474 NOVUM ORGANUM. [BOOK II 



mere theories and ill-defined notions, ^vitli axioms requiring 

 daily correction. These Avill, doubtless, be better or worse, 

 accordinor to the power and strenjijth of the understanding which 

 creates them. But it is only lor God (the bestower and creator 

 of forms), and perhaps for an<j;els and intelligences, at once to 

 recognise forms aflirmatively at the first glance of contemplation: 

 man, at least, is unable to do so, and is only allowed to proceed 

 first by negatives, and then to conclude with affirmatives, after 

 every species of exclusion. 



XVI. We must, therefore, effect a complete solution and 

 *?eparation of nature ; not by fire, but by the mind, that divine 



rfire. The first work of le - ntimate induction, in the d iscovery of 

 forms, i5„j;*>jed.ion, or^tlie exclusive instances of individual 

 'natures, which are not found in some one instance where the 

 given nature is present, or are found in any one instance where 

 it is absent, or are found to increase in any one instance where 

 the given nature decreases, or the reverse. After an exclusion 

 correctly effected, an affirmative form will remain as the residuum, 

 yy solid, true, and well defined, whilst all volatile opinions go off in 

 smoke. This is readily said ; but we must arrive at it by a cir- 

 cuitous rout. We shall perhaps, however, omit nothing that 

 can facilitate our progress. 



XVII. The first and almost perpetual precaution and warning 

 which we consider necessary is this ; that none should suppose 



ifrom the great part assigned by us to forms, that we mean such 

 forms as the meditations and thoughts of men have hithcto been 

 accustomed to. In the first place, we do not at present mean 

 the concrete forms, which (as we have observed) are in the com- 

 mon course of things compounded of simple natures, as those of 

 a lion, an eagle, a rose, gold, or the like. The moment for dis- 

 cussing these will arrive when we come to treat of the latent 

 process and latent conformation, and the discovery of them 

 as they exist in what are called substances, or concrete natures. 

 Nor again, would we be thought to mean (even when treating 

 ixf simple natures) any abstract forms or ideas, either undefined 

 \/i>^ov badly defined in matter. For -when we speak of forms, we 

 mean nothing else than those laws and regulations "of simple 

 action which arrange and constitute any simple nature, such a,s_ 

 li e at, tight, weigTit, in every species of matter, and in a suscep-, 

 ktibte" subject. The form of heat or form of light, therefore, 

 Itneahs no more than the law of heat or the law of light. Nor 

 do we ever abstract or withdraw ourselves from things, and the 

 operative branch of philosophy. When, therefore, we say (for 

 instance) in our investigation of the form of heat, Eejec^t rarity, 

 or, Earity is not of the form of heat, it is the same as if we 

 were to say Man can superinduce heat on a dense body, oi 



