258 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



Leaving therefore Divine Philosophy or Natural Theo- 

 logy (not Divinity or Inspired Theology, which we reserve 

 for the last of all, as the haven and sabbath of all man's 

 contemplations), we will now proceed to Natural Phil- 

 osophy. If then it be true that Democritus said, c That 

 the truth of nature lieth hid in certain deep mines and 

 caves ' ; and if it be true likewise that the Alchemists do 

 so much inculcate, that Vulcan is a second nature, and 

 imitateth that dexterously and compendiously which nature 

 worketh by ambages and length of time ; it were good to 

 divide natural philosophy into the mine and the furnace, 

 and to make two professions or occupations of natural 

 philosophers, some to be pioners and some smiths ; some 

 to dig, and some to refine and hammer. And surely I do 

 best allow of a division of that kind, though in more 

 familiar and scholastical terms ; namely, that these be the 

 two parts of natural philosophy, the Inquisition of 

 Causes, and the Production of Effects ; Speculative, and 

 Operative ; Natural Science, and Natural Prudence. For 

 as in civil matters there is a wisdom of discourse and a 

 wisdom of direction ; so is it in natural. And here I will 

 make a request, that for the latter (or at least for a part 

 thereof) I may revive and reintegrate the misapplied and 

 abused name of Natural Magic ; which in the true sense is 

 but Natural Wisdom, or Natural Prudence ; taken accord- 

 ing to the ancient acception, purged from vanity and 

 superstition. Now although it be true, and I know it 

 well, that there is an intercourse between Causes and 

 Effects, so as both these knowledges, Speculative and 

 Operative, have a great connexion between themselves ; 

 yet because all true and fruitful Natural Philosophy hath a 

 double scale or ladder, ascendent and descendent ; ascend- 

 ing from experiments to the invention of causes, and 

 descending from causes to the invention of new experi- 

 ments ; therefore I judge it most requisite that these two 

 parts be severally considered and handled. 



Natural Science or Theory is divided into Physic and 

 Metaphysic : wherein I desire it may be conceived that I 

 use the word Metaphysic in a differing sense from that 



