40 INTERPRETATION OF NATURE. 



rational, that is, philosophical ; but he has not yet seen 

 these well put together and united. For the empirical, like 

 the ant, only collects and uses ; the rational, like the spider, 

 spins from itself. But the practice of the bee is midway, 

 which draws materials from the flowers of both garden and 

 field, but transmutes and digests them by a faculty of its 

 own. Nor is the work of true philosophy different, which 

 stores up the matter supplied by natural history and me 

 chanical experiments, not raw in the memory, but changed 

 and prepared in the understanding. And he is aware that 

 there are some of the empirical who wish not to be held as 

 merely empirical, and of the reasoners who aim at seeming 

 industrious and plain in practice. But these have been and 

 are the artifices of a few, aiming at the character of each 

 excelling in his own sect; though, in reality, there has al 

 ways been a division and almost antipathy between these 

 faculties. So he thought there was hope of excellent 

 effects from a close and confirmed union of them. 



He saw also with pleasure that he found an infinite expense 

 of wit, time, and means, which men employ in matters and 

 pursuits that, rightly considered, are useless; while if a small 

 part of them were turned to what is sound and useful, it might 

 conquer every difficulty. Nor is there any reason to fear 

 the multitude of particulars, since the phenomena of the 

 arts are but a handful to the reasonings of the mind when 

 disunited and distracted from the evidence of things. Now 

 all this that has been said has its effect in producing hope ; 

 but, above all, the most certain hope is from the errors of 

 the time past. And (as some one said of the maladmi 

 nistration of civil government) that may be the best for 

 the future, which is the worst on looking to the past ; for if 

 such errors cease (and giving warning is the first step to 

 wards it), there would be a very great change in things. 

 But if men had passed through the course of so many years, 

 \vithout being able to make any progress, no hope could 

 remain. For then it would be clear that the difficulty was 

 in the matter and subject (which are out of our power), not 

 in the instrument (which is within it), that is in the things 

 and their obscurity, not in the human mind and its work 

 ing. But now it appears that the way is not stopped up 

 by any block or barrier, but turns from the path of men : 

 it does, therefore, cause in some measure the fear of soli 

 tude, but threatens nothing more. In fine he determined 

 that, if even a much weaker and less sensible air breathed 

 from that new continent, it should yet be attempted. For 



