PREFACE. XXXV 



As to Logic, there is nothing of the fcience of it in Plato, except 

 what he has faid of the DIau-etic method, or method of Divifwii, 

 which he has explained and illuftrated by examples in the Sophj/la 

 and the Politicus. This method too was known to the Pythago- 

 reans, and was part of their Logic, as appears from what Jamblichiis 

 fays in his Life of Pythagoras 



o * 



Thus it appears, that the whole Philofophy of Plato is taken from 

 the Pythagoreans; and particularly his Morals and Politics, which 

 make by far the greater part of his Philofophy. 



Before I come to fpeak of the Philofophy of Ariftotle, I cannot 

 help obferving, that thefe fragments of Pythagorean writers which 

 Stobseus has preferved to us, and which Gale has colleded together 

 from different parts of Stobssus's Works, are, in my opinion, among 

 the moft valuable remains of antiquity ; they are written in the Doric 

 dialed, the only dialed ufed by the Philofophers of that School, which 

 was become obfolete when Stobseus wrote, and, I believe, not perfedly 

 well underftood by Stobasus himfelf ; and as the matter of thofe writ- 

 ings was fo obfcure, at lead very much removed from common appre- 



f 2 henfion, 



as necefTary as light is for the exercife of the faculty of fight.— And the utmoft length 

 they went was to fay, that the virtuous man in adverfity was not miferable ; whereas the 

 vicious aad foolifh were miferable in all fituations of fortune. And in another pafTage 

 they fay, That the difference betwixt God and Man is, that God is perfed in himfelf, 

 and needs nothing from without ; whereas the nature of Man is imperfea and defedive, 

 and needs to be fupplied from without. Although, therefore, we poffefs virtue, that 

 is but the perfeaion of one part, namely, the mind; but as we confift both of mind 

 and body, the body alfo muft be perfeft of its kind: Nor is that alone fufficient; 

 but the profperous exercife of virtue requires certain externals, fuch as wealth, repu- 

 tation, friends, and above all, a well conftituted ftate ; for without that, the 

 rational and focial animal is imperfea, and unable to fulfil the purpofe of its 

 nature. 



* Sea. 1 6 1. 



