420 KOVUM OtlGANUM. [BOOK I. 



tition of experiments : and in the mean time, when, in his casual 

 experiments, he falls upon something in appearance new, or of 

 some degree of utility, he consoles himself with such an earnest, 

 and ostentatiously publishes them, keeping up his hope of the 

 final result. Nor can it be denied that the alchemists have 

 made several discoveries, and presented mankind with useful 

 inventions. But we may well apply to them the fable of the old 

 man, who bequeathed to his sons some gold buried in his garden, 

 pretending not to know the exact spot, whereupon they worked 

 diligently in digging the vineyard, and though they found no 

 gold, the vintage was rendered more abundant by their labour. 



The followers of natural magic, who explain everything bv 

 sympathy and antipathy, have assigned false powers and mar 

 vellous operations to things by gratuitous and idle conjectures : 

 and if they have ever produced any effects, they are rather 

 wonderful and novel than of any real benefit or utility. 



In superstitious magic (if we say anything at all about it) we 

 must chiefly observe, that there are only some peculiar and 

 definite objects with which the curious and superstitious arts 

 have, in every nation and age, and even under every religion, 

 been able to exercise and amuse themselves. Let us, therefore, 

 pass them over. In the mean time we cannot wonder that the 

 false notion of plenty should have occasioned want. 



LXXXVI. The admiration of mankind with regard to the 

 arts and sciences, which is of itself sufficiently simple and almost 

 puerile, has been increased by the craft and artifices of those who 

 have treated the sciences, and delivered them down to posterity. 

 For they propose and produce them to our view so fashioned, 

 and as it were masked, as to make them pass for perfect and 

 complete. For if you consider their method and divisions, they 

 appear to embrace and comprise everything which can relate to 

 the subject. And although this frame be badly filled up and 

 resemble an empty bladder, yet it presents to the vulgar under 

 standing the form and appearance of a perfect science. 



The first and most ancient investigators of truth were wont, 

 on the contrary, with more honesty and success, to throw all the 

 knowledge they wished to gather from contemplation, and to lay 

 up for use, into aphorisms, or short scattered sentences uncon 

 nected by any method, and without pretending or professing to 

 comprehend any entire art. But according to the present system, 

 we cannot wonder that men seek nothing beyond that which is 

 handed down to them as perfect, and already extended to its full 

 complement. 



LXXXVIL The ancient theories have received additional 

 Support and credit from the absurdity and levity of those who 

 Have promoted the new, especially in the active and practical 

 part of natural philosophy. For there have been many silly and 



