12G PHENOMENA OF THE UNIVERSE. 



fused as in monsters, or straightened as in the experiments 

 of the arts; but it acts in whatever class are worthy of 

 commemoration. But the history of species which at pre 

 sent exists, as of animals, metals, and fossils, is tumid and 

 impertinent; the history of prodigies vain and grounded 

 upon slight reports; the history of experiments imperfect, 

 tried by parts, treated negligently, and made entirely with 

 a view to action and not philosophy. It is, therefore, my 

 design to contract the history of species, to examine and 

 revise the history of prodigies, and to put forth my prin 

 cipal labours upon experiments mechanical and artificial, 

 and upon the subjection of nature to the hand of man. 

 For what are the sports and wantonings, as it were, of na 

 ture to us? that is those trifling differences of species 

 according to their forms, which are of no service to our 

 pursuits, and with which natural history nevertheless teems. 

 The knowledge of things wonderful is indeed pleasant to 

 us, if freed from the fabulous, but on what account does it 

 afford us pleasure ? not from any delight that is in admira 

 tion itself, but because it frequently intimates to art its 

 office, that from the knowledge of nature it may lead it 

 whither it sometimes preceded it by its own unassisted 

 pow T er. To artificial experiments we entirely attribute the 

 first place in kindling the light of nature, not so much be 

 cause they are highly useful of themselves, but because 

 they are the most faithful interpreters of natural occur 

 rences. Would any one, for instance, have so clearly ex 

 plained the nature of lightning or of the rainbow, before the 

 reason of both was demonstrated, of the one through the 

 instruments of w r ar, of the other through the artificial re 

 semblances of the rainbow on the wall. But if they are 

 faithful interpreters of causes, they will also be certain and 

 successful signs of their effects and operations. And I shall 

 not depart from this threefold division of my history to 

 treat each subject separately, but shall mix the kinds them 

 selves natural with artificial, ordinary with extraordinary, 

 and keeping close to every subject in proportion to its 

 utility. 



It is usual to begin with the phenomena of the air. 

 But in strict adherence to my object, I should prefer those 

 phenomena which constitute and produce a more common 

 nature of which both globes partake. We will begin, 

 therefore, with the history of bodies according to that dis 

 tinction which appears the simplest, that is, the quantity 

 or paucity of matter contained and extended within the 

 same space or the same boundaries. For as no axiom in 



