A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



two great predecessors, was naturally influenced by 

 both in his views of abstract scientific principles. 



Bacon's career as a statesman and his faults and 

 misfortunes as a man do not concern us here. Our 

 interest in him begins with his entrance into Trinity 

 College, Cambridge, where he took up the study of 

 all the sciences taught there at that time. During 

 the three years he became more and more convinced 

 that science was not being studied in a profitable 

 manner, until at last, at the end of his college course, he 

 made ready to renounce the old Aristotelian methods 

 of study and advance his theory of inductive study. 

 For although he was a great admirer of Aristotle's 

 work, he became convinced that his methods of ap- 

 proaching study were entirely wrong. 



"The opinion of Aristotle," he says, in his De 

 Argumentum Scientiarum, "seemeth to me a negligent 

 opinion, that of those things which exist by nature 

 nothing can be changed by custom ; using for example, 

 that if a stone be thrown ten thousand times up it will 

 not learn to ascend ; and that by often seeing or hear- 

 ing we do not learn to see or hear better. For though 

 this principle be true in things wherein nature is per- 

 emptory (the reason whereof we cannot now stand to 

 discuss), yet it is otherwise in things wherein nature 

 admitteth a latitude. For he might see that a straight 

 glove will come more easily on with use; and that a 

 wand will by use bend otherwise than it grew; and 

 that by use of the voice we speak louder and strong- 

 er ; and that by use of enduring heat or cold we en- 

 dure it the better, and the like ; which latter sort 

 have a nearer resemblance unto that subject of man- 



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