154 INTELLECTUAL GLOBE. 



to perfect what nature has begun, or to correct her where 

 she has deviated ; but by no means to work radical changes 

 in her, and shake her at the roots, which has been a source 

 of great despondency in the attempts of men. Whereas, 

 on the contrary, that ought to be sunk deep that things 

 artificial do not differ from natural in form or essence but 

 in efficients only; that in reality man has no power over 

 nature, except that of motion, namely, to apply or to remove 

 natural bodies; but nature performs all the rest within 

 herself. Wherefore when there is granted a proper appli 

 cation or removal of natural bodies, men and art can do 

 all ; when not granted, nothing. Again, provided that 

 due admission and removal takes place in order to some 

 effect, it matters not whether it be done by man or by art, 

 or by nature without man. Nor is the one more potent 

 than the other; so if any one by sprinkling water create 

 the apparition of a rainbow upon a wall, he does not find 

 nature less obedient than when the same takes place in the 

 air on humid clouds. Again, when gold is found pure in 

 veins, where nature has performed exactly the same office 

 to herself, as if pure gold were extracted by means of the 

 smelting pot and ministry of man. Sometimes, too, a 

 ministry of this kind is, by the laws of the universe, com 

 mitted to other animals. For honey is not the less an 

 artificial production, which is produced through the medium 

 of the industry of the bee, than sugar which is produced 

 by that of man ; and in manna, which is a similar compo 

 sition, nature is content with her own chymistry. Since 

 then nature is one and the same thing, and its power all 

 pervading and never at war with itself, these three things 

 ought to be understood as equally subordinate only to 

 nature; the course of nature, the eccentricity of nature, 

 and art or man added to the universe, and therefore it is 

 fitting that all these things should be interwoven in one 

 continuous series of narrations, which Caius Pliny in a 

 great manner attempted, who embraced natural history 

 with a comprehensiveness of plan suitable to its dignity, 

 but having embraced it, treated it most meagerly. Let this 

 then be the first division of natural history. 



