NOVUM ORGANUM 219 



collocation and position, are secondary in comparison with 

 the former. 



Let the required nature then be the expansion or cohe 

 rence of matter in different bodies, or the quantity of matter 

 relative to the dimensions of each. For there is nothing in 

 nature more true than the twofold proposition that nothing 

 proceeds from nothing and that nothing is reduced to noth 

 ing, but that the quantum, or sum total of matter, is con 

 stant, and is neither increased nor diminished. Nor is it 

 less true, that out of this given quantity of matter, there 

 is a greater or less quantity, contained within the same 

 space or dimensions according to the difference of bodies; 

 as, for instance, water contains more than air. So that if 

 any one were to assert that a given content of water can 

 be changed into an equal content of air, it is the same as 

 if he were to assert that something can be reduced into 

 nothing. On the contrary, if any one were to assert that 

 a given content of air can be changed into an equal content 

 of water, it is the same as if he were to assert that some 

 thing can proceed from nothing. From this abundance or 

 scarcity of matter are properly derived the notions of 

 density and rarity, which are taken in various and pro 

 miscuous senses. 



This third assertion may be considered as being also 

 sufficiently certain; namely, that the greater or less quan 

 tity of matter in this or that body, may, by comparison, be 

 reduced to calculation, and exact, or nearly exact, propor 

 tion. Thus, if one should say that there is such an accumu 

 lation of matter in a given quanity of gold, that it would 

 require twenty-one times the quantity in dimension of spir 

 its of wine, to make up the same quantity of matter, it 



would not be far from the truth. 



SCIENCE Vol. 22 10 



