BOOK l1 aphorisms. 447 



of man over things is founded on tlie arts an4 sciences alone, for 

 nature is only to be commanded by obeyintj her. 



Besides this, if the benefit of any particular invention has had 

 Buch an cfiect as to induce men to consider him greater than a 

 man, who has thus obliged the whole race, how much more 

 exalted will that discovery be, which leads to the easy discovery 

 of everything else ! Yet (to speak the truth) in the same manner 

 as we are very thankful for light which enables us to enter on 

 our way, to practise arts, to read, to distinguish each other, and 

 yet sight is more excellent and beautiful than the various uses of 

 light ; so is the contemplation oi things as they are, free from 

 superstition or imposture, error or confusion, much more digni- 

 fied in itseli than all the advantage to be derived from disco- 

 veries. 



Lastly, let none be alarmed at the objection of the arts and 

 sciences becoming depraved to malevolent or luxurious purposes 

 and the like, for the same can be said of every worldly good; 

 talent, courage, strength, beauty, riches, light itself, and the rest. 

 Only let mankind regain their rights over nature, assigned to 

 them bT^_the_gifLQf-Ctod, and obtain that power, whose exercise 

 will be governed by right reason and true religion. 



CXXX. But it is time for us to lay down the art of inter-n 

 preting nature, to which we attribute no absolute necessity (as if / 

 nothing could be done without it) nor perfection, although we / 

 think that our precepts are most useful and correct. For we are / 

 of opinion, that if men had at their command a proper history/ 

 of nature and experience, and would apply themselves steadily 

 to it, and could bind themselves to two things : 1. to lay aside 

 received opinions and notions ; 2. to restrain themselves, till the 

 proper season, from generalization, they might, by the propei 

 and genuine exertion of their minds, fall into our way of inter, 

 pretation without the aid of any art. Por interpretation is the 

 true and natural act of the mind, when all obstacles are re- 

 moved : certainly, however, everything will be more ready and 

 better fixed by our precepts. 



Yet do we not affirm that no addition can be made to thgTBT 

 on the contrary, considering the mind in its connection with 

 things, and not merely relatively to its own powers, we ought to 

 be persuaded that the art of invention can be made to grow with 

 tile inventions themselves. 



