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 towards restoring 

 or cultivating a just and legitimate familiarity betwixt 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 uncor- 

 rected, either by the natural powers of the understanding or the 

 assistance of logic ; for the original notions being vitiated, con- 

 fused, and inconsiderately taken from things, and the second- 

 ary 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 whilst 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 with better 

 assistance to begin the work anew, and raise or rebuild the 

 sciences, arts, and all human knowledge from a firm and solid 

 basis. 



This may at first seem an infinite scheme, unequal to human 

 abilities, yet it will be found more sound and judicious than the 

 course hitherto pursued, as tending to some issue ; whereas all 

 hitherto done with regard to the sciences is vertiginous, or in 

 the way of perpetual rotation. 



Nor is he ignorant that he stands alone in an experiment 



xi 



