398 NOVUAf ORGANUM. 



minds, and yet it is a kind of clue to the labyrinth for greater results. 

 Let this suffice for examples vi Poly chrest Instances. 



li. Among Prerogative Instances we shall put in the twenty-seventh 

 and last place, Magical Instances. By this name we call those in 

 which the material or efficient is slight or small compared with the 

 magnitude of the effect which follows ; so that, even though they are 

 common, yet they are almost miraculous, some at the first glance, 

 others after more attentive contemplation. But these Nature supplies 

 sparingly, when left to herself; what she will do when her lap has 

 been shaken out, and after the discovery of Forms, and Processes, 

 and Structures, will appear in times to come. But these magical 

 results (so far as we can as yet conjecture) are brought about in three 

 ways ; either by self-multiplication, as in fire, and in poisons called 

 specifics, and also in motions which arc strengthened as they pass on 

 from wheel to wheel ; or by the exciting or invitation of another body, 

 as in the magnet, which excites innumerable needles, without any loss 

 or diminution of its virtue, or in leaven and the like ; or by anticipa 

 tion of motion, as has been already mentioned in the case of gun 

 powder, cannon, and mines: of these the two former involve an 

 investigation of agreements, the third of measure of motions. Whether 

 or no there is any method of changing bodies per minim a, as they 

 call it, and of transforming the more subtle structures of bodies (a 

 proceeding which has relation to every kind of transformation of 

 bodies), so that Art may be enabled to do in a short time what Nature 

 does with difficulty and after many windings : is a question about 

 which we have, as yet, no certain indications. And as in matters 

 solid and true we aspire to what is final and supreme, so do we 

 ever hale and, as far as it is in our power, banish, what is vain and 

 pretentious. 



lii. So much for the Digtiities or Prerogatives of Instances. But we 

 must remind the reader that in this Organum of ours we are treating 

 of Logic and not of Philosophy. But as our logic is intended to 

 inform and instruct the Intellect, not to grasp at and try to hold 

 abstractions with the slender tendrils of the mind (as common logic 

 docs), but really to dissect Nature and discover the virtues and 

 actions of bodies, and their laws as determined in matter ; so that 

 this Science flows not merely from the Nature of the mind, but also 

 from the Nature of things ; no wonder that it is everywhere sprinkled 

 and illustrated with speculations and experiments in Nature, as 

 examples of our art. It appears, then, from what has been said, that 

 there are twenty-seven Prerogative Instances. Namely, Solitary 

 Instances, Migrating Instances, Ostcnsive Instances, Clandestine 

 Instances, Constitutive Instances, Conformable Instances, Singular 

 Instances, Deviating Instances, Limiting Instances, Instances of Power, 

 Accompanying and Hostile Instances, Subjunctive Instances, Instances 

 of Alliance, Instances of the Cross, Instances of Divorce, Instances of tJie 

 Door, Summoning Instances, Instances of tJic IVay, Supplementary 

 Instances, Dissecting Instances, Instances of the Rod, Instances of the 

 Course, Doses of Nature, Instances of tJie Struggle, Suggestive Instances^ 



