the advancement of learning-第27部分

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So　that　it　was　no　marvel；　the　manner　of　antiquity　being　to　consecrate　inventors；　that　the　Egyptians　had　so　few　human　idols　in　their　temples；　but　almost　all　brute。

Omnigenumque　Deum　monstra；　et　latrator　Anubis；　Contra　Neptunum；　et　Venerem；　contraque　Minervam；　etc。

And　if　you　like　better　the　tradition　of　the　Grecians；　and　ascribe　the　first　inventions　to　men；　yet　you　will　rather　believe　that　Prometheus　first　struck　the　flints；　and　marvelled　at　the　spark；　than　that　when　he　first　struck　the　flints　he　expected　the　spark：　and　therefore　we　see　the　West　Indian　Prometheus　　had　no　intelligence　with　the　European；　because　of　the　rareness　with　them　of　flint；　that　gave　the　first　occasion。　So　as　it　should　seem；　that　hitherto　men　are　rather　beholding　to　a　wild　goat　for　surgery；　or　to　a　nightingale　for　music；　or　to　the　ibis　for　some　part　of　physic；　or　to　the　pot…lid　that　flew　open　for　artillery；　or　generally　to　chance；　or　anything　else；　than　to　logic；　for　the　invention　of　arts　and　sciences。　Neither　is　the　form　of　invention　which　Virgil　describeth　much　other：

Ut　varias　usus　meditando　extunderet　artes　Paulatim。

For　if　you　observe　the　words　well；　it　is　no　other　method　than　that　which　brute　beasts　are　capable　of；　and　do　put　in　ure；　which　is　a　perpetual　intending　＇47＇　or　practising　some　one　thing；　urged　and　imposed　by　an　absolute　necessity　of　conservation　of　being；　for　so　Cicero　saith　very　truly；　USUS　UNI　REI　DEDITUS　ET　NATURAM　ET　ARTEM　SAEPE　VINCIT。　And　therefore　if　it　be　said　of　men；

Labor　omnia　vincit　Improbus；　et　duris　urgens　in　rebus　egestas！

it　is　likewise　said　of　beasts；

Quis　psittaco　docuit　suum　《　xai=re　》　？

Who　taught　the　raven　in　a　drought　to　throw　pebbles　into　a　hollow　tree；　where　she　espied　water；　that　the　water　might　rise　so　as　she　might　come　to　it；　Who　taught　the　bee　to　sail　through　such　a　vast　sea　of　air；　and　to　find　the　way　from　a　field　in　flower　a　great　way　off　to　her　hive？　Who　taught　the　ant　to　bite　every　grain　of　corn　that　she　burieth　in　her　hill；　lest　it　should　take　root　and　grow？　Add　then　the　word　EXTUNDERE；　which　importeth　the　extreme　difficulty；　and　the　word　PAULATIM；　which　importeth　the　extreme　slowness；　and　we　are　where　we　were；　even　amongst　the　Egyptians　gods；　there　being　little　left　to　the　faculty　of　reason；　and　nothing　to　the　duty　of　art；　for　matter　of　invention。

3。　Secondly；　the　Induction　which　the　Logicians　speak　of；　and　which　seemeth　familiar　with　Plato　（whereby　the　Principles　of　Sciences　may　be　pretended　to　be　invented；　and　so　the　middle　propositions　by　derivation　from　the　Principles）；　their　form　of　induction；　I　say；　is　utterly　vicious　and　incompetent：　wherein　their　error　is　the　fouler；　because　it　is　the　duty　of　Art　to　perfect　and　exalt　Nature；　but　they　contrariwise　have　wronged；　abused；　and　traduced　Nature。　For　he　that　shall　attentively　observe　how　the　mind　doth　gather　this　excellent　dew　of　knowledge；　like　unto　that　which　the　poet　speaketh　of；

