THE 



NATURAL AND EXPERIMENTAL HISTORY 



FOR THE MAKING UP OF PHILOSOPHY : 



OR, EXPERIMENTS OF THE UNIVERSE: WHICH IS THE THIRD 

 PART OF THE INSTAURATIO MAGNA. 



MEN are to be intreated, advised, and adjured, even by 

 their fortunes, to submit their minds and seek for know 

 ledge in the greater world ; and likewise to cast away so 

 much as the thought of philosophy, or at least to hope but 

 for slender and small fruits thereof, until a diligent and ap 

 proved natural and experimental history be acquired and 

 made up. For what would these shallow brains of men, 

 and these potent trifles have ? There were among the 

 ancients numerous opinions of philosophers, as of Pythago 

 ras, Philolaus, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Empedocles, Parme- 

 nides, Anaxagoras, Leucippus, Democritus, Plato, Aris 

 totle, Theophrastus, Zeno, and others. All these made up 

 arguments of worlds, as of fables, according to their own 

 fancies, and recited and published those fables ; whereof 

 some indeed were more handsome and probable, and some 

 again most harsh. But in our ages, by means of colleges 

 and schools disciplines, wits are somewhat more restrained; 

 yet have they not quite ceased: Patricius, Telesius, Brunus, 

 Severine the Dane, Gilbertus an Englishman, and Cam- 

 panella did set foot upon the stage, and acted new fables, 

 neither much applauded, nor of any elegant argument or 

 subject. But do we wonder at these things ? as though 

 such sects and opinions might not in an infinite number 

 arise in all ages ? For neither is there, nor ever will be any 

 end or limit for these things. One snatches at one thing, 

 another is pleased with another ; there is no dry nor clear 

 sight of any thing, every one plays the philosopher out of 

 the small treasures of his own fancy, as it were out of 

 Plato s cave; the more sublime wits more acutely, and 

 with better success ; the duller with less success but equal 

 obstinacy : and not long since by the discipline of some 

 learned (and as things go now excellent) men, sciences are 

 bounded within the limits of some certain authors which 



