[ 4 ] 



merits might have juftly entitled them to a feat in Paradife, if they 

 had partaken of the baptifmal rite, mentions Ariftotle as holding 

 the firft and principal place among the ancient philofophers. 



* Poiche'nnalfai un poco piu la ciglia 



Vidi '1 Maeftro di color che fanno 

 Seder tra Filoiofica Famiglia. 

 Tutti I'amiran, tutti onor gli fanno. 

 Quivi vid' io e Socrate, e Platone 

 Che 'nnanfi agli altri pui preflb gli ftanno. ' 



My eyes a little raifing, I defcried 



The fov'reign maftcr of all thofe who irio-w, 



Sitting among the philofophic race, 

 Admir'd by all, by all rever'd and lionour'd : 



There I beheld both Socrates and Plato, 



Who prior to the reft (land clofe beCde him. 



The charafler of Ariftotle, which will bear the tefl of the moft 

 enlightened times, was peculiarly revered in the darker ages at the 

 firft Revival of Letters, and the praifes laviftied on this philofopher 

 approach almoft to idolatry. His great Commentator, the Arabian 

 Averroes, fays of him that before Ariftotle was born nature was 

 yet incompleat, and that fhe received from him the perfedion of 

 her being. The Theologians of Cologne held, that Ariftotle was 

 the precurfor of the Mefliah in the myfteries of nature, as Johr% 

 the Baptift was in thofe of Grace. Dante afligns him, in the 

 pafTage here cited, the firft place among Philofophers, and 

 cannot better fhew his prediledion than by preferring him to 

 Socrates, and even to his matter Plato, who are honoured by 

 being placed next to him. Yet he does not venture fo far as 



Sepulveda, 



