INTRODUCTION

LIKE the General Principles of Nature, the General Principles of Mathematics is an assembled work in the condition in which it has reached us. Large parts of both works had taken their primary form when the Great Work was hurriedly completed. After Bacon had elaborated his scheme of a four-volume encyclopedia of the scientific foundations of knowledge, they were furnished with new and extended introductions. As was shown in the introduction to fascicule III, the assembler of the Natural Principles must have had before him authentic Bacon manuscripts which he discarded. He included two astronomical treatises covering the same ground from different standpoints. The General Principles of Mathematics as here printed is made up of an introductory part (pp. 1-70), an overlapping section (pp. 71-93), and the earlier form (pp. 71-155). The remainder of this earlier form is held over for the final fascicule.

The manuscripts of these works date from the earlier years of the fifteenth century. One of them, S (Sloane MS. 2156), is dated 1428. The Digby manuscript D (Bodleian Digby 76) is probably a little earlier. At page 144, another hand begins after a blank page in the manuscript (folio 64 b).

The introductory chapters, dealing with the general aspects of Mathematics in relation to the other branches of science, include references to his Greek Grammar and his Metaphysics as being works in existence. If, however, his statement as to the connection of the words Mathematics or Mathesis with "diviner" original: $μαντι\varsigma$ and "divination" original: $μαντε\acute{ι}α$ ever appeared in it, the error was certainly corrected before his grammar took its final form. His Metaphysics could only have existed in outline as a whole, though considerable sections such as the On the Multiplication of Species De Multiplicatione Specierum: Bacon's theory on how physical force, such as light or heat, emanates from a source and moves through a medium. printed with the Great Work were completed. Bacon’s habit of fortifying his case with citations, as shown here at some length, has been spoken of as a parade of learning. However, Cassiodorus, Isidore, and Boethius were not The text ends abruptly here, likely continuing on the following page.