CHAP. II. j LITERATE EXPERIENCE. 195 



not insist longer on compulsory experiments, as they do not 

 justly come within the limits of literate experience, but are 

 rather referred to axioms, causes, and the New Organum. 



The application of an experiment is no more than an in 

 genious translation of it to some other experiment of use ; 

 tor example, all bodies have their own dimensions and gra 

 vities. Gold has more gravity and less bulk than silver, and 

 water than wine, hence an useful experiment is derived for 

 discovering what proportion of silver is mixed with gold, 

 or of water with wine, from a knowledge of their measure 

 and weight, which was the grand discovery of Archimedes. 1 

 Again, as flesh putrefies sooner in some cellars than in others, 

 it were useful to transfer this experiment to the examination 

 of airs, as to their being more or less wholesome to live in, 

 by finding those wherein flesh remains longest unputrefied ; 

 and the same experiment is applicable to discover the more 

 wholesome or pestilential seasons of the year. But examples 

 of this kind are endless, and require that men should have 

 their eyes continually turned one while to the nature of 

 things and another while to human uses. 



The conjunction of an experiment is a connection and 

 chain of applications, when those things which were not use 

 ful single, are made useful by connection; for example, to 

 have roses or fruits come late, the way is to pluck off the 

 early buds, or to lay bare the roots and expose them to the 

 open air, towards the middle of spring; but it is much better 

 to do both together. So ice and nitre separate have a great 

 power of cooling, but a much greater when mixed together. 

 But there may be a fallacy in this obvious affair, as in all 

 cases where axioms are wanting, if the conjunction be made 

 in things that operate by different and, as it were, contrary 

 ways. 8 



r The means that Bacon proposes, and to which the chemists still 

 adhere, is the reverse of that of Archimedes. The ancient compared, 

 in his experiment, three bodies of the same weight, but of different 

 volume, while the text advises three bodies of the same volume, but of 

 different weight. This reversion, however, does not affect the result. 

 Ed. 



Such are the compounds of very active substances, which chemist* 

 designate neuter : for example, the greater part of salts, as nitre, sea- 

 salt, the salt of Glauber, and generally all those substances composed 

 (of an acid united to an alkaline or earthy base. Ed. 



o2 



