NOVUM ORGAXUM. 363 



reach of the senses, as far as regards what is tangible, by means of 

 artificial and skilful separations. But the Nature of the spirit in them, 

 though not immediately perceived, is &amp;gt;et discovered by the various 

 motions and struggles of the tangible bodies in the very act and process 

 of their separation, and also by the acridities, corrosions, the different 

 colours, odours, and tastes of the same bodies after separation. And 

 in this department men have laboured hard with distillations and 

 artificial separations, but with no greater success than in the other 

 experiments hitherto in use : for they have been groping altogether in 

 the dark, following blind paths, and working with far more zeal than 

 intelligence ; and (what is the worst) they have not imitated or 

 emulated Nature, but have destroyed (by the use of violent heats, or 

 too powerful influences) all the more subtle structure, in which the 

 hidden virtues and sympathies of things have their principal seat. Nor 

 do men usually remember or observe, in preparations of this kind, 

 that other fact which we have elsewhere pointed out ; which is, that 

 during the trial of bodies, both by fire and other methods, very many 

 qualities arc implanted in them by the fire itself, and by those bodies 

 which are introduced to promote the separation, which were not 

 previously in the compound ; and hence have arisen strange fallacies. 

 For it is not true that all the vapour, which is given off from water 

 under the influence of fire, was previously existing as vapour or a r 

 in the body of the water : it is caused principally by the dilation of 

 the water from the heat of fire. 



In like manner, generally speaking, all the exquisite tests of bodies, 

 whether natural or artificial, by which what is real is distinguished 

 from what is adulterated, what is better from what is worse, should be 

 referred to this head, for they bring within the reach of the sense what 

 was previously beyond it. They must therefore be collected from all 

 sides with diligent care. 



5. As regards the fifth way in which objects escape the senses, it is 

 clear that the action of sense is carried on in motion, and motion in 

 time. If, therefore, the motion of any body is either so slow, or so 

 quick, as to bear no proportion to the minute portion of time in which 

 the action of the sense is carried on, the object is not perceived at all, 

 as in the motion of the hand of a clock, and again in the motion of a 

 musket-ball. And motion which is too slow to be perceptible is easily 

 and ordinarily brought within reach of the sense by summing it ; 

 while motion which is too quick has not yet been fairly measured ; and 

 yet the inquiry into Nature demands that this be done in some cases. 



6. The sixth kind, in which the senses are hindered by the nobility 

 of the object, admits of reduction, cither by increasing the distance 

 between the object and the sense ; by deadening it by the interposition 

 of such a medium as will weaken without annihilating it ; or by 

 admitting and receiving the reflection of the object, where the direct 

 impression is too strong, as that of the sun in a basin of water. 



7. The seventh kind is where the sense is so burdened with one 

 object as to leave no room for the admission of a new one. This is 

 chiefly the case with the sense of smell, and with odours ; and has 



