apprehensions then of the true nature of the things themselves.

The effects of these imperfections are manifested in different ways,
according to the temper and disposition of the several minds of men, some
they incline to _gross ignorance_ and stupidity, and others to a
_presumptuous imposing_ on other mens Opinions, and a _confident
dogmatizing_ on matters, whereof there it no assurance to be given.

Thus all the uncertainty, and mistakes of humane actions, proceed either
from the narrowness and wandring of our _Senses_, from the slipperiness or
delusion of our _Memory_, from the confinement or rashness of our
_Understanding_, so that 'tis no wonder, that our power over natural causes
and effects is so slowly improv'd, seeing we are not only to contend with
the obscurity and _difficulty of the things_ whereon we work and think, but
even the _forces of our own minds_ conspire to betray us.

These being the dangers in the process of humane Reason, the remedies of
them all can only proceed from the _real_, the _mechanical_, the
_experimental_ Philosophy, which has this advantage over the Philosophy of
_discourse_ and _disputation_, that whereas that chiefly aims at the
subtilty of its Deductions and Conclusions, without much regard to the
first ground-work, which ought to be well laid on the Sense and Memory; so
this intends the right ordering of them all, and the making them
serviceable to each other.

The first thing to be undertaken in this weighty work, is a _watchfulness
over the failings_ and an _inlargement of the dominion_, of the Senses.

To which end it is requisite, first, That there should be a _scrupulous_
choice, and a _strict examination_, of the reality, constancy, and