NOVUM ORGANU&I. 373 



overcomes a far greater mass, and reduces it to order ; I mean the 

 possibility of one of two motions getting the start of the other, and 

 anticipating its action. 



Lastly, this same distinction of earlier and later should be observed 

 in all natural action. Thus in an infusion of rhubarb the purgative 

 property is extracted first, the astringent afterwards ; something 

 similar to which we have found in the infusion of violets in vinegar, 

 where the sweet and delicate odour of the flower comes oft&quot; first, and 

 then the more earthy part, which spoils the scent. And so if violets 

 are steeped for a whole day, the odour comes off more feebly than if 

 the flowers be steeped for a quarter of an hour only, and then taken 

 out ; and, since the scented spirit residing in the violet is small, if 

 fresh violets be introduced every quarter of an hour, renewing them as 

 many as six times, the infusion is at last so enriched, that although the 

 violets have not remained in it, taking all their renewals i:ito account, 

 more than an hour and a half, yet a most grateful scent is left behind, 

 as strong as that of the violet itself, and lasting for a whole year. Yet it 

 must be observed that the odour does not gain its full strength until 

 a month after infusion. And in the distillation of aromatic herbs 

 steeped in spirits of wine, it appears that there rises first a watery and 

 useless phlegm, then water containing more of the spirit of wine, and 

 lastly water containing more of the aroma. And in this way there arc 

 to be found in distillations a very great number of facts worthy of 

 observation. But these may suffice for examples. 



xlvii. Among Prerogative Instances we shall put in the twenty- third 

 place, Instances of Quantity, which we also call Doses of Nature 

 (borrowing the word from medicine). They are those which measure 

 virtues by the quantities of bodies, and show what the gini;itity of the 

 body has to do in producing the mode of the virtue. And first there 

 are some virtues which subsist only in a cosmical quantity, that is, in 

 such a quantity as has agreement both with the configuration and 

 fabric of the universe. For instance, the earth stands fast, its parts 

 fall. The waters in seas flow and ebb, but not in rivers, except 

 through the entrance of the sea. Then, again, almost all particular 

 virtues operate according to the greater or less quantity of the body. 

 Large masses of water are not easily corrupted, small ones quickly. 

 \\ ine and beer conic to maturity, and become drinkable much mo:e 

 quickly in bottles than in large casks. If a herb be steeped in a large 

 quantity of liquid, infusion takes place rather than imbibition ; if in a 

 smaller quantity, imbibition rather than infusion. Thus a bath is one 

 thing in its action on the body, a slight sprinkling another. Again, 

 slight dews never fall in the air, but are dispersed and incorporated 

 with it. And in breathing on gems, you may see that slight moisture 

 is immediately dissolved, like a cloud scattered by the wind. Again, 

 a piece of magnet does not attract so much iron as the uhole magnet. 

 On the other hand, there arc virtues in which a small quantity has 

 more power ; as in piercing, a sharp point penetrates more quickly 

 than a blunt one ; a pointed diamond scratches glass, and the 

 like. 



