02 Of the Advancement of Leariiing, Lib. IIL 



tures. The one (to ufe the terms of Logick) inquires o^SubJiAnces with 

 all the variety of their Adjunfts^ xhtoihtxoi Accidents, orAdjunds 

 throughall the variety of fubftances. For ex.tmple, if the inquiry be 

 of a Lztf«, or of an Oak-, the(e are fupported by many and divers Acci- 

 dents: Contrarywile if the enquiry be made of /fcrf/, or HeaviMef^thefe 

 are in many diftindt fabftances. And feeing all Thyfick, or Natural Philo' 

 Jophy is fituate in a middle term, between Natural Hijicry and Jlletaphy- 

 fick, '•) the firft part (if you obferve it well) comes nearer to Natural Hijio' 

 ry j the latter part nearer to Metaphyfick , Concrete Phyficl^hzxh the fame 

 divifion which Natural Hijiory hath , fo that it is a knowledge either 

 concerning the Heavens ; or concerning Meteors , or concerning the 

 Globe of the earth and Sea , or concerning thegreater Col/egiates, which 

 they call the Elements 3 or concerning the lejfer CoUegiates, or natures 

 fpecifick^j fo likewife concerning Pretergenerations j and concerning Me^ 

 chanJckj. For in all thele, Na^wri?/ H//?£?r/ inquires and reports the fad 

 itfelfi hntPhyfuk, the Caufes likewife j but you muft conceive this of 

 fluid, not fixt Caufes, that is, of matter and of the efficient. 



§ Amongftthefe Portions of T/^y/z^: 4.5 that part is altogether maimed 

 and imperfcU which enquires of Ceelejiial bodies ■-, which notwithftanding, 

 for the excellency of theSubjeft, ought to be taken into fpecial confi- 

 deration. For Ajironomy^n is indeed not without fbme probability and 

 ufe grounded upon the Phenomena, but it is vulgar 5 bale, and no way 

 folid : But Ajirology in many Circumftances hath no ground at all. In 

 truth Ajironomy prefents fuch a facrifice to Mans underftanding, as once 

 Prometheus did^ when he went about to couzen Jupiter 5 for inftead of 

 a true, fubftantial Ox, he prefented the hide of a great and fair Ox ftuftj 

 and fetout with flraw, leaves, and Oder twigs; fo in like manner A- 

 jir onomy cx\iihittth the extrinfick Parts of Celeftial Bodies, (namely 

 the Number, Scituation, Motion, and Periods of the ftars) as the Hide 

 of Heaven j fair and artificially contrived into Syflems, and Schemes: 

 but the Entrals are wanting, that is, Fbyjical/ reafous^ out of which 

 (adjoyning Aftronomicall Hypothefes} the Theory fhould be extradted^ 

 not fuch grounds and fuppofitions as fliould only fave the Phenomena 

 (of which kind a number may be wittily devifed ) but fuch as propound 

 the fubftancc, motion and influx of the Heavens, as they truly are in 

 nature. ForthofeDograaesandParodoxesarealmoft vanilht, and long 

 ^"IT s • ^8°^ exploded, namely, the Rapture of the Firji Mover : and the Soli- 

 liiitascaii. ditjf of Heaven (Jiars being there fixt as nails in the Arched Roof of a Par* 

 Motusre- lour). And other opinions, not much better, as, that there are di- 

 ^jii'l'dVer' ^^''•^ Poles of the Zodiacl^j and of the world ^ that thefc is afecond move' 

 fi.Eficysli. able of RenJtency, contrary to the rapture of thefirfi moveable ; that aU 

 Me'trnTtf P^''^^ ^f i he firmament are turned about by perfeSf circles i, that there are 

 r<t diurn: Eccentrickj and Efjcycles^ to fave the confiancy of Motion by perfeU cir- 

 ^'- cles j that the Moon hath no force or influence upon a body fuperior to it^ 



^magi'Ja- ^"^ •^he like. And the abfurdity of thefe fuppofitions, hath caft men 

 rii. Upon that opinion, of the Diurnal Motion of the Earth j an opinion which 



7'%'!' ^^ '^^" demonjirate to be mejifulj'e. But fcarce any man can be found, 

 who hath made enquiry of the Natural Caufes of the fubjiance of the hea- 

 vens, as well Stellare^ as Inter-Jiellarc--^ Co of the Jwiftnefi and fiownej? of 

 heavenly bodies, referrd one to another -^ a\(6 of the various incitation of 

 Motion in the fame Planet j likewife of the perpetuated com fe of Motion 



from 



