V. 7.] THE FIRST BOOK. 41 



most applied ; and given all things else a tincture accord 

 ing to them, utterly untrue and unproper. So hath Plato 

 intermingled his philosophy with theology, and Aristotle 

 with logic ; and the second school of Plato, Proclus and 

 the rest, with the mathematics. For these were the arts 

 which had a kind of primogeniture with them severally. 

 So have the alchemists made a philosophy out of a few 

 experiments of the furnace; and Gilbertus our country 

 man hath made a philosophy out of the observations of a 

 loadstone. So Cicero, when, reciting the several opinions 

 of the nature of the soul, he found a musician that held 

 the soul was but a harmony, sailh pleasantly, Hie ab arte 

 sua non recessif, &c. But of these conceits Aristotle speak - 

 eth seriously and wisely when he saith, Qui respidunt 

 ad pauca de facili pronunciant. 



8. t Another error is an impatience of doubt, and Jiaste 

 to assertion without due and mature suspension of judge 

 ment. For the two ways of contemplation are not unlike 

 the two ways of action commonly spoken of by the 

 ancients : the one plain and smooth in the beginning, * 

 and in the end impassable ; the other rough and trouble 

 some in the entrance, but after a while fair and even : so &amp;gt; 



it is in contemplatjon ; if a man will begin with certain- * / 

 ^ties, he shall end iif donate ; but if he will be content to / 

 begin with doubts, he ~s hall end in certainties. 



9. Another error is in the manner of the tradition and 

 delivery of knbwkd^e&quot;, U lllcli- is ior the most part magis- 

 tral and peremptory, and not ingenuous and faithful ; 

 in a sort as may be soonest believed, and not easiliest 

 examined. &quot;&quot;It is li ue&quot;ThatTin compendious treatises for 

 practice~that form is not to be disallowed : but in the 

 true handling of knowledge, men ought not to fall either 

 on the one side into the vein of Velleius the Epicurean, 



