Previously Unpublished Works, Fascicle 1

the book were Aristotle's Metaphysics with the Commentary of Averroes Averroes: A 12th-century Andalusian philosopher whose interpretations of Aristotle were central to medieval university study. in a translation which omitted part of our first, and our tenth, thirteenth, and fourteenth books, and Avicenna's First Philosophy original: "Prima Philosophia" or Metaphysics in ten tracts or books. A discussion of his indebtedness to Aristotle must be postponed to the introduction of the General Principles of Natural Philosophy original: "Communia Naturalium", and cannot be complete till the publication of the Amiens manuscript. Avicenna's influence was more immediate, both on Bacon and on Albertus Albertus: Albert the Great, a prominent 13th-century theologian and teacher of Thomas Aquinas.. He begins with a study of the general definitions of physics, and passes through a consideration of unity and number to the first principle, to the study of pure truth, and of moral philosophy, insomuch that Bacon often quotes it as the Roots of Moral Philosophy original: "Radices Moralis Philosophiae". Gundisalvi's On the Division of Philosophy original: "De divisione philosophiae", recently published, is largely founded on it. Bacon's own conception of the scope of Metaphysics is preserved for us in the Great Work original: "Opus Majus" in two places: Part II. chapter 18 (volume iii. page 75) and Part VII. chapter 1 (volume ii. pages 226-9).

In an Appendix I have collected a number of extracts from Bacon's works, mainly from the Great Work original: "Magnum Opus", indicating the scope of the Metaphysics. From extract 11 we learn that the beginning of our fragment is the first part of the Metaphysics: after (we may suppose) an introductory passage of some length corresponding to those in volumes i, ii, and iii. After this we find the "authorities of the holy fathers in praise of these sciences" original: "auctoritates sanctorum de laudibus harum scienciarum" of extract 15, the reference to the immortality of the soul (extract 2) and the comparison between Christian and non-believing philosophers (extracts 4, 14, 15). No reference is made to the proof of Christianity by astrology, which is incorporated in the Great Work, and when our fragment ends the greater part of the scheme has not been entered on. We may suppose that Bacon proceeds to develop his definition of Metaphysics as a general science of the foundation of all others on the lines hinted at in extracts 1, 3, 5, 7, 12, 16, 17, 24, 25, etc., and then deals with the order and divisions of each science (extracts 10, 25, 26). An illustration of his division of rhetoric is given (extract 21), and by extract 22 we find that some such passages as Third Work original: "Op. Tert." page 103 or Great Work volume i. page 99 were included here, as is almost shown by extract 13 referring to the latter passage. We may place here too the passage alluded to in extract 18 treating of the meaning of certain logical terms. Here too would come in its order the note on the possible number of vowels (extract 9). The notes on mathematics would follow, many of which are imbedded in Part IV of the Great Work, such as extracts 17 (volume i. page 152, etc.), 8 (volume i. page 239), 19 (volume i. page 165), etc.

The remaining extracts 20, 27-33, raise an interesting question. They plainly refer to some such treatise as the On the Multiplication of Species Multiplication of Species: A medieval theory explaining how physical influences, like light or heat, radiate through space and act upon distant objects.; in fact 27 is plainly volume ii. pages 409-10, 31 is page 493, and 32 page 513. The treatise itself is plainly part of the Great Work, as is shown by the expressions on volume ii. pages 408 and 424, and I incline to place it towards the end of the Metaphysics. But two references to the "fourth part" original: "quarta parte" on pages 430 and 535 stand in the way. They are not necessarily contradictory.