PREFACE. Iv' 



with the Greek ? And is it not plain from the Latin language, which 

 is a very antient dlaledt of the Greek, that there was a time when 

 the Greek was not near fo perfect a language as the fame language 

 in later times ? I think, therefore, that Ariftotle muft have been not only 

 Aa/^.w/of , as the later Philofophers called him, but muft have been much 

 above even the divme Plato (lb they called him), and, indeed, as I have 

 faid, fomething above humanity, if, in the fpace of fo fhort a life, and 

 fo much occupied too with other things, he could not only have 

 Invented, but perfecled, fo intricate and difficult a fcience. 



3//0. Although my opinion of the abilities of Ariftotle as a Philo- 

 fopher be very great, yet I have not the fame opinion of his candour- 

 and good faith. Even his own interpreters, as I have faid, accufe 

 him of mifreprefenting the opinions of the Philofophers before him, 

 in order that he might have the pleafure of refuting them ; and I 

 think we are obliged to one of thefe commentators, Simplicius, for 

 fo often defending tliofe antient Philofophers againft him, by whofe 

 labours, though he profited extremely, more, I believe, than any 

 Philofopher ever did by the labours of others, yet he is fo ungrateful 

 as hardly ever to acknowledge it ; but, on the contrary, arrogates to 

 himfelf difcoveries that were m.ade by them. Thus, as I have already 

 obferved, he would make the Reader believe, that he was the firft 

 who maintained the Eternity of the world ; and that all the Philo- 

 fophers before him had afterted, that motion had a beginning ; 

 whereas it is certain, from a Work yet extant, that the Eternity of 

 the World was a doctrine of the Pythagorean School ; and I think 

 there is the greateft reafon to believe that it was maintained by all 

 the Philofophers before Ariftotle, without the exception even of his 

 mafter Plato '^ There is a book too of another Pythagorean 

 Philofopher, which, as I have faid, he has almoft tranfcribed in his 



book 



♦ See what I have further faid upon this fubje»St, p. 258, et feq. Vol. I. Metaphyfi- 

 7 



