the advancement of learning-第7部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


l　and　detriment　of　religion。

10。　So　in　natural　history；　we　see　there　hath　not　been　that　choice　and　judgment　used　as　ought　to　have　been；　as　may　appear　in　the　writings　of　Plinius；　Cardanus；　Albertus；　and　divers　of　the　Arabians；　being　fraught　with　much　fabulous　matter；　a　great　part　not　only　untried；　but　notoriously　untrue；　to　the　great　derogation　of　the　credit　of　natural　philosophy　with　the　grave　and　sober　kind　of　wits：　wherein　the　wisdom　and　integrity　of　Aristotle　is　worthy　to　be　observed；　that；　having　made　so　diligent　and　exquisite　a　history　of　living　creatures；　hath　mingled　it　sparingly　with　any　vain　or　feigned　matter：　and　yet　on　the　other　sake；　hath　cast　all　prodigious　narrations；　which　he　thought　worthy　the　recording；　into　one　book：　　excellently　discerning　that　matter　of　manifest　truth　（such　whereupon　observation　and　rule　were　to　be　built）；　was　not　to　be　mingled　or　weakened　with　matter　of　doubtful　credit；　and　yet　again；　that　rarities　and　reports　that　seem　incredible　are　not　to　be　suppressed　or　denied　to　the　memory　of　men。

11。　And　as　for　the　facility　of　credit　which　is　yielded　to　arts　and　opinions；　it　is　likewise　of　two　kinds；　either　when　too　much　belief　is　attributed　to　the　arts　themselves；　or　to　certain　authors　in　any　art。　The　sciences　themselves；　which　have　had　better　intelligence　and　confederacy　with　the　imagination　of　man　than　with　his　reason；　are　three　in　number；　astrology；　natural　magic；　and　alchemy：　of　which　sciences；　nevertheless；　the　ends　or　pretences　are　noble。　For　astrology　pretendeth　to　discover　that　correspondence　or　concatenation　which　is　between　the　superior　globe　and　the　inferior：　natural　magic　pretendeth　to　call　and　reduce　natural　philosophy　from　variety　of　speculations　to　the　magnitude　of　works：　and　alchemy　pretendeth　to　make　separation　of　all　the　unlike　parts　of　bodies　which　in　mixtures　of　nature　are　incorporate。　But　the　derivations　and　prosecutions　to　these　ends；　both　in　the　theories　and　in　the　practices；　are　full　of　error　and　vanity；　which　the　great　professors　themselves　have　sought　to　veil　over　and　conceal　by　enigmatical　writings；　and　referring　themselves　to　auricular　traditions　and　such　other　devices；　to　save　the　credit　of　impostures：　and　yet　surely　to　alchemy　this　right　is　due；　that　it　may　be　compared　to　the　husbandman　whereof　Aesop　makes　the　fable；　that；　when　he　died；　told　his　sons　that　he　had　left　unto　them　gold　buried　under　ground　in　his　vineyard；　and　they　digged　over　all　the　ground；　and　gold　they　found　none；　but　by　reason　of　their　stirring　and　digging　the　mould　about　the　roots　of　their　vines；　they　had　a　great　vintage　the　year　following：　so　assuredly　the　search　and　stir　to　make　gold　hath　brought　to　light　a　great　number　of　good　and　fruitful　inventions　and　experiments；　as　well　for　the　disclosing　of　nature　as　for　the　use　of　man's　life。

