THE NOVUM ORGANUM. 93 



1625 1 , speaks of the four idols, or rather of Bacon's remarks 

 upon them, as the four buttresses of his philosophy. In Bacon's 

 own opinion this doctrine was of much importance. Thus in 

 the De Interpretations Natures SententicB Duodecim he says, in 

 the abrupt style of his earlier philosophical writings, " Qtii 

 primum et ante alia omnia animi motus humani penitus non 

 explorarit, ibique scientias meatus et errorum sedes accuratissime 

 descriptas non habuerit, is omnia larvata et veluti incantata 

 reperiet; fascinum ni solvent interpretari non poterit. 2 



From (71 .) to (78.) he speaks of the signs and tokens whereby 

 the defects and worthlessness of the received sciences are made 

 manifest. The origin of these sciences, the scanty fruits they 

 have borne, the little progress they have made, all testify against 

 them ; as likewise the confessions of the authors who have treated 

 of them, and even the general consent with which they have 

 been received. " Pessimum," says Bacon, " omnium est au- 

 gurium, quod ex consensu capitur in rebus intellectualibus." 3 



From (78.) to (92.) Bacon speaks of the causes of the errors 

 which have hindered the progress of science ; intending thereby 

 to show that there is no reason to doubt the value of the reform 

 which he is about to propose, because though in itself seem- 

 ingly plain and obvious it has nevertheless remained so long 

 unthought of. On the contrary, there is, he affirms, good 

 reason for being surprised that even now any one should have 

 thought of it. 



The first of these causes is the comparative shortness of the 

 periods which, out of the twenty -five centuries which intervene 

 between Thales and Bacon's own time, have been really fa- 

 vourable to the progress of science. The second, that even 

 during the more favourable times natural philosophy, the great 

 mother of the sciences, has been for the most part neglected ; 

 men having of late chiefly busied themselves with theology, and 

 among the Greeks and Romans with moral philosophy, " quae 



1 In the Biographic Universelle (Mersenne) it is incorrectly said that this work 

 was published in 1636, and an idle story is mentioned that it was in reality written, 

 not by Mersenne, but by Lord Herbert of Cherbury, a story sufficiently refuted by its 

 scrupulous and submissive orthodoxy. 



2 So also in the Valerius Terminus, c. 17. : " That if any have had or shall have the 

 power and resolution to fortify and inclose his mind against all anticipations, yet if he 

 have not been or shall not be cautioned by the full understanding of the nature of the 

 mind and spirit of man, and therein of the seats, pores, and passages both of know- 

 ledge and error, he hath not been, nor shall not be, possibly able to guide or keep on 

 his course aright" /. S. 



3 lie however excepts matters political and religious. 



