86 Of the I Advancement of Learning, L i b. III. 



obfervation perchance may conceivcjbut one & the very fame footfteps, 

 and feals of Nature, printed upon feveral fubjeds or matters. This kind 

 of Science^ hath not been hitherto ferioufly handled; You may perad- 

 Venture find in the Writings coming from the pens of the profounder 

 forts of wits. Axioms of this kind, thinly and fparfedly inferted, for 

 the ufe and explication of the Argument which they have in hand 5 but 

 a complete body offuch Maximes^ which have a Trimitive and Shmma- 

 ry force and efficacy in all Sciences , none yet have eompofed^ being not- 

 withftandingamatter of fuch confequence, as doth notably conduce 

 to the unity of Nature, which we conceive to be the office and u(e of 

 Philofophia Vriwa'. 



^ There is alfo an other part of this, Trimitive Philofophy, which, if 

 if you refpeft terms ^ is Ancient 5 but, if the matter which we defign, is 

 new, and of an other kind 5 and it is an Inquiry concerning the Jc- 

 ceffory Condition of Entities^ which we may call Tr^/T/f e/;^e»/x ; as MhI- 

 titude. Paucity ^ Similitude , Diver ftty ; Pofjible^ and ImpoJJible 5 Entity 5 

 Non-entity j and the like. For being Tranfcendents do not properly fall 

 within the compals of Natural Philojbphy 5 and that Dialeftical diflerta- 

 tion about them is rather accommodated to the Forms of Argumenta- 

 tion, than the Nature of things j it is very convenient that this Con- 

 templation , wherein there is fo much dignity and and profit, fliould 

 not be altogether deferted , but find at lead (bme room in the Partiti- 

 ons of Sciences : but this we underftand to be perform'd far after an 

 other manner, than ufually it hath been handled. For example^ no man 

 who hath treated of Paucity or Alultitude, hath endeavour'd to give a 

 realbn, ff^hy fame things in Nature are and may befo numerous and larger 

 ethers fo fert> and little. For certainly it cannot be, that there (hould 

 be in nature as greatftoreof Goldjasof Iron jas great plenty ofRofes, 

 as of Grafs 5 as great variety of determin'd and (pecifick Natures, as 

 of imperfedtsj.and non-fpecificates. So none in handling SimilitHde 

 and Diverfity, hath fufficiently difcovercd the Caufe, why betwixt di- 

 vers fpecies there fhould, as it were perpetually, be interpofed, Partici- 

 ples of Nature , which arc of a doubtful kind and reference 5 as Mofs 

 betwixt Putrefadtion and a Plant : Fiflm which adhere and move not, 

 betwixt a Plant and a living Creature : Rats aadMice^ and other ver- 

 mine between living Creatures generated ofPutrefaftion, and of feed: 

 Bats or Flitter- mife between Birds and Beafts 5 Flying Fipes, now com- 

 monly known, between Fowls and Fifh : Sea-calfs between Fifhes and 

 four-footed Beafts 5 and the like. Neither hath any made diligent in- 

 quiry of the Reafon how it fhould come to pafs, being like delights t» 

 unite to like^ that Iron draws not Iron , as the Loadftone doth ; nor 

 Gold allures and attrafts unto it Gold, as it doth Quickfilver. Con- 

 cerning thefe and the like adjunfts of things, there is, in the common 

 Difceptation about Tranfcendents a deep filence : For men havepurfued 

 Niceties ofTermsy and not fubtilties of things. Wherefore we would 

 have this Primitive Philofophy to contain a fubftantial and folid inquiry 

 of thefe Tranfcendents^ or Advent itions Conditions of Entitics^accotd'mg 

 to the Laws of N4/«re, and not according to the Laws of Wordi. So 

 much touching, Primitive Philofophy, or Sapience^ which we have juftly 

 referr'd to the Catalogue of Deji'cientf, 



CHAP. 



