144 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XI. i. 



XI. i. For human knowledge which concerns the 

 mind, it hath two parts; the one that inquireth of the 

 substance or nature of the soul or mind, the other that 

 inquireth of the faculties or functions thereof. Unto the 

 first of these, the considerations of the original of the 

 soul, whether it be native or adventive, and how far it 

 is exempted from laws of matter, and of the immortality 

 thereof, and many other points, do appertain : which 

 have been not more laboriously inquired than variously 

 reported ; so as the travail therein taken seemeth to have 

 been rather in a maze than in a way. But although I am 

 of opinion that this knowledge may be more really and 

 soundly inquired, even in nature, than it hath been ; yet 

 I hold that in the end it must be bounded by religion, or 

 else it will be subject to deceit and delusion. For as the 

 substance of the soul in the creation was not extracted 

 out of the mass of heaven and earth by the benediction 

 of a producat, but was immediately inspired from God, so 

 it is not possible that it should be (otherwise than by 

 accident) subject to the laws of heaven and earth, which 

 are the subject of philosophy; and therefore the true 

 knowledge of the nature and state of the soul must come 

 by the same inspiration that gave the substance. Unto 

 this part of knowledge touching the soul there be two 

 appendices ; which, as they have been handled, have 

 rather vapoured forth fables than kindled truth; divin 

 ation and fascination. 



2. Divination hath been anciently and fitly divided 

 into artificial and natural ; whereof artificial is, when the 

 mind maketh a prediction by argument, concluding upon 

 signs and tokens ; natural is, when the mind hath a pre- 

 sention by an internal power, without the inducement 

 of a sign. Artificial is of two sorts; either when the 



