20 BACON 



Credulity in respect of certain authors, and making them 

 dictators instead of consuls, is a principal cause that the sciences 

 are no further advanced. For hence, though in mechanical arts, 

 the first inventor falls short, time adds perfection ; whilst in the 

 sciences, the first author goes furthest, and time only abates or 

 corrupts. Thus artillery, sailing, and printing, were grossly 

 managed at first, but received improvement by time ; whilst the 

 philosophy and the sciences of Aristotle, Plato, Democritus, 

 Hippocrates, Euclid, and Archimedes, flourished most in the 

 original authors, and degenerated with time. The reason is, 

 that in the mechanic arts, the capacities and industry of many 

 are collected together ; whereas in sciences, the capacities and 

 industry of many have been spent upon the invention of some 

 one man, who has commonly been thereby rather obscured than 

 illustrated. For as water ascends no higher than the level of 

 the first spring, so knowledge derived from Aristotle will at 

 most rise no higher again than the knowledge of Aristotle. And 

 therefore, though a scholar must have faith in his master, yet 

 a man well instructed must judge for himself; for learners owe 

 to their masters only a temporary belief, and a suspension of 

 their own judgment till they are fully instructed, and not an 

 absolute resignation or perpetual captivity. Let great authors, 

 therefore, have their due, but so as not to defraud time, which 

 is the author of authors, and the parent of truth. 



Besides the three diseases of learning above treated, there 

 are some other peccant humors, which, falling under popular 

 observation and reprehension, require to be particularly men- 

 tioned. The first is the affecting of two extremes ; antiquity 

 and novelty : wherein the children of time seem to imitate their 

 father ; for as he devours his children, so they endeavor to de- 

 vour each other; whilst antiquity envies new improvements, 

 and novelty is not content to add without defacing. The advice 

 of the prophet is just in this case : " Stand upon the old ways, 

 and see which is the good way, and walk therein." f For antiq- 

 uity deserves that men should stand awhile upon it, to view 

 around which is the best way ; but when the discovery is well 

 made, they should stand no longer, but proceed with cheerful- 

 ness. And to speak the truth antiquity, as we call it, is the young 

 state of the world ; for those times are ancient when the world 

 is ancient ; and not those we vulgarly account ancient by com- 

 puting backwards ; so that the present time is the real antiquity. 



