INTERPRETATION OF NATURE. 105 



volved in civil studies, coming to the obscurest of all sub 

 jects without guide or light, have done enough, if I have 

 constructed the machine itself and the fabric, though I 

 may not have employed or moved it. And with the same 

 candour, I profess that the legitimate interpretation of na 

 ture, in the first ascent before arriving at a certain degree 

 of generals, should be kept pure and separate from all 

 application to works. Moreover, I know that all those who 

 have in some measure committed themselves to the waters 

 of experience, seeing they were infirm of purpose, or desirous 

 of ostentation, have at the entrance unreasonably sought 

 pledges of works, and have thence been confounded and 

 shipwrecked. But if any requires at least particular pro 

 mises, let him know that by that knowledge, which is now 

 in use, men are not skilled enough even for wishing. But, 

 what is of less moment, should any of the politicians, whose 

 custom it is from personal calculations to estimate every 

 thing, or from examples of like endeavours to form conjec 

 ture, presume to interpose his judgment in a matter of this 

 sort, I would have told that ancient saying, &quot; claudus in 

 via, cursorem extra viam antevertit,&quot; and not to think 

 about examples, since the matter is without example. But 

 the method of publishing these things is, to have such of 

 them as tend to seize the correspondences of dispositions, 

 and purge the areas of minds, given out to the vulgar and 

 talked of; to have the rest handed down with selection 

 and judgment. Nor am I ignorant that it is a common 

 and trite artifice of impostors to keep apart from the vulgar 

 certain things which are nothing better than the imperti 

 nences they set forth to the vulgar. But without any im 

 posture, from sound providence, I foresee that this formula 

 of interpretation, and the inventions made by it, will be 

 more vigorous and secure when contained within legitimate 

 and chosen devices. Yet I undertake these things at the 

 risk of others. For none of those things which depend 

 upon externals concerns me : nor do I hunt after fame, or, 

 like the heretics, take delight in establishing a sect ; and to 

 receive any private emolument from so great an undertak 

 ing, I hold to be both ridiculous and base. Sufficient for 

 me is the consciousness of desert, and the very accomplish 

 ment itself of things, which even fortune cannot withstand. 



J. A. C. 



