#0 NOVUM OEOANUM 



or received systems of philosophy and doctrines. Our con 

 futation has followed such a course as was open to it, 

 namely, the exposing of the signs of error, and the pro 

 ducing evidence of the causes of it: for we could adopt no 

 other, differing as we do both in first principles and demon 

 strations from others. 



It is time for us therefore to come to the art itself, and 

 the rule for the interpretation of nature : there is, however, 

 still something which must not be passed over. For the in 

 tent of this first book of aphorisms being to prepare the 

 mind for understanding, as well as admitting, what follows, 

 we must now, after having cleansed, polished, and levelled 

 its surface, place it in a good position, and as it were a 

 benevolent aspect toward our propositions; seeing that prej 

 udice in new matters may be produced not only by the 

 strength of preconceived notions, but also by a false antici 

 pation or expectation of the matter proposed. &quot;We shall 

 therefore endeavor to induce good and correct opinions of 

 what we offer, although this be only necessary for the mo 

 ment, and as it were laid out at interest, until the matter 

 itself be well understood. 



CXYI. First, then, we must desire men not to suppose 

 that we are ambitious of founding any philosophical sect, 

 like the ancient Greeks, or some moderns, as Telesius, Pa- 

 tricius, and Severinus. 62 For neither is this our intention, 



62 As Bacon very frequently cites these authors, a slight notice of their 

 labors may not be unacceptable to the reader. Bernardinus Telesius, born at 

 Cosenza, in 1508, combated the Aristotelian system in a work entitled &quot;De 

 Rerum Natura juxta propria principia,&quot; i.e., according to principles of his own. 

 The proem of the work announces his design was to show that &quot;the construc 

 tion of the world, the magnitude and nature of the bodies contained in it, are 

 not to be investigated by reasoning, which was done by the ancients, but are to 

 be apprehended by the senses, and collected from the things themselves.&quot; He 



