For there being but four
kinds of demonstrations, that is, by the immediate consent of the
mind or sense, by induction, by syllogism, and by congruity, which
is that which Aristotle calleth demonstration in orb or circle, and
not a notioribus, every of these hath certain subjects in the matter
of sciences, in which respectively they have chiefest use; and
certain others, from which respectively they ought to be excluded;
and the rigour and curiosity in requiring the more severe proofs in
some things, and chiefly the facility in contenting ourselves with
the more remiss proofs in others, hath been amongst the greatest
causes of detriment and hindrance to knowledge. The distributions
and assignations of demonstrations according to the analogy of
sciences I note as deficient.
XV. (1) The custody or retaining of knowledge is either in writing
or memory; whereof writing hath two parts, the nature of the
character and the order of the entry. For the art of characters, or
other visible notes of words or things, it hath nearest conjugation
with grammar, and, therefore, I refer it to the due place; for the
disposition and collocation of that knowledge which we preserve in
writing, it consisteth in a good digest of common-places, wherein I
am not ignorant of the prejudice imputed to the use of common-place
books, as causing a retardation of reading, and some sloth or
relaxation of memory.
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