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which　first　offer　themselves　to　our　senses；　we　should　do　a　like
injury　to　the　majesty　of　God；　as　if　we　should　judge　of　the　store　of
some　excellent　jeweler　by　that　only　which　is　set　out　to　the　street　in
his　shop。　　The　other　reason　is；　because　it　is　a　singular　help　and　a
preservative　against　unbelief　and　error；　for；　saith　our　Saviour；　YOU
ERR；　NOT　KNOWING　THE　SCRIPTURES　NOR　THE　POWER　OF　GOD；　laying　before
us　two　books　or　volumes　to　study　if　we　will　be　secured　from　error；
first　the　Scriptures　revealing　the　will　of　God；　and　then　the
creatures　expressing　his　power；　for　that　latter　book　will　certify　us
that　nothing　which　the　first　teacheth　shall　be　thought　impossible。
And　most　sure　it　is；　and　a　true　conclusion　of　experience；　that　a
little　natural　philosophy　inclineth　the　mind　to　atheism；　but　a
further　proceeding　bringeth　the　mind　back　to　religion。

To　conclude　then；　let　no　man　presume　to　check　the　liberality　of　God's
gifts；　who；　as　was　said；　HATH　SET　THE　WORLD　IN　MAN'S　HEART。　So　as
whatsoever　is　not　God　but　parcel　of　the　world；　he　hath　fitted　it　to
the　comprehension　of　man's　mind；　if　man　will　open　and　dilate　the
powers　of　his　understanding　as　he　may。

But　yet　evermore　it　must　be　remembered　that　the　least　part　of
knowledge　passed　to　man　by　this　so　large　a　charter　from　God　must　be
subject　to　that　use　for　which　God　hath　granted　it；　which　is　the
benefit　and　relief　of　the　state　and　society　of　man；　for　otherwise　all
manner　of　knowledge　becometh　malign　and　serpentine；　and　therefore　as
carrying　the　quality　of　the　serpent's　sting　and　malice　it　maketh　the
mind　of　man　to　swell；　as　the　Scripture　saith　excellently；　knowledge
bloweth　up；　but　charity　buildeth　up。　　And　again　the　same　author　doth
notably　disavow　both　power　and　knowledge　such　as　is　not　dedicated　to
goodness　or　love；　for　saith　he；　IF　I　HAVE　ALL　FAITH　SO　AS　I　COULD
REMOVE　MOUNTAINS；　（there　is　power　active；）　IF　I　RENDER　MY　BODY　TO　THE
FIRE；　（there　is　power　passive；）　IF　I　SPEAK　WITH　THE　TONGUES　OF　MEN
AND　ANGELS；　（there　is　knowledge；　for　language　is　but　the　conveyance
of　knowledge；）　ALL　WERE　NOTHING。

