NOVUM ORGANUM. 59 



for the understanding, setting off from the senses, and 

 regular well conducted experiment; but that every thing 

 has been abandoned either to the mists of tradition, the 

 whirl and confusion of argument, or the waves and mazes 

 of chance, and desultory ill combined experiment. Now 

 let any one but consider soberly and diligently the nature 

 of the path men have been accustomed to pursue in the 

 investigation and discovery of any matter, and he will 

 doubtless first observe the rude and inartificial manner of 

 discovery most familiar to mankind : which is no other than 

 this. When any one prepares himself for discovery, he 

 first inquires and obtains a full account of all that has 

 been said on the subject by others, then adds his own 

 reflections, and stirs up and, as it were, invokes his own 

 spirit, after much mental labour, to disclose its oracles. 

 All which is a method without foundation and merely turns 

 on opinion. 



Another perhaps calls in logic to assist him in discovery, 

 which bears only a nominal relation to his purpose. For 

 the discoveries of logic are not discoveries of principles and 

 leading axioms, but only of what appears to accord with 

 them. And when men become curious and importunate 

 and give trouble, interrupting her about her proofs and the 

 discovery of principles or first axioms, she puts them off 

 with her usual answer, referring them to faith and ordering 

 them to swear allegiance to each art in its own department. 



There remains but mere experience, which when it offers 

 itself is called chance ; when it is sought after, experiment. 

 But this kind of experience is nothing but a loose faggot, 

 and mere groping in the dark, as men at night try all 

 means of discovering the right road, whilst it would be 

 better and more prudent either to wait for day or procure 

 a light and then proceed. On the contrary the real order 

 of experience begins by setting up a light, and then shows 

 the road by it, commencing with a regulated and digested, 

 not a misplaced and vague course of experiment, and thence 

 deducing axioms, and from those axioms new experiments : 

 for not even the Divine word proceeded to operate on the 

 general mass of things without due order. 



Let men therefore cease to wonder if the whole course 

 of science be not run, when all have wandered from the 

 path; quitting entirely and deserting experience, or in 

 volving themselves in its mazes, and wandering about, 

 whilst a regularly combined system would lead them in a 

 sure track through its wilds to the open day of axioms. 



