NOVUM ORGANUM. 233 



ut sensum feriant 1 , nemo se naturam regere aut vertere posse 

 speret, nisi ilia debito modo comprehenderit et notaverit. 



VII. 



Similiter, inquisitio et inventio latentis schematismi in cor- 

 poribus res nova est, non minus quam inventio latentis 

 processus et Formae. 2 Versamur enim plane adhuc in atriis 

 naturae, neque ad interiora paramus aditum. At nemo corpus 

 datum nova natura dotare vel in novum corpus foeliciter et ap- 

 posite transmutare potest, nisi corpbris atteranm aut transtor- 

 mandi bonam habuerit notitiam. In modos enimjyanos incurret 

 aut saltern difficiles et perversos, nee" J pro^orporis_natura in 

 cmod operatur. Itaque ad hoc etiam via plane est aperienda et 

 mumenda. 



Atque in anatomia corporum organicoruni (qualia sunt 

 hominis et animalium) operasane recte et utiliter insumitur, et 

 videtur res subtilis et scrutinium naturae bonum. At hoc genus 

 anatomiae spectabile est, et sensui subjectum, et in corporibus 



. . i - r - r ?ici'r*<xiAV **~*~l GbGGj ritft^*^ /" 



tantum orgamcis locum habet. Yerum hoc ipgunf jobvium 

 quidoam est et in promptu^ situm, prae anatomia vera schema- 

 tism! latentJs~nr corporibus quae habentur pro similaribus 3 : 

 praesertim in_j^bu^_^pecificatis 4 et earum partibus, ut ferri, 

 lapidis ; et partibus similaribus plantae, animalis ; veluti radicis, 

 folii, floris, carnis, sanguinis, ossis, etc. At etiam in Jioc genere 



. . , . , , 3<3 ^*ix^^. tf ^K^vA^-V > 



non prorsus cessavit industna humana ; hoc ipsum_enim_innuit 

 separatio corporum similarium per distillationes et alios solu- 

 tionum modos, ut dissimilaritas compositi per congregationem 



1 t. e. Every natural action depends on the ultimate particles of bodies, or at least 

 on" parts too small to strike the sense. 



2 The distinction between the Latent Process and Latent Schematism in the abso- 

 lute way in which it is here stated, involves an assumption which the progress of 

 science will probably show to be unfounded; namely, that bodies apparently at rest 

 are so molecularly. Whereas all analogy and the fact that they act on the senses by 

 acting mechanically on certain deferent media combine to show that we ought to 

 consider bodies even at rest as dynamical and not as statical entities. On this view 

 there is no difficulty in understanding the nature of what appear to be spontaneous 

 changes, because every dynamical system carries within itself the seeds of its own 

 decay, except in particular cases ; that is, the type of motion so alters, with greater or 

 less rapidity, that the sensible qualities associated with it pass away. The introduc- 

 tion of the idea of unstable equilibrium in connexion with organic chemistry, was a 

 step in the direction which molecular Physics will probably soon take 



i. 8 i. e. thai are_J^ou^h^to_b^Qf__unjform structure n^tde up of parts similar to 



[ ( one another. 



f \ * i e. iaJJlings that have a specific character. In^ Bacon's time only certain things 



.. w^re supposed to belong To natural spmesTall others being merely elementary. A. 



| ruby nas a specific character, is specificatum ; common stone or rock non ifa ; " they 



are_jnere -modifications ot tne element e'aPIIV &c. A "specific virtue" is a virtue 



given by a thing's specific character, transcending the qualities of the elements it 



consists of. [See note on De Augm. ii. 3.] 



II 