And　therefore　it　is　not　the　pleasure　of　curiosity；　nor　the　quiet　of
resolution；　nor　the　raising　of　the　spirit；　nor　victory　of　wit；　nor
faculty　of　speech；　nor　lucre　of　profession；　nor　ambition　of　honour　or
fame；　nor　inablement　for　business；　that　are　the　true　ends　of
knowledge；　some　of　these　being　more　worthy　than　other；　though　all
inferior　and　degenerate：　but　it　is　a　restitution　and　reinvesting　（in
great　part）　of　man　to　the　sovereignty　and　power　（for　whensoever　he
shall　be　able　to　call　the　creatures　by　their　true　names　he　shall
again　command　them）　which　he　had　in　his　first　state　of　creation。　　And
to　speak　plainly　and　clearly；　it　is　a　discovery　of　all　operations　and
possibilities　of　operations　from　immortality　（if　it　were　possible）　to
the　meanest　mechanical　practice。　　And　therefore　knowledge　that
tendeth　but　to　satisfaction　is　but　as　a　courtesan；　which　is　for
pleasure　and　not　for　fruit　or　generation。　　And　knowledge　that　tendeth
to　profit　or　profession　or　glory　is　but　as　the　golden　ball　thrown
before　Atalanta；　which　while　she　goeth　aside　and　stoopeth　to　take　up
she　hindereth　the　race。　　And　knowledge　referred　to　some　particular
point　of　use　is　but　as　Harmodius　which　putteth　down　one　tyrant；　and
not　like　Hercules　who　did　perambulate　the　world　to　suppress　tyrants
and　giants　and　monsters　in　every　part。　　It　is　true；　that　in　two
points　the　curse　is　peremptory　and　not　to　be　removed；　the　one　that
vanity　must　be　the　end　in　all　human　effects；　eternity　being　resumed；
though　the　revolutions　and　periods　may　be　delayed。　　The　other　that
the　consent　of　the　creature　being　now　turned　into　reluctation；　this
power　cannot　otherwise　be　exercised　and　administered　but　with　labour；
as　well　in　inventing　as　in　executing；　yet　nevertheless　chiefly　that
labour　and　travel　which　is　described　by　the　sweat　of　the　brows　more
than　of　the　body；　that　is　such　travel　as　is　joined　with　the　working
and　discursion　of　the　spirits　in　the　brain：　for　as　Salomon　saith
excellently；　THE　FOOL　PUTTETH　TO　MORE　STRENGTH；　BUT　THE　WISE　MAN
CONSIDERETH　WHICH　WAY；　signifying　the　election　of　the　mean　to　be　more
material　than　the　multiplication　of　endeavour。　　It　is　true　also　that
there　is　a　limitation　rather　potential　than　actual；　which　is　when　the
effect　is　possible；　but　the　time　or　place　yieldeth　not　the　matter　or
basis　whereupon　man　should　work。　　But　notwithstanding　these　precincts
and　bounds；　let　it　be　believed；　and　appeal　thereof　made　to　Time；
（with　renunciation　nevertheless　to　all　the　vain　and　abusing　promises
of　Alchemists　and　Magicians；　and　such　like　light；　idle；　ignorant；
credulous；　and　fantastical　wits　and　sects；）　that　the　new…found　world
of　land　was　not　greater　addition　to　the　ancient　continent　than　there
remaineth　at　this　day　a　world　of　inventions　and　sciences　unknown；
having　respect　to　those　that　are　known；　with　this　difference　that　the
ancient　regions　of　knowledge　will　seem　as　barbarous　compared　with　the
new；　as　the　new　regions　of　people　seem　barbarous　compared　to　many　of
the　old。

The　dignity　of　this　end　（of　endowment　of　man's　life　with　new
commodities）　appeareth　by　the　estimation　that　antiquity　made　of　such
as　guided　thereunto。　　For　whereas　founders　of　states；　lawgivers；
extirpers　of　tyrants；　fathers　of　the　people；　were　honoured　but　with
the　titles　of　Worthies　or　Demigods；　inventors　were　ever　consecrated
amongst　the　Gods　themselves。　　And　if　the　ordinary　ambitions　of　men
lead　them　to　seek　the　amplification　of　their　own　power　in　their
countries；　and　a　better　ambition　than　that　hath　moved　men　to　seek　the
amplification　of　the　power　of　their　own　countries　amongst　other
nations；　better　again　and　more　worthy　must　that　aspiring　be　which
seeketh　the　amplification　of　the　power　and　kingdom　of　mankind　over
the　world；　the　rather　because　the　other　two　prosecutions　are　ever
culpable　of　much　perturbation　and　injustice；　but　this　is　a　work　truly
divine；　which　cometh　IN　AURA　LENI　without　noise　or　observation。

The　access　also　to　this　work　hath　been　by　that　port　or　passage；　which
the　divine　Majesty　（who　is　unchangeabIe　in　his　ways）　doth　infallibly
continue　and　observe；　that　is　the　felicity　wherewith　he　hath　blessed
an　humility　of　mind；　such　as　rather　laboureth　to　spell　and　so　by
degrees　to　read　in　the　volumes　of　his　creatures；　than　to　solicit　and
urge　and　as　it　were　to　invocate　a　man's　own　spirit　to　divine　and　give
oracles　unto　him。　　For　as　in　the　inquiry　of　divine　truth；　the　pride
of　man　hath　ever　inclined　to　leave　the　oracles　of　God's　word　and　to
vanish　in　the　mixture　of　their　own　inventions；　so　in　the　self…same
manner；　in　inquisition　of　nature　they　have　ever　left　the　oracles　of
God's　works；　and　adored　the　deceiving　and　deformed　imagery　which　the
unequal　mirrors　of　their　own　minds　have　represented　unto　them。　　Nay
it　is　a　point　fit　and　necessary　in　the　front　and　beginning　of　this
work　without　hesitation　or　reservation　to　be　professed；　that　it　is　no
less　true　in　this　human　kingdom　of　knowledge　than　in　God's　kingdom　of
heaven；　that　no　man　shall　enter　into　it　EXCEPT　HE　BECOME　FIRST　AS　A
LITTLE　CHILD。




