-!!H KOVOM ORGANUM. [BOOK 1, 



to advance properly in the course wlien the goal 13 not properly 

 liKod. But the real and legitimate goal of the sciences, is the 

 endowment of human life with new inventions and riches. The 

 great crowd of teachers know nothing of this, but consist of 

 dictatorial hirelings ; unless it so happen that some artisan of an 

 acute genius, and ambitious of fame, gives up his time to a new 

 discovery, which is generally attended with a loss of property. 

 The majority, so far from proposing to themselves the augmenta- 

 tion of the mass of arts and sciences, make no other use of an 

 inquiry into the mass already before them, than is afforded by 

 the conversion of it to some use in their lectures, or to gain, or 

 to the acquirement of a name, and the like. But if one out of 

 the multitude be found, who courts science from real zeal, and 

 on his own account, even he will be seen rather to follow con- 

 templation, and the variety of theories, than a severe and strict 

 investigation of truth. Again, if there even be an unusually 

 strict investigator of truth, yet will he propose to himself, as the 

 test of truth, the satisfaction of his mind and understanding, as 

 to the causes of things long since known, and not such a test as 

 to lead to some new earnest of effects, and a new light in 

 axioms. If, therefore, no one have laid down the real end of 

 science, we cannot wonder that there should be error in points 

 subordinate to that end. 



LXXXII. But, in like manner, as the end and goal of science 

 is ill defined, so, even were the case otherwise, men havo chosen 

 an erroneous and impassable direction. For it is sufficient to 

 astonish any reflecting mind, that nobody should have cared 

 or wished to open and complete a way for the understanding, set- 

 ting off from the senses, and regular, well conducted experiment; 

 but that everything has been abandoned either to the mists of 

 tradition, the whirl and confusion of argument, or the waves and 

 mazes of chance, and desultory, ill combined experiment. Now, 

 let any one but consider soberly and diligently the nature of the 

 path men have been accustomed to pursue in the investigation 

 and discovery of any matter, and he will doubtless first observe 

 the rude and inartificial manner of discovery most familiar to 

 mankind : which is no other than this. AVhen any one prepares 

 himself for discovery, he first inquires and obtains a full account 

 of all that has been said on the subject by others, then adds his 

 own reflections, and stirs up and, as it were, invokes his own 

 spirit, after much mental labour, to disclose its oracles. All 

 vhich ia a method without foundation, and merely turns on 

 opinion. 



Another, perhaps, calls in logic to assist him in discovery, 

 which bears only a nominal relation to his purpose. For the 

 discoi eries of logic are not discoveries of principles and leading 



