178 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



cally, as quantity is one of the Categories, and a moft general idea, 

 containing under it quantity continuous ^ that is magnitude^ and quan~ 

 tity difcrete, that is number^ it is fit that we fhould underftand the 

 nature of both and their feveral qualities. And befides, as it is 

 lefs abftraded from matter than any other fcience, and its demon- 

 ftrations taken from objedls prefented to the fenles, it is the firft 

 fcience that men fhould be taught; and accordingly it was the firfl 

 fcience taught in the fchool of Pythagoras, the greatefl fchool of 

 learning among the Greeks; and he thought it fo necefTary for the 

 beginning of fcience, that, upon the gate of his fchool, he infcribed 

 Of J«'5 uyiofji^irpnTOi iia-irti/. 



Thus it appears, that the wifdom and goodnefs of God have fo 

 ordered matters on this our earth, that civil fociety affords us the 

 means of regaining, in fome degree, the ftate from which we had fal- 

 len, firft by giving us the ufe of intelled, and then by our improving 

 that intelle£l by arts and fciences. But this cannot be done in any 

 great degree if the government of the fociety be not luch as it ought 

 to be ; for government is of abfolute necefTity in all civil focieties. 

 Upon this fabjea 1 have faid a great deal in the the 4th volume 

 of this work, Book II. Chap. VIII. and IX. ; and I will only 

 add here, that it is chiefly the governor who makes the government 

 good or bad; for it belongs to him to form the people, and to 

 make them fuch as they ought to be. But, as I have faid in the 

 Ath volume above quoted ^', it is Nature chiefly, that qualifies a 

 man to be a governor ; for, let his education be what it will, if 

 by nature he be not fitted to govern, he never will be a good 

 governor. Now, it is from our race that we derive our nature, 

 and, among other qualities, a virtuous difpofition ; and the in- 

 heritance of fuch qualities is what we call, or fhould call. Nodi- 

 lity, and accordingly Ariftotle has told us that Nobility is the virtue 



of 



• Page 17/7. 