CAP。　4。

OF　THE　IMPEDIMENTS　OF　KNOWLEDGE；　BEING　THE　4TH　CHAPTER；　THE　PREFACE
ONLY　OF　IT。


In　some　things　it　is　more　hard　to　attempt　than　to　achieve；　which
falleth　out　when　the　difficulty　is　not　so　much　in　the　matter　or
subject；　as　it　is　in　the　crossness　and　indisposition　of　the　mind　of
man　to　think　of　any　such　thing；　to　will　or　to　resolve　it。　　And
therefore　Titus　Livius　in　his　declamatory　digression　wherein　he　doth
depress　and　extenuate　the　honour　of　Alexander's　conquests　saith；
NIHIL　ALIUD　QUAM　BENE　AUSUS　VANA　CONTEMNERE：　in　which　sort　of　things
it　is　the　manner　of　men　first　to　wonder　that　any　such　thing　should　be
possible；　and　after　it　is　found　out　to　wonder　again　how　the　world
should　miss　it　so　long。　　Of　this　nature　I　take　to　be　the　invention
and　discovery　of　knowledge；　etc。

THE　IMPEDIMENTS　WHICH　HAVE　BEEN　IN　THE　TIMES；　AND　IN　DIVERSION　OF
WITS；　BEING　THE　5TH　CHAPTER；　A　SMALL　FRAGMENT　IN　THE　BEGINNING　OF
THAT　CHAPTER。

The　encounters　of　the　times　have　been　nothing　favourable　and
prosperous　for　the　invention　of　knowledge；　so　as　it　is　not　only　the
daintiness　of　the　seed　to　take；　and　the　ill　mixture　and　unliking　of
the　ground　to　nourish　or　raise　this　plant；　but　the　ill　season　also　of
the　weather　by　which　it　hath　been　checked　and　blasted。　　Especially　in
that　the　seasons　have　been　proper　to　bring　up　and　set　forward　other
more　hasty　and　indifferent　plants；　whereby　this　of　knowledge　bath
been　starved　and　overgrown；　for　in　the　descent　of　times　always　there
hath　been　somewhat　else　in　reign　and　reputation；　which　hath　generally
aliened　and　diverted　wits　and　labours　from　that　employment。

For　as　for　the　uttermost　antiquity　which　is　like　fame　that　muffles
her　head　and　tells　tales；　I　cannot　presume　much　of　it；　for　I　would
not　willingly　imitate　the　manner　of　those　that　describe　maps；　which
when　they　come　to　some　far　countries　whereof　they　have　no　knowledge；
set　down　how　there　be　great　wastes　and　deserts　there：　so　I　am　not　apt
to　affirm　that　they　knew　little；　because　what　they　knew　is　little
known　to　us。　　But　if　you　will　judge　of　them　by　the　last　traces　that
remain　to　us；　you　will　conclude；　though　not　so　scornfully　as
Aristotle　doth；　that　saith　our　ancestors　were　extreme　gross；　as　those
that　came　newly　from　being　moulded　out　of　the　clay　or　some　earthly
substance；　yet　reasonably　and　probably　thus；　that　it　was　with　them　in
matter　of　knowledge　but　as　the　dawning　or　break　of　day。　　For　at　that
time　the　world　was　altogether　home…bred；　every　nation　looked　little
beyond　their　own　confines　or　territories；　and　the　world　had　no
through　lights　then；　as　it　hath　had　since　by　commerce　and　navigation；
whereby　there　could　neither　be　that　contribution　of　wits　one　to　help
another；　nor　that　variety　of　particulars　for　the　correcting　of
customary　conceits。

And　as　there　could　be　no　great　collection　of　wits　of　several　parts　or
nations；　so　neither　could　there　be　any　succession　of　wits　of　several
times；　whereby　one　might　refine　the　other；　in　regard　they　had　not
history　to　any　purpose。　　And　the　manner　of　their　traditions　was
utterly　unfit　a