V. 2.1 THE SECOND BOOK. 



I0 7 



my meaning touching this original or universal philo 

 sophy is thus, in a plain and gross description by nega 

 tive : That it be a receptacle for all such profitable observ 

 ations and axioms as fall not within the compass of any 

 of the special parts of philosophy or sciences, but are more 

 common and of a higher stage. 



3. Now that there are many of that kind need not be 

 doubted. For example : is not the rule, Si inaqualibus 

 (Equalia addas, omnia erunt incequalia, an axiom as well of 

 justice as of the mathematics? and is there not a true 

 coincidence between commutative and distributive justice, 

 and arithmetical and geometrical proportion? Is not 

 that other rule, Qua in eodem tertio conveniunt, et inter se 

 conveniunt, a rule taken from the mathematics, but so 

 potent in logic as all syllogisms are built upon it? Is 

 not the observation, Omnia mutantur, nil inlerit, a con 

 templation in philosophy thus, that the quantum of nature 

 is eternal ? in natural theology thus, that it requireth the 

 same omnipotency to make somewhat nothing, which at 

 the first made nothing somewhat ? according to the scrip 

 ture, Didici quod omnia opera, qua fecit Deus, perseverent 

 in perpetuum ; non possumus eis quicquam addere nee au- 

 ferre. Is not the ground, which Machiavel wisely and&quot;&quot; 

 largely discourseth concerning governments, that the way 

 to establish and preserve them, is to reduce them ad 

 principia, a rule in religion and nature, as well as in civil 

 administration ? Was not the Persian magic a reduction^ 

 or correspondence of the principles and architectures of 

 nature to the rules and policy of governments ? Is not 

 the precept of a musician, to fall from a discord or harsh 

 accord upon a concord or sweet accord, alike true in 

 affection ? Is not the trope of music, to avoid or slide 

 from the close or cadence, common with the trope of 



