AUTHOR S PREFACE 



Of the state of learning That it is neither prosperous nor greatly advanced, 

 and that a way must be opened to the human understanding entirely distinct 

 from that known to our predecessors, and different aids procured, that the 

 mind may exercise her power over the nature of things 



IT APPEARS to me that men know neither their acquire 

 ments nor their powers, but fancy their possessions greater 

 and their faculties less than they are; whence, either valuing 

 the received arts above measure, they look out no further; 

 or else despising themselves too much, they exercise their 

 talents upon lighter matters, without attempting the capital 

 things of all. And hence the sciences seem to have their 

 Hercules Pillars, which bound the desires and hopes of 

 mankind. 



But as a false imagination of plenty is among the principal 

 causes of want, and as too great a confidence in things pres 

 ent leads to a neglect of the future, it is necessary we should 

 here admonish mankind that they do not too highly value 

 or extol either the number or usefulness of the things hith 

 erto discovered; for, by closely inspecting the multiplicity 

 of books upon arts and sciences, we find them to contain 

 numberless repetitions of the same things in point of in 

 vention, but differing indeed as to the manner of treat 

 ment; so that the real discoveries, though at the first view 

 they may appear numerous, prove upon examination but 

 few. And as to the point of usefulness, the philosophy 

 we principally received from the Greeks must be acknowl 

 edged puerile, or rather talkative than generative as being 

 fruitful in controversies, but barren of effects. 



The fable of Scylla seems a civil representation of the 

 present condition of knowledge; for she exhibited the coun- 



