XOVUM ORGANUM. S3 



state of things, fantastically and uselessly refined. Hence 

 we have in regard to this matter said from the first, and must 

 again repeat, that we look for experiments that shall afford 

 light rather than profit, imitating the divine creation, 

 which, as we have often observed, only produced light on 

 the first day, and assigned that whole day to its creation, 

 without adding any material work. 



If any one then imagine such matters to be of no use, 

 he might equally suppose light to be of no use, because it 

 is neither solid nor material. For in fact the knowledge of 

 simple natures when sufficiently investigated and defined 

 resembles light, which though of no great use in itself, 

 affords access to the general mysteries of effects, and with 

 a peculiar power comprehends and draws with it whole 

 bands and troops of effects and the sources of the most 

 valuable axioms. So also the elements of letters have of 

 themselves separately no meaning, and are of no use, yet 

 are they as it were the original matter in the composition 

 and preparation of speech. The seeds of substances whose 

 effect is powerful, are of no use except in their growth, 

 and the scattered rays of light itself avail not unless 

 collected. 



But if speculative subtilties give offence, what must we 

 say of the scholastic philosophers who indulged in them to 

 such excess ? And those subtilties were wasted on words, 

 or at least common notions (which is the same thing), not 

 on things or nature, and alike unproductive of benefit in 

 their origin and their consequences : in no way resembling 

 ours, which are at present useless, but in their conse 

 quences of infinite benefit. Let men be assured that all 

 subtile disputes and discursive efforts of the mind are late 

 and preposterous, when they are introduced subsequently 

 to the discovery of axioms, and that their true or at any 

 rate chief opportunity is when experiment is to be weighed 

 and axioms to be derived from it. They otherwise catch 

 and grasp at nature but never seize or detain her : and we 

 may well apply to nature that which has been said of op 

 portunity or fortune, &quot; that she wears a lock in front, but 

 is bald behind.&quot; 



In short we may reply decisively to those who despise 

 any part of natural history as being vulgar, mean, or sub 

 tile and useless in its origin, in the words of a poor woman 

 to a haughty prince who had rejected her petition, as 

 unworthy and beneath the dignity of his majesty : &quot; then 

 cease to reign ;&quot; for it is quite certain that the empire of 



