ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 77 



join in one trunk, it is first necessary that we constitute a uni- 

 versal science as a parent to the rest, and as making a part of the 

 common road to the sciences before the ways separate. And 

 this knowledge we call " philosophia prima," primitive or pri- 

 mative or summary philosophy ; it has no other for its opposite, 

 and differs from other sciences rather in the limits whereby it is 

 confined than in the subject as treating only the summits of 

 things. And whether this should be noted as wanting may 

 seem doubtful, though I rather incline to note it ; for I find a 

 certain rhapsody of natural theology, logics, and physics, deliv- 

 ered in a certain sublimity of discourse, by such as aim at being 

 admired for standing on the pinnacles of the sciences ; but what 

 we mean is, without ambition, to design some general science, 

 for the reception of axioms, not peculiar to any one science, but 

 common to a number of them. 



Axioms of this kind are numerous ; for example, if equals be 

 added to unequals, the wholes will be unequal. This is a rule 

 in mathematics, which holds also in ethics, with regard to dis- 

 tributive justice. For in commutative justice, equity requires, 

 that equal portions be given to unequal persons; but in dis- 

 tributive justice, that unequal portions should be distributed to 

 unequals. Things agreeing to the same third, agree also with 

 one another: this, likewise, is an axiom in mathematics, and, 

 at the same time, so serviceable in logic as to be the foundation 

 of syllogisms Nature shows herself best in her smallest works. 

 This is a rule in philosophy, that produced the atoms of Demo- 

 critus, and was justly employed by Aristotle in politics, when 

 he begins the consideration of a commonwealth in a family. 

 All things change, but nothing is lost.fr This is an axiom in 

 physics, and holds in natural theology ; for, as the sum of matter 

 neither diminishes nor increases, so it is equally the work of 

 omnipotence to create or to annihilate it, which even the Scrip- 

 ture testifies : " Didici quod omnia opera, quae fecit Deus, perse- 

 verent in perpetuum: non possumus eis quicquam addere, nee 

 auferre.'V Things are preserved from destruction, by bring- 

 ing them back to their principles. This is an axiom in physics, 

 but holds equally in politics ; for the preservation of states, as 

 is well observed by Machiavel,<* depends upon little more than 

 reforming and bringing them back to their ancient customs. 

 A putrid malady is more contagious in its early than in its more 

 matured stages, holds in natural as in moral philosophy; for 



