NOVUM ORGANUM. 207 



rashly and ignofantly enough attributes the formation of 

 animals to this cause, by means of the channels and folds 

 of the womb. He ought to have observed a similar forma 

 tion of the young in eggs which have no wrinkles or in 

 equalities. One may observe a real result of this direction 

 of motion in casting and modelling. 



VI. The effects produced by harmony and aversion (which 

 is the sixth method) are frequently buried in obscurity. 

 For these occult and specific properties (as they are termed) 

 the sympathies and antipathies are for the most part but a 

 corruption of philosophy. Nor can we form any great 

 expectation of the discovery of the harmony which exists 

 between natural objects, before that of their forms and simple 

 conformations, for it is nothing more than the symmetry 

 between these forms and conformations. 



The greater and more universal species of harmony are 

 not, however, so wholly obscure, and with them, therefore, 

 we must commence. The first and principal distinction be 

 tween them is this ; that some bodies differ considerably in 

 the abundance and rarity of their substance, but correspond 

 in their conformation ; others, on the contrary, correspond 

 in the former and differ in the latter. Thus the chymists 

 have well observed, that in their trial of first principles sul 

 phur and mercury, as it were, pervade the universe ; their 

 reasoning about salt, however, is absurd, and merely intro 

 duced to comprise earthy dry fixed bodies. In the other 

 two, indeed, one of the most universal species of natural 

 harmony manifests itself. Thus there is a correspondence 

 between sulphur, oil, greasy exhalations, flame, and, per 

 haps, the substance of the stars. On the other hand, there 

 is a like correspondence between mercury, water, aqueous 

 vapour, air, and, perhaps, pure inter-sidereal aether. Yet 

 do these two quaternions, or great natural tribes (each 

 within its own limits) differ immensely in quantity and 

 density of substance, whilst they generally agree in con 

 formation, as is manifest in many instances. On the other 

 hand, the metals agree in such quantity and density (espe 

 cially when compared with vegetables, Sec.), but differ in 

 many respects in conformation. Animals and vegetables, 

 in like manner, vary in their almost infinite modes of con 

 formation, but range within very limited degrees of quan 

 tity and density of substance. 



The next most general correspondence is that between 

 individual bodies and those which supply them by way of 

 menstruum or support. Inquiry, therefore, must be made 



