180 NOVUM ORQANUM 



and turns from her ordinary course. For the errors of 

 nature differ from singular instances, inasmuch as the lat 

 ter are the miracles of species, the former of individuals. 

 Their use is much the same, for they rectify the under 

 standing in opposition to habit, and reveal common forms. 



_ 



For with regard to these, also, we must not desist from in 

 quiry, till we discern the cause of the deviation. The cause 



does not, however, in such cases rise to a regular form, but 



. 



only to the latent process toward such a form. For he who 

 is acquainted with the paths of nature, will more readily 

 observe her deviations; and, vice versa, he who has learned 

 her deviations will be able more accurately to describe 

 her paths. 



They differ again from singular instances, by being 

 much more apt for practice and the. operative branch. 

 For it would be very difficult to generate new species, 

 but less so to vary known species, and thus produce many 

 rare and unusual results. 63 The passage from the miracles 

 of nature to those of art is easy; for if nature be once seized 

 in her variations, and the cause be manifest, it will be easy 

 to lead her by art to such deviation as she was at first led 

 to by chance; and not only to that but others, since devia 

 tions on the one side lead and open the way to others in 

 every direction. Of this we do not require any examples, 

 since they are so abundant. For a compilation, or particu 

 lar natural history, must be made of all monsters and pro 

 digious births of nature; of everything, in short, which is 

 new r rare and unusual in nature. This should be done 

 with a rigorous selection, so as to be worthy of credit. 



52 This is well illustrated in plants, for the gardener can produce endless 

 varieties of any known species, but can never produce a new species itself. 