A雛ei　mellis　coelestia　dona；

distilling　and　contriving　it　out　of　particulars　natural　and　artificial；　as　the　flowers　of　the　field　and　garden；　shall　find　that　the　mind　of　herself　by　nature　doth　manage　and　act　an　induction　much　better　than　they　describe　it。　For　to　conclude　upon　an　enumeration　of　particulars；　without　instance　contradictory；　is　no　conclusion；　but　a　conjecture；　for　who　can　assure；　in　many　subjects；　upon　those　particulars　which　appear　of　a　side；　that　there　are　not　other　on　the　contrary　side　which　appear　not？　As　if　Samuel　should　have　rested　upon　those　sons　of　Jesse　　which　were　brought　before　him；　and　failed　of　David；　which　was　in　the　field。　And　this　form；　to　say　truth；　is　so　gross；　as　it　had　not　been　possible　for　wits　so　subtile　as　have　managed　these　things　to　have　offered　it　to　the　world；　but　that　they　hasted　to　their　theories　and　dogmaticals；　and　were　imperious　and　scornful　towards　particulars；　which　their　manner　was　to　use　but　as　LICTORES　and　VIATORES；　for　sergeants　and　whifflers；　AD　SUMMOVENDAM　TURBAM；　to　make　way　and　make　room　for　their　opinions；　rather　than　in　their　true　use　and　service。　Certainly　it　is　a　thing　may　touch　a　man　with　a　religious　wonder；　to　see　how　the　footsteps　of　seducement　are　the　very　same　in　divine　and　human　truth：　for　as　in　divine　truth　man　cannot　endure　to　become　as　a　child；　so　in　human；　they　reputed　the　attending　the　inductions　whereof　we　speak；　as　if　it　were　a　second　infancy　or　childhood。

4。　Thirdly；　allow　some　principles　or　axioms　were　rightly　induced；　yet　nevertheless　certain　it　is　that　middle　propositions　cannot　be　deduced　from　them　in　subject　of　nature　by　syllogism；　that　is；　by　touch　and　reduction　of　them　to　principles　in　a　middle　term。　It　is　true　that　in　sciences　popular；　as　moralities；　laws；　and　the　like；　yea；　and　divinity；　（because　it　pleaseth　God　to　apply　himself　to　the　capacity　of　the　simplest；）　that　form　may　have　use；　and　in　natural　philosophy　likewise；　by　way　of　argument　or　satisfactory　reason；　QUAE　ASSENSUM　PARIT；　OPERIS　EFFOETA　EST：　　but　the　subtlety　of　nature　and　operations　will　not　be　enchained　in　those　bonds：　for　arguments　consist　of　propositions；　and　propositions　of　words；　and　words　are　but　the　current　tokens　or　marks　　of　popular　notions　of　things；　which　notions；　if　they　be　grossly　and　variably　collected　out　particulars；　it　is　not　the　laborious　examination　either　of　consequence　of　arguments；　or　of　the　truth　of　propositions；　that　can　ever　correct　that　error；　being；　as　the　physicians　speak；　in　the　first　digestion：　and　therefore　it　was　not　without　cause；　that　so　many　excellent　philosophers　became　Sceptics　and　Academics；　and　denied　any　certainty　of　knowledge　or　comprehension；　and　held　opinion　that　the　knowledge　of　man　extended　only　to　appearances　and　probabilities。　It　is　true　that　in　Socrates　it　was　supposed　to　be　but　a　form　of　irony；　SCIENTIAM　DISSIMULANDO　SIMULAVIT；　for　he　used　to　disable　his　knowledge；　to　the　end　to　enhance　his　knowledge：　like　the　humour　of　Tiberius　in　his　beginnings；　that　would　reign；　but　would　not　acknowledge　so　much：　　and　in　the　later　Academy；　which　Cicero　embraced；　this　opinion　also　of　ACATALEPSIA；　I　doubt；　was　not　held　sincerely：　for　that　all　those　which　excelled　in　copie　of　speech　seem　to　have　chosen　that　sect；　as　that　which　was　fittest　to　give　glory　to　their　eloquence　and　variable　discourses；　being　rather　like　progresses　of　pleasure；　than　journeys　to　an　end。　But　assuredly　many　scattered　in　both　Academies　did　hold　it　in　subtilty　and　integrity：　but　here　was　their　chief　error；　they　charged　the　deceit　upon　the　senses；　which　in　my　judgment；　notwithstanding　all　their　cavilations；　are　very　sufficient　to　certify　and　report　truth　though　not　always　immediately；　yet　by　comparison；　by　help　of　instrument；　and　by　producing　and　urging　such　things　as　are　too　subtile　for　the　sense　to　some　effect　comprehensible　by　the　sense；　and　other　like　assistance。　But　they　ought　to　have　charged　the　deceit　upon　the　weakness　of　the　intellectual　powers；　and　upon　the　manner　of　collecting　and　concluding　upon　the　reports　of　the　senses。　This　I　speak；　not　to　disable　the　mind　of　man；　but　to　stir　it　up　to　seek　help：　for　no　man；　be　he　never　so　cunning　or　practised；　can　make　a　straight　line　or　perfect　circle　by　steadiness　of　hand；　which　may　be　easily　done　by　help　of　a　ruler　or　compass。

