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imparteth his meaning to those he employeth; fo is the Wisdom of GOD more admirable, when nature intendeth one Thing, and Providence draweth forth another, than if he had communicated to particular Creatures and Motions the Characters and Impreffions of his Providence. And thus much for Metaphyfique: the latter part whereof I allow as extant, but wish it confined to its proper place. Nevertheless there remaineth yet another part of Natural Philofophy, which is commonly made a principal part, and holdeth rank with Physique special and Metaphyfique, 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 Metaphyfique: for the fubject of it being Quantity, (not Quantity Indefinite, which is but a Relative, and belongeth to Philofophia prima, as hath been faid, but Quantity determined or proportionable), it appeareth to be one of the effential forms of things; as that that is caufative in nature of a number of effects; infomuch as we fee, in the Schools both of Democritus and of Pythagoras, that the one did afcribe Figure to the first feeds 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 abftracted and feparable from matter, and therefore most proper to Metaphyfique; 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 goodlieft fields to fatisfy 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 caft light upon another.

The Mathematics are either Pure or Mixed. To the Pure Mathematics are thofe Sciences belonging which handle Quantity determinate, merely fevered from any Axioms of Natural Philofophy; and these are two, Geometry and Arithmetic; the one handling Quantity continued, and the other diffevered.

Mixed hath for subject some Axioms or parts of Natural Philosophy, and confidereth Quantity determined, as it is auxiliary and incident unto them.

For many parts of Nature can neither be invented with sufficient fubtilty, nor demonstrated with sufficient perfpicuity, nor accommodated unto ufe with fufficient dexterity, without the aid and intervening of the Mathematics; of which fort are Perspective, Mufic, Aftronomy, Cofmography, Architecture, Enginery, and divers others.

In the Mathematics I can report no deficience, except it be that men do not fufficiently understand the excellent use of the pure Mathematics, in that they do remedy and cure many defects in the Wit

and Faculties Intellectual. For if the Wit be too dull, they sharpen it; if too wandering, they fix it; if too inherent in the sense, they abstract it. So that as Tennis is a Game of no use in itself, but of great ufe in refpect it maketh a quick eye and a body ready to put itself into all poftures; fo in the Mathematics, that ufe which is collateral and intervenient is no less worthy than that which is principal and intended. And as for the Mixed Mathematics, I may only make this prediction, that there cannot fail to be more kinds of them, as Nature grows further difclofed. Thus much of Natural Science, or the part of Nature Speculative.

For Natural Prudence, or the part Operative of Natural Philofophy, we will divide it into three parts, Experimental, Philofophical, and Magical; which three parts Active have a correspondence and Analogy with the three parts Speculative, Natural Hiftory, Phyfique, and Metaphyfique: for many operations have been invented, fometimes by a cafual incidence and occurrence, fometimes by a purposed experiment: and of those which have been found by an intentional experiment, fome have been found out by varying or extending the same experiment, fome by transferring and compounding divers experiments the one into the other, which kind of invention an Empiric may manage.

Again, by the knowledge of Physical caufes there cannot fail to follow many indications and defignations of new particulars, if men in their speculation will keep one eye upon use and prac

tice. But these are but Coastings along the shore, Premendo littus iniquum: for, it seemeth to me there can hardly be Discovered any radical or fundamental alterations and innovations in Nature, either by the Fortune and Effays of experiments, or by the light and direction of Phyfical causes. If therefore we have reported Metaphyfique deficient, it must follow that we do the like of Natural Magic, which hath relation thereunto. For as for the Natural Magic whereof now there is mention in Books, containing certain credulous and fuperftitious Conceits and Obfervations of Sympathies and Antipathies, and hidden Proprieties, and fome frivolous experiments, ftrange rather by disguisement than in themselves, it is as far differing in truth of Nature from fuch a knowledge as we require, as the Story of King Arthur of Britain, or Hugh of Bourdeaux, differs from Cæfar's Commentaries in truth of Story. For it is manifeft that Cæfar did greater things de vero than those Imaginary Heroes were feigned to do; but he did them not in that fabulous manner. Of this kind of Learning the Fable of Ixion was a figure, who defigned to enjoy Juno, the Goddess of power; and instead of her had Copulation with a Cloud, of which mixture were begotten Centaurs and Chimeras.

So whofoever shall entertain high and vaporous imaginations, instead of a laborious and fober inquiry of truth, fhall beget hopes and beliefs of ftrange and impoffible fhapes. And therefore we may note in these Sciences which hold fo much of

imagination and belief, as this degenerate Natural Magic, Alchemy, Aftrology, and the like, that in their propofitions the description of the mean is ever more monftrous than the pretence or end. For it is a thing more probable, that he that knoweth well the Natures of Weight, of Colour, of Pliant and Fragile, in respect of the Hammer, of volatile and fixed in respect of the fire and the rest, may fuperinduce upon fome Metal the nature and form of Gold by fuch Mechanique as belongeth to the production of the Natures afore rehearsed, than that fome grains of the Medicine projected should in a few Moments of time turn a Sea of Quickfilver or other Material into Gold: fo it is more probable that he that knoweth the Nature of Arefaction, the Nature of Affimilation of nourishment to the thing nourished, the manner of increase and clearing of fpirits, the manner of the depredations which Spirits make upon the humours and folid parts, shall by Ambages of diets, bathings, anointings, medicines, motions, and the like, prolong life, or restore some degree of youth or vivacity, than that it can be done with the use of a few drops or scruples of a liquor or receipt. To conclude, therefore, the true Natural Magic, which is that great liberty and latitude of operation which dependeth upon the knowledge of forms, I may report deficient, as the Relative thereof is.

To which part, if we be serious, and incline not to vanities and plaufible Difcourfe, befides the deriving and deducing the Operations themselves

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