226 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



The conjunction of an experiment is a connection and 

 chain of applications, when those things which were not 

 useful single, are made useful by connection; for example, 

 to have roses or fruits come late, the way is to pluck off the 

 early buds, or to lay bare the roots and expose them to 

 the open air, toward the middle of spring; but it is much 

 better to do both together. So ice and nitre separate have 

 a great power of cooling, but a much greater when mixed 

 together. But there may be a fallacy in this obvious affair, 

 as in all cases where axioms are wanting, if the conjunction 

 be made in things that operate by different and, as it were, 

 contrary ways. 18 



As for chance experiments, these are plainly an irrational 

 and wild procedure, when the mind suggests the trial of a 

 thing, not because any reason or experiment persuades it, 

 but only because nothing of the kind has been tried before; 

 yet even here, perhaps, some considerable mystery lies con 

 cealed, provided no stone in nature were left unturned ; for 

 the capital things of nature generally lie out of the beaten 

 paths, so that even the absurdness of a thing sometimes 

 proves useful. But if reason also be here joined, so as to 

 show that the like experiment never was attempted, and 

 yet that there is great cause why it should be; then this 

 becomes an excellent instrument, and really enters the 

 bosom of nature. For example, in the operation of fire 

 upon natural bodies it has hitherto always happened that 

 either something flies off, as flame and smoke in our com 

 mon fires, or at least that the parts are locally separated to 

 some distance, as in distillation, where the vapor rises and 

 the faeces are left behind; but no man has hitherto tried 

 close distillation. Yet it seems probable, that if the force 

 of heat may have its action confined in the cavities of a 

 body, without any possibility of loss or escape, this Proteus 

 of matter will be manacled, as it were, and forced to undergo 



18 Such are the compounds of very active substances, which chemists desig 

 nate neuter: for example, the greater part of salts, as nitre, sea-salt, the salt of 

 Glauber, and generally all those substances composed of an acid united to an 

 alkaline or earthy base. Ed. 



