonstrations, all argument 

 is out of the question. And it is fortunate that the ancients 

 are left in possession of their honors. We detract nothing 

 from them, seeing our whole doctrine relates only to the 



