INTRODUCTION, til 



ven the neceffary arts of life, Is a fa£t well known to thofe who are 

 learned in the hiftory of learning ; and, particularly, this univerfal 

 philofophy was firft imported into Greece, under the veil of myftery, 

 by Orpheus, and other myftagogues, and revealed only to thofe who 

 were thought worthy of being initiated into their folemn myfteries, 

 fuch as the Eleufinian and Samothracian. It was delivered more plainly, 

 and, I believe, more fully, by Pythagoras, and cultivated in colleges 

 inftituted by him in Magna Graecia^ upon the model, no doubt, of the 

 colleges of priefts in Egypt* After the deftrudion and difperiion of 

 thefe Pythagorean colleges in Italy, fome fragments of this philofophy, 

 like fcattered planks of a (hipwreck, were collected and preferved by 

 Plato and Ariftotle, and their commentators of later times ; fome of 

 \5thom were particularly induftrious in coUedting the few remains that 

 were then to be found of the Pythagorean fchool. All the merit, 

 therefore, that I pretend to, is that of having ftudied diligently what is 

 yet to be found of this moft antient philofophy, the moft valuable re- 

 mains of antiquity, according to my judgment, that have efcaped the 

 ravages of time and barbarity. 



Metaphyfics, I know, are, at prefent, in great difrepute among met> 

 of fenfe, from the ufe that, of late years, has been made of them. 

 Young men,, who get a little fmattering of this fcience, are apt to abufe 

 it very much, difputing againft every thing, even the cleared truths, 

 and, like puppies, (to ufe an expreflion of Plato,) pulling and tearing 

 whatever they can lay hold of. Some elderly men, too, of little learn- 

 ing, and much vanity, afFed to diftinguifh themfelves by fingular opi. 

 nlons, and refuting all vulgar notions ; among which they reckon 

 thebehef in God and his providence. But the metaphyfics I here deliver 

 are of a very different kind, and which, therefore, I have entitled Antient 

 Metapyhftcs, where, it is hoped, the reader will find nothing adverfe, ei- 

 ther to natural or revealed religion ; But, on the contrary, I truft that, 

 from thofe antieat mafters, I have learned the pureft theology, and 



auii, 