12。　And　as　for　the　overmuch　credit　that　hath　been　given　unto　authors　in　sciences；　in　making　them　dictators；　that　their　words　should　stand；　and　not　counsellors　to　give　advice；　the　damage　is　infinite　that　sciences　have　received　thereby；　as　the　principal　cause　that　hath　kept　them　low　at　a　stay　without　growth　or　advancement。　For　hence　it　hath　come；　that　in　arts　mechanical　the　first　deviser　comes　shortest；　and　time　addeth　and　perfecteth；　but　in　sciences　the　first　author　goeth　farthest；　and　time　leeseth　and　corrupteth。　So　we　see；　artillery；　sailing；　printing；　and　the　like；　were　grossly　managed　at　the　first；　and　by　time　accommodated　and　refined：　but　contrariwise；　the　philosophies　and　sciences　of　Aristotle；　Plato；　Democritus；　Hippocrates；　Euclides；　Archimedes；　of　most　vigour　at　the　first　and　by　time　degenerate　and　imbased；　whereof　the　reason　is　no　other；　but　that　in　the　former　many　wits　and　industries　have　contributed　in　one；　and　in　the　latter　many　wits　and　industries　have　been　spent　about　the　wit　of　some　one；　whom　many　times　they　have　rather　depraved　than　illustrated。　For　as　water　will　not　ascend　higher　than　the　level　of　the　first　springhead　from　whence　it　descendeth；　so　knowledge　derived　from　Aristotle；　and　exempted　from　liberty　of　examination；　will　not　rise　again　higher　than　the　knowledge　of　Aristotle。　And　therefore　although　the　position　be　good；　OPORTET　DISCENTEM　CREDERE；　yet　it　must　be　coupled　with　this；　OPORTO　EDOCTUM　JUDICARE；　for　disciples　do　owe　unto　masters　only　a　temporary　belief　and　a　suspension　of　their　own　judgment　until　they　be　fully　instructed；　and　not　an　absolute　resignation　or　perpetual　captivity：　and　therefore；　to　conclude　this　point；　I　will　say　no　more；　but　so　let　great　authors　have　their　due；　as　time；　which　is　the　author　of　authors；　be　not　deprived　of　his　due；　which　is；　further　and　further　to　discover　truth。　Thus　have　I　gone　over　these　three　diseases　of　learning；　besides　the　which　there　are　some　other　rather　peccant　humours　that　formed　diseases：　which　nevertheless　are　not　so　secret　and　intrinsic　but　that　they　fall　under　a　popular　observation　and　traducement；　and　therefore　are　not　to　be　passed　over。

V。　1。　The　first　of　these　is　the　extreme　affecting　of　two　extremities；　the　one　antiquity；　the　other　novelty；　wherein　it　seemeth　the　children　of　time　do　take　after　the　nature　and　malice　of　the　father。　For　as　he　devoureth　his　children；　so　one　of　them　seeketh　to　devour　and　suppress　the　other；　while　antiquity　envieth　there　should　be　new　additions；　and　novelty　cannot　be　content　to　add　but　it　must　deface。　Surely　the　advice　of　the　prophet　is　the　true　direction　in　this　matter；　STATE　SUPER　VIAS　ANTIQUAS；　ET　VIDETE　QUAENAM　FIT　VIA　RECTA　ET　BONA　ET　AMBULATE　IN　EA。　Antiquity　deserveth　that　reverence；　that　men。　should　make　a　stand　thereupon　and　discover　what　is　the　best　way；　but　when　the　discovery　is　well　taken；　then　to　make　progression。　And　to　speak　truly；　ANTIQUITAS　SAECULI　JUVENTUS　MUNDI。　These　＇12＇　times　are　the　ancient　times；　when　the　world　is　ancient；　and　not　those　which　we　account　ancient　ordine　retrogrado；　by　a　computation　backward　from　ourselves。

2。　Another　error　induced　by　the　former　is　a　distrust　that　anything　should　be　now　to　be　found　out；　which　the　world　should　have　missed　and　passed　over　so　long　time；　as　if　the　same　objection　were　to　be　made　to　time；　that　Lucian　maketh　to　Jupiter　and　other　the　heathen　gods；　of　which　he　wondereth　that　they　begot　so　many　children　in　old　time；　and　begot　none　in　his　time；　and　asketh　whether　they　were　become　septuagenary；　or　whether　the　law　PAPIA；　made　against　old　men's　marriages；　had　restrained　them。　So　it　seemeth　men　doubt　lest　time　is　become　past　children　and　generation；　wherein；　contrariwise；　we　see　commonly　the　levity　and　inconstancy　of　men's　judgments；　which　till　a　matter　be　done；　wonder　that　it　can　be　done；　and　as　soon　as　it　is　done；　wonder　again　that　it　was　no　sooner　done：　as　we　see　in　the　expedition　of　Alexander　into　Asia；　which　at　first　was　prejudged　as　a　vast　and　impossible　enterprise；　and　yet　afterwards　it　pleaseth　Livy　to　make　no　more　of　it　than　this：　NIL　ALIUD　QUAM　BENE　AUSUS　VANA　CONTEMNERE；　and　the　same　happened　to　Columbus　in　the　western　navigation。　But　in　intellectual　matters　it　is　much　more　common；　as　may　be　seen　in　most　of　the　propositions　of　Euclid；　which　till　they　be　demonstrate；　they　seem　strange　to　our　assent；　but　being　demonstrate；　our　mind　accepteth　of　them　by　a　kind　of　relation　（as　the　lawyers　speak）；　as　if　we　had　known　them　before。

