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BACON 



nature, which give the shortest passage to the wonders of art : 

 for by carefully tracing nature in her wanderings, we may be en- 

 abled to lead or compel her to the same again. Nor would we 

 in this history of wonders have superstitious narrations of sor- 

 ceries, witchcrafts, dreams, divinations, etc., totally excluded, 

 where there is full evidence of the fact ; because it is not yet 

 known in what cases, and how far effects attributed to supersti- 

 tion, depend upon natural causes. And, therefore, though the 

 practice of such things is to be condemned ; yet the considera- 

 tion of them may afford light, not only in judging criminals, but 

 in a deeper disclosure of nature. Nor should men scruple 

 examining into these things, in order to discover truth : the 

 sun, though it passes through dirty places, yet remains as pure 

 as before. Those narrations, however, which have a tincture 

 of superstition, should be kept separate, and unmixed with 

 others, that are merely natural. But the relations of religious 

 prodigies and miracles, as being either false or supernatural, are 

 unfit to enter into a history of nature. 



As for the history of nature wrought or formed, we have 

 some collections of agriculture and manual arts, but common- 

 ly with a rejection of familiar and vulgar experiments, which 

 yet are of more service in the interpretation of nature than the 

 uncommon ones : an inquiry into mechanical matters being re- 

 puted a dishonor to learning; unless such as appear secrets, 

 rarities, and subtilties. This supercilious arrogance, Plato 

 justly derides in his representation of the dispute between Hip- 

 pias and Socrates touching beauty. Socrates is represented, 

 in his careless manner, citing first an example of a fair virgin, 

 then a fine horse, then a smooth pot curiously glazed. This 

 last instance moved Hippias's choler, who said, "Were it not 

 for politeness' sake, I would disdain to dispute with any that al- 

 leged such low and sordid examples." Whereupon Socrates 

 replied, "You have reason, and it becomes you well, being a 

 man so sprucely attired, and so trim in your shoes." And 

 certainly the truth is, that they are not the highest instances that 

 always afford the securest information ; as is not unaptly ex- 

 pressed in the tale so common of the philospher,& who, while 

 he gazed upwards to the stars, fell into the waters For had he 

 looked down, he might have discovered the stars in the water ; 

 but looking up to heaven, he could not see the water in the 

 stars ; for mean and small things often discover great ones, bet- 



