e) 
“Wy 
Legendre’s Geomeiry. 287 
years, and in this work he appears to have collected all the 
elementary truths of the science, which oo disc 4 ov- 
ered at the time in which he lived. It was com 
der the patron age of the Ptolemies, aid in the oot of 
Alexandria. | ith respect, however, to the influence 
which antiquity ought to have upon our opinion of an 
time when its attainments were the highest; and before 
we suffer ourselves to be guided by the veneration of anti- 
quity, we ought to consider in what real rime # —- 
With regard to the progress of knowledge an 
ment, we are more ancient than those who went belere us. 
The human race has now more experience than in the gen- 
a that are past, and of course may be expected to 
ave made higher attainments in science and philosophy.’’* 
Euclid’s Geometry is the only elementary work on the 
subject, that has come down to us from very remote times. 
But we do not know how it can be proved, that it was the 
only work of the kind which existed at that period; much’ 
less do we know, how it can be shewn that it was the best. 
if we had other ancient. elements of Geometry, our views 
of Euclid’s might possibly be considerably different. 
Notwithstanding what is here said, we profess the high- 
est veneration for the genius of Euclid, and we are perfect- 
ly aware of the extent of our obligations to this great father 
ef geometrical science. But while we would be foremost 
to grant him the full measure of his merit, we are convin- 
ced that the admiration bestowed on him, has sometimes 
been extravagant and absurd. His Elements have been re- 
presentedas absolutely perfect,—incapable of improvement. 
Take the following passage as an example: “ A geometer 
who hasstood the test of more than two thousand years ; who 
has resisted the attacks of so many critics, and supported 
the weight of s0 many commentators ; whose writings kept 
alive the sacred fire of science when it was almost extin- 
guished over the whole earth, and now shine with undi- 
minished lustre amidst the greatest splendor of scientific 
discovery ; such an author is not to be moved by the praise 
or the censure of modern criticism; his place in the tem- 
ple of fame is irrevocably fixed, and nothing remains for us 
*Diss, on Math, and Phys. Science, p. 50. 
