294 NOVUM ORGANUM. 



does not usually hinder the reader much, since the errors are easily 

 corrected from the sense itself. And so men should reflect that many 

 Experiments may erroneously be believed and received in Natural 

 History, v/hich are soon afterwards easily expunged and rejected by 

 the discovery of Causes and Axioms. But yet it is true, that if the 

 mistakes made in Natural History and in Experiments be important, 

 frequent, and continuous, no felicity of wit or Art can avail to correct 

 or amend them. And so, if in our Natural History, proved and 

 collected as it has been with so great diligence, strictness, and I may 

 almost say religious care, there should at times lurk in the particulars 

 something false or erroneous, what must be said of the ordinary 

 Natural History, which, compared with ours, is so careless and slip 

 shod? or of the Philosophy and Sciences built on such sands, or 

 rather quicksands ? Let no one, then, be disturbed by the objections 

 which we have mentioned. 



cxix. There will be found too, in our History and Experiments, very 

 many things, first of all, trifling and commonly known ; then, mean 

 and contracted : and lastly, too refined and merely speculative, and 

 apparently useless ; a state of things which may avert and alienate the 

 attention of men. 



But with regard to those things which appear common, let men 

 consider that they have hitherto really been exclusively accustomed 

 to refer and accommodate the causes of things which are rare to those 

 which are of more frequent occurrence ; while they never inquire after 

 the causes of those frequent occurrences, but receive them as granted 

 and admitted. 



And so they do not seek for the causes of weight, rotation of the 

 heavenly bodies, heat, cold, light, hardness, softness, rarity, density, 

 liquidity, solidity, animation and its opposite, likeness and difference, 

 or even of organization, but, receiving them as self-evident and mani 

 fest, dispute and adjudicate on other matters which are not of so 

 frequent and familiar occurrence. 



But we, who are well aware that no judgment can be formed about 

 what is rare or remarkable, much less anything new be brought to 

 light, without proper examination and discovery of the causes of 

 common things, and the causes of those causes, are of necessity com 

 pelled to receive the most common things into our History. Besides, 

 we find that nothing has done more harm to Philosophy than the 

 circumstance that things which are common and of frequent occur 

 rence do not arrest and detain men s contemplation, but are received 

 in passing, usually without any inquiry after their causes ; so that 

 information about unknown things is not more often wanted than 

 attention to those that are known. 



cxx. And with regard to the meanness, or even the filthiness of 

 things, for which (as Pliny says) an apology is required, such subjects 

 must be admitted into Natural History equally with those that are 

 most beautiful and precious. Nor is Natural History at all polluted 

 thereby ; for the sun enters palaces and sewers alike, and yet is not 

 polluted. And we are not raising or dedicating any capitol or pyramid 



