Thomas Sprat

“ These by their fair Dowry of Gain and Honour, have always allur'd the greatest Part of the Men of Art, and Reason, to addict themselves to them: while the Search into severer Knowledge has been look'd on, as a Study out of the Way, fitter for a melancholy Humorist, or a retir'd weak Spirit, than to make Men equal to Business, or serviceable to their Country. ”

“ For certainly, such Men, whose Minds are so soft, so yielding, so complying, so large, are in a far better Way, than the bold and haughty Asserters: they will pass by nothing, by which they may learn; they will be always ready to receive, and communicate Observations; they will not contemn the Fruits of others Diligence; they will rejoice to see Mankind benefited, whether it be by themselves or others. ”

“ It makes them prone to undervalue other Mens Labours, and to neglect the real Advantage, that may be gotten by their Assistance; lest they should seem to darken their own Glory. This is a Temper of Mind of all others the most pernicious; to which I may chiefly attribute the Slowness of the Increase of Knowledge amongst Men. For what great Things can be expected, if Mens Understandings shall be as it were always in the warlike State of Nature, one against another? If every one be jealous of another's Inventions, and still ready to put a Stop to his Conquests? ”

“ They charge us with Immodesty in neglecting the Guidance of wiser and more discerning Men, than our selves. But is not this rather the greatest Sign of Modesty, to confess, that, we our selves may err, and all Mankind besides? To acknowledge the Difficulties of Science; and to submit our Minds to all the least Works of Nature? ”

“ It is true indeed, a diligent Inquirer of these Times may gather as much Experience, and in probability, conclude as rightly, as a whole Academy, or Sect of theirs could; yet I shall still deny, that any one Man, though he has the nimblest, and most universal Observation, can ever, in the Compass of his Life, lay up enough Knowledge, to suffice all that shall come after him to rest upon, without the Help of any new Inquiries.
And if we suppose the best, that some one Man, by wonderful Sagacity, or extraordinary Chance, shall light upon the true Principles of natural Philosophy ”

“ Their valiant Men and Generals did seldom rise higher than to Demy-Gods and Heroes: But the Gods they worshipped with Temples and Altars, were those who instructed the World to plow, to sow, to plant, to spin, to build Houses, and to find out new Countries. ”

“ So that when they say, that all Antiquity is against us, 'tis true, in shew, they object to us the Wisdom of many Ages; but in reality, they only confront us, with the Authority of a few leading Men. Nay, what if I should say, that this Honour for the dead, which such Men pretend to, is rather a worshipping of themselves, than of the Antients? ”

“ But first, I shall beseech them, calmly to consider; whether they themselves do not more injure those great Men, whom they would make the Matters of our Judgments, by attributing all Things to them so absolutely; than we, who do them all the Justice we can, without adoring them? It is always esteemed the greatest Mischief a Man can do those whom he loves, to raise Men's Expectations of them too high, by undue and impertinent Commendations. ”

“ He was one of the first Men, that began to draw into some Order, the confus'd and obscure Imaginations of those that went before him: and to make way for the composing of Arts, out of their scattered Observations. All these various Subjects, the Vastness of his Soul comprehended in his casual Disputations: but after his Death they were divided amongst his Followers, according to their several Inclinations. ”

“ Or, what can be more delightful for an English Man to consider, than that notwithstanding all the late Miseries of his Country, it has been able in a short Time so well to recover it self, as not only to attain to the Perfection of its former Civility, and Learning, but also to set on foot a new Way of Improvement of Arts, as great and as beneficial (to say no more) as any the wittiest or the happiest Age has ever invented? ”

“ The first part of these Men's Performance is very much to be prais'd: They have made the Ground open and clear for us; they have remov'd the Rubbish; which, when one great Fabrick is to be pull'd down, and another to be erected in its stead, is always esteem'd well nigh half the whole Work: Their Adventure was bold,, and hazardous: They touch'd Men's Minds in their tenderest Part, when they strove to pluck off those Opinions, which had, by long Custom, been so closely twin'd about them: They freed our Understandings from the Charms of vain Apparitions, and a Slavery to dead Men's Names. ”

“ And from their Labours, the true Philosophy is like to receive the noblest Improvements. But the Pretentions of the third Kind are, not only to indow us with all the Benefits of this Life, but with Immortality it self: And their Success has been as small, as their Design was extravagant. ”

“ It is not therefore the Conceit or Fancy of Men alone, that is of Ancient Authority to condemn the most unlikely Things for impossible; unless they have been often attempted in vain, by many Eyes, many Hands, many Instruments, and many Ages. ”

