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But though in this principal view, the Medicina Mentis may not be so useful as the Novum Organum, yet they have a remarkable agreement in numerous other respects; and may be made greatly to assist and promote each other: especially the Medicina Mentis will prove serviceable to the Novum Organum, in the forming of notions; which M. Tschirnhaus terms the forming of definitions. Thus much is certain, that they both deserve to be farther improved, and reduced to practice: for the field of nature is so large, as to require all the engines, and artificial helps, that can any way be procured. And if this method of M. Tschirnhaus shall be brought to perfection, or commodiously fitted for practice; it will then, perhaps, be found to coincide with the Novum Organum, so as to constitute à part of that general engine, from whence, it seems in great measure, to have been derived: for, as the Medicina Mentis is the algebra of men, applied to things; so the Novum Organum may be called the algebra of nature, applied to herself.

Among the later philosophers of our own nation, who have endeavoured to improve, or find out, methods of making new discoveries; the principal seem to be Mr. Boyle, Mr. Locke, Dr. Hooke, and Sir Isaac Newton. Mr. Boyle has given us a particular account of the method

he pursued, in his philosophical enquiries; which plainly appeared to be formed upon the model of the Lord Bacon; and is no other than a loose and imperfect kind of induction, proceeding upon certain tables of enquiry, or general heads of history. For in every regular enquiry, Mr. Boyle first proposed to himself three kinds of orders, ranks or classes, under which he ranged all the particulars relating to the history of his subject; whether it were a body, a quality, an operation, or a process. The first general order, or place, was destined to receive all such titles, or heads of enquiry, as readily occurred upon the first deliberate view, or general survey of the subject; the titles being made sufficiently numerous and comprehensive, and not accommodated to any hypothesis. His titles of the second order were set down, after a careful consideration of the heads of the first; trying the experiments, and making the observations there proposed; and after reading authors, conversing with philosophers, and meditating upon the subject; so as thus to have procured a full information with relation to the whole thereof. This set of titles will, of course, be more exact, more full, and better ranged than the first; whence the materials here contained or indicated, will, with the proper introduction, alterations in method, connections, transitions,

additions, farther directions, &c. begin to form a natural history of the subject; that may be improved, from time to time, or from age to age, till it arrives at perfection. Lastly, where the enquiry was difficult, or large, the author thought proper to form a middle order of titles, interposing betwixt the two former; and this by carefully examining and comparing the several particulars ranged under the titles of the first order: so as thus to discover many new directions, and heads of enquiry; which being afterwards added to the former, may require the whole to be new-moulded; and afford a much more copious and useful set of titles, than the first all which titles are to be filled up, as experiments or observations are made, or the proper informations obtained. But after all, as many particulars may happen to be omitted, or not be thought of at the proper time, or when they are wanted; and as the history must needs be improvable by after thought, and farther knowledge; the author leaves a place empty, by way of appendix to his titles, for receiving the particulars omitted, that belong to some of the titles; but were forgot or overlooked: and another for particulars to be added; under which such new matter was to be received, as might be procured by farther discoveries and improve

ments made, after the history should be written, or published *.

Mr. Locke appears to have designed a kind of familiar explanation, and illustration of many aphorisms of the first part of the Novum Organum; in his excellent Essay upon Human Understanding; and again, in his posthumous piece, concerning the Conduct of the Understanding; but he seems no where to have explained the second part of the Novum Organum; or the Art of Investigating Forms. His philosophical writings are now generally known and read; but as they tend to the curing of prejudice, preparing the mind, and fitting it for the discovery of truth, rather than to open any fresh fountains of science, or teach the art of discovery, they need not here be insisted on; especially as they have but little immediate regard to natural philosophy; from whence all the sciences should be derived and supplied. And the same character may be understood proportionably of Father Malbranche's Recherche de la Verité.

Dr. Hooke, who was a great master in the art of invention; as appears by his numerous contrivances and discoveries; pursued much the same method as Mr. Boyle. In his piece for

*See Mr. Boyle's Works, Abridgm. Vol. I. Prelim. Disc.. p. 24.

improving natural philosophy, he seems to have proposed to perfect the design of the Lord Bacon's Novum Organum. And it is great pity that a person so well suited to the work, did not proceed farther in it. All he has done towards it, is little more than a familiar repetition of what the Lord Bacon had before laid down under the doctrine of idols; helps for the senses; the doctrine of prerogative instances; and the method of collecting a history of nature: though the Doctor has sometimes added apt illustrations, large explanations, and particular improvements.

Had Dr. Hooke finished the piece, according to the scheme he at first proposed, it would doubtless have familiarized the parts of the Novum Organum, which are already extant; and, perhaps, have supplied the rest: but as it now stands, it is defective in those very parts which are wanting in the Novum Organum. It was indeed a posthumous piece; and, perhaps, purposely neglected by the Doctor towards the close of his life; for fear of divulging his mechanical, or philosophical, algebra, which he seems to have learnt from the Novum Organum, and desired to conceal *

* See the account of his life, prefixed to his posthu-' mous works, p. 4. See also his method of improving na

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