L I B. V. Of the Advancement of Learning, i6i 



KOV.OK. 



or right-Line. So clij^trent a har^ioKji there is between the Spirit of man^ 

 and the Spirit of the world. 



§ Idola Spccus are derived from the Individnal Complexion of every Par- Li'b.iT 

 ticular in refpe& ofjllif/d, and of Body , as alfo^ frOfH Education 5 Cyjlom ; ■'^nh.i nr, 

 and Fortuitous Events^ which befall every man. For it is an excellent 

 emblem that of Plato''s Cave 3 for certainly (to let go the exquifite Tub- pi.f.He 

 tilty of that Parable) if a man were continued from his Childhood un- R-ep- vil- 

 to mature Age in a Grot, or a dark and fubterraneous Cave, and then 

 (hould come fuddenly abroad, and fliould behold this ftately canopy of 

 heaven, and the Furniture of the World j without doubt he would 

 have many ftrange and abfurd imaginations come into his mind, and 

 people his brain. So in like manner we live in the view of heaven j yet 

 our Spirits are inclofed in the Caves of our Bodies •-, Complexions, and 

 Cuftoms, which muft needs minifter unto us infinite images of errors, 

 and vain Opinions, ifthey dofofeldom, andforfbfhort a fpace appear 

 above ground, out of their holes^ and do not continually live under 

 the Contemplation of Nature, as in the open Air. That Parable of 

 Heraclitus doth well fuit with this emblem o? Phito's Cave^ that men -^ i^ . 

 fee^ Scicncees in their oven proper World ^ and not in the greater 

 ^o4d. 



§ EntldoU Fori are moji iron fylefome, which cut of a tacite Jiipulation t\b.f. 

 afnonj^ji men^ toMchirgtheifnpofitionoftPords, and na/net, have infinua- ^['^■^^^' 

 ted themfelves into the underjianding. Words commonly are impofed 

 according to the capacity of the People j and diftinguifh things by fuch 

 differences, as the Vulgar are capable of i and when a more prefciffive 

 conception , and a more diligent obfervation would dilcern, and (e- 

 parate things better^ the noife of popular words confounds and inter- 

 rupts them. And that which is the remedy to this inconvenience 

 (namely Definitions') in many points is not a remedy fufficient for the 

 diieafe 5 becaufe the Definitions themlelves confift of words, and words 

 beget words. For although we prefume that we are mafters of our 

 words, and expreffions j and it is foon faid, loquendum ut vulgus, fen- ^^*,;'*'f*.. 

 ticnduntiitfapkntes, and that Words of Art, which are of Authority 

 only with the Learn'd, may feem to give fome fatisfaftion toihis de- 

 fed, and that the Df/;'«7//<7«j- whereof we have fpoken, preraifed, and 

 prefuppofed in Arts according to the wifdom of the Mathematicians, 

 may be of force to correft the depraved acceptations of words 3 yet ■ 

 all this fecures us not from the cheating flights and charms of words, 

 which many ways abufe us, and offer violence to the nnderftanding; 

 and after the manner of the Tartars Bow, do fhoot back upon the judg- 

 ment from whence they came. Wherefore this difeale muft have a 

 new kind of remedy, and of more efficacy. But we do now touch thefe 

 in paflage briefly, in the mean time reporting this Knowledge which 

 We will call, the Great Elenchs, or theDodrine of /^(^/^ie/, Native and 

 adventual of the mind of man, tQ be Deficient. But we refer a jufil 

 Treatife thereof to the Novum Orqanunt. 



IV There remains one part of [Jtfi^g»/f«f of great excellency, which' 

 likewife we fet do wn as Df^c/cw/. For indeed Anfiotk noteththe thing, logi'a " 

 but no where purfueth the manner of acquiring it. The Subjeft of this ^r^^v^-^il 

 point is this. The different l^ind of Dcmonjirations, at'd Proofs, to difc- o^n^i- 

 rsKtkjf^d of Matter and Subjedsj Co that this DosSrine containeth the 



X Jndicaltefjf 



