THE SECOND BOOK 297 



sight of that part of the way which remaineth ; so every 

 degree of proceeding in a science giveth a light to that 

 which followeth ; which light if we strengthen, by drawing 

 it forth into questions or places of inquiry, we do greatly 

 advance our pursuit. 



Now we pass unto the arts of Judgment, which 

 handle the natures of Proofs and Demonstrations ; which 

 as to Induction hath a coincidence with Invention ; for 

 in all inductions, whether in good or vicious form, the 

 same action of the mind which inventeth, judgeth ; 

 all one as in the sense; but otherwise it is in proof by 

 syllogism ; for the proof being not immediate but by mean, 

 the invention of the mean is one thing, and the judgment 

 of the consequence is another ; the one exciting only, the 

 other examining. Therefore for the real and exact form 

 of judgment we refer ourselves to that which we have 

 spoken of Interpretation of Nature. 



For the other judgment by Syllogism, as it is a thing 

 most agreeable to the mind of man, so it hath been 

 vehemently and excellently laboured. For the nature 

 of man doth extremely covet to have somewhat in his 

 understanding fixed and immoveable, and as a rest and 

 support of the mind. And therefore as Aristotle en- 

 deavoureth to prove that in all motion there is some point 

 quiescent ; and as he elegantly expoundeth the ancient 

 fable of Atlas (that stood fixed and bear up the heaven 

 from falling) to be meant of the poles or axle-tree of 

 heaven, whereupon the conversion is accomplished; so 

 assuredly men have a desire to have an Atlas or axle-tree 

 within to keep them from fluctuation, which is like to a 

 perpetual peril of falling; therefore men did hasten to 

 set down some Principles about which the variety of their 

 disputations might turn. 



So then this art of Judgment is but the reduction of 

 propositions to principles in a middle term : the Principles 

 to be agreed by all and exempted from argument; the 

 Middle Term to be elected at the liberty of every man's 

 invention ; the Reduction to be of two kinds, direct and 

 inverted; the one when the proposition is reduced to 



