AND EXPERIMENTAL HISTORY. 219 



not say prodigious, where faithful and probable accounts 

 can be obtained, but superstitious), together with the ex 

 periments of natural magic. For we would not accustom 

 philosophy in her infancy, whose very nurse is natural his 

 tory, to old wives tales. A time may come (after a deeper 

 investigation of nature) when such matters may be lightly 

 touched upon, so as to extract and lay up for use such na 

 tural knowledge as may lurk in their dregs, but till then 

 they are to be put aside. In like manner the experiments 

 of natural magic are to be diligently and rigidly sifted be 

 fore their adoption, especially those which are wont to be 

 derived from vulgar sympathies and antipathies, owing to 

 the indolence and credulity of both believers and in 

 ventors. 



It is no slight matter to have thus relieved natural his 

 tory of these three vanities, which might otherwise have 

 hereafter filled volumes. Nor is this all ; for it is as essen 

 tial to a great work, that that which is admitted be briefly 

 described, as that the superfluous should be rejected, al 

 though it must be obvious that this chastened and precise 

 style must afford less pleasure both to the reader and to 

 the author. But it is ever to be repeated, that the object 

 is to prepare a mere granary and warehouse, in which no 

 one is to loiter or dwell for amusement, but only to visit as 

 occasion may require, when any thing is wanted for the 

 work of the interpreter, which follows next in order. 



iv. One thing, above all others, is requisite for the his 

 tory we design ; namely, that it be most extensive, and 

 adapted to the extent of the universe. For the world is not 

 to be narrowed down to the measure of the understanding 

 (as has hitherto been done), but the understanding is to be 

 expanded, and opened for the admission of the actual re 

 presentation of the world as it is. The maxim of examin 

 ing little and pronouncing on that little has ruined every 

 thing. Resuming then our late partition of natural his 

 tory, into that of generation, prseter-generation, and the 

 arts, we divide the first into five parts: 1. The history of 

 the sky and heavenly bodies. 2. Of meteors and the re 

 gions (as they are termed) of the air, that is to say, its di 

 vision from the moon to the earth s surface, to which division 

 we assign every kind of comet either superior or inferior 

 (however the actual fact may be), for the sake of method. 

 3. The history of the earth and sea. 4. Of the elements, 

 as they are called, flame or fire, air, water, and earthj 

 considering them, however, under that name, not as the 



