NOVUAf ORGANUM. 343 



History ; because they serve to digest the matters that enter the 

 Understanding and to correct the depraved complexion of the Under 

 standing itself, which must of necessity be imbued, infected, and at 

 length perverted and distorted, by daily and habitual impressions. 



Therefore these Instances are to be applied as a preparative, to 

 correct and purge the Understanding. For whatever withdraws the 

 Understanding from its accustomed pursuits, smooths and levels 

 its surface for the reception of the dry and pure light of true notions. 



Moreover, Instances of this kind level and prepare the way for the 

 Operative part ; as we shall show in the proper place, when we come 

 to discourse of Deduction to Practice. 



xxxiii. Among Prerogative Instances we shall put in the eleventh 

 place, Accompany ing 9to& Hostile Instances, which we also usually call 

 Instances of Fi.\ed Propositions. They are those Instances which 

 exhibit some body, or such like concrete, in which the Nature under 

 inquiry always follows as an inseparable companion ; or which, on the 

 other hand, it constantly avoids, and by which it is excluded from 

 companionship i as a foe and an enemy. For it is out of Instances of 

 this kind that Fixed and Universal Propositions are formed, either 

 A fjirmativc or Negative ; in which the subject will be such a body in 

 the concrete, and the predicate the Nature under inquiry. For 

 Particular Propositions are in no wayy?.m/; namely, those in which 

 the Nature under inquiry is found fluctuating and moveable in some 

 concrete ; that is to say, as accruing or acquired, or, on the other hand, 

 receding or laid aside. Wherefore Particular Propositions have none 

 of the higher Prerogatives, except in the case of Migration, of which 

 we have already spoken. Nevertheless, even these Particular Pro 

 positions, when compared and collated with Universal Propositions, 

 are of great use, as will be shown in the proper place. Nor even m 

 these Universal Propositions do we require an exact or absolute 

 affirmation or negation ; for it is sufficient for our purpose, even if they 

 be subject to some singular or rare exception. 



Now, the use of Accompanying Instances is to narrow the Affirmative 

 of the Form. For as in Migrating Instances the Affirmative of the 

 Form is narrowed in such wise that the Form of the thing must 

 necessarily be laid down as something which is assumed or destroyed 

 by the act of Migration, so also, in Accompanying Instances, the 

 Affirmative of the Form is narrowed in such a way that the Form of 

 the thing must necessarily be laid down as something which enters 

 into such a concretion of body, or, on the other hand, is repugnant 

 to it ; so that he who is well acquainted with the constitution or 

 structure of such a body, will not be far from bringing to light the 

 Form of the Nature under inquiry. 



For example, let the Nature inquired into be Heat : an Accompany 

 ing Instance is Flame. For in water, air, stone, metals, and many 

 other substances, heat is mobile, and can approach and recede ; but 

 all flame is hot, so that heat always follows on the concretion of 

 flame. But no Hostile Instance of heat is found among us. For 

 nothing connected with the bowels of the earth is patent to our 



