(13.) Schools proving unfavourable to Philofophy. APHORISM XC. 34. Again; in the Customs and Inftitutions of Schools, Universities, and Academies Colleges, and the like Conventions, deftin'd for the Seats of learned Men, and the Promotion of Knowledge, all Things are found oppofite to the Advancement of the Sciences: for the Readings and Exercises are here fo managed, that it cannot eafily come into any one's Mind to think of Things out of the common Road. Or if here and there one fhould venture to ufe a Liberty of Judging, he can only impose the Task upon himself; without obtaining Affiftance from his Fellows: and if he could difpenfe with this, he will ftill find his Industry and Refolution a great Hindrance to the raifing of his Fortune. For the Studies of Men in fuch Places are confin'd, and pinned down to the Writings of certain Authors; from which, if any Man happens to differ, he is prefently reprehended as a Difturber and an Innovator. But there is furely a great Difference between Arts and Civil Affairs: for the Danger is not the fame from new Light, as from new Commotions. In Civil Affairs, 'tis true, a Change even for the better is fufpected, thro' Fear of Disturbance; because thefe Affairs depend upon Authority, Confent, Reputation, and Opinion, and not upon Demonftration: But Arts and Sciences fhould be like Mines, refounding on all Sides with new Works, and farther Progrefs. And thus it ought to be, according to right Reafon; but the Cafe, in Fact, is quite otherwife. For the above-mentioned Administration and Policy of Schools and Univerfities, generally oppofes and greatly prevents the Improvement of the Sciences. APHORISM XCI. (14.) Want 35. And tho' this Contrariety fhould ceafe; yet 'tis fufficient to check of Rewards. the Progrefs of the Sciences, that fuch Endeavours and fuch Industry are not rewarded": for thofe who cultivate the Sciences, have not the Power of rewarding. The Improvement of the Sciences proceeds from great Capacities; but the Salaries and Rewards for them lie in the Hands of the Vulgar; or fuch Rulers of State as are rarely Men of confiderable Learning. And what is more, fuch kind of Advancement not only fails of Reward, and Encouragement, but is deftitute even of popular Praife; as being above the Reach of the Crowd, and eafily beat down and extinguished by the Winds of vulgar Opinion. Whence, again, 'tis no Wonder that this Bufinefs has proceeded no better; whilft, instead of Encouragement, it has met with Difefteem. 8 See more upon this Subject, Vol. I. p. 39-42. h See above, Afb. 90. APHORISM APHORISM XCII. 36. But the greatest Obftacle of all, to the Progrefs of the Sciences, (15) Despair, and the Undertaking of new Tafks and Provinces in them, lies in the and the SupDefpair of Mankind, and the Suppofition of Impoffibility. For prudent Pofition of Impoffibility. and exact Men, generally diftruft fuch kind of Attempts; upon confidering with themselves the Obfcurity of Nature, the Shortnefs of Life, the Fallacy of the Senfes, the Weaknefs of the Judgment, the Difficulties of Experimenting, &c. Whence they conceive, that there are certain Ebbings and Flowings of the Sciences, thro' all the Revolutions of Times and Ages; fo as one while to increase and flourish, and another to decline and lie neglected; and, when arrived at one certain State and Degree, to become uncapable of rifing higher. Therefore, if any Man fhould hope or undertake for the contrary, they think it the Sign of a weak and unripen'd Judgment; and that fuch Attempts begin with Pleafure, proceed with Difficulty, and end in Confufion. 37. And as thefe are Thoughts which readily occur to grave and ju- Transition. dicious Men; we must indeed beware, left being our felves caught with the Love of a Thing that has an excellent and beautiful Appearance, we fhould flacken the Reins of Judgment. We fhall, therefore, next proceed, with Care, to examine what Degree of Hope there is of future Succefs, and from what Quarter it arifes; (with the Purpofe of rejecting the lighter Gales thereof;) and diligently difcufs and weigh thofe Grounds that appear the ftrongeft. And here Civil Prudence alfo is to be confulted; which diftrufts by Prefcription; and fufpects the worst of human Affairs *. And whilft we thus enquire into the Grounds of Hope, we our felves make no Promifes, offer no Violence to the Mind, and lay no Snares for the Judgments of Men: but only lead them by the Hand. i See Sir Thomas Bodley's Letter to the Author, Vol. I. Supplem. V. p. 487. See above, Apb. 75. SECT. Of the GROUNDS OF HOPE, for the The greatest I. Motive of Hope, to be found in the fourth Part of the Inftauration. TH APHORISM XCIII. HO' the most powerful Motive of Hope, will hereafter be deliver'd, (when we fhall lead Mankind to Particulars; efpecially as we propofe to digeft and range them in our Tables of Invention, which principally belong to the fourth Part of our general Defign;) where Things themfelves, rather than Hopes, will be offer'd; yet, that all may be done in the smootheft manner, we fhall here proceed in our Purpofe of preparing the Minds of Men. And in giving them a View of the Hope there is for improving the Sciences, confifts no fmall Part of this Preparation; as, without it, all the reft has a greater Tendency to deject Mankind, than raife them to a chearful and induftrious Profecution of Experiments; and only give them a meaner Opinion of the Things they at prefent enjoy, and a deeper Senfe of their own Misfortune. We fhall, therefore, here open and propofe our Conjectures, for rendering the more favourable Expectations of the Sciences probable; in Imitation of Columbus, who, before he undertook his furprizing Expedition thro' the Atlantic Ocean, produced his Reafons why he expected to find new Lands and Continents, befides thofe that were then discover'd : Which Reasons, tho' at firft rejected, yet being afterwards confirmed by Experience, were the Caufe and Origin of very great Things. 