170 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



with a hot and impotent desire, are carried to such things 

 as they see only through the fumes and clouds of imagina 

 tion, instead of producing works, beget nothing but vain 

 hopes and monstrous opinions. This degenerate natural 

 magic has also an effect like certain sleepy medicines which 

 procure pleasing dreams; for so it first lays the understand 

 ing asleep, by introducing specific properties and occult vir 

 tues whence men are no longer attentive to the discovery 

 of real causes, but rest satisfied in such indolent and weak 

 opinions; and thus it insinuates numberless pleasing fictions, 

 like so many dreams. 



And here we may properly observe, that those sciences 

 which depend too much upon fancy and faith, as this de 

 generate magic, alchemy and astrology, have their means 

 and their theory more monstrous than their end and action. 

 The conversion of quicksilver into gold is hard to con 

 ceive, though it may much more probably be effected by a 

 man acquainted with the nature of gravity, color, malleabil 

 ity, fixedness, volatility, the principles of metals and men- 

 struums, than by one who is ignorant of these natures, by 

 the bare projection of a few grains of the elixir. The same 

 may be understood of the prolongation of youth or retard 

 ing of old age, which may more rationally be expected by 

 dietary, regimen, bathings, anointing and proper medicines, 

 directed by an accurate knowledge of the human frame, the 

 nature of rarefaction, sustention, assimilation and the recip 

 rocal action of the mind upon the body, than by a few drops 

 or scruples of some precious liquor or quintessence. But 

 men are so headstrong and notional, as not only to promise 

 themselves things impossible, but also hope to obtain the 

 most difficult ends without labor or exertion. 



This practical doctrine of nature requires two appendages 

 of very great consequence. The first is, that an inventory 

 be made of the stock of mankind, containing their whole 

 possessions and fortunes, whether proceeding from nature 

 or art, with the addition also of things formerly known, but 

 now lost; so that he who goes upon new discoveries may 



