VUE 5.) THE SECOND BOOK. 129 
revived, with some alterations and demonstrations, the 
opinions of Xenophanes; and any other worthy to be 
admitted, 
6. Thus have we now dealt with two of the three 
beams of man’s knowledge; that is radius direcius, which 
is referred to nature, radius refractus, which is referred to 
God, and cannot report truly because of the inequality of 
the medium. There resteth radius reflexus, whereby man 
beholdeth and contemplateth himself. 
IX. 1. We come therefore now to that knowledge 
whereunto the ancient oracle directeth us, which is the 
knowledge of ourselves; which deserveth the more ac- 
curate handling, by how much it toucheth us more nearly. 
This knowledge, as it is the end and term of natural phi- 
losophy in the intention of man, so notwithstanding it is 
but a portion of natural philosophy in the continent of 
nature, And generally let this be a rule, that all partitions 
of knowledges be accepted rather for lines and veins than 
for sections and separations; and that the continuance 
and entireness of knowledge be preserved. For the 
contrary hereof hath made particular sciences to become 
barren, shallow, and erroneous, while they have not been 
nourished and maintained from the common fountain. 
So we see Cicero the orator complained of Socrates and 
his school, that he was the first that separated philosophy 
and rhetoric; whereupon rhetoric became an empty and 
verbal art. So we may see that the opinion of Copernicus 
touching the rotation of the earth, which astronomy itself 
cannot correct, because it is not repugnant to any of the 
phatnomena, yet natural philosophy may correct. So we 
see also that the science of medicine if it be destituted 
and forsaken by natural philosophy, it is not much better 
than an empirical practice. With this reservation therefore 
K 
