266 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



extremities of heat or cold,' doth not impugn the cause 

 rendered, that ' contraction of pores is incident to the out- 

 wardest parts, in regard of their adjacence to foreign or 

 unlike bodies ' ; and so of the rest : both causes being true 

 and compatible, the one declaring an intention, the other a 

 consequence only. Neither do this call in question or 

 derogate from divine providence, but highly confirm and 

 exalt it. For as in civil actions he is the greater and deeper 

 politique, that can make other men the instruments of his 

 will and ends and yet never acquaint them with his purpose, 

 so as they shall do it and yet not know what they do, than 

 he that imparteth his meaning to those he employeth ; so 

 is the wisdom of God more admirable, when nature in- 

 tendeth one thing and providence draweth forth another, 

 than if he had communicated to particular creatures and 

 motions the characters and impressions of his providence. 

 And thus much for Metaphysic ; the later part whereof I 

 allow as extant, but wish it confined to its proper place. 



Nevertheless there remaineth yet another part of 

 Natural Philosophy, which is commonly made a principal 

 part, and holdeth rank with Physic special and Metaphysic; 

 which is Mathematic ; but I think it more agreeable to the 

 nature of things and to the light of order to place it as a 

 branch of Metaphysic ; for the subject of it being Quantity; 

 not Quantity indefinite, which is but a relative and belongeth 

 to philosophia prima (as hath been said,) but Quantity de- 

 termined or proportionable ; it appeareth to be one of the 

 Essential Forms of things; as that that is causative in nature 

 of a number of effects ; insomuch as we see in the schools 

 both of Democritus and of Pythagoras, that the one did 

 ascribe figure to the first seeds of things, and the other did 

 suppose numbers to be the principles and originals of 

 things : and it is true also that of all other forms (as we 

 understand forms) it is the most abstracted and separable 

 from matter, and therefore most proper to Metaphysic ; 

 which hath likewise been the cause why it hath been better 

 laboured and enquired than any of the other forms, which 

 are more immersed into matter. For it being the nature 

 of the mind of man (to the extreme prejudice of know- 



