198

HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE

eminently nseful in that age, as meeting the prepossessionin favour of systematic method, and affording a substi-tute for the old system, presented under a similar form.

Some, perhaps, may think the whole discussion dryand tedious ; may regard the names given to the dif-ferent classes of arguments as fantastic, and consider thestyle formal and conceited: yet the profound observ-ations which enrich every page, the luminous and mas-terly illustrations of the various positions, and theprophetic anticipations of after discoveries, can but callforth one sentiment of admiration at the transcendentability of the author, and one general acknowledgmentof the benefit which science has reaped from the systemadvocated in his work. Of that system we must nowtake a rapid survey.

After some introductory remarks on the existing stateof science, the author proceeds to observe, that as thingsare at present conducted, a sudden transition is madefrom sensible objects and particular facts to generalpropositions, which are accounted principles, and roundwhich, as round so many fixed poles, disputation andargument continually revolve. From the propositionsthus hastily assumed, all things are derived, by a pro-cess compendious and precipitate, ill suited to discovery,but wonderfully accommodated to debate. The waythat promises success is the reverse of this: it requiresthat we should generalise slowly, going from particularthings to those that are but one step more general ; fromthose to others of still greater extent, and so on to suchas are universal. By such means we may hope to arriveat principles, not vague and obscure, but luminous andwell defined, such as nature herself will not refuse toacknowledge.

Before laying down the rules to he observed in thisinductive process, Bacon proceeds to enumerate thecauses of error, the idols, as he terms them in his figur-ative language, or false divinities, to which the mindhad been so long accustomed to bow. He consideredthis enumeration as the more necessary, that the same