NOVUM ORQANUM 89 



be hoped from men who enjoy abundant leisure, from united 

 labors, and the succession of ages, after these suggestions on 

 our part, especially in a course which is not confined, like 

 theories, to individuals, but admits of the best distribution 

 and union of labor and effect, particularly in collecting ex 

 periments. For men will then only begin to know their own 

 power, when each performs a separate part, instead of un 

 dertaking in crowds the same work. 



CXIV. Lastly, though a much more faint and uncertain 

 breeze of hope were to spring up from our new continent, 

 yet we consider it necessary to make the experiment, if we 

 would not show a dastard spirit. For the risk attending 

 want of success is not to be compared with that of neglect 

 ing the attempt; the former is attended with the loss of a lit 

 tle human labor, the latter with that of an immense benefit. 

 For these and other reasons it appears to us that there is 

 abundant ground to hope, and to induce not only those who 

 are sanguine to make experiment, but even those who are 

 cautious and sober to give their assent. 



CXV. Such are the grounds for banishing despair, 

 hitherto one of the most powerful causes of the delay and 

 restraint to which the sciences have been subjected ; in treat 

 ing of which we have at the same time discussed the signs 

 and causes of the errors, idleness, and ignorance that have 

 prevailed; seeing especially that the more refined causes, 

 which are not open to popular judgment and observation, 

 may be referred to our remarks on the idols of the human 

 mind. 



Here, too, we should close the demolishing branch of our 

 Instauration, which is comprised in three confutations: 1, 

 the confutation of natural human reason left to itself; 2, the 

 confutation of demonstration; 3, the confutation of theories, 



