BOOS l] ArHORlSMS. 401 



nion nature of fire, and their condensation accorclinj* to rievaelilus, 

 exhibit some sprinklinjT of natural philosophy, the nature of 

 thinfijs, and experiment ; whilst Aristotle's physics are mere 

 logical terms, and he remodelled the same subject in his meta- 

 physics under a more imposing title, and more as a realist than 

 a nominalist. Nor is much stress to be laid on his frequent re- 

 course to experiment in his books on animals, his problems, and 

 other treatises ; for he had already decided, without having 

 properly consulted experience as the basis of his decisions and 

 axioms, and after having so decided, he drags experiment along 

 as a captive constrained to accommodate herself to his decisions: 

 so that he is even more to be blamed than his modern followers 

 (of the scholastic school) who have deserted her altogether. 



LXIV. The empiric school produces dogmas of a more de- 

 formed and monstrous nature than the sophistic or theoretic 

 school ; not being founded in the light of common notions 

 (which, however poor and superstitious, is yet in a manner 

 universal, and of a general tendency), but in the confined 

 obscurity of a few experiments. Hence this species of philosophy 

 appears probable, and almost certain to those who are daily 

 practised in such experiments, and have thus corrupted their 

 imagination, but incredible and futile to others. We have a 

 strong instance of this in the alchymists and their dogmas ; it 

 would be difficult to find another in this age, unless perhaps in 

 the philosophy of Gilbert.^ We could not, however, neglect to 

 caution others against th:::* scliool, because we already foresee a,nd 

 augii;, that if men be hereafter induced by our exhortations to 

 apply seriously to experiments (bidding farewell to the sophistic 

 doctrines), there will then be imminent danger from empirics, 

 owing to the premature and forward haste of the understanding, 

 and its jumping or flying to generalities and the principles of 

 things. We ought, therefore, already to meet the evil. 



LXV. The corruption of philosophy by the mixing of it up 

 with superstition and theology, is of a much wider extent, and 

 is most injurious to it both as a whole and in parts. For the 

 liuman understanding is no less exposed to the impressions of 



of transmigration. He resolved the universe into the four ordinaiy 

 elements, the principles of whose composition were life and happiness, 

 or concord and amity, but whose decomposition brought forth death 

 and evil, or discord and hatred. Heraclitus held matter to be indif- 

 terent to any peculiar form, but as it became rarer or more dense, 

 it took tlie appearance of fire, air, earth, and water. Fire, however, 

 he believed to be the elementary principle out of which the others were 

 evolved. This was also the belief of Lucretius. See book i. 783, &c. 



^ It is thus the Vulcanists and Neptunians have framed their oppo- 

 ■ite theories in geology. Phrenology is a modern instance of lu^ty 

 generalization. £d. 



3 2d 