3。　Another　error；　that　hath　also　some　affinity　with　the　former；　is　a　conceit　that　of　former　opinions　or　sects；　after　variety　and　examination；　the　best　hath　still　prevailed　and　suppressed　the　rest；　so　as；　if　a　man　should　begin　the　labour　of　a　new　search；　he　were　but　like　to　light　somewhat　formerly　rejected；　and　by　rejection　brought　into　oblivion：　as　if　the　multitude；　or　the　wisest　for　the　multitude's　sake；　were　not　ready　to　give　passage　rather　to　that　which　is　popular　and　superficial　than　to　that　which　is　substantial　and　profound；　for　the　truth　is　that　time　seemeth　to　be　of　the　nature　of　a　river　or　stream；　which　carrieth　down　to　us　that　which　is　light　and　blown　up；　and　sinketh　and　drowneth　that　which　is　weighty　and　solid。

4。　Another　error；　of　a　diverse　nature　from　all　the　former；　is　the　over　early　and　peremptory　reduction　of　knowledge　into　arts　and　methods；　from　which　time　commonly　sciences　receive　small　or　no　augmentation。　But　as　young　men；　when　they　knit　and　shape　perfectly；　do　seldom　grow　to　a　further　stature；　so　knowledge；　while　it　is　in　aphorisms　and　observations；　it　is　in　growth：　but　when　it　once　is　comprehended　in　exact　methods；　it　may　perchance　be　further　polished　and　illustrate　and　accommodated　for　use　and　practice；　but　it　increaseth　no　more　in　bulk　and　substance。

5。　Another　error；　which　doth　succeed　that　which　we　last　mentioned；　is　that　after　the　distribution　of　particular　arts　and　sciences；　men　have　abandoned　universality；　or　PHILOSOPHIA　PRIMA；　which　cannot　but　cease　and　stop　all　progression。　For　no　perfect　discovery　can　be　made　upon　a　flat　or　a　level：　neither　is　it　possible　to　discover　the　more　remote　and　deeper　parts　of　any　science；　if　you　stand　but　upon　the　level　of　the　same　science；　and　ascend　not　to　a　higher　science。

6。　Another　error　hath　proceeded　from　too　great　a　reverence；　and　a　kind　of　adoration　of　the　mind　and　understanding　of　man；　by　means　whereof　men　have　withdrawn　themselves　too　much　from　the　contemplation　of　nature；　and　the　observations　of　experience；　and　have　tumbled　up　and　down　in　their　own　reason　and　conceits。　Upon　these　intellectualists；　which　are　notwithstanding　commonly　taken　for　the　most　sublime　and　divine　philosophers；　Heraclitus　gave　a　just　censure；　saying；　MEN　SOUGHT　TRUTH　IN　THEIR　OWN　LITTLE　WORLDS；　AND　NOT　IN　THE　GREAT　AND　COMMON　WORLD；　for　they　disdain　to　spell；　and　so　by　degrees　to　read　in　the　volume　of　God's　works：　and　contrariwise　by　continual　meditation　and　agitation　of　wit　do　urge　and　as　it　were　invocate　their　own　spirits　to　divine　and　give　oracles　unto　them；　whereby　they　are　deservedly　deluded。

7。　Another　error　that　hath　some　connection　with　this　latter；　is；　that　men　have　used　to　infect　their　meditations；　opinions；　and　doctrines；　with　some　conceits　which　they　have　most　admired；　or　some　sciences　which　they　have　most　applied；　and　given　all　things　else　a　tincture　according　to　them　utterly　untrue　and　unproper。　So　hath　Plato　intermingled　his　philosophy　with　theology；　and　Aristotle　with　logic；　and　the　second　school　of　Plato；　Proc