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PREFACE TO THE NOVUM OKGANUM, 

 BY KOBEKT LESLIE ELLIS, 



THE Novum Organum was published in 1620. Certain pro- 

 legomena to the whole of the Instauratio were prefixed to it, 

 namely a Proo3mium beginning " Franciscus de Verulamio sic 

 cogitavit," a dedication to King James, a general preface, and 

 an account, entitled Distributio Operis, of the parts of which 

 the Instauratio was to consist. Of these the Novum Organum 

 is the second ; the De Augmentis, which was not then published, 

 occupying the place of the first. Accordingly in most editions 

 of Bacon's works the prolegomena are prefixed, not to the 

 Novum Organum, but to the De Augmentis ; and this is doubt- 

 less their natural place. Nevertheless as Bacon's general design 

 was not completed, it seems better to allow them to remain in 

 their original position, especially as in the Prooemium Bacon 

 explains why he publishes one portion of the Instauratio apart 

 from the rest. " Decrevit," he there says, speaking of himself, 

 " prima quasque quaB perficere licuit in publicum edere. Neque 

 ha3C festinatio ambitiosa fuit, sed sollicita, ut si quid illi huma- 

 nitus accideret, exstaret tamen designatio quaedam ac destinatio 

 rei quam animo complexus est," &c. 



After theProoemium and the dedication we come to the Pra3- 

 fatio Generalis, in which Bacon speaks of the unprosperous 

 state of knowledge and of the necessity of a new method ; and 

 then follows the Distributio Operis. The Instauratio is to be 

 divided into six portions, of which the first is to contain a general 

 survey of the present state of knowledge. In the second men 

 are to be taught how to use their understanding aright in the 

 investigation of Nature. In the third all the phenomena of the 

 universe are to be stored up as in a treasure-house, as the mate- 

 rials on which the new method is to be employed. In the fourth 

 examples are to be given of its operation and of the results to 



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