NOVUM ORGANUM 185 



singular. And in artificial works we should certainly pre 

 fer those which approach the nearest to an imitation of na 

 ture, or, on the other hand, powerfully govern and change 

 her course. 



Again, in these instances which we term the wit and 

 hands of man, charms and conjuring should not be alto 

 gether despised, for although mere amusements, and of 

 little use, yet they may afford considerable information. 



Lastly, superstition and magic (in its common accepta 

 tion) are not to be entirely omitted; for although they be 

 overwhelmed by a mass of lies and fables, yet some inves 

 tigation should be made, to see if there be really any latent 

 natural operation in them; as in fascination, and the fortify 

 ing of the imagination, the sympathy of distant objects, the 

 transmission of impressions from spirit to spirit no less than 

 from body to body, and the like. 



XXXII. From the foregoing remarks, it is clear that the 

 last five species of instances (the similar, singular, deviating 

 and bordering instances, and those of power) should not be 

 reserved for the investigation of any given nature, as the 

 preceding and many of the succeeding instances must, but 

 a collection of them should be made at once, in the style 

 of a particular history, so that they may arrange the matter 

 which enters the understanding, and correct its depraved 

 habit, for it is necessarily imbued, corrupted, perverted 

 and distorted by daily and habitual impressions. 



They are to be used, therefore, as a preparative, for the 

 purpose of rectifying and purifying the understanding; for 

 whatever withdraws it from habit, levels and planes down 

 its surface for the reception of the dry and pure light of 

 true notions. 



These instances, moreover, level and prepare the way 



