62 NOVUM ORGANUM. 



be inclined to admire the immense variety of books offered 

 to our view, let him but examine and diligently inspect the 

 matter and contents of these books, and his astonishment 

 will certainly change its object: for when he finds no end 

 of repetitions, and how much men do and speak the same 

 thing over again, he will pass from admiration of this 

 variety to astonishment at the poverty and scarcity of 

 matter, which has hitherto possessed and filled men s 

 minds. 



But if any one should condescend to consider such 

 sciences as are deemed rather curious than sound, and take 

 a full view of the operations of the alchymists or magi, he 

 will perhaps hesitate whether he ought rather to laugh or 

 to weep. For the alchymist cherishes eternal hope, and 

 when his labours succeed not, accuses his own mistakes, 

 deeming in his self-accusation, that he has not properly 

 understood the words of art or of his authors ; upon which 

 he listens to tradition and vague whispers, or imagines 

 there is some slight unsteadiness in the minute details of 

 his practice, and then has recourse to an endless repetition 

 of experiments : and in the mean time when, in his casual 

 experiments, he falls upon something in appearance new, or 

 of some degree of utility, he consoles himself with such an 

 earnest, and ostentatiously publishes them, keeping up his 

 hope of the final result. Nor can it be denied that the 

 alchymists have made several discoveries, and presented 

 mankind with useful inventions. But we may well apply 

 to them the fable of the old man, who bequeathed to his 

 sons some gold buried in his garden, pretending not to 

 know the exact spot, whereupon they worked diligently in 

 digging the vineyard, and though they found no gold, the 

 vintage was rendered more abundant by their labour. 



The followers of natural magic, who explain every thing 

 by sympathy and antipathy, have assigned false powers 

 and marvellous operations to things, by gratuitous and idle 

 conjectures : and if they have ever produced any effects 

 they are rather wonderful and novel than of any real benefit 

 or utility. 



In superstitious magic (if we say any thing at all about 

 it), we must chiefly observe, that there are only some pecu 

 liar and definite objects with which the curious and super 

 stitious arts have in every nation and age, and even under 

 every religion, been able to exercise and amuse themselves. 

 Let us, therefore, pass them over. In the mean time we 

 cannot wonder that the false notion of plenty should have 

 occasioned want. 