2. We begin with God, the Author of all Good, and the Father of The Goodrefs Lights; from whom the Goodness of this Defign manifeftly fhews it to of the Defign, proceed. We fee in the divine Works, that the fmalleft Beginnings are Hope for ima Motive of certainly fucceeded by the Effects. And what is faid of fpiritual Things, improving that the Kingdom of God comes not with Obfervation; is alfo found true in Philofophy. every great Work of divine Providence; where all things go quietly on, without Noife or Buftle: fo that the Whole is accomplish'd, before Men imagined or took Notice that it was in hand. And we fhould here remember the Prophecy of Daniel, concerning the latter Ages of the World: Many fhall go to and fro upon the Earth, and Knowledge shall be increased: Thereby plainly intimating it to be the Defign of Providence, that when the World was laid open to a general Intercourfe; as by our numerous long Voyages it now begins to be; at the fame Time alfo the Sciences fhould receive Increafe". 3. A capital Reafon of our Hope, may be alfo derived from the Er- The Errors of rors of paft Times; and the Ways that ftill remain untried. The fol- the Ancients lowing Reprehenfion of a civil State, that had fhewn little Conduct in to be removed, and new Ways in its Affairs, is excellent c. "What, with regard to Times paft, is the to be tried. "worft; fhould, for the Time to come, be efteem'd the best. For if 66 you had perform'd your Duty to the full, and yet your Affairs had gone backwards; there would have been no Hopes of their Amendment: but, as the bad Pofture of your Affairs proceeds, not from Neceffity, but from your own Errors; there is room to hope, that when "thofe Errors are forfaken, or corrected, a great Change for the better may enfue." In like manner, if Mankind had, for fo many Ages, held on in the true Courfe of difcovering and improving the Sciences, and yet could have advanced them no higher; it would indeed be bold and prefumptuous, to believe them capable of farther Improvement: but if the Way itself has been mistaken; and the Labour of Mankind been bestowed where it ought not; it follows, that the Difficulty does not arife. from hence, that Things lie out of our Reach; but from the Understanding itself, its manner of Ufe, and Application; which may itill be remedied. It were, therefore, advifable to enumerate thefe very Errors: for fo many Impediments as paft Errors have proved, fo many Arguments there are We may now be enabled, in fome meafure, to judge how far thefe Grounds of Hope were folid, and well laid. Certainly a great Revolution in Philofophy has gradually enfued upon the Endeavours of the Author; and Philofophers have been infenfibly drawn off from Speculation and Theory, to Practice and Experience: whence many useful Inventions and Works have proceeded; and more may, perhaps, proceed. The Reprehenfion of Demosthenes to the Athenians. See above, Aph. 81, 82, 83, &c. See hereafter, Aph. 105, 106. and Part II. throughout. The rational mental Faculties to be united. them are of future Hope. And tho' we have already touched upon APHORISM XCV. 4. Those who have treated the Sciences, were either Empirics, or Raand experi- tionalists. The Empirics, like Ants, only lay up Stores, and use them; the Rationalifts, like Spiders, fpin Webs out of themfelves: but the Bee takes a middle Courfe, gathering her Matter from the Flowers of the Field and Garden; and digefting and preparing it by her native Powers. In like manner, that is the true Office and Work of Philofophy, which, not trufting too much to the Faculties of the Mind, does not lay up the Matter, afforded by Natural History and Mechanical Experience, entire or unfashion'd, in the Memory; but treasures it, after being first elaborated and digefted in the Understanding : and, therefore, we have a good Ground of Hope, from the clofe and ftrict Union of the experimental and rational Faculty; which have not hitherto been united ". Natural Phi pure. APHORISM XCVI. 5. Natural Philofophy is not hitherto found pure, but infected and lofophy to be corrupted; in the School of Ariftotle, by Logic; in that of Plato, by Theology; in the fecond School of Plato, Proclus, and others, by Mathematics, which ought only to terminate Natural Philofophy, and not to generate or create it. And, therefore, we have another Ground of Hope, from a Natural Philofophy pure and unmixed. The Mind to be purged. APHORISM XCVII. 6. No Man has yet appeared, of fo great Conftancy and Firmness of Mind, as to impofe upon himself the total Extirpation of Theories, and f Sect. V. Aph. 78-92. This is the Office and Defign of the Author's Sylva Sylvarum. The Author, however, cautiously observes in another Place, that there have been fome Empirical Philofophers, who would not be efteem'd merely empirical; and, again, fome Rationalifts, who defired to appear induftrious, and verfed in Experience; but that this was only the Artifice of certain Men, in endeavouring to raise themselves a Character and Reputation, for excelling in their different Sects: whilft, in reality, the two Faculties were ever feparated, and almoft opposed to each other. iSee Vol. I. p. 90, 91. Here feems to be a Direction of great Moment, for the Advancement of genuine Philofophy; which certain Men conceive cannot be fo effectually promoted, as when Mathematics prefides therein, and directs. But this fhould be farther confider'd; and without all Partiality to Mathematics: for the Logician would have his Art prefide in Philofophy; the Chemist his; and the Metaphyfician is apt to reduce all to Abstraction and Ideas. Certainly Philofophy fhould refufe none of thefe Helps: but to make choice of any one of them, fo as to exclude the reft, muft needs occafion a partial Philofophy. And hence the Chemical Philofophies, the Logical Philofophies, the Metaphyfical Philofophies, and even the Mathematical Philofophies, cannot, perhaps, be fafely depended upon. |