4 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book I. 



fu,bicas, anJ has been very fuccefsful in the experimental philofophy, 

 as it is called, particularly upon the fubjea of air ; and it is to me a 

 proof of his being a man of genius, that, not contented with experi- 

 ments, fads of natural hiflory, and mathematics, he has afpired to the 

 knowledge of the caufes and the principles of things ;. for, though I 

 hold phyfics to be the ground-work of all good metaphyfics, and 

 mathematics an excellent handmaid to philofophy of every kind, 

 I, have always thought him a man of low genius, and of little 

 elevation of mind above the vulgar, who relied fatisfied with the infe- 

 rior fciences, amongft which I reckon even geometry and aftronomy, 

 and could not raife his mind to the jirfi philofophy, which explains 

 the principles of them all, and inquires concerning the univerfe, and 

 the lirft caufes of things. — But, by how much this philofophy is 

 higher than any other, fo much I hold it to be more difficult ; and, 

 however great the genius of Dr Prieftley may be, I think it is abfo- 

 lutely impoffible that he could invent it. It was the labour of ages, 

 not only in Greece and Italy, but in Egypt, to bring it to the per- 

 fedion in which we find it in the writings of Plato and Ariftotle. It 

 is only by the diligent ftudy of thefe authors that we can hope to be 

 good metaphyficians ; for, though I think it is poffible, even in thefe 

 latter days, that we may make difcoveries, not only in natural hiflo- 

 ry, but in philofophy, of things unknown to the antients, we muft 

 begin with the ftudy of their works, and take what afliftance we can 

 get from them : For, if we would fee further than the antients, w^e 

 muft get upon their fhoulders ; and, in that way, as it is commonly 

 faid, a dwarf may fee farther than a giant. It is evident, I think, 

 from the writings of Dr Prieftley, that he has not learned his meta- 

 phyfics in the fchool of Plato or Ariftotle. And he acknowledges 



no 



Hobbes maintains the fame doftrine as Dr Prieftley, and with the fame falvo, of om 

 renovation at the rcfurre£iion. 



