LIB. II. i. 



humanse potential. Datse autem naturae formam, sive 

 differentiam veram, sive naturam naturantem, sive fon- 

 tem emanationis (ista enim vocabula habemus, quse ad 

 indicationem rei j)roxime accedunt) invenire, opus et 

 intentio est humanae scientiae 4 . Atque his operibus 

 primariis subordinantur alia opera duo secundaria et 

 inferioris notse; priori, transformatio corporum concre 

 te rum de alio in aliud, intra terminos possibiles ; poste 

 riori, inventio, in omni generatione et motu, latentis 

 processus 5 continuati ab efficiente manifesto, et materia 

 manifesta, usque ad formam inditam ; et inventio simi- 

 liter latentis schematismi 6 corporum quiescentium, et 

 non in motu. 



is obsolete for the first, it is 

 enough to say that if the end is un 

 attainable, still it was a noble theory 

 of &quot;Knowledge andPower,&quot;and that 

 the means which he explains are 

 constantly used to this day for the dis 

 covery of new Truths. And the Me 

 thod, even if it were obsolete (which 

 is not really the case), is the basis of all 

 modern Method of Induction : and 

 no Physical student ought to ignore 

 the bold and clear statements which 

 roused men to think for themselves 

 on this matter, and led to the glori 

 ous developments of the genius of 

 Newton and of Modern Chemis 

 try. As to the objection against 

 Bacon s credulity and error in his 

 Physical statements and questions, 

 it is enough to quote as his apology 

 the remarks of Seneca ; Veniet tern- 

 pus, quo ista qua? nunc latent in lu- 

 cem dies extrahat, et longioris aevi 

 diligentia : ad inquisitionem tanto- 

 rum setas una non sufficit. Veniet 

 tempus, quo posteri nostri tarn 

 aperta nos nesciisse mirentur.&quot; Sen. 

 Quaest. Nat. vii. 25. 



3 The extent of Human Power is 

 limited only by the condition of its 



being exercised in conformity with 

 the Laws of Nature, (Herschel s 

 Discourse) : but &quot; the generation of 

 New Natures&quot; seems to point to 

 more than this. What Bacon meant 

 may be well illustrated by reference 

 to his New Atlantis, where &quot; the 

 Brethren of Solomon s House&quot; are 

 engaged upon the search after such 

 New Natures. I suppose the making 

 of Bread would be a homely case, 

 or of Gunpowder, or of many che 

 mical and medicinal combinations. 

 And the principle of Human Power 

 seems to be the application of the 

 Powers of Nature to the uses of 

 Man. We must recollect that many 

 of our most mighty discoveries of 

 Power are not discoveries of New 

 Natures, but applications ; as the 

 uses of Steam, or the discovery of 

 the Electric Telegraph. 



4 The end of Human Knowledge, 

 the &quot; Discovery of Forms,&quot; is best 

 discussed separately. See Aph. E. 



5 For Latent Process, see infr. 

 II. 6. 



6 For Latent Structure, see infr. 

 II.7. 



