90 NOUVM ORGANUM. 



to read, to distinguish each other, and yet sight is more 

 excellent and beautiful than the various uses of light ; so 

 is the contemplation of things as they are, free from super 

 stition or imposture, error or confusion, much more digni 

 fied in itself than all the advantage to be derived from dis 

 coveries. 



Lastly, let none be alarmed at the objection of the arts 

 and sciences becoming depraved to malevolent or luxurious 

 purposes and the like, for the same can be said of every 

 worldly good ; talent, courage, strength, beauty, riches, 

 light itself, and the rest. Only let mankind regain their 

 rights over nature, assigned to them by the gift of God, 

 and obtain that power, whose exercise will be governed by 

 right reason and true religion. 



130. But it is time for us to lay down the art of inter 

 preting nature ; to which we attribute no absolute necessity 

 (as if nothing could be done without it) nor perfection, al 

 though we think that our precepts are most useful and 

 correct. For we are of opinion, that if men had at their 

 command a proper history of nature and experience, and 

 would apply themselves steadily to it, and could bind them 

 selves to two things ; 1. to lay aside received opinions and 

 notions ; 2. to restrain themselves, till the proper season, 

 from generalization, they might, by the proper and genuine 

 exertion of their minds, fall into our way of interpretation 

 without the aid of any art. For interpretation is the true 

 and natural act of the mind, when all obstacles are removed : 

 certainly, however, every thing will be more ready and 

 better fixed by our precepts. 



Yet do we not affirm that no addition can be made to 

 them; on the contrary, considering the mind in its con 

 nexion with things, and not merely relatively to its own 

 powers, we ought to be persuaded that the art of invention 

 can be made to grow with the inventions themselves. 



P:ND OF THE FIRST BOOK. 



