strong in the lower comets, if the same motion be found in the planets, so dispensed and proportioned, that the nearer it comes to the earth, the slower it proves, and the farther off the quicker, but quickest of all in the sphere of the fixed stars, then doubtless the diurnal motion should be received for real in the heavens, and the motion of the earth be rejected, because it would then be manifest that the motion from east to west is perfectly cosmical, and by consent of the universe, which hav ing the greatest velocity in the greatest heights of the heavens, gradually decreases, and at length terminates, and comes to nothing, in what is immoveable, viz. the earth.

On the other hand, let the nature inquired into be that other motion of rotation, famous among astronomers, and opposite and contrary to the diurnal motion, viz. the motion from west to east, which the astronomers attribute to the planets and sphere of the fixed stars, but Copernicus and his followers assign likewise to the earth; and let it be sought whether there is any such motion in nature, or whether it be only imaginary, and supposed for the readiness and convenience of calculation and the sake of the beauty and regularity of a system, so as to make the celestial motions performed in perfect circles.

This motion is by no means proved true and real in the higher celestial bodies, neither from hence, that a planet does not, in its diurnal motion, return to the same fixed star again, nor from hence, that the poles of the zodiac differ from the poles of the world, which are the two things whereon this motion is founded. For the first phenomenon is well solved by the supposition of antecedence and dereliction, and the second by spiral lines, so that the inequality of the revolution, and the declination to the tropics, may be rather modifications of the same diurnal motion, than contrary motions, or performed about different poles. And if we may here, for once, side with the vulgar, and leave the fictions of astronomers and the schools (who in many cases, and without reason, offer violence to the senses, and rather affect obscurities), we judge this motion to be to the sense such as we have above described it, from a model we once had purposely made of iron wire to represent it.

But it may be a crucial instance in this inquiry, if it shall be found from any history worthy of credit, that there was a comet, which did not revolve in a manifest consent (though ever so irregularly) with the visible diurnal motion; but rather to the opposite part of the heavens, for then it will be free to dge that some such motion, contrary to the visible diurnal

rotation, may exist in nature. But if nothing of this kind can be found, such a motion should not be embraced, but recourse be had to other crucial instances about it.

Again; suppose the nature sought was gravity, this will be the cross-road. Heavy and ponderous bodies must either have a natural tendency to the centre of the earth, on account of their proper mechanism, or else be attracted by the corporeal mass thereof, as by a collection of bodies of the same nature, and so be carried to it by consent.

If the latter be the cause, it will follow, that the nearer all heavy bodies approach to the earth, the stronger, and with the greater force and velocity they will tend to it; but the farther they are from it, the weaker and the slower, and this to a certain distance; whence, if they were removed so far from the earth, as that the virtue thereof could not act upon them, they would remain pendulous, like the earth itself, without falling.

And with regard hereto this may be a crucial instance. Take a clock that moves by weights, and another that moves by a steel spring; let them be exactly adjusted, that neither of them may go faster than the other; place the clock that goes with weights upon the top of some very high building; keep the other below; then carefully observe if the clock above move slower than usual, on account of the diminished virtue of its weight. Let the same experiment be made in the deepest mines, to show whether such a clock will not move faster there, for the contrary reason; and if the virtue of the weights shall be found diminished above, and increased below the surface of the earth, let the attraction of the terrestrial mass be received as the cause of weight or gravity.

15. Instances of Divorce.

Then follow five orders of Instances distinguished by the general name of Instances of the Lamp, or of Primary Information; as being such as assist the senses. The first strengthen, enlarge, and rectify the immediate actions of the senses; the second bring down the imperceptible to the perceptible (“non-sensibile ad sensibile"); the third indicate the continuous processes or series of those things and motions which (as most frequently happens) are not observed except in their termination or entire course (" exitu aut periodis"); the fourth substi

tute something when the senses are' in a state of absolute destitution; the fifth excite the attention and notice of the senses, and at the same time limit the subtilty of things.

16. Instances of the Door or of the Gate (Januae sive Portae), which are those that assist the immediate actions of the senses. But among the senses, the first place, in the furnishing of information, belongs to the sight. And the helps that may be sought for the sight appear to be of three kinds; namely, such as may enable it to see either things not previously seen; or to a greater distance than previously; or more exactly and distinctly.

