BOOK l] APHORISMS. 391 



tlic understanding, throw every tiling into confusion, and lead 

 mankind into vain and innumerable controversies and fallacies. 



XLIV. Lastly, there are idols which have crept into men s 

 minds from the various dogmas of peculiar systems of philo 

 sophy, and also from the perverted rules of demonstration, and 

 these we denominate idols of the theatre : for we regard all the 

 systems of philosophy hitherto received or imagined, as so many 

 plays brought out and performed, creating fictitious and thea 

 trical worlds. Nor do we speak only of the present systems, or 

 of the philosophy and sects of the ancients, since numerous 

 other plays of a similar nature can be still composed and made 

 to agree with each other, the causes of the most opposite errors 

 being generally the same. Nor, again, do we allude merely to 

 general systems, but also to many elements and axioms of 

 sciences which have become inveterate by tradition, implicit 

 credence, and neglect. We must, however, discuss each species 

 of idols more fully and distinctly in order to guard the human 

 understanding against them. 



XLV. The human understanding, from its peculiar nature, 

 easily supposes a greater degree of order and equality in things 

 than it really finds ; and although many things in nature be su i 

 generis and most irregular, will yet invent parallels and conju 

 gates and relatives, where no such thing is. Hence the fiction, 

 that all celestial bodies move in perfect circles, thus rejecting 

 entirely spiral and serpentine lines (except as explanatory 

 terms).* Hence also the element of fire is introduced with its 

 peculiar orbit, 1 to keep square with those other three which are 



k Though Kepler had, when Bacon wrote this, already demonstrated his 

 three great laws concerning the elliptical path of the planets, neither 

 Bacon nor Descartes seem to have known or assented to his discoveries. 

 Our author deemed the startling astronomical announcements of his time 

 to be mere theoretic solutions oi the phenomena oi the heavens, not so 

 perfect as those advanced by antiquity, but still deserving a praise for 

 the ingenuity displayed in their contrivance. Bacon believed a htmdred 

 Buch systems might exist, and though true in their explanation of phe 

 nomena, yet might all more or less differ, according to the preconceived 

 notions which their framers brought to the survey of the heavens. He 

 even thought he might put in his claim to the notice of posterity for his 

 astronomical ingenuity, and, as Ptolemy had laboured by means of 

 epicycles and eccentrics, and Kepler with ellipses, to explain the laws 

 oi planetary motion, Bacon thought the mystery would unfold itself 

 quite as philosophically thi-ough spiral labyrinths and serpentine lines. 

 What the details of his system were, we are left to conjecture, and that 

 from a very meagre but naive account of one oi his inventions which he 

 has left in his Miscellany MSS. Ed. 



1 Hinc elementum ignis cum, orbe suo introductum, est. Bacon saw 

 in fire the mere result of a certain combination ot action, and wag 

 consequently led to deny its elementary character. The ancient phvai- 



