INTERPRETATION OF NATURE. 33 



agreeable to them. For logic, with a well known response, 

 drives the curious and importunate, and lovers of business 

 to yield their faith, and as it were allegiance to some art. 

 There remains simple experience which, if unforeseen, is 

 called chance, if sought, experiment. And this is no more 

 than, as they say, the faggot unbound. Nay more, they 

 who are assiduously employed in opening and bringing to 

 light some nature or work, by a long and desultory course 

 of experiments, are either fixed in amazement, or run round 

 in giddiness, sometimes eager, at others confused ; and 

 always find matter for further inquiry. Nor can it well be 

 otherwise. For it is an aimless and very foolish specula 

 tion, to search for the nature of a thing in itself: for the 

 same nature is hidden in some, in others open, and as it 

 were palpable ; and causes admiration in the latter, in the 

 former not even attention. Thus that quality of bodies 

 which resists separation, seems a very subtle thing, and 

 ingenious in bubbles of water, which for this purpose throw 

 themselves into thin films in the form of a hemisphere. 

 The same quality is little marked in stone or wood, but 

 goes under the name of solid. Wherefore he saw that a 

 certain ill fortune rather than ignorance is to be imputed to 

 men, since they have been drawn from the appointed path 

 by mischance or temptations, but, within its bounds, have 

 not shown themselves wanting in energy. 



He thought also, that some limit must be set to despon 

 dency, or at least to complaint : and that it must rather 

 be considered whether we are to stop altogether, and use 

 what we have already ; or to make trial and devise some 

 thing by which the matter may proceed better. And first, 

 it is right to mark the excellency and value of the end and 

 purpose, that in a dry matter and difficult attempt there 

 may be a greater supply of industry. And he remembered 

 that in ancient times, the affection and zeal of men exceed 

 ing moderation, divine honours were paid to inventors. 

 But those who had deserved well in civil affairs, as the 

 founders of cities and empires, legislators, deliverers of 

 their countries from long standing evils, dethroners of 

 tyrants, and the like, reached not beyond the rank of 

 heroes. Nor has this distinction in old time been made 

 without reason, seeing that the gifts of the former fell upon 

 the whole human race, those of the latter upon limited dis 

 tricts and patches of society : the former too pour bless 

 ings on human life without violence or uproar, while the 

 latter are not commonly introduced but with struggle and 



VOL. xv. r&amp;gt; 



