Exemplified in
Plants.

Gums and
Gems.

The Scrotum and Matrix.

The moving

41. And of this we have a manifeft Example in Pains: for, as there are numerous Kinds of Pains, in Animals; and, as it were, different Characteristicks thereof; there being one Pain of Burning; another of Freezing; another of Pricking; another of Squeezing; another of Stretching, &c. 'tis certain that all thefe, with regard to the Motion, exist in Bodies inanimate, as they do in animate Bodies; for Example, in Wood, or Stone, when burnt, froze, pricked, cut, bent, bruised, &c. tho' there be no Senfe attending them in thefe inanimate Bodies, for want of the animal Spirit".

42. Again; the Roots and Branches of Plants, tho' this may feem ftrange, are Conformable Inftances: for every Vegetable fwells, and thrufts out its Parts towards the Circumference, as well upwards as downwards: and the Difference betwixt the Roots and the Branches, is no more than this, that the Root is contained in the Earth; but the Branch exposed to the Air and Sun.

43. For if a young thriving Branch of a Tree be bent down into any Parcel of Earth, tho' it does not reach to the Ground, it will foon become a Root and again; if Earth be laid on the Top of a Plant, and be fo preffed down by a Stone, or other hard Subftance, that the Plant cannot grow upwards; 'twill fhoot out Branches downwards, into the Air.

44. The Gums of Trees, and moft Gems of the Rock, are alfo Conformable Inftances; both of them being no other than Exudations, and Percolations of Juices. For Gums are but the tranfuded Juices of Trees; and Gems the tranfuded Juices of Stones: whence the Clearness and Transparency of them both are procured, by means of a curious and exquifite Percolation. And hence it is, that the Hairs and Furs of Animals are not of fuch beautiful, and vivid Colours, as many Feathers of Birds; viz. because the Juices are not fo fubtily ftrain'd thro' the direct Skins of Beafts, as thro' the Subftance of the Quill in Birds.

45. The Scrotum alfo in Male Animals, and the Matrix in the Female, are Conformable Inftances: fo that the noble Structure which diftinguishes the Sexes in Land Animals, feems to be nothing more than a Difference as to External and Internal; becaufe, by a greater Force of Heat fuppofe,. the genital Parts in the Male Sex are thruft outwards; whilft the Heat is too feeble in Females, to effect fuch an Extrufion; whence those Parts in them come to be contained within.

46. Among Conformable Inftances alfo, come the Fins of Fish, the Feet Limbs of Ani- of Quadrupeds, and the Feet and Wings of Fowl; to which Aristotle

mals.

adds

See the Sylva Sylvarum, under the Article Spirits, &c.

See the Experiments upon Vegetation, in the Philofophical Tranfactions, French Memoirs,

and the Author's Sylva Sylvarum.

See the Article Percolation, in the Sylva Sylvarum.

adds the four Wreaths of Serpents: So that in the Structure of the Univerfe, the Motion of living Creatures feems generally performed by quadruple Limbs, or Flexures.

47. Again; the Teeth in terreftrial Animals, and the Beaks in Birds, Teeth and are Conformable Inftances; which fhew, that in all perfect Animals, a cer- Beaks. tain hard Subftance flows to the Head.

48. It seems alfo no abfurd Similitude, or Conformity, that Man Men and fhould refemble an inverted Plant; the Root of the Nerves and animal Plants. Faculties refiding in the Head; and the feminal Parts being feated below; if we do not take in the Extremities of the Legs and Arms: but in a Plant, the Root, which anfwers to the Head in a Man, is regularly placed below, and the Seeds above.

49. But this Precept cannot be too frequently inculcated, that the The Manner of Procedure and Method of Mankind in their Enquiries and Endeavours compiling a to collect a Natural History, must be entirely alter'd from the Method Natural Hiftory intima at present in Use: for Mens Curiofity and Diligence have been hitherto ted. principally employ'd in obferving the Variety of Things, and explaining the precife Differences of Animals, Vegetables and Foffils; the greatest Part of which Variety and Differences are rather the Sport of Nature, than Matters of any confiderable and folid Ufe to the Sciences. Such Things, indeed, ferve for Delight, and fometimes contribute to Practice; but afford little or no true Information, or thorough Infight into Nature: human Industry, therefore, must be bent upon enquiring into, and observing the Similitudes and Analogies of Things, as well in their Wholes as in their Parts; for thefe are what unite Nature, and begin to build up the Sciences.

