54 NOVUM ORGANUM 



the other systems of the ancients ceased and became obso 

 lete on its promulgation, and nothing better has been since 

 discovered; whence it appears that it is so well determined 

 and founded, as to have united the suffrages of both ages; 

 we will observe 1st. That the notion of other ancient sys 

 tems having ceased after the publication of the works of 

 Aristotle is false, for the works of the ancient philosophers 

 subsisted long after that event, even to the time of Cicero, 

 and the subsequent ages. But at a later period, when 

 human learning had, as it were, been wrecked in the inun 

 dation of barbarians into the Eoman empire, then the sys 

 tems of Aristotle and Plato were preserved in the waves of 

 ages, like planks of a lighter and less solid nature. 2d. The 

 notion of unanimity, on a clear inspection, is found to be 

 fallacious. For true unanimity is that which proceeds from 

 a free judgment, arriving at the same conclusion, after an 

 investigation of the fact. Now, by far the greater number 

 of those who have assented to the philosophy of Aristotle, 

 have bound themselves down to it from prejudice and the 

 authority of others, so that it is rather obsequiousness and 

 concurrence than unanimity. But even if it were real and 

 extensive unanimity, so far from being esteemed a true 

 and solid confirmation, it should even lead to a violent pre 

 sumption to the contrary. For there is no worse augury in 

 intellectual matters than that derived from unanimity, wit} 

 the exception of divinity and politics, where suffrages are 

 allowed to decide. For nothing pleases the multitude, un 

 less it strike the imagination or bind down the understand 

 ing, as we have observed above, with the shackles of vulgar 

 notions. Hence we may well transfer Phocion s remark 

 from morals to the intellect: &quot;That men should immediately 

 examine what error or fault they have committed, when the 