5。　This　part　of　invention；　concerning　the　invention　of　sciences；　I　purpose；　if　God　give　me　leave；　hereafter　to　propound；　having　digested　it　into　two　parts；　whereof　the　one　I　term　EXPERIENTIA　LITERATA；　and　the　other　INTERPRETATIO　NATURAE：　the　former　being　but　a　degree　and　rudiment　of　the　latter。　But　＇48＇　I　will　not　dwell　too　long；　nor　speak　too　great　upon　a　promise。

6。　The　invention　of　speech　or　argument　is　not　properly　an　invention；　for　to　invent　is　to　discover　that　we　know　not；　and　not　to　recover　or　resummon　that　which　we　already　know：　and　the　use　of　this　invention　is　no　other　but　out　of　the　knowledge　whereof　our　mind　is　already　possessed　to　draw　forth　or　call　before　us　that　which　may　be　pertinent　to　the　purpose　which　we　take　into　our　consideration。　So　as　to　speak　truly；　it　is　no　invention；　but　a　remembrance　or　suggestion；　with　an　application；　which　is　the　cause　why　the　schools　do　place　it　after　judgment；　as　subsequent　and　not　precedent。　Nevertheless；　because　we　do　account　it　a　chase　as　well　of　deer　in　an　inclosed　park　as　in　a　forest　at　large；　and　that　it　hath　already　obtained　the　name；　let　it　be　called　invention：　so　as　it　be　perceived　and　discerned；　that　the　scope　and　end　of　this　invention　is　readiness　and　present　use　of　our　knowledge；　and　not　addition　or　amplification　thereof。

7。　To　procure　this　ready　use　of　knowledge　there　are　two　courses；　Preparation　and　Suggestion。　The　former　of　these　seemeth　scarcely　a　part　of　knowledge；　consisting　rather　of　diligence　than　of　any　artificial　erudition。　And　herein　Aristotle　wittily；　but　hurtfully；　doth　deride　the　Sophists　near　his　time；　saying；　THEY　DID　AS　IF　ONE　THAT　PROFESSED　THE　ART　OF　SHOE…MAKING　SHOULD　NOT　TEACH　HOW　TO　MAKE　A　SHOE；　BUT　ONLY　EXHIBIT　IN　A　READINESS　A　NUMBER　OF　SHOES　OF　ALL　FASHIONS　AND　SIZES。　But　yet　a　man　might　reply；　that　if　a　shoemaker　should　have　no　shoes　in　his　shop；　but　only　work　as　he　is　bespoken；　he　should　be　weakly　customed。　But　our　Saviour　speaking　of　divine　knowledge；　saith；　THAT　THE　KINGDOM　OF　HEAVEN　IS　LIKE　A　GOOD　HOUSEHOLDER；　THAT　BRINGETH　FORTH　BOTH　NEW　AND　OLD　STORE：　and　we　see　the　ancient　writers　of　Rhetoric　do　give　it　in　precept：　　THAT　PLEADERS　SHOULD　HAVE　THE　PLACES；　WHEREOF　THEY　HAVE　MOST　CONTINUAL　USE；　READY　HANDLED　IN　ALL　THE　VARIETY　THAT　MAY　BE；　as　that；　TO　SPEAK　FOR　THE　LITERAL　INTERPRETATION　OF　THE　LAW　AGAINST　EQUITY；　AND　CONTRARY；　AND　TO　SPEAK　FOR　PRESUMPTIONS　AND　INFERENCES　AGAINST　TESTIMONY；　AND　CONTRARY。　And　Cicero　himself；　being　broken　unto　it　by　great　experience；　delivereth　it　plainly；　that　whatsoever　a　man　shall　have　occasion　to　speak　of；　if　he　will　take　the　pains；　he　may　have　it　in　effect　premeditate；　and　handled；　IN　THESI；　so　that　when　he　cometh　to　a　particular　he　shall　have　nothing　to　do；　but　to　put　to　names　and　times　and　places；　and　such　other　circumstances　of　individuals。　We　see　likewise　the　exact　diligence　of　Demosthenes；　who；　in　regard　of　the　great　force　that　the　entrance　and　access　into　causes　hath　to　make　a　good　impression；　had　ready　framed　a　number　of　prefaces　for　orations　and　speeches。　All　which　authorities　and　precedents　may　overw