THE SECOND BOOK. 113 



which importeth the extreme slowness, and we are where we 

 were, even amongst the Egyptians gods ; there being little left 

 to the faculty of reason, and nothing to the duty or art, for 

 matter of invention. 



(3) Secondly v the induction which the logicians speak of, 

 and which seemeth familiar with Plato, whereby the principles 

 of sciences may be pretended to be invented, and so the middle 

 propositions by derivation from the principles ; their form of 

 induction, I say, is utterly vicious and incompetent ; wherein 

 their error is the fouler, because it is the duty of art to perfect 

 and exalt nature ; but they contrariwise have wronged, abused, 

 and traduced nature. For he that shall attentively observe 

 how the mind doth gather this excellent dew of knowledge, 

 like unto that which the poet speaketh of, Aerei mellis code stia 

 dona, distilling and contriving it out of particulars natural and 

 artificial, as the flowers of the field and garden, shall find that 

 the mind of herself by nature doth manage and act an induction 

 much better than they describe it. For to conclude upon an 

 enumeration of particulars, without instance contradictory, is 

 no conclusion, but a conjecture ; for who can assure (in many 

 subjects) upon those particulars which appear of a side, that 

 there are not other on the contrary side which appear not ? As 

 if Samuel should have rested upon those sons of Jesse which 

 were brought before him, and failed of David which was in the 

 field. And this form (to say truth), is so gross, as it had not 

 been possible for wits so subtle as have managed these things 

 to have offered it to the world, but that they hasted to their 

 theories and dogmaticals, and were imperious and scornful 

 toward particulars ; which their manner was to use but as 

 lictores and viatores, for sergeants and whifflers, ad summoven- 

 dam turbam, to make way and make room for their opinions, 

 rather than in their true use and service. Certainly it is a 

 thing may touch a man with a religious wonder, to see how 

 the footsteps of seducement are the very same in divine and 

 human truth ; for, as in divine truth man cannot endure to 

 become as a child, so in human, they reputed the attending 

 the inductions (whereof we speak), as if it were a second in 

 fancy or childhood. 



(4) Thirdly, allow some principles or axioms were rightly in 

 duced, yet, nevertheless, certain it is that middle propositions 

 cannot be deduced from them in subject of nature by syllogism 

 that is, by touch and reduction of them to principles in 

 a middle term. It is true that in sciences popular, as morali 

 ties, laws, and the like, yea, and divinity (because it pleaseth 

 God to apply Himself to the capacity of the simplest), that 



