ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 169 



regard to such contrivances whose causes are more obscure, 

 or their effects more noble ; whereas the writers upon these 

 subjects hitherto have only coasted along the shore &quot;pre- 

 mendo littus iniquum. ni And it appears to us that scarce 

 anything in nature can be fundamentally discovered, either 

 by accident, experimental attempts, or the light of physical 

 causes, but only by the discovery of forms. 2 Since, there 

 fore, we have set down as wanting that part of metaphysics 

 which treats of forms, it follows that natural magic, which 

 is relative to it, must also be wanting. 



We here understand magic in its ancient and honorable 

 sense among the Persians it stood for a sublimer wisdom, 

 or a knowledge of the relations of universal nature, as may 

 be observed in the title of those kings who came from the 

 East to adore Christ. And in the same sense we would 

 have it signify that science, which leads to the knowledge 

 of hidden forms, for producing great effects, and by joining 

 agents to patients setting the capital works of nature to 

 view. The common natural magic found in books gives 

 us only some childish and superstitious traditions and ob 

 servations of the sympathies and antipathies of things, or 

 occult and specific properties, which are usually intermixed 

 with many trifling experiments, admired rather for their 

 disguise than for themselves; but as to the truth of nature, 

 this differs from the science we propose as much as the ro 

 mances of Arthur of Britain, Hugh of Bordeaux, or other 

 imaginary heroes, do from the Commentaries of Caesar in 

 truth of narration. Caesar in reality performed greater 

 things, though not by romantic means, than such fabu 

 lous heroes are feigned to do. This kind of learning is 

 well represented by the fable of Ixion, 8 who, thinking to 

 enjoy Juno, the goddess of power, embraced a cloud, and 

 thence produced centaurs and chimaeras ; for so those who, 



1 Hor. Odes, b. ii. ode x. 3. 



3 Bacon means by forms general laws which co-operate with certain agents 

 in producing the qualities of bodies. Shaw. 

 3 Find. Pyth. ii. 21. 

 SCIENCE Vol. 218 



