372 BACON 



obvious to men's minds, beset as they now are. For we mean 

 not the measures, symptoms, or degrees of any process which 

 can be exhibited in the bodies themselves, but simply a con- 

 tinued process, which, for the most part, escapes the observa- 

 tion of the senses. 



For instance, in all generations and transformations of bodies, 

 we must inquire, what is in the act of being lost and escaping, 

 what remains, what is being added, what is being diluted, what 

 is being contracted, what is being united, what is being sepa- 

 rated, what is continuous, what is broken off, what is urging 

 forward, what impedes, what predominates, what is subservient, 

 and many other circumstances. 



Nor are these inquiries again to be made in the mere genera- 

 tion and transformation of bodies only, but in all other altera- 

 tions and fluctuations, we must in like manner inquire; what 

 precedes, what succeeds, what is quick, what is slow, what pro- 

 duces and what governs motion, and the like. All which mat- 

 ters are unknown and unattempted by the sciences, in their 

 present heavy and inactive state. For, since every natural act is 

 brought about by the smallest efforts, or, at least, such is are 

 too small to strike our senses, let no one hope that he will be able 

 to direct or change nature unless he have properly compre- 

 hended and observed these efforts. 



7. In like manner, the investigation and discovery of the 

 latent conformation in bodies is no less new, than the discovery 

 of the latent process and form. For we as yet are doubtless 

 only admitted to the ante-chamber of nature, and do not prepare 

 an entrance into her presence-room. But nobody can endue a 

 given body with a new nature, or transform it successfully and 

 appropriately into a new body, without possessing a complete 

 knowledge of the body so to be changed or transformed. For 

 he will run into vain, or, at least, into difficult and perverse 

 methods, ill adapted to the nature of the body upon which he 

 operates. A clear path, therefore, towards this object also must 

 be thrown open, and well supported. 



Labor is well and usefully bestowed upon the anatomy of 

 organized bodies, such as those of men and animals, which ap- 

 pears to be a subtile matter, and a useful examination of nature. 

 The species of anatomy, however, is that of first sight, open to 

 the senses, and takes place only in organized bodies. It is ob- 

 vious, and of ready access, when compared with the real an- 

 atomy of latent conformation in bodies which are considered 

 similar, particularly in specific objects and their parts ; as those 

 of iron, stone, and the similar parts of plants and animals, as the 

 root, the leaf, the flower, the flesh, the blood, and bones, etc. 

 Yet human industry has not completely neglected this species of 

 anatomy; for we have an instance of it in the separation of 



