A preparatory to the history natural & experimental : written originally in Latine by Francis Lord Verulam ... and now faithfully rendered into English / By a well-wisher to his Lordships writings.

  • Francis Bacon
Date:
1670
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A preparatory to the history natural & experimental : written originally in Latine by Francis Lord Verulam ... and now faithfully rendered into English / By a well-wisher to his Lordships writings. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    A Treparatory to the Natural Three things to be avoided in the Natural Hiftory Pbilofophy mu ft be avoided. Deferiptions) and PiHureSi Superflitiottf Relations. id; \o : -'■ri now, I fav, and never before by any man ; for neither did ^rtilotk. ilw Theo’^hrLtftti, nor Dw^condn, nor Cnjitt PIikik, much iefs the Modern W'ri ' tcrsjcvcr propound unto thcnifclvcs this end of a Namral Hilhry, whcrcofi we novv fpeak. And it is of much concernment, that whotwer hercaftcrl ftall undertake the Penning of a A'arKr.Z/yifjf^r,, (hould cjntinually think upon, and conlider this with themfelves, That they ought not to ferve the delight of their Reader, no, nor the very profit which he may sain at nre- fent bythe Relations 5 but to feck-and find out plenty, and variety of tmn.s which may luffice for the compofureof trueadtions; Forif thev wi think on tins, they will preferibe to themfelves the manner of fuchan Hutory ♦ ior the end governs the means. , III. Kow. byhowmuchthisthingisabtifinefs of greater pains and indu- Itrj 5 by lo much it is the more probable, that it wvl be Jefs burdened with iuperfliioLis matters. There are three thinos therefore, of which men are to be plainly warned, that they very feldome fpend pains about them be mg inch things, which may increafe the bulk of the work prodiaiouflv' but can little or nothing promote its virtue. a j Firjt then , Ltt Antiquities, Quotations, and Suffrages of Authors ccafe ; let Strifes, Controverfics, and Dufenting Opinions, and all thinas PMalogu^ be avowed: Let not an Author be cited, unlefs in a dubious mal ter; not let a Controvcrfic be intcrpoled, except in a matcer of great mo- things, which tend to the ornament of sJech and to Imiilituaes, and the treafutc of Eloquence, and ail fuch tovs as rhofo be totally rejeaeci ,• an^ let all thofe things which are received, be them- lelvcs* propounded briefly, and in fhort, that they be nothincr Jefs than words; for no maadiat collets, and lays up Materials for Edifices ei ther for any the like Strudures, doth (as is done in ShoDs/take care to pile them m order foi a fight to pleafe, but'he looks only that they be, found and good, and that they take up but little room in the place where they are laid, , And juft fo muft it be done with this. Secondly^ Ihat Luxury of Natural Hiftories makes not much to the matter, which confifts in the numerous Deferiptions and Pidturcs'of the ■SpforSj'and in the'eurious variety of them; for thefe minute varieties of them ate nothing but a certain fport, or paftime, and wantonnefs of Na ture, and they happen almoft. to the Nature of Individuals • And thev lave a certain pleafant and delightful expatiation in the thiners themfelves^ but a very fmall and almoft ftiperfluous Information towards the Sciences ’ Thirdly^ AllSupctftitious Relations (we fay not Prodigious ones when the memory of them may be found credible and maintainable,but Suneffti tious ones) and the experiments of Ceremonial Magick are wholly to be omitted. For we would not, that the Infancy of Philofophy, whcreimro a Natural h,Bo^ gives the firft_ Suck, flwuld be accuftonied to old Wo¬ mens Fables. There- may* happifyifee a nine Ifaftcr • there fis made Lome whar a deeper entrance iPto the,inquiry of Matifte) to fun lightly over Inch rhinos as thefe, if there reniain any wh'if of'Natural -Virtue in thofe regs, it may be extraifted and laid up for ufe 5 mean time let them be laid .aiide.- Even the experiments of Natural Magick muft be diligently arid , fevere-
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