the advancement of learning-第21部分

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own；　induceth　and　manifesteth　the　Forms　of　all　words；　which　consist　and　are　compounded　of　them。　In　the　same　manner　to　inquire　the　Form　of　a　lion；　of　an　oak；　of　gold；　nay；　of　water；　of　air；　is　a　vain　pursuit：　but　to　inquire　the　forms　of　sense；　of　voluntary　motion；　of　vegetation；　of　colours；　of　gravity　and　levity；　of　density；　of　tenuity；　of　heat；　of　cold；　and　all　other　natures　and　＇37＇　qualities；　which；　like　an　alphabet；　are　not　many；　and　of　which　the　essences；　upheld　by　matter；　of　all　creatures　do　consist；　to　inquire；　I　say；　the　true　Forms　of　these；　is　that　part　of　metaphysique　which　we　now　define　of。　＇＇　Not　but　that　Physic　doth　make　inquiry；　and　take　consideration　of　the　same　natures：　but　how？　Only　as　to　the　material　and　scient　causes　of　them；　and　not　as　to　the　Forms。　For　example；　if　the　cause　of　whiteness　in　snow　or　froth　be　inquired；　and　it　be　rendered　thus；　that　the　subtile　intermixture　of　air　and　water　is：he　cause；　it　is　well　rendered；　but；　nevertheless；　is　this　the　form　of　whiteness？　No；　but　it　is　the　efficient；　which　is　ever　but　VEHICULUM　FORMAE。　＇＇　This　part　of　Metaphysique　I　do　not　find　laboured　and　performed：　whereat　I　marvel　not；　because　I　hold　it　not　possible　to　be　invented　by　that　course　of　invention　which　hath　been　used；　in　regard　that　men；　which　is　the　root　of　all　error；　have　made　too　untimely　a　departure　and　too　remote　a　recess　from　particulars。

6。　But　the　use　of　this　part　of　Metaphysique；　which　I　report　as　deficient；　is　of　the　rest　the　most　excellent　in　two　respects：　the　one；　because　it　is　the　duty　and　virtue　of　all　knowledge　to　abridge　the　infinity　of　individual　experience；　as　much　as　the　conception　of　truth　will　permit；　and　to　remedy　the　complaint　of　VITA　BREVIS；　ARS　LONGA；　which　is　performed　by　uniting　the　notions　and　conceptions　of　sciences：　for　knowledges　are　as　pyramids；　whereof　history　is　the　basis。　So　of　natural　philosophy；　the　basis　is　natural　history；　the　stage　next　the　basis　is　physique；　the　stage　next　the　vertical　point　is　metaphysique。　As　for　the　vertical　point；　OPUS　QUOD　OPERATUR　DEUS　A　PRINCIPIO　USQUE　AD　FINEM；　the　summary　law　of　nature；　we　know　not　whether　man's　inquiry　can　attain　unto　it。　But　these　three　be　the　true　stages　of　knowledge；　and　are　to　them　that　are　depraved　no　better　than　the　giant's　hills：

Ter　sunt　conati　imponere　Pelio　Ossam；　Scilicet　atque　Ossae　frondosum　involvere　Olympum。

But　to　those　who　refer　all　things　to　the　glory　of　God；　they　are　as　the　three　acclamations；　SANCTE；　SANCTE；　SANCTE！　holy　in　the　description　or　dilatation　of　His　works；　holy　in　the　connection　or　concatenation　of　them：　and　holy　in　the　union　of　them　in　a　perpetual　and　uniform　law。　＇＇　And　therefore　the　speculation　was　excellent　in　Parmenides　and　Plato；　although　but　a　speculation　in　them；　that　all　things　by　scale　did　ascend　to　unity。　So　then　always　that　knowledge　is　worthiest　which　is　charged　with　least　multiplicity；　which　appeareth　to　be　metaphysique；　as　that　which　considereth　the　simple　Forms　or　differences　of　things；　which　are　few　in　number；　and　the　degrees　and　co…ordinations　whereof　make　all　this　variety。

