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forms of words are kept; as Tacitus remarks, “The names of the magistrates are the same."1

To return therefore to the use and acceptation of the term metaphysic, as I understand the word. It appears by that which has been already said, that I intend Primitive or Summary Philosophy and Metaphysic, which heretofore have been confounded as one, to be two distinct things. For the one I have made a parent or common ancestor to all knowledge; the other, a branch or portion of Natural Philosophy. Now I have assigned to Primitive Philosophy the common principles and axioms which are promiscuous and indifferent to several sciences. I have assigned to it likewise the question of the Relative and Adventitious Conditions of Essences (which I have termed Transcendentals); as Much, Little; Like, Unlike; Possible, Impossible, and the rest; with this provision alone, that they be handled as they have efficacy in nature, and not logically. But the inquiry concerning God, Unity, the nature of Good, Angels and Spirits, I have referred to Natural Theology. It may fairly therefore now be asked, what is left remaining for Metaphysic? Certainly nothing beyond nature; but of nature itself much the most excellent part. And herein without prejudice to truth I may preserve thus much of the conceit of antiquity, that Physic handles that which is most inherent in matter and therefore transitory, and Metaphysic that which is more abstracted and fixed. And again, that Physic supposes in nature only a being and moving and natural necessity; whereas Metaphysic supposes also a mind and idea. For that which I shall say comes perhaps to this. But avoiding all height of

1 Tac. Ann. i. 3.

language, I will state the matter perspicuously and familiarly. I divided Natural Philosophy into the Inquiry of Causes and the Production of Effects. The Inquiry of Causes I referred to the Theoretical part of Philosophy. This I subdivide into Physic and Metaphysic. It follows that the true difference between them must be drawn from the nature of the causes that they inquire into. And therefore to speak plain and go no further about, Physic inquires and handles the Material and Efficient Causes, Metaphysic the Formal and Final.

Physic then comprehends causes vague, variable, and respective; but does not aspire to the constant. Limus ut hic durescit, et hæc ut cera liquescit,

Uno eodemque igne.1

Fire is the cause of induration, but respective to clay; fire is the cause of colliquation, but respective to wax. Now I will divide Physic into three doctrines. For nature is either united and collected, or diffused and distributed. Nature is collected into one, either by reason of the community of the principles of all things, or by reason of the unity of the integral body of the universe. And thus this union of nature has begot two departments of Physic; the one concerning the first principles of things, the other concerning the structure of the universe, or the world; which parts I have likewise usually termed the doctrines concerning the Sums of Things. The third doctrine (which handles nature diffused or distributed) exhibits all the varieties and lesser sums of things. Hence it appears that there are three physical doctrines in all : concerning the prinAs the same fire which makes the soft clay hard, Makes hard wax soft.

1 Virg. Ecl. viii. 80.:

ciples of things; concerning the world or structure of the universe; and concerning nature manifold or diffused. Which last, as I have said, includes all variety of things, and is but as a gloss or paraphrase attending upon the text of natural history. Of these three I cannot report any as totally deficient: but in what truth or perfec tion they are handled. I make not here any judgment.

But Physic diffused, which touches on the variety and particularity of things. I will again divide into two parts: Physic concerning things Concrete, and Physic concerning things Abstract: or Physic concerning Creatures, and Physic concerning Natures. The one (to make use of logical terms) inquires concerning substances, with every variety of their accidents: and the other, concerning accidents, through every variety of substances. For example, if the inquiry be about a lion, or an oak, these support many different accidents; if contrariwise, it be about heat or gravity, these are found in many different substances. But as all Physic lies in a middle term between Natural History and Metaphysic, the former part if you ob serve rightly) comes nearer to Natural History, the latter to Metgihysic. Concrete Physic is subject to the same division as Samuel Hary: being corver ant either with the bearers or meters or the gute of surti amil sen, or the greater colleges, v.1 the cal the diaments, are lissur colleges or 2 Le with postergenerations and mochanies. Feita tese Nattral History investigates and relates the tact, whereas Phyde likes! animes the cases: I mean thE VICT In the Material and Enem. Among

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hysic that which incures concerning lodies, is altogether imperfect and de

fective, though by reason of the dignity of the subject it deserves special consideration. Astronomy has indeed a good foundation in phenomena, yet it is weak, and by no means sound; but astrology is in most parts without foundation even. Certainly astronomy offers to the human intellect a victim like that which Prometheus offered in deceit to Jupiter. Prometheus, in the place of a real ox, brought to the altar the hide of an ox of great size and beauty, stuffed with straw and leaves and twigs. In like manner astronomy presents only the exterior of the heavenly bodies (I mean the number of the stars, their positions, motions, and periods), as it were the hide of the heavens; beautiful indeed, and skilfully arranged into systems; but the interior (namely the physical reasons) is wanting, out of which (with the help of astronomical hypotheses) a theory might be devised which would not merely satisfy the phenomena (of which kind many might with a little ingenuity be contrived), but which would set forth the substance, motion, and influence of the heavenly bodies as they really are. For long ago have those doctrines beeen exploded of the Force of the First Mover and the Solidity of the Heaven, the stars being supposed to be fixed in their orbs like nails in a roof. And with no better reason is it affirmed, that there are different poles of the zodiac and of the world; that there is a Second Mover of counteraction to the force of the first; that all the heavenly bodies move in perfect circles; that there are eccentrics and epicycles whereby the constancy of motions in perfect circles is preserved; that the moon works no change or violence in the regions above it: and the like. And it is the absurdity of these opinions that has driven men to the

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diurnal motion of the earth; which I am convinced is most false. But there is scarce any one who has made inquiries into the physical causes, as well of the substance of the heavens both stellar and interstellar, as of the relative velocity and slowness of the heavenly bodies; of the different velocity of motion in the same planet; of the course of motions from east to west, and contrary; of their progressions, stationary positions, and retrogressions; of the elevation and fall of motions in apogee and perigee; of the obliquity of motions, either by spirals winding and unwinding towards the Tropics, or by those curves which they call Dragons: of the poles of rotation, why they are fixed in such part of the heaven rather than in any other; and of some planets being fixed at a certain distance from the sun: - such an inquiry as this (I say) has hardly been attempted; but all the labour is spent in mathematical observations and demonstrations. Such demonstrations however only show how all these things may be ingeniously made out and disentangled, not how they may truly subsist in nature; and indicate the apparent motions only, and a system of machinery arbitrarily devised and arranged to produce them, - not the very causes and truth of things. Wherefore astronomy, as it now is, is fairly enough ranked among the mathematical arts, not without disparagement to its dignity; seeing that, if it chose to maintain its proper office, it ought rather to be accounted as the noblest part of Pics. For whoever shall set aside the imaginary drce between vaperlanary and sublu me the most universal of one (which are powerful i

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