Of the first kind are the newly invented microscopes, which show the latent, and otherwise invisible small parts of bodies, and their secret textures and motions, remarkably increased in the magnitude of the object, by means whereof the exact figure and lineaments of the body of the minutest creatures, such as flies, fleas, mites, &c., as also colours and motions, before invisible, may be seen in a delightful and surprising manner. And here, as is usual in new and strange discoveries, a superstitious observation has crept into the minds of men, as if this invention of microscopes did honour to the works of nature, but dishonour to the works of art, by showing the one much finer than the other; whereas the truth only is, that natural textures are much more subtile than artificial ones. For these microscopes are only of use in the case of minute ob

* Shaw omits a parenthesis here to the following effect:— "not to speak of spectacles (bis-oculi), and the like contrivances, which are able only to correct and alleviate the infirmity of a vision not properly adjusted (non bene dispositi), and therefore cannot be said to convey any additional information."

Shaw here omits the following sentence :-"It is said also that a straight line drawn with a pen or pencil is discerned by such microscopes to be very unequal and tortuous; because neither the motions of the hand, although assisted by a ruler, nor the impression of ink or of colour, are in reality equal; although their inequalities are so minute that without the aid of such microscopes they cannot be perceived."

jects, so that if Democritus had seen them, he would perhaps have rejoiced, and imagined a way was now discovered for rendering the atoms visible, which he pronounced to be no object of sight.

But the unsuitablenesss and insufficiency of these microscopes, except for very minute bodies (and then only when stich minute bodies are not parts of larger), destroy the use of the invention; which, if it could be extended to large bodies, or to small particles of large bodies, in the piece, after the manner of making a piece of fine lawn appear like a net, so as that by this means the latent small particles and inequalities of gems, liquors, urine, blood, wounds, and many other things might be distinguished, great conveniences would doubtless arise from the discovery.

Of the second kind are telescopes, which were nobly attempted and discovered by Galileo; by means whereof, as by boats or little ships of intelligence, a nearer commerce may be opened and carried on with the celestial bodies. For by the help of these glasses, 1. The milky way appears to be a knot or cluster of little stars, perfectly separate and distinct, of which the ancients had but a bare suspicion. 2. And again, by their means it should seem that the planetary regions contain more stars besides the direct planets, and that the heavens may begin to be spangled with stars at a great distance below the sphere of the fixed stars, though with such only as are invisible without the help of telescopes. And again, 3. By their assistance we may behold the motion of those small stars, or satellites, about the planet Jupiter; from whence it may be conjectured that the revolutions of the stars have regard to several centres. 4. Again, by their means the luminous and opaque inequalities are more distinctly perceived and ascertained in the moon, from whence a geographical description might be made thereof. 5. And lastly, by means of these glasses, spots in the sun, and other things of that kind, appear to the sight; all which are, doubtless, noble discoveries, so far as they may be safely depended upon for real. But, indeed, I the rather incline to suspect them, because experience seems wholly to rest in these few particulars, without discovering, by the same means, numerous others, equally worthy of search and inquiry.*

* Galileo, some of whose telescopic discoveries are

17. Summoning Instances (Instantiae Citantes); called also Evoking Instances. Here Bacon introduces one of his favourite doctrines, that of the living principle, or spirit, as he calls it, which he conceives to be contained even in bodies commonly considered to be dead.

Things escape the senses, either, 1, through the distance of the object, as to place; 2, through the interception of interposing bodies; 3, because the object is unfit to make an impression upon the sense; 4, because the object is not sufficient, in quantity, to strike the sense; 5, because the time is not proportionate, so as to actuate the sense; 6, because the percussion of the object is not endured by the sense; 7, and lastly, because an object before detained, and possessed the sense, so as to leave no room for a new motion. . .

But the reduction in the third and fourth ways regard numerous particulars, and ought on all sides to be collected in inquiries. Thus, for example, it appears that the air, the spirit, and things of that kind, which in their whole substance prove light and subtile, can neither be perceived nor touched, whence in the inquiry after such bodies, we must necessarily use reductions.

Suppose, therefore, the subjects of inquiry were the action and motion of the spirit included in tangible bodies; for every tangible body, with us, contains an invisible and untangible spirit, over which the body is drawn like a garment. And hence arise those three powerful springs, and that wonderful process, of the spirit in tangible bodies. For, 1, the spirit being discharged out of a tangible body, the body contracts and dries; 2, whilst detained, it makes the body tender, supple, and soft; and, 3, being neither totally discharged, nor totally held in, it informs, fashions, assimilates, ejects, organizes, &c. And all these are rendered sensible by visible effects.

For in every tangible, inanimate body, the included spirit first multiplies itself, and, as it were, feeds upon those tangible

in this and two or three other passages in Bacon's writings, should have been excepted from the enumeration, at p. 24, of his contemporaries whom he never mentions. Yet we see he had not nearly so much faith in the novum organum of the illustrious Florentine as in his own.