The　second　respect；　which　valueth　and　commendeth　this　part　of　metaphysique；　is　that　it　doth　enfranchise　the　power　of　man　unto　the　greatest　liberty　and　possibility　of　works　and　effects。　For　physique　carrieth　men　in　narrow　and　restrained　ways；　subject　to　many　accidents　of　impediments；　imitating　the　ordinary　flexuous　courses　of　nature；　but　LATAE　UNDIQUE　SUNT　SAPIENTIBOS　VIAE：　to　sapience；　which　was　anciently　defined　to　be　RERUM　DIVINARUM　ET　HUMANARUM　SCIENTIA；　there　is　ever　choice　of　means。　For　physical　causes　give　light　to　new　invention　in　SIMILI　MATERIA；　but　whosoever　knoweth　any　Form；　knoweth　the　utmost　possibility　of　super…inducing　that　nature　upon　any　variety　of　matter；　and　so　is　less　restrained　in　operation；　either　to　the　basis　of　the　matter；　or　the　condition　of　the　efficient；　which　kind　of　knowledge　Salomon　likewise；　though　in　a　more　divine　sort；　elegantly　describeth：　NON　ARCTABUNTUR　GRESSUS　TUI；　ET　CURRENS　NON　HABEBIS　OFFENDICULUM。　The　ways　of　sapience　are　not　much　liable　either　to　particularity　or　chance。

7。The　second　part　of　metaphysique　is　the　inquiry　of　final　causes；　which　I　am　moved　to　report　not　as　omitted；　but　as　misplaced；　and　yet　if　it　were　but　a　fault　in　order；　I　would　not　speak　of　it：　for　order　is　matter　of　illustration；　but　pertaineth　not　to　the　substance　of　sciences。　But　this　misplacing　hath　caused　a　deficience；　or　at　least　a　great　improficience　in　the　sciences　themselves。　For　the　handling　of　final　causes　mixed　with　the　rest　in　physical　inquiries；　hath　intercepted　the　severe　and　diligent　inquiry　of　all　real　and　physical　causes；　and　given　men　the　ccasion　to　stay　upon　these　satisfactory　and　specious　causes；　to　the　great　arrest　and　prejudice　of　further　discovery。　＇＇　For　this　I　find　done　not　only　by　Plato；　who　ever　anchoreth　upon　that　shore；　but　by　Aristotle；　Galen；　and　others　which　do　usually　likewise　fall　upon　these　flats　of　discoursing　causes。　FOR　TO　SAY　THAT　THE　HAIRS　OF　THE　EYELIDS　ARE　FOR　A　QUICKSET　AND　FENCE　ABOUT　THE　SIGHT；　or　that　THE　FIRMNESS　OF　THE　SKINS　AND　HIDES　OF　LIVING　CREATURES　IS　TO　DEFEND　THEM　FROM　THE　EXTREMITIES　OF　HEAT　OR　COLD；　or　that　THE　BONES　ARE　FOR　THE　COLUMNS　OR　BEAMS；　WHEREUPON　THE　FRAMES　OF　THE　BODIES　OF　LIVING　CREATURES　ARE　BUILT：　or　that　THE　LEAVES　OF　TREES　ARE　FOR　PROTECTING　OF　THE　FRUIT；　or　that　THE　CLOUDS　ARE　FOR　WATERING　OF　THE　EARTH；　or　that　THE　SOLIDNESS　OF　THE　EARTH　IS　FOR　THE　STATION　AND　MANSION　OF　LIVING　CREATURES　and　the　like；　is　well　inquired　and　collected　in　metaphysique；　but　in　physique　they　are　impertinent。　Nay；　they　are　indeed　but　REMORAE；　and　hindrances　to　stay　and　slug　the　ship　from　further　sailing；　and　have　brought　this　to　pass；　that　the　search　of　the　physical　causes　hath　been　neglected；　and　passed　in　silence。　＇＇　And　therefore　the　natural　philosophy　of　Democritus　and　some　others　（who　did　not　suppose　a　mind　or　reason　in　the　frame　of　things；　but　attributed　the　form　thereof　able　to　maintain　itself　to　infinite　essays　or　proofs　of　nature；　which　they　term　FORTUNE）　seemeth　to　me；　as　far　as　I　can　judge　by　the　recital　and　fragments　which　remain　unto　us；　in　particularities　of　physical　causes；　more　real　and　better　inquired　than　that　of　Aristotle　and　Plato；　whereof　both　intermingled　final　causes；　the　one　as　a　part　of　theology；　and　the　other　as　a　part　of　logic；　which　were　the　favourite　studies　respectively　of　both　those　persons。　Not　because　those　final　causes　are　not　true；　and　worthy　to　be　inquired；　being　kept　within　their　own　province；　but　because　their　excursions　into　the　limits　of　physical　causes　hath　bred　a　vastness　and　＇38＇　solitude　in　that　track。　For　otherwise；　keeping　their　precincts　and　borders；　men　are　extremely　deceived　if　they　think　there　is　an　enmity　or　repugnancy　at　all　between　them。　For　the　cause　rendered；　that　THE　HAIRS　ABOUT　THE　EYE…LIDS　ARE　FOR　THE　SAFEGUARD　OF　THE　SIGHT；　doth　not　impugn　the　cause　rendered；　that　PILOSITY　IS　INCIDENT　TO　ORIFICES　OF　MOISTURE；　MUSCOSI　FONTES；　etc。　Nor　the　cause　rendered；　THAT　THE　FIRMNESS　OF　HIDES　IS　FOR　THE　ARMOUR　OF　THE　BODY　AGAINST　EXTREMITIES　OF　HEAT　OR　COLD；　doth　not　impugn　the　cause　rendered；　THAT　CONTRACTION　OF　PORES　IS　INCIDENT　TO　THE　OUTWARDEST　PARTS；　IN　REGARD　OF　THEIR　ADJACENCE　TO　FOREIGN　OR　UNLIKE　BODIES：　and　so　of　the　rest：　both　causes　being　true　and　compatible；　the　one　declaring　an　intention；　the　other　a　consequence　only。　＇＇　Neither　doth　this　call　in　question；　or　derogate　from　Divine　Providence；　but　highly　confirm　and　exalt　it。　For　as　in　civil　actions　he　is　the　greater　and　deeper　politique；　that　can　make　other　men　the　instruments　of　his　will　and　ends；　and　yet　never　acquaint　them　with　his　purpose；　so　as　they　shall　do　it　and　yet　not　know　what　they　do；　than　he　that　imparteth　his　meaning　to　those　he　employeth；　so　is　the　wisdom　of　God　more　admirable；　when　nature　intendeth　one　thing；　and　Providence　draweth　forth　another；　than　if　He　communicated　to　particular　creatures　and　motions　the　characters　and　impressions　of　His　Providence。　And　thus　much　for　metaphysique：　the　latter　part　whereof　I　allow　as　extant；　but　with　it　confined　to　his　proper　place。

