174 NOVUM ORGANUM 



although they be not of much assistance in discovering 

 forms, yet they are of great advantage in disclosing the 

 frame of parts of the universe, upon whose members they 

 practice a species of anatomy, and thence occasionally lead 

 us gently on to sublime and noble axioms, especially such 

 as relate to the construction of the world, rather than to 

 simple natures and forms. 



As an example, take the following similar instances: a 

 mirror and the eye; the formation of the ear, and places 

 which return an echo. From such similarity, besides ob 

 serving the resemblance (which is useful for many pur 

 poses), it is easy to collect and form this axiom. That 

 the organs of the senses, and bodies which produce reflec 

 tions to the senses, are of a similar nature. Again, the 

 understanding once informed of this, rises easily to a higher 1 

 and nobler axiom; namely, that the only distinction between 

 sensitive and inanimate bodies, in those points in which 

 they agree and sympathize, is this: in the former, animal 

 spirit is added to the arrangement of the body, in the latter 

 it is wanting. So that there might be as many senses in 

 animals as there are points of agreement with inanimate 

 bodies, if the animated body were perforated, so as to allow 

 the spirit to have access to the limb properly disposed for 

 action, as a fit organ. And, on the other hand, there are, 

 without doubt, as many motions in an inanimate as there 

 are senses in the animated body, though the animal spirit 

 be absent. There must, however, be many more motions 

 in inanimate bodies than senses in the animated, from the 

 small number of organs of sense. A very plain example 

 of this is afforded by pains. For, as animals are liable to 

 many kinds and various descriptions of pains (such as those 

 of burning, of intense cold, of pricking, squeezing, stretch- 



