106 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [V. 2. 



rhapsody of natural theology, and of divers parts of logic; 

 and of that part of natural philosophy which concerneth 

 the principles, and of that other part of natural philo 

 sophy which concerneth the soul or spirit; all these 

 strangely commixed and confused ; but being examined, 

 it seemeth to me rather a depredation of other sciences, 

 advanced and exalted unto some height of terms, than 

 anything solid or substantive of itself. Nevertheless I 

 cannot be ignorant of the distinction which is current, 

 that the same things are handled but in several respects. 

 As for example, that logic considereth of many things as 

 they are in notion, and this philosophy as they are in 

 nature; the one in appearance, the other in existence; 

 but I find this difference better made than pursued. For 

 if they had considered quantity, similitude, diversity, and 

 the rest of those extern characters of things, as philo 

 sophers, and in nature, their inquiries must of force have 

 been of a far other kind than they are. For doth any 

 of them, in handling quantity, speak of the force of union, 

 how and how far it multiplieth virtue? Doth any give 

 the reason, why some things in nature are so common, 

 and in so great mass, and others so rare, and in so small 

 quantity? Doth any, in handling similitude and divers 

 ity, assign the cause why iron should not move to iron, 

 which is more like, but move to the load-stone, which is 

 less like ? Why in all diversities of things there should 

 be certain participles in nature, which are almost am 

 biguous to which kind they should be referred? But 

 there is a mere and deep silence touching the nature and 

 operation of those common adjuncts of things, as in 

 nature : and only a resuming and repeating of the force 

 and use of them in speech or argument. Therefore, 

 because in a writing of this nature I avoid all subtility, 