VIII。　1。　Nevertheless　there　remaineth　yet　another　part　of　Natural　Philosophy；　which　is　commonly　made　a　principal　part　and　holdeth　rank　with　Physique　special　and　Metaphysique；　which　is　Mathematique；　but　I　think　it　more　agreeable　to　the　nature　of　things　and　to　the　light　of　order　to　place　it　as　a　branch　of　Metaphysique：　for　the　subject　of　it　being　quantity　（not　quantity　indefinite；　which　is　but　a　relative；　and　belongeth　to　PHILOSOPHIA　PRIMA；　as　hath　been　said；　but　quantity　determined　or　proportionable）　it　appeareth　to　be　one　of　the　essential　Forms　of　things；　as　that　that　is　causative　in　nature　of　a　number　of　effects；　insomuch　as　we　see；　in　the　schools　both　of　Democritus　and　of　Pythagoras；　that　the　one　did　ascribe　figure　to　the　first　seeds　of　things；　and　the　other　did　suppose　numbers　to　be　the　principles　and　originals　of　things：　and　it　is　true　also　that　of　all　other　Forms；　as　we　understand　Forms；　it　is　the　most　abstracted　and　separable　from　matter；　and　therefore　most　proper　to　Metaphysique；　which　hath　likewise　been　the　cause　why　it　hath　been　better　laboured　and　inquired　than　any　of　the　other　Forms；　which　are　more　immersed　in　matter。　＇＇　For　it　being　the　nature　of　the　mind　of　man；　to　the　extreme　prejudice　of　knowledge；　to　delight　in　the　spacious　liberty　of　generalities；　as　in　a　champain　region；　and　not　in　the　inclosures　of　particularity；　the　Mathematics　of　all　other　knowledge　were　the　goodliest　fields　to　satisfy　that　appetite。　＇＇　But　for　the　placing　of　this　science；　it　is　not　much　material：　only　we　have　endeavoured　in　these　our　partitions　to　observe　a　kind　of　perspective；　that　one　part　may　cast　light　upon　another。

2。　The　Mathematics　are　either　pure　or　mixed。　To　the　Pure　Mathematics　are　those　sciences　belonging　which　handle　quantity　determinate；　merely　severed　from　any　axioms　of　natural　philosophy；　and　these　are　two；　Geometry　and　Arithmetic；　the　one　handling　quantity　continued；　and　the　other　dissevered。　＇＇　Mixed　hath　for　subject　some　axioms　or　parts　of　natural　philosophy；　and　considereth　quantity　determined；　as　it　is　auxiliary　and　incident　unto　them。　＇＇　For　many　parts　of　nature　can　neither　be　invented　with　sufficient　subtilty；　nor　demonstrated　with　sufficient　perspicu