1G THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE WORK. 



one an opponent is vanquished and constrained by argu 

 ment, in the other, nature by effects. 



And the nature and order of the demonstrations agree 

 with this end. For in common logic almost our whole 

 labour is spent upon the syllogism. The logicians appeal- 

 scarcely to have thought seriously of induction, passing it 

 over with some slight notice, and hurrying on to the for- 

 mulse of dispute. But we reject the syllogistic demonstra 

 tion, as being too confused, and letting nature escape from 

 our hands. For although nobody can doubt that those 

 things which agree with the middle term agree with each 

 other (which is a sort of mathematical certainty), neverthe 

 less, there is this source of error, namely, that a syllogism 

 consists of propositions, propositions of words, and words 

 are but the tokens and signs of things. If therefore the no 

 tions of the mind (which are as it w r ere the soul of words, and 

 the basis of this whole structure and fabric) are badly and 

 hastily abstracted from things, and vague, or not sufficiently 

 defined and limited, or, in short, faulty (as they may be) 

 in many other respects, the whole falls to the ground. We 

 reject, therefore, the syllogism, and that not only as regards 

 first principles (to which even the logicians do not apply 

 them), but also in intermediate propositions, which the 

 syllogism certainly manages in some way or other to bring 

 out and produce, but then they are barren of effects, unfit 

 for practice, and clearly unsuited to the active branch of 

 the sciences. Although we would leave therefore to the 

 syllogism, and such celebrated and applauded demonstra 

 tions, their jurisdiction over popular and speculative arts 

 (for here we make no alteration), yet in every thing relating 

 to the nature of things, we make use of induction, both for 

 our major and minor propositions. For we consider induc 

 tion to be that form of demonstration which assists the 

 senses, closes in upon nature, and presses on and, as it 

 were, mixes itself with action. 



Hence also the order of demonstration is naturally re 

 versed. For at present the matter is so managed, that from 

 the senses and particular objects they immediately fly to 

 the greatest generalities, as the axes round which their dis 

 putes may revolve : all the rest is deduced from them in 

 termediately, by a short way we allow, but an abrupt one, 

 and impassable to nature, though easy and well suited to 

 dispute. But by our method, axioms are raised up in gra 

 dual succession, so that we only at last arrive at generali 

 ties. And that which is most generalised, is not merely 



