NOVUM ORGANUM. 71 



great deal of credulity and accident, and the puerile no 

 tions it originally contracted. 



But if a man of mature age, unprejudiced senses, and 

 clear mind, would betake himself anew to experience and 

 particulars, we might hope much more from such a one. 

 In which respect we promise ourselves the fortune of 

 Alexander the Great, and let none accuse us of vanity 

 till they have heard the tale, which is intended to check 

 vanity. 



For .ZEschines spoke thus of Alexander and his exploits : 

 &quot;We live not the life of mortals, but are born at such a 

 period that posterity will relate and declare our prodigies.&quot; 

 As if he considered the exploits of Alexander to be mira 

 culous. 



But in succeeding ages* Livy took a better view of the 

 fact, and has made some such observation as this upon 

 Alexander : &quot; That he did no more than dare to despise 

 insignificance.&quot; So in our opinion posterity will judge of 

 us, &quot; That we have achieved no great matters, but only 

 set less account upon what is considered important.&quot; For 

 the mean time (as we have before observed) our only hope 

 is in the regeneration of the sciences, by regularly raising 

 them on the foundation of experience and building them 

 anew, which I think none can venture to affirm to have 

 been already done or even thought of. 



98. The foundations of experience (our sole resource) 

 have hitherto failed completely or have been very weak ; 

 nor has a store and collection of particular facts capable of 

 informing the mind or in any way satisfactory, been either 

 sought after or amassed. On the contrary learned, but 

 idle and indolent, men have received some mere reports of 

 experience, traditions as it were of dreams, as establish 

 ing or confirming their philosophy ; and have not hesitated 

 to allow them the weight of legitimate evidence. So that 

 a system has been pursued in philosophy with regard to 

 experience, resembling that of a kingdom or state which 

 would .direct its councils and affairs according to the gos 

 sip of city and street politicians, instead of the letters 

 and reports of ambassadors and messengers worthy of 

 credit. Nothing is rightly inquired into, or verified, noted, 



* See Livy, lib. x. c. 17, where in a digression on the probable effect of a con 

 test between Rome and Alexander the Great he says : &quot; Non cum Dario rem 

 esse dixisset : quern mulierum ac spadonum agmen trahentem inter purpuram 

 atque aurum, oneratum fortunae apparatibus, praedam verius quam hostem, nihil 

 alind quam ausits xanu contemnere, incruentns devicit.&quot; 