“ For all the ancient Philosophers, though they labour'd not to be full and adorn'd in their Speech, yet they always strove to be easy, natural, and unaffected. Plato was allow'd by all to be the chief Master of Speaking, as well as of Thinking. And even Aristotle himself, whom alone these Men ador'd, however he has been since us'd by his Commentators, was so careful about his Words, that he was esteem'd one of the purest, and most polite Writers of his Time. ”

“ Hence that Religion, which at full appeared so innocent, and peaceable, and fitted for the Benefit of human Society; which consisted in the plain, and direct Rules, of good Life, and Charity, and the Belief in a Redemption by one Saviour, was miserably divided into a thousand intricate Questions, which neither advance true Piety, nor good Manners. ”

“ And feeing we cast Enthusiasm out of Divinity it self, we shall hardly sure be persuaded, to admit it into Philosophy. It were perhaps a vain Attempt, to try to cure such Men of their groundless Hopes. ”

“ Will there not be the same wild Condition in Learning, which had been amongst Men, if they had always been dispers'd, still preying upon and spoiling their Neighbours? If that had still continued, no Cities had been built, no Trades found out, no Civility taught: For all these noble Productions came from Men's joining in Compacts, and entring into Society. It is an usual saying, that where the natural Philosopher ends, the Physician must begin: And I will also add,, that the natural Philosopher is to begin, where the moral ends. ”

“ It is evident, from the universal Testimony of History, that all Learning and Civility were deriv'd down to us from the Eastern Part of the World. There it was, that Mankind arose: and there they first discover'd the Ways of Living, with Safety, Convenience, and Delight. ”

“ This was a sure Way to beget a Reverence in the People's Hearts towards themselves: but not to advance the true Philosophy of Nature. That stands not in need of such Artifices to uphold its credit: But is then most likely to thrive, when the Minds, and Labours of Men of all Conditions, are join'd to promote it, and when it becomes the care of united Nations.
Into the East, the first inquisitive Men amongst the Grecians travelled: By what they observed there, they ripened their own imperfect Conceptions, and so returned to teach them at home. ”

“ An Enterprize equal to the most renown'd Actions of the best Princes. For, to increase the Powers of all Mankind, and to free them from the Bondage of Errors, is greater Glory than to enlarge Empire, or to put Chains on the Necks of Conquer'd Nations. ”

“ This is certainly so in the Thing it self: But the greatest Part of Men have still apprehended the contrary. If they can bring such Inquirers under the scornful Titles of Philofophers, or Scholars, or Virtuosi, it is enough: They presently conclude them to be Men of another World, only fit Companions for the Shadow, and their own melancholy Whimsies; looking on those who dig in the Mine of Nature, to be in as bad a Condition, as the King of Spain's Slaves in Peru, condemn'd for ever to that Drudgery, and never to be redeem'd to any other Imployment. ”

“ It serves admirably well indeed, in those Arts, where the Connection between the Propositions is necessary, as in the Mathematicks, in which a long Train of Demonstrations, may be truly collected, from the certainty of the first Foundation: But in things of probability only, it seldom or never happens, that after some little Progress, the main Subject is not left, and the Contenders fall not into other Matters, that are nothing to the Purpose: For if but one Link in the whole Chain be loose, they wander far away, and seldom or never recover their first Ground again. ”

“ It is probable enough, that upon a fresh Survey, we may find many Things true, which they have before asserted; and then will not they receive a greater Confirmation, from this our new and severe Approbation, than from those Men, who resign up their Opinions to their Words only? It is the best Way of honouring them, to separate the certain Things in them, from the doubtful: For that shews, we are not so much carried towards them, by rash Affection, as by an unbyass'd Judgment. If we would do them the most Right, it is not necessary we should be perfectly like them in all Things. ”

“ But to say no more, they had but a narrow Territory; and the on of those times, would not allow a very large Commerce with foreign Nations: they were much exercis'd in the civil Affairs of their Country: they had almost a perpetual War at home, or abroad: which Kinds of busie and active Life breed Men up indeed for great Employments: but not so well for the diligent, private, and severe Examination of those little and almost infinite Curiosities, on which the true Philosophy must be founded. ”

“ In brief, Disputing is a very good Instrument to sharpen Men's Wits, and to make them versatile, and wary Defenders of the Principles, which they already know: but it can never much augment the solid Substance of Science itself: And methinks compared to Experimenting, it is like Exercise to the Body in Companion of Meat: For Running, Walking, Wrestling, Shooting, and other such active Sports, will keep Men in Health, and Breath, and a vigorous Temper: but it must be a supply of new Food that must make them grow: so it is in this Case ”

