NOVUM ORGANUM. 81 



inquiries, is not sufficiently copious and well ascertained 

 to satisfy or even assist a proper interpretation. 



If, therefore, there be any one who is more disposed and 

 prepared for mechanical art, and ingenious in discovering 

 effects, than in the mere management of experiment, we 

 allow him to employ his industry in gathering many of the 

 fruits of our history and tables in his way, and applying 

 them to effects, receiving them as interest till he can obtain 

 the principal. For our own part, having a greater object 

 in view, we condemn all hasty and premature rest in such 

 pursuits, as we would Atalanta s apple (to use a common 

 allusion of ours) ; for we are not childishly ambitious of 

 golden fruit, but use all our efforts to make the course of 

 art outstrip nature, and we hasten not to reap moss or the 

 green blade, but wait for a ripe harvest. 



118. There will be some, without doubt, who, on a pe 

 rusal of our history and tables of invention, will meet with 

 some uncertainty, or perhaps fallacy, in the experiments 

 themselves, and will thence perhaps imagine that our dis 

 coveries are built on false foundations and principles. 

 There is, however, really nothing in this, since it must 

 needs happen in beginnings. For it is the same as if in 

 writing or printing one or two letters were wrongly turned 

 or misplaced, which is no great inconvenience to the reader, 

 who can easily by his own eye correct the error ; let men 

 in the same way conclude that many experiments in natural 

 history may be erroneously believed and admitted, which 

 are easily expunged and rejected afterwards by the disco 

 very of causes and axioms. It is, however, true that if 

 these errors in natural history and experiments become 

 great, frequent, and continued, they cannot be corrected 

 and amended by any dexterity of wit or art. If then, even 

 in our natural history, well examined and compiled with 

 such diligence, strictness, and (I might say) reverential 

 scruples, there be now and then something false and erro 

 neous in the details, what must we say of the common 

 natural history, which is so negligent and careless when 

 compared with ours ? or of systems of philosophy and the 

 sciences based on such loose soil, or rather quicksand? 

 Let none then be alarmed by such observations. 



119. Again our history and experiments will contain 

 much that is light and common, mean and illiberal, too 

 refined and merely speculative, and as it were of no use, 

 and this perhaps may divert and alienate the attention of 

 mankind. With regard to what is common ; let men reflect, 



VOL. XIV. G 



