L I B. I. Of the Advancement of Learning. 21 



§ 2>\itx.\\:Lto\.\\QX Facility of Credit^ which is yielded, not [.6 H/ihry 

 and Reports, but to ^"^rts and Op/Krovs, is like wife of two forts :; either 

 when too much belief is attributed to Arts therafclves, or to certain A/i- 

 thors in any An. The Sciences themfelves, which hold more of the 

 fancy and of belief, than ofRcafbn and Demonltration , are chiefly 

 thvee Ajirologie^ Natural A'lJgiqttc and Alchimy -^ of which Sciences ne- 

 vertheleft the end and pretences are noble ^ For Ajirology profeiTeth to 

 discover the influence and domination of the fuperiour Globe, over the 

 inferiour : Jllagique propofeth to it felfto call and reduce Natural Phi- 

 Jo!ophy from variety of fpeculations , to the magnitude of works: 

 Alchimy undertakes to make a fepararionand extraftion of all heteroge- 

 neous and unlike parts of bodies, which in mixture of Nature are Impli- 

 cate and Incorporate^and to refine and depurate bodies themfelvesjthat 

 are diftainedand (biledjto fet at liberty fuch as are bound and imprifon- 

 ed 3 and to bring to perfedion fuch as are unripe. But the derivati- 

 ons and profecutions, which are prefumed to conduce torheleends, 

 both in the Theory and in the Pradile of theje Arts, are full of Errors 

 and Vanity. Nor is the Tradition and manner of Delivery for moft 

 part ingenious and without fufpition, but vaild over and munited with 

 devifes and irapoftures. Yet furely to Alchimy this right is due, that it 

 may truly be compared to the Husbandman whereof ySy^i/^e makes the 

 Fable, that vchen he died^ told his foMs he had left unto them a great mafs 

 of Gold buried under ground in his Vineyard ^ but did not remember the 

 particular place where it was hidden ^ who when they had with fpades' 

 turn'd up all the Vineyard ^ gold indeed they found none 3 but by 

 rea(bn of their ftirring and digging the Mold about the Roots of their 

 Vines, they had a great Vintage the year following: (b the painful 

 (earch and ftir of Alchimifis to make Gold, hath brought to light a 

 great number of good and fruitful experiraents.as well for thedifclofing 

 of nature, as the ufe of mans life. 



§ As for the overmuch Credit that hath been given to Authors in Sa'- 

 enres, whom they have invejled with the power of Di&ators, that their 

 words Pouldfland, and not of Confuls to give advice ^ the damage is in- 

 finite that Sciences have received thereby,as a Principal cau(e that hath 

 kept them low at a ftay, and that they have lien heartlefs, without any- 

 notable Groweth or Advancement. For hence it hath come to pafs, that 

 in Arts Mechanical^ the firft devifer cometh (hort, and time fupplies and 

 perfects the reft ^ but in Siences, the firft Author goeth fartheft, and 

 time loo^th and corrupteth. So we fee Artillery^ Sailing , Printing, 

 were imperfcd, formlefs, and grofly managed at firft, but in progrefs of 

 time accommodated and refined. But contrariwife the rhilofophy and 

 Sciences of Ariffotlc, Plato, Dcmocritits, H)pocrates, Euclide, Archimedes, 

 wereof moft vigor in their Authors, and in procefsof time, became^ 

 rather degenerate and embafed, and loft much of their luflre jwhei^- 

 of the rcafon is no other, but that in Arts Mechanical, many wits and in- 

 diijiries havt contributed in one, in liberal Arts and Sciences, many wits 

 and indutiries have becnfpent about , and yielded to the art of fame one 5 

 whom (notwithftanding many times)his feftators have rather depraved 

 thanilluftrated. For as water ^\\\ not afcend higher than the level of 

 the firft Spring- head, from whence it defcendeth, fo knowledge de- 

 rived from Ariflotk > will never rife higher than the knowledge of 



Anjiotle. 



