FRANCIS OF VERULAM S 



GREAT INSTAURATION 



ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE AUTHOR 



FRANCIS OF VERULAM THOUGHT THUS, AND SUCH IS THE METHOD WHICH 



HE DETERMINED WITHIN HIMSELF, AND WHICH HE THOUGHT IT 



CONCERNED THE LIVING AND POSTERITY TO KNOW 



BEING convinced, by a careful observation, that the 

 human understanding perplexes itself, or makes not a sober 

 and advantageous use of the real helps within its reach, 

 whence manifold ignorance and inconveniences arise, he 

 was determined to employ his utmost endeavors toward 

 restoring or cultivating a just and legitimate familiarity 

 between the mind and things. 



But as the mind, hastily and without choice, imbibes 

 and treasures up the first notices of things, from whence 

 all the rest proceed, errors must forever prevail, and remain 

 uncorrected, either by the natural powers of the understand 

 ing or the assistance of logic; for the original notions being 

 vitiated, confused, and inconsiderately taken from things, 

 and the secondary ones formed no less rashly, human 

 knowledge itself, the thing employed in all our researches, 

 is not well put together nor justly formed, but resembles a 

 magnificent structure that has no foundation. 



And while men agree to admire and magnify the false 

 powers of the mind, and neglect or destroy those that 

 might be rendered true, there is no other course left but 



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