of the Monk Roger Bacon, 329 



ignorance, proceeded by analytic induBioyi to the eliciting 

 of truth : as the algebraifts have (ince done, from a theorem 

 ftated on an unknown quantity, bringing out the true one. 

 He thus not only brought truth to light bv rcafon, but by the 

 very mode of his reafoning taught the ufc, the extent, and 

 the right of human reafon. This was fufficient to decide the 

 fate which both the teacher and his do6lrines experienced. 

 ilis doftrines were defpifed, and attempts were made by the 

 wits of the time to ridicule his knowledge : it was reprefented 

 as evoI\'ed from the clouds*. But, as truth will ftand the 

 ted of ridicule, nothing remained but to decide hj authority 

 that the truths which he taught were inadmiffible; and they 

 were therefore interdlded hy power: and Socrates himfelf 

 was profecutcd and condemned to death as a falfe teacher, 

 as a corrupter of men, an heretic, unbeliever, and deCpifer 

 of the gods ! What is ("till more humiliating to the chara(iler 

 of man, the doctrines which he taught, and the truths which 

 be publiflied, were perverted where received, and even by 

 liis difciples. The homely fimplicity of his doftrines was 

 fophidicated and corrupted, in a line of learning, to ufes per- 

 verfive of their nature. 



I will not here glance, although it is in my mind's eye, 

 at the fimilar fate of a Divine teacher who came forward in 

 the world to enlighten man, and to inllruft him in his moft 

 efll'ntial duty and intereft. 



Purfuing therefore the fate of Socrates, which is not irre- 

 lative to the matter of this paper, I fhall proceed to ftate that 

 Plato, his favourite difciple, who was a really great mathe- 

 matician, and particularly converfant in the analytic procefs 

 of that fcience, and who followed the fleps of induction 

 niarked out by Socrates, mixed fo many myilic conceits and 

 theories, that he fublimed and fubtilized truth to a mere 

 learned vifion, fuch as the latter Platonids afterward taught. 



Ariftotle, on the other hand, a dUlinguiflied difciple of 

 Plato, converted the knowledge of phyfics, both material and 

 intelleclual, into an artificial Jyjleni of axioms, data, and 

 maxims, and formed thereon a logical frame of fynthcfis; 

 which gave occafion to his immediate followers and to the 

 I'cripatetic fchool to found their learning on the authority of 

 teaching, infleud of being founded on truth led by experience 

 to knowledge, to the tliigrace of human inielleft, and the 

 perverfion of true philofopliy. 



It \i lamentable to rede/l how many theories and myfie- 

 rics, divine as will as natural, fprang from this foul ground; 



* Si !.■ the Kubes Ariftophanis. 



which. 



