54 Of the Advancement of Learning. Lie. 11^ 



myfteries ) of the turning of Iron toucht with a Loadftone to- 

 wards the Poles , was found out in needles of Iron , not in bars 

 of Iron. 



§ But if my judgement be of any weight, I am wholly of this mind, 

 that theufe of Mechanical Hijiorj, to the railing of Natural rhilofophyy 

 is of all other the moft radical and fundamental j fuch Natural Pbilo- 

 fophy, I underftand, as doth not vanifh into the fumes of fubtile and 

 fublime fpeculations, but fuch, as (hall be effeftually operative to the 

 fupport and affiftance of the iacoramodities of mans life ; For it will 

 not only help fortheprefentj by connecting and transferring the ob- 

 lervations of one Art, into the ufe of others, which muft needs come 

 to pals, when the experiences of divers Arts (hall fall into the conG- 

 dcration and obfcrvation of one man 3 but farther, it will give a more 

 clear illumination, than hitherto hath (hined forth, for the learching 

 out of the caufes of things, and the deducing of Axioms. For like as 

 you can never well know and prove the difpofition of another man, un- 

 lefs you provoke him 5 nor Proteus ever changed (hapes, until he was 

 ftraitned and held fa(t with cords '■> Co nature provoked and vexed by 

 Art,doth more clearly Appearjthan when (he is left free to her ielf. But 

 before we difmifs this part of Natural Hijiory, which we call Aiechanical 

 and Experimental, this mult be added , That the body oC fuch a Hijio- 

 ry^ muft be built not only of Mechanical Arts themfelves, but the ope- 

 rative part of Liberal Sciences, as alfo many praftices not yet grown up 

 into Art, that nothing profitable may be omitted, which avails to the 

 information of the underftaading. And fo this is the firft Partition of 

 Natural Hijlory. 



Chap. HI. 



I. The Second Partition of Natural Hilary, from the ufe and end 

 thereof into Narrative andlndudive. And that the moft noble end 

 of Natural Hiftory is^ that it minijier and conduce to the building ftp 

 of Thilofophy : which end InduBive Hijlory refpe&eth. II. The Par- 

 tition of the Hijiory of Generations into the Hijlory of the Heavens : 

 The Hijlory of the Meteors : The Hijlory of the Earth and Sea : The 

 Hijlory of Majfive Bodies , or of the greater Corporations : Tht 

 Hijlory of Kinds, or of the lejfer Corporations. 



I. "^J Mural Hilary, asirfrefped of the fubje&, it is of three forts, as 

 i \! we obferved before 3 fo in refpefl: of the ufe, of two : for it is 

 applied, either for the knowledge of things themfelves recorded in Him 

 jiory •■, or as the Primitive matter of Philojophy. The former of thefe, 

 which either for the pleafure of the Narrations is delighful, or for the 

 pradice of experiments is ufeful, and for fuch pleafure or profits fake is 

 purfued, is of far inferiour quality, compared with that which is the 

 Materials and Provifionof a true and jujl indu&ion , and gives the 

 firftfwck to Philofophy, wherefore let us again divide Natural Wifory, 

 into Hiflory Narrative, and Indu&ive 5 this latter we report as Defici- 

 ent, Nor do the great names of Ancient Philofophers, or the mighty- 

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