106 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [V. 2. 
rhapsody of natural theology, and of divers parts of logic; 
and of that part of natural philosophy which concerneth 
the principles, and of that other part of natural philo- 
sophy which concerneth the soul or spirit; all these 
strangely commixed and confused; but being examined, 
it seemeth to me rather a depredation of other sciences, 
advanced and exalted unto some height of terms, than 
anything solid or substantive of itself. Nevertheless I 
cannot be ignorant of the distinction which is current, 
that the same things are handled but in several respects. 
As for example, that logic considereth of many things as 
they are in notion, and this philosophy as they are in 
nature; the one in appearance, the other in existence; 
but I find this difference better made than pursued. For 
if they had considered quantity, similitude, diversity, and 
the rest of those extern characters of things, as _philo- 
sophers, and in nature, their inquiries must of force have 
been of a far other kind than they are. For doth any 
of them, in handling quantity, speak of the force of union, 
how and how far it multiplieth virtue? Doth any give 
the reason, why some things in nature are so common, 
and in so great mass, and others so rare, and in so small 
quantity? Doth any, in handling similitude and divers- 
ity, assign the cause why iron should not move to iron, 
which is more like, but move to the load-stone, which is 
less like? Why in all diversities of things there should 
be certain participles in nature, which are almost am- 
biguous to which kind they should be referred? But 
there is a mere and deep silence touching the nature and 
operation of those common adjuncts of things, as in 
nature: and only a resuming and repeating of the force 
and use of them in speech or argument. Therefore, 
because in a writing of this nature I avoid all subtility, 