50. But here a fevere and rigid Caution must be used, that thofe InStances only be received for Conformable and Proportional, which (as we all along require) denote real phyfical Likeneffes and Refemblances; that is, fuch as are true, fubftantial, and actually lodged and feated in Nature; not fuch as are accidental and fhowy; much lefs fuch as are fuperftitious or vain; like thofe which the Writers of natural Magick, (a vain Sett of Men, that scarce deferve to be mentioned in the ferious Subject we are now upon) every where boaft of, in defcribing, and fometimes, with great Levity and Vanity, feigning empty Similitudes and Sympathies.

51. To

Are there but four Wreaths made in the progreffive Motions of Snakes, Vipers, &c. P Confider alfo the Motion of Caterpillars, Worms, &c.

See the Sylva Sylvarum, under the Articles Bones and Teeth.

d Animals likewife appear to resemble inverted Plants in another refpect; viz. in having their Roots within; whilst Plants have them without; for the lacteal Veins in Animals nearly correfpond with the Fibres of the Roots in Plants: fo that Animals feem nourished from within themfelves, as Plants are from without.

e See above, Part II. Sect I. Aph. 3.

f See Part II. Aph. 1, 4, 5, 20, &c. See alfo hereafter, Aph. 33. ad finem.

Conformable

Inflances in the Configura

tion of the World.

In Cold and

Heat.

In Axioms.

(7.) Hetero

51. To proceed; Conformable Inftances are not to be neglected in the Configuration of the World itfelf, with regard to its larger Parts. Thus Africa, and Peru, with the Continent up to the Streights of Magellan have fimiliar Ifthmus's and fimilar Promontories: which does not happen without fome Caufe.

52. So again; both the old World and the new, are wide and extended towards the North; but narrow and pointed towards the South.

53. But among the nobleft Inftances of Conformity, come the intense Cold in that called the Middle Region of the Air; and the violent Fires often found to break out from fubterraneal Places: for these two Things are Extremes, and Limitations; the one limiting the Nature of Cold, towards the Arch of the Heavens; and the other limiting the Nature of Heat towards the Bowels of the Earth; by Antiperiftafis, or the Rejection of a contrary Nature.

54. Laftly; a Conformity of Inftances deferves to be obferved in the Axioms of the Sciences. So the Figure in Rhetorick, called Inexpectation, when a Matter comes in unexpectedly, is comformable to that Figure in Mufic, which is calied finking of the Cadence. So again; the Mathematical Poftulate, that Things equal to the fame third, are equal among themselves, is conformable with the Structure of a Syllogifm, in Logick; which unites Things agreeing in a middle Term. To conclude; a certain Sagacity in fearching out and discovering phyfical Conformities and Similitudes, is a very ufefui Thing on many Occafions ".

APHORISM XXVIII.

55. In the feventh Place come those we term Singular, Irregular or clite Inftances. Hetoroclite Inftances; borrowing the Expreffion from the Grammarians; that is, fuch as fhew Bodies, in the Whole or Concrete, which feem to be out of Courfe; or as if they were broken in Nature; fo as not to agree with other Things of the fame Kind. For, Conformable Instances are like fomething elfe; but Heteroclite or Singular Inftances are only like themselves.

Their Ufe.

56. The Ufe of these Singular Inftances is the fame as of Clandestine Inftances; viz. for raising and uniting Nature; fo as to discover Kinds, or common Natures, that are afterwards to be limited by real Differences. Nor fhould the Enquiry be dropt, or broke off, till the Properties and Qualities found in fuch Things as may be efteem'd Miracles in Nature, are reduced, and comprehended under fome Form, or certain Law;

When the Mufic drops, as it were, or finks on the fudden.

See the de Augment. Scientiar. p. 70. See alfo the Sylva Sylvarum, paffim ; particularly under the Article Sound.

i How far this contributes to the Investigation of Forms, may appear from Aph. 4. Sect. I.

Part II.

Law; fo that all Irregularity or Singularity may be difcover'd to depend upon fome common Form; and the Miracle only reft in the exact Differences, Degree, and extraordinary Concurrence; and not in the Species itself. But the Contemplations of Men at prefent proceed no farther, than to fuppofe fuch Things as thefe to be Secrets, great Works of Nature, and as it were caufelefs, and to make them Exceptions to general Rules.

57. As Examples of Singular Instances, we have the Sun and Moon Exemplified. among the Stars; the Loadstone among Stones; Quickfilver among Metals; the Elephant among Quadrupeds; the Senfe of venereal Pleasure among the Kinds of Touch; and the Scent of the Blood-hound among the Kinds of Smell.

58. So with the Grammarians, the Letter S is held fingular; for the eafinefs of its Compofition with Confonants; fometimes with double, and fometimes with triple ones: which is a Property of no other Letter.

