Lib. III. Of the Advancement of Learning. 109 



ftrufe manner of Condenfation , than which nothing is more com- 

 modious for men. As for fire ^ that is a ready and known Agent 

 for Rarefa5jon ^ but themyftery oi Condenfation^ is not yet fully di(^ 

 covered : and it makes much for the abridgement of invention , 

 if Polychrejls of this nature were colleded into a particular Cata- 

 logue. 



Chap. VI. 



of thcgreat Appendix of Uatural Philofophy Speculative^ as Opera^ 

 tive, Mathematick knowledge , and that it ought rather to be placed 

 amongp Appendices, than dmong^fiih^antial Sciences, § The Par- 

 tiiion of Mathematicks into Pure and Mixt. 



ARiftotle faith v/cll, Phjific^ and Mathematick^ ingender pracf/cal or 

 mechanical f^norvledge : Wherefore now we have handled, both ^^^^^P^-'?' 

 the fpeculative and operative part of the knowledge of Nature 5 order re- 

 quires that wefpeakof i'I/j//je«/«//>4, which is an auxiliary Science to 

 to them both. For^ in the received Philofophy, Mathematick.is annext^ 

 as a third part, to Phyjick.and Afetaphj/Jick,^ but it feems to us, who hafe 

 undertaken to reexamine, and Till over again thefe things, (if we had 

 de(Tgaed this as a fubftantive and principal Science) more agreeable 

 both in refpeft of the nature of the thing, and the light of order, to 

 place it as a branch of Metaphyfck. For ^antity, which is the fubjeft 

 of Matkcvtatid^Science, applied to Matter, is the Dofe, as it were, of 

 Nature, andproduftiveof a number of effeds in things natural ^ and 

 therefore is to be reckoned in the number of ejj'entidl forms. For the Laen. ia 

 Power o? Figure and Number , feemed to be of (uch force amongft ^era. 

 the Ancient Philofophers , that Democritus placed the feeds of the 

 variety of things, principally, in the Figures of Atoms j and Pythagi^' 

 rtf/ afierted, the Natures of things, to be cotiftituted of Numbers. In ^^^''p^.f^. 

 the mean, this is true, that of Natural For////, (as Vv'eunderftand forms) i.i. 

 ^antjty is of all mofl: abftradled and fcparable from Matter : which 

 was the reafon why it hath been more painfully laboured, and exa(3:ly 

 inquired by men , than any other Form vvhatfoever, which are all 

 niore iramerfed in Matter. For being it is the nature of M>m (cer- 

 tainly to the great prejudice of knowledge) to delight in the open 

 Fields of Generals 5 rather than in the Woods and Inclofures of Pay 

 iiciilars'-y there was nothing found more acceptable and delightful, 

 than the Mathematickj '■, wherein that appetite of expatiating and 

 meditating might be fatisfied. And though all this ^:)e true, }Ctto 

 us, who provide not only for truth and order , but likewifc for the 

 ufe and profit of men ^ it (eemed at laft better, to dcfign ^'I/./z/je//?^- 

 tickj •■) being they are of fuch efficacy, both in Phj^ck^ and in Alifaphy- 

 Jick_, and in Mechanicks, and in Mjgick^, as the Appendices and Auxi- 

 liary Forces of them all : which in a fort we are compelled to do 

 for the wantonnefs and arrogancie of the Alithcnaticians , who 



could 



