92 NOVUM ORGAN UM. 



to real and active knowledge. Nor are we unmindful of 

 our having pointed out and corrected above the error of 

 the human mind, in assigning the first qualities of essence 

 to forms.* For although nothing exists in nature except 

 individual bodies, exhibiting clear individual effects accord 

 ing to particular lawsrf yet in each branch of learning, 

 that very law, its investigation, discovery, and developement, 

 are the foundation both of theory and practice. J This law 

 therefore, and its parallel in each science, is what we under 

 stand by the termybrw, adopting that word because it has 

 grown into common use, and is of familiar occurrence. 



3. He who has learnt the cause of a particular nature, 

 (such as whiteness or heat) in particular subjects only, has 

 acquired but an imperfect knowledge : as he who can in 

 duce a certain effect upon particular substances only, among 

 those which are susceptible of it, has acquired but an im 

 perfect power. But he who has only learnt the efficient and 

 material cause (which causes are variable and mere vehicles 

 conveying form to particular substances) may perhaps ar 

 rive at some new discoveries in matters of a similar nature, 

 and prepared for the purpose, but does not stir the limits of 

 things which are much more deeply rooted : whilst he who 

 is acquainted with forms, comprehends the unity of nature 

 in substances apparently most distinct from each other. 

 He can disclose and bring forward therefore (though it has 

 never yet been done) things, which neither the vicissitudes 

 of nature, nor the industry of experiment, nor chance itself, 

 would ever have brought about, and which would for ever 

 have escaped man s thoughts. From the discovery of forms, 

 therefore, results genuine theory and free practice. 



4. Although there is a most intimate connexion and al 

 most an identity between the ways of human power and 

 human knowledge ; yet on account of the pernicious and 

 inveterate habit of dwelling upon abstractions, it is by far 

 the safest method to commence and build up the sciences 

 from those foundations which bear a relation to the practi 

 cal division, and to let them mark out and limit the theo 

 retical. We must consider, therefore, what precepts, or 

 what direction or guide, a person would most desire, in 



* See Aphorism 51 and 2d paragraph of Aphorism 65, in the first book. 



t Plato s ideas or forms are the abstractions or generalizations of distinct spe 

 cies, which have no real existence, individuals only existing. 



$ Observe throughout, Bacon s term form means no more than law. See fur 

 ther 3d paragraph of Aphorism 17 of this book. 



