30 THE GREAT INSTAURATION 



and our hopes, yet we shall lay the foundations of it, and 

 recommend the superstructure to posterity. We design no 

 contemptible beginning to the work ; and anticipate that the 

 fortune of mankind will lead it to such a termination as is 

 not possible for the present race of men to conceive. The 

 point in view is not only the contemplative happiness, but 

 the whole fortunes, and affairs, and powers, and works of 

 men. For man being the minister and interpreter of nature, 

 acts and understands so far as he has observed of the order, 

 the works and mind of nature, and can proceed no further; 

 for no power is able to loose or break the chain of causes, 

 nor is nature to be conquered but by submission ; whence 

 those twin intentions, human knowledge and human power, 

 are really coincident; and the greatest hindrance to works 

 is the ignorance of causes. 



The capital precept for the whole undertaking is this, that 

 the eye of the mind be never taken off from things them 

 selves, but receive their images truly as they are. And GTod 

 forbid that ever we should offer the dreams of fancy for a 

 model of the world; but rather in his kindness vouchsafe 

 to us the means of writing a revelation and true vision of 

 the traces and molds of the Creator in his creatures. 



May thou, therefore, Father, who gavest the light of 

 vision as the first fruit of creation, and who hast spread 

 over the fall of man the light of thy understanding as the 

 accomplishment of thy works, guard and direct this work, 

 which, issuing from thy goodness, seeks in return thy glory! 

 When thou hadst surveyed the works which thy hands had 

 wrought, all seemed good in thy sight, and thou restedst. 

 But when man turned to the works of his hands, he found 

 all vanity and vexation of spirit, and experienced no rest. 

 If, however, we labor in thy works, thou wilt make us 

 to partake of thy vision and sabbath; we, therefore, hum 

 bly beseech thee to strengthen our purpose, that thou 

 mayest be willing to endow thy family of mankind with 

 new gifts, through our hands, and the hands of those in 

 whom thou shalt implant the same spirit. 



