25.] NOTES. 99 



philosophy. This over-subtlety of the schoolmen shoieed itself 

 ooth in their choice of subjects, ana in their method of discussion. 

 They chose the most fruitless subjects for discussion: and in the 

 discussions themselves they contented t/wmselve's with setting up 

 each proposition in science as an object of attack and defence. 

 Such a method could only issue in fruitless altercations about 

 trifles. A proposition is to be considered with the limitations 

 wnich the context requires: thus looked at, it may be true: 

 though stated absolutely, it may be false. A stick will stand 

 upright in the middle of a bundle : but unsupported, it will fall 

 to the ground. The schoolmen might have advanced t/w cause 

 of learning, if they had sougJti the necessary data for reasoning 

 leitherjrom God's u'ord or from his works. They jailed because 

 thevjwere content to argue from their mm & priori ideas, or to 

 spin endless syllogisms from a few unverified premises. 



TKe third fa. uhuntru th is the worst of cm. It is the very 

 negation of "knowledge. It is due to credulity and intentional 

 deceit, two faults which generally coexist. Credulity manifests 

 itself in three ways, (i.) with regard to matters of fact. Men 

 are too ready to give credence to alleged miracles, (>r to pr<'digies 

 in natural history, (ii.) A man may be too credulous as to 

 what a given art can effect. Alchemy, astrology, and magic are 

 effective arts within certain limits : but it is well known how the 

 professors of them have imposed upon the credulity of mankind. 

 (iii!) Men give too ready an assent to any proposition which is 

 sanctioned by the authority of a great name. 



1. 13. which is principal and proper to, i.e., with which the 

 present argument is principally and more appropriately con 

 cerned. 



1. 17. aspersion, the word literally signifies sprinkling, or 

 admixture. It is used in this sense on p. 43, 1. 19. The sentence 

 in the text might mean * to save it from being confounded with 

 the rest.' But the word aspersion has also derived from the 

 Latin the sense of calumny, and Bacon probably uses it in that 

 sense here, so that the sentence would mean, * to show that it 

 does not deserve the reproaches which have been directed against 

 the rest.' The Latin translation has ' to save from reproach.' 



1. 18. to scandalize and deprave, to abuse and depreciate. 



1. 19. retaineth the state, has not degenerated. For ' the ' we- ^ 

 should now say '.jfr'aJ 



1. 20. upon, we should say 'of.' 



1. 21. to blemish and taint, to reproach and blacken. Mr. 

 Wright quotes appropriately from Macbeth, iv. 3. 124, 'The 

 taints and blames I laid upon myself.' 



