NOVUM ORGAXUM. 125 



It is partially shown also in some gangrenes and mortifi 

 cations of flesh, which do not excite great heat or pain from 

 the gentle nature of the putrefaction. 



Let this suffice for a first vintage, or the commencement 

 of the interpretation of the form of heat by the liberty of 

 the understanding. 



From this first vintage, the form or true definition of 

 heat (considered relatively to the universe and not to the 

 sense) is briefly thus. &quot; Heat is an expansive motion res 

 trained, and striving to exert itself in the smaller particles.&quot; 

 The expansion is modified by &quot; its tendency to rise though 

 expanding towards the exterior ;&quot; and the effort is modified 

 by its not being sluggish, but active and somewhat violent. 

 With regard to the operative definition, the matter is the 

 same. &quot; If you are able to excite a dilating or expansive 

 motion in any natural body, and so to repress that motion 

 and force it on itself as not to allow the expansion to pro 

 ceed equally, but only to be partially exerted, and partially 

 repressed, you will, beyond all doubt, produce heat;&quot; with 

 out any consideration as to whether the body be of earth 

 (or elementary as they term it) or imbued with celestial 

 influence, luminous or opaque, rare or dense, locally ex 

 panded or contained within the bounds of its first dimen 

 sions, verging to dissolution or remaining fixed, animal, 

 vegetable, or mineral, water, or oil, or air, or any other 

 substance whatever susceptible of such motion. Sensible 

 heat is the same, but considered relatively to the senses. 

 Let us now proceed to further helps. 



21. After our tables of first review, our rejection or ex 

 clusive table and the first vintage derived from them, we 

 must advance to the remaining helps of the understanding 

 with regard to the interpretation of nature, and a true and 

 perfect induction ; in offering which we will take the ex 

 amples of cold and heat where tables are necessary, but 

 where fewer instances are required we will go through a 

 variety of others ; so as neither to confound investigation 

 nor to narrow our doctrine. 



In the first place, therefore, we will treat of prerogative 

 instances ; 2. Of the supports of induction ; 3, Of the cor 

 rection of induction ; 4. Of varying the investigation ac 

 cording to the nature of the subject ; 5. Of the prerogative 

 natures with respect to investigation, or of what should be 

 the first or last objects of our research ; 6. Of the limits of 

 investigation, or a synopsis of all natures that exist in the 

 universe; 7. Of the application to practical purposes, or 



