NOVUM ORGANUM. 89 



And it is worthy of remark in Solomon, that whilst he 

 flourished in the possession of his empire, in wealth, in the 

 magnificence of his works, in his court, his household, his 

 fleet, the splendour of his name, and the most unbounded 

 admiration of mankind, he still placed his glory in none of 

 these, but declared* &quot; That it is the glory of God to con 

 ceal a thing, but the glory of a king to search it out.&quot; 



Again, let any one but consider the immense difference 

 between men s lives in the most polished countries of Eu 

 rope, and in any wild and barbarous region of the New 

 Indies, he will think it so great, that man may be said to 

 be a god unto man, not only on account of mutual aid and 

 benefits, but from their comparative states : the result of 

 the arts, and not of the soil or climate. 



Again, we should notice the force, effect, and consequences 

 of inventions, which are nowhere more conspicuous than 

 in those three which were unknown to the ancients ; namely, 

 printing, gunpowder, and the compass. For these three 

 have changed the appearance and state of the whole world ; 

 first in literature, then in warfare, and lastly in navigation : 

 and innumerable changes have been thence derived, so that 

 no empire, sect, or star, appears to have exercised a greater 

 power and influence on human affairs than these mechanical 

 discoveries. 



It will perhaps be as well to distinguish three species 

 and degrees of ambition. First that of men who are anxious 

 to enlarge their own power in their country, which is a 

 vulgar and degenerate kind ; next that of men who strive 

 to enlarge the power and empire of their country over 

 mankind, which is more dignified but not less covetous; 

 but if one were to endeavour to renew and enlarge the 

 power and empire of mankind in general over the universe, 

 such ambition (if it may so be termed) is both more sound 

 and more noble than the other two. Now the empire of 

 man over things is founded on the arts and sciences alone, 

 for nature is only to be commanded by obeying her. 



Besides this, if the benefit of any particular invention 

 has had such an effect as to induce men to consider him 

 greater than a man, who has thus obliged the whole race ; 

 how much more exalted will that discovery be, which leads 

 to the easy discovery of every thing else ! Yet (to speak 

 the truth) in the same manner as we are very thankful for 

 light which enables us to enter on our way, to practice arts, 



* Prov. c. xxv. v. 2. 