59. A large Collection of fuch Inftances fhould be made; because A Collection to they whet and quicken the Enquiry; and also rectify and cure the Un-be made of derstanding, depraved by Cuftom, and Things of common Occurrence *.

APHORISM XXIX.

them.

60. In the eighth Place come Deviating Instances; that is, the Errors (8.) Deviating of Nature, and Things monftrous and uncommon, where Nature turns Inftances. afide from her ordinary Course. For the Errors of Nature differ from Singular Inftances, in this, that Singular Inftances are Miracles in Species, Differ from but Errors of Nature are Miracles in Individuals': tho' thefe Deviating Heteroclite InInftances have nearly the fame Ufe with the former; as tending to rectify ftances. the Understanding, depraved by the Things to which it is most accustomed, and to disclose the most common Forms. For here also the Enquiry is not to ceafe, till the Caufe of the Deviation be difcovered; tho' this Caufe does not properly rife to any Form; but only to the latent Process m that leads towards it: for as he who knows the Ways of Nature, will the eafier obferve her Deviations; fo he who knows her Deviations will more exactly defcribe her Ways.

61. They differ in this alfo from Singular Instances, that they conduce Conduce more directly to much more to Practice, than thofe for it would be very difficult to geto Practice. nerate new Species; but 'tis easier to vary the known Species; and thence to produce many extraordinary and unknown Things; there being a ready Paffage from the Miracles of Nature, to the Miracles of Art. For if Na

Let it be all along obferved, and carefully remember'd, that this whole Doctrine of Inftances lays down Precepts for conducting Enquiries, both general and particular; with a direct View to the Investigation of Forms, or the full Interpretation of Nature. And in the Light of this Intimation, the Author's larger Enquiries are alfo to be confider'd. See Vol. III. passim. See above, §. 56, 57.

See Part II. Sect. I. Aph. 1, 4, 5, &c.

VOL. II.

Q99

ture

ture fhall once be difcovered in her Variation, and the reafon of it become manifeft, 'twill be eafy to lead her thither again by Art, where fhe err'd by Accident; and that not only in one Cafe, but in others: for Errors on one fide, fhew and open the Way to Errors and Deviations on all fides.

Require no 62. And here Examples are not neceffary; because they are fo nuExamples. merous and common. But a Collection, or particular Natural History But a colle- fhould be made of all prodigious and monstrous Births and Productions of NaEtive Hiftory. ture; and of all things new, extraordinary and uncommon in the Universe": But this is to be done with the ftricteft and moft judicious Choice; fo that it may be fafely relied on. And here thofe Things are principally to be held fufpect, which in any fort relate to Religion; as the Prodigies of Livy and those no lefs, which are found in the Writers of Natural Magick, Alchemy, or other Writers of the like Kind, who are the profeffed Admirers, or as it were Adorers of Fable and Fiction. But all the Particulars for this Purpose are to be derived from grave, judicious and faithful Hiftory, and juft Relation.

(9.) Frontier

Instances.

Ther Ufe.

Exemplified.

APHORISM XXX.

63. In the ninth Place come Frontier Inftances; which we fometimes alfo call Participles. These are fuch as exhibit thofe Species of Bodies which feem compofed of two Species, or to be Rudiments betwixt one Species. and another; but thefe Instances may be juftly reckoned among the fingular or betoroclite Kind, as being rare, or extraordinary in the Universe; yet for their Dignity they ought to be feparately placed and treated.. For they excellently indicate the Compofition and Structure of Things; and fuggeft the Caufes of the Number of the ordinary Species in the Univerfe; and lead the Understanding from that which is, to that which may be.

64. Examples of these are, (1.) Mofs, which is fomething betwixt Putrefaction, and a Plant; (2.) certain Comets, which are of a Nature betwixt Stars and fiery Meteors; (3.) Flying-Fishes, which are a Species betwixt Birds and Fish; (4.) Batts, which are betwixt Birds and Quadrupeds; (5.) the Beaft fo like ourselves, the Ape ; (6.) the biform'd Births of Animals; (7.) the Mixtures of different Species, &c.

*See Vol. I. p. 45. and Vol. III. p. 8—16.

APHORISM

• From their Participation of two different Natures; as a Participle, in Grammar, partici pates of a Noun and a Verb.

P See above, Aph. 28.

Simia quam fimilis, turpiffima beftia, nobis.

Viz. Mules, Mungrels, Dogs by the Mixture of a Dog and a Fox; and the like in other Beafts, Birds, and Fifh, where the Instances can be found.