L I B. V. Of the Advancement of Learning. 145 



EXPERr- 



are infome fort ufeful) as of experiments ofthe fame kind, which may- 

 produce more fubtilobjcfts, than for the faculty of fenfe, arebyfenfe 

 coraprehenfible. And they ought rather to have charged the defers 

 in this kind upon the errors, and contumacie ofthe mind, which refu- 

 feth to be pliant and morigerous to the Nature ofthings j and to crook- 

 ed demonftrations and rules of arguing and concluding, ill fet down 

 and propounded from the Perception of Senfe. This we fpeak not to 

 difable the mind of man , or that the bufinefs (hould be abandoned j 

 but that apt and proper afliftances may be accquired ^ and applied to 

 the underftanding, whereby men may fubdue the difficulties of things, 

 and the obscurity of Nature. For no man hathfucb ajieaclinef of hand 

 by nature or practice^ that he can draw a fir ait line or mal{e a perfeSt cir- 

 cle with his hand at liberty^ which yet is cajily done by rule or compaK. 

 This is that very bufinefs which we go about and with great pains en- 

 deavour, that the mind by the help of Art might be able to equal Nature 5 

 and that there might be found out an Art of Difcovery, or Diredtion, 

 which might difclofe, and bring to light other Arts, and their Axi- 

 oms and Works. This upon good ground we report Deficient. 



II This Art oi Difcovery (for fo we will call it) hath two parts; for 

 either the Indication is made from Experiments to Experiments ; or ej^tTa Lt« 



f - . • i_- 1 ' II r 7 /- ^ TeRATa 



hom Experiments to Axioms j which may Iiltewile delign new Experi- fivevENA- 

 ffientsj whereof the former we will term, Experientia Literataj the ni°^'^' 

 later, Interpretatio Nature, or Novum Organum. Indeed the former 

 (as we have touched heretofore is not properly to be taken for an Art^ 

 or a part of Philofophy, but a kind oifagacity-y wherefore we fome- 

 times call it Venatio Vanis^ borrowing the name from the Fable. But 

 as a man may go en his way after a three-fold manner , either when him- 

 felf feels out his way in the dark^'j or being weak^fighfed is led by the hand 

 of another j or elfe when he directs his footing by a light : So when a man 

 effays all kind of Experiments without fequence or method that is a 

 raeer palpation; but when he proceeds by diredtionand order in Ex- 

 periments, itisasif he were led by the hand; and this is it which we 

 underftand by Literate Experience : For the light itjelf which was the 

 third way, is to be derived from the Interpretation of Nature, or the New 

 Organum. 



III. Literate Experience, or the Hunting of Pan Qiews the divers ways 

 of making Experiments: This (feeing we have fet it down as Defcient^ 

 and that it is a matter not altogether (b plain andperfpicuous) we will 

 according to our manner and defign give fbme light touches and flia- 

 dows of it. The manner oimakjng Experiment chiefly proceeds ; either 

 by variation ofthe experiment ; or by Produdion ofthe Experiment ; or 

 by tranjlation of the Experiment •■) or by inverjion of the Experiment '-i or 

 by compulf on of the experiment j or by Application of the Experiment ^ 

 or by Copulation ofthe Experiment ; or elje by the lots and chance ofthe 

 Experiment. And all thefe are limited without the terms of any Axi- 

 om oi^ Invention : For that other part ofthe New Organ 'takes up and 

 containeth in it all Tranjition of Experiments into Axioms ; or oj Axioms 

 into Experiments. 



§ Variation oi Experience is firft praftis'd upon Matter ; that is when 

 the Experiment in tilings already known commonly adhereth to fuch a 

 kjnd of matter 5 and now it is tried in other things of like kind ; as 



'T the 