“ The same is to be found in Philosophy; a thousand fine Argumentations, and Fabricks in the Mind, concerning the Nature of Body, Quantity, Motion, and the like, if they only hover a-loof, and are not squar'd to particular Matters, they may give an empty Satisfaction, but no Benefit, and rather serve to swell, than fill the Soul. ”

“ Many Things, that were at first improbable to the Minds of Men, are not so to their Eyes; many that seemed impracticable to their Thoughts, are quite otherwise to their Hands: many that are too difficult for their naked Hands, may be soon performed by the same Hands, if they are strengthen'd by Instruments, and guided by Method: many that are unmanageable by a few Hands, and a few Instruments, are easy to the joint Force of a Multitude: many that fail in one Age, may succeed by the renew'd Endeavours of another. ”

“ While some over-zealous Divines do reprobate natural Philosophy as a carnal Knowledge, and a too much minding worldly Things, the Men of the World, and Business, on the other side, esteem it merely as an idle Matter of Fancy, and as that which disables us from taking right Measures in human Affairs. ”

“ Whoever shall soberly profess, to be willing to put their Shoulders under the Burthen of so great an Enterprize, as to represent to Mankind the whole Fabrick, the Parts, the Causes, the Effects of Nature, ought to have their Eyes in all Parts, and to receive Information from every Quarter of the Earth; they ought to have a constant universal Intelligence; all Discoveries should be brought to them; the Treasuries of all former Times should be laid open before them ”

“ And now, when Men's Minds are somewhat settled, their Passions allay'd, and the peace of our Country gives us the Opportunity of such Diversions; if some sober and judicious Men would take the whole Mass of our Language into their Hands, as they find it, and would let a Mark on the ill Words, correct those which are to be retain'd, admit and establish the good, and make some Emendations in the Accent and Grammar: I dare pronounce, that our Speech would quickly arrive at as much Plenty, as it is capable to receive ”

“ In few Words therefore, let such Men believe, that we have no Thought of detracting from what was good in former Times: But, on the contrary, we have a mind to bestow on them a solid Praise, instead of a great, and an empty. While we are raising new Observations upon Nature, we mean not to abolish the old, which were well and judiciously establish'd by them: No more, than a King, when he makes a new Coin of his own, does presently call in that, which bears the Image of his Father ”

“ For I will once more affirm, that as the Minds of Men do often mistake Falshoods for Truths, though they are ever so circumspect; so they are often drawn by uncertain, and sometimes erroneous Reports, to stumble on Truths and Realities. ”

“ The Philosophy of the Moderns.And yet, notwithstanding all these unfortunate Hindrances, there have been many commendable Attempts in this way, in the Compass of our Memories, and the Age before us. And though they have been for the most part carry 'd on, by the private Diligence of some few Men, in the midst of a thousand Difficulties, yet it will not be unprofitable to recount some of them; if it were only to give a fair Ground of Hope, how much Progress may be made by a form'd and regular Assembly, seeing some single Hands, with so small Encouragement, could dispatch so much of the Work. ”

“ But what sorry Kinds of Philosophy must they needs produce, when it was a part of their Religion, to separate themselves, as much as they could, from the Converse of Mankind? when they were so far from being able to discover the Secrets of Nature, that they had scarce Opportunity, to behold enough of its common Works. If any shall be inclinable to follow the Directions of such Men in natural Things, rather than of those, who make it their Employment ”

“ I know indeed, that the English Genius is not so airy and discursive, as that of some of our Neighbours, but that we generally love to have Reason set out in plain undeceiving Expressions; as much as they to have it deliver'd with Colour and Beauty. ”

“ The Peripateticks themselves do all grant, that the first Rise of Knowledge must be from the Senses, and from an Induction of their Reports: Well then; how could the School-men be proper for such a Business, who were ty'd by their Cloystral Life to such a Strictness of Hours, and had seldom any larger Prospects of Nature, than the Gardens of their Monasteries? ”

“ For thereby not only their Enemies, but indifferent Men, will be secretly inclined to be more watchful over their Failings, and to conspire in beating down their Fame. What then can be more dangerous to the Honour of Antiquity; than to set its Value at such a Rate, and to extol it so extravagantly, that it can never be able to bear the Trial, not only of envious, but even of impartial Judges? It is natural to Men's Minds, when they perceive others to arrogate more to themselves, than is their Share